151: Liza McFadden – Finding the silver lining: The role of philanthropy in transforming the future

Our guest in this episode is Liza McFadden, former president of
the Barbara Bush Foundation, current leader of LIZA and Partners
LLC and Director at Stride Learning. Under her leadership, the
Barbara Bush Foundation leveraged the power of competition to
bridge gaps in literacy, empowering communities worldwide. Liza
also served on the National Institute for Literacy Board under
President George W. Bush's administration. She spearheaded
initiatives like the $7M Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy
XPRIZE, attracting global attention and participation to develop
literacy apps benefiting millions worldwide and transforming the
lives of low-literate adults. Liza’s contributions to societal
wellbeing, especially those during the pandemic, earned her
recognition as one of the "25 Women You Need to Know" in her
hometown and numerous state and national awards in the US. “Do I
think that it's probably one of the most needed skills of the
future, being able to deal with change and smile under adversity?
Absolutely.” Philanthropy can serve as a catalyst to inspire and
motivate people to take action in addressing social inequalities
and finding ways and solutions to make significant skills like
literacy available to everyone. In this inspiring and stimulating
conversation Liza gives us insight into her work as
philanthropist and as an advocate for literacy while giving
perspectives on how AI holds potential in optimizing the
individual learning culture, on what role digital transformation
plays here and what role philanthropy can have in transforming
learning and our future. From the ways a bibliophile utilizes and
is inspired by her own passion for reading and literature to help
others overcome barriers connected to literal proficiency, to
breaking down complex scenarios by implementing long term growth
strategies, via learning to deal with adversity as one of the
most important future skills, right through to the driving force
that true philanthropy can be in the transformation process if
put to good use. One thing is for sure – We need to embrace
change, even if it presents itself in difficult and overwhelming
situations. Without change there is no growth and without growth
there is no future. What do scallops and philanthropy have in
common and how can hundreds of bright blue eyes affect the
transformation of the learning culture? – tune in!