Season 3 of Stop & Talk: Conversations That Shaped the Year

Season 3 of Stop & Talk explored how people across San Diego County are responding to complex challenges with care, creativity, and community at the center. Through conversations with doctors, artists, educators, nonprofit leaders, journalists, and civic voices, we looked at what it takes to build health, belonging, and opportunity in uncertain times.

This season went deep. We spent time with those confronting the Tijuana River sewage crisis, reimagining healthcare through culture and the arts, expanding opportunity for young people, and examining how philanthropy, institutions, and civic leaders can show up responsibly in uncertain times. Together, these episodes offer a portrait of a region grappling with hard realities while staying grounded in possibility.

Whether you listened along the way or are just tuning in, this guide makes it easy to explore Season 3 by theme and find the conversations that speak to you.

Exploring how health is shaped by place, policy, and collective responsibility.

Dr. Dickson and Dr. Nguyen: Speaking Up for Patient Health

From their exam rooms in San Diego’s border communities, Dr. Kimberly Dickson and Dr. Vi Nguyen are witnessing firsthand how the Tijuana River sewage crisis is affecting children and families. They describe why they felt compelled to speak up, what happened when they did, and why protecting patient health requires urgent, informed action.

Tijuana River Coalition: The Alternative is Unacceptable

Advocacy, environmental education, and community organizing are fueling real momentum around the Tijuana River sewage crisis. Leaders from the Tijuana River Coalition share what’s at stake for families and youth and why failing to act is simply not an option.

Angelina Renteria: Trust, Tradition, and Tribal Healthcare

At Indian Health Council, healthcare is rooted in culture, trust, and long-term relationships. COO Angelina Renteria discusses how ​“womb to tomb” care, integrated services, and community-driven solutions are improving health outcomes for tribal communities in North San Diego County.

How creativity, movement, and culture support individual and collective healing.

Chris Appleton: Prescribing Art as Medicine

What if a doctor’s prescription led to a dance class or music workshop? Chris Appleton, founder and CEO of Art Pharmacy, explains how social prescribing is using the arts as a research-backed tool to improve mental and physical health and strengthen community well-being.

Live from the Prebys Sparx Awards Celebration: Celebrating Bold Ideas for Youth Well-Being

Recorded live at the Prebys Sparx Awards, this episode features five awardees whose work supports youth mental health outside traditional clinical settings. Their approaches, rooted in creativity, culture, and community, show how local assets can help young people build resilience and well-being.

Molly Puryear: Dancing Toward Joy, Connection and Possibility

Movement becomes medicine in this conversation with Molly Puryear, Executive Director of Malashock Dance. She shares how dance is helping people living with neurological conditions , and their caregivers, connect with joy, dignity, and a sense of belonging.

Sew Loka’s Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski: Slow Fashion, Bold Stories

In Barrio Logan, Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski is building community through needle and thread. The founder of Sew Loka talks about slow fashion, cultural preservation, and how textile art can heal, connect, and carry stories forward.

Rethinking systems so young people can thrive.

Afira DeVries: Kids Are Not a Problem to Solve

Former Monarch School Project CEO Afira Arrastia-DeVries shares how a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach is redefining education for unhoused students. This episode centers belief, dignity, and courage, emphasizing why every child deserves joy, safety, and possibility.

Elite, Not Elitist: Reimagining Public Higher Education with Pradeep Khosla

What should a public university be in today’s world? UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla shares how a philosophy of abundance, inclusion, and public investment is shaping the university’s role in education, research, and civic life.

Brandon Steppe: ​“Shoulder to Shoulder” Mentorship That Changes Lives

At the David’s Harp Foundation, transformation starts with relationship. Founder Brandon Steppe explains how creativity, vulnerability, and trust-centered mentoring are helping young people heal, develop skills, and imagine new futures.

Examining the values and decisions that shape regions and institutions.

Dr. Paula Cordeiro: The Convergence of Nonprofit, Business, and Social Good

Blurring the line between nonprofit and for-profit, Dr. Paula Cordeiro outlines a leadership model that treats empathy and equity as essential economic tools. Drawing on global examples and local opportunity, she explores how co-ops and social enterprises can build wealth within communities.

Mark Cafferty: Why Inclusive Growth Is Smart Business

Mark Cafferty, CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, reflects on what it takes to build an economy that works for everyone. The conversation explores the region’s opportunities and challenges, the role of values-driven leadership, and why investing in people is essential to long-term prosperity.

Scott Lewis: Journalism, Democracy, and the Future of San Diego

As trust in institutions erodes nationally, local journalism remains essential to community life and democracy. Scott Lewis of Voice of San Diego reflects on the role of nonprofit news in helping communities face hard truths, build shared understanding, and believe in their collective power.

What it means to lead with humility, accountability, and respect for community-driven priorities.

Grant Oliphant: Reconnecting with Why Our Work Matters

In a rare role reversal, Grant Oliphant steps into the guest seat to reflect on the pressures facing nonprofits and the responsibilities this moment places on philanthropy and civic institutions. Joined by co-host Crystal Page, he shares how Prebys Foundation is standing with San Diego’s nonprofit community and where he finds hope amid uncertainty.

Peter Ellsworth: Trust Begins With Listening

A longtime civic leader, Peter Ellsworth reflects on his role in shaping a more trust-based, relationship-driven approach to philanthropy in San Diego. His story underscores the importance of humility, listening, and community-led solutions. As his dad reminded him, it’s not about you.

Richard Tate: Health, Justice, and the Power of Voice

Richard Tate, CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, reflects on what it means for philanthropy to lead with courage in a moment of deep uncertainty. The conversation explores using voice and influence alongside dollars, why ​“spending up” matters now, and how hope can be a disciplined practice for building a more just and healthy future.

Walking Shield: Building Capacity and Honoring Tribal Self-Determination

True partnership with tribal nations begins by listening. Dr. John Castillo and Mariano Diaz of Walking Shield discuss building long-term capacity, caring for land and water, and why honoring Native leadership is essential to lasting progress.

Gil Alvarado: Using All Our Resources to Benefit the Community

Gil Alvarado, Chief Financial and Investment Officer of the Prebys Foundation, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the foundation uses all of its resources, not just grants, to support health, creativity, and economic opportunity. The conversation shows how aligning money, mission, and long-term commitment can strengthen communities.

We hope these conversations meet you where you are and offer something useful for the work ahead. Thanks for listening and for being part of the conversation. Stay tuned for Season 4!