James Keppel is the Founder and CEO of Sarana Health and a healthcare advocate for an integrated, wellness-focused approach to keeping people healthy instead of simply treating diseases. While the impacts of current policy changes and budget cuts in healthcare and medical research have yet to be seen, all indications point to widening gaps in serving rural populations and those with complex conditions. James encourages private industry to step up to innovate new models of healthcare delivery and financing, and to use AI and technology to support healthcare providers in providing personalized, continuous care.

We talk about:

• Need to inform and influence the debate about healthcare policy
• Gaps in how traditional medicine addresses chronic conditions and preventative care
• Hot button issues like drug price transparency, telehealth, and nutrition benefit cuts
• How the smarter use of diagnostic tests to find early warning signs of disease benefits all stakeholders
• Growing frustration among healthcare providers and patients with the current healthcare system is creating an opportunity for innovative models to emerge

#SaranaHealth #Healthcare #HealthcareCuts #RuralHealthcare #MedAI

Sarana.Health

Brian Rolling, Co-Founder of the MurMur Project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss how individuals can engage more effectively through digital communication and social media, gaining a deeper understanding of political issues, campaigns, and elections, and have their own voices heard. Brian has a background in filmmaking and content creation, while his mother and co-founder has a long history in community organizing and running non-profits, making them a unique team to navigate the current political landscape.

Deepak and Brian talk about:

• Overcoming cynicism and the lack of trust in traditional media
• Reasons to encourage more people to share information with friends and family
• Value of trusted sources of authentic information
• Available tools and guidance for people to create and share content on social media
• Calls to action for 2026

#TheDemLabs #AmericansUnitedforSeparationofChurchandState #AU #SeparationofChurchandState #JohnsonAmendment

MurMur Impact Project Substack

TheDemLabs.org

Rebecca Markert, Vice President and Legal Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State , joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the fundamental American principle of the separation of church and state, as included in the Constitution. The Johnson Amendment, passed 70 years ago, is a critical law that prevents churches and charities from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

Deepak and Rebecca talk about:

• Historical perspective of the Johnson Amendment and bipartisan support
• Efforts to inject more religion into public schools
• The threat of religious beliefs being used to undermine democratic principles
• The rise of White Christian nationalism and efforts to dismantle the separation between church and state
• Calls to action

#TheDemLabs #AmericansUnitedforSeparationofChurchandState #AU #SeparationofChurchandState #JohnsonAmendment

au.org

TheDemLabs.org

Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Executive Director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, discusses the 2.5 Project, an initiative by BISC that provides early, flexible funding to support ballot initiatives focused on economic justice. Recent efforts in Nebraska and Missouri to support minimum wage and paid sick leave ballot initiatives yielded positive results, demonstrating the ability to frame the issues and collaborate with related efforts, such as reproductive rights measures.

We talk about:

• The differences between political candidate campaigns and ballot initiatives
• Importance of local coalitions
• Need for ongoing communication to drive civic engagement and education about the potential impact of ballot initiatives
• Ballot initiative trends and coordination across states

#BallotInitiativeStrategyCenter #BISC #BallotInitiatives #Organizing #LocalOrganizers

Ballot.org

Jim Lardner, journalist, activist, and host of the podcast "Good Trouble," joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the "We Are Your Neighbor" Project, which aims to collect and promote personal stories of people impacted by the Trump administration's policies. The goal is to promote these types of stories in a non-ideological way to reach out to Trump supporters and others who may be reconsidering their political support.

Deepak and Jim talk about:

• The power of storytelling to connect voters across the political spectrum
• Growing number of people who are willing to share their stories publicly
• Encouraging more nuanced and empathetic discussions about local and national issues
• Serving as a resource for journalists and activists looking to better understand the real-world impacts of policy changes

#WeAreYourNeighbors #TheDemLabs #FederalWorkers #FundingCuts #Healthcare #Immigrants #Storytelling #PoliticalResistance #Activism

WeAreYourNeighbors.net

TheDemLabs.org

Bill Moyer, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to explore the value of creative activism and visual props in promoting causes and values. The metaphor of the backbone is a symbol of moral power and strength that voters are encouraged to draw on to protest, drive awareness, and mobilize to bring about change. The Backbone Campaign is supporting organizers nationwide to help them collaborate and effectively convey their messages.

Deepak and Bill talk about:

• The intersection of art and activism
• Impact of large visual props and light projections
• Providing training, tools, and support to activists
• Need to drive conversations and build emotional connections

#TheDemLabs #BackboneCampaign #Activism #GrassrootsActivism #Organizing #Protests #PoliticalProtests

BackboneCampaign.org

TheDemLabs.org

Allen Carroll, cartographer and lead of the Story Maps team at Esri, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the power of maps and the visualization of GIS data to tell a compelling story. The StoryMaps platform combines multimedia elements to create richer and more engaging maps to spark empathy, raise awareness, and potentially inspire change.

Deepak and Allen talk about:

• Why maps and StoryMaps are a highly efficient and effective way to convey complex information
• The role of heroes in telling a story and humanizing data
• Using maps to advocate and educate
• Driving public engagement with maps and potential actions to be taken

#TheDemLabs #Esri #StoryMaps #ArcGIS #GIS #Advocacy #CivicEngagement #Storytelling #Maps

esri.com

TheDemLabs.org

Lucian K. Truscott IV, journalist, author, and screenwriter, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to shine a light on the challenges of writing about and reporting on current events, political voices, and cultural trends. Lucian started working for the Village Voice while still a cadet at West Point in the 1960s and comes from a long line of military leaders and political figures. He is currently covering politics on his Substack newsletter, Lucian Truscott. Note that this interview was recorded a few days before the US dropped bombs on Iran.

Deepak and Lucian talk about:

• Interviewing Abby Hoffman for Life Magazine and covering the Stonewall Riots
• Current and potential US military action against Iran
• How Lucian's experience as a graduate of West Point informs his view of the consequences of US involvement in conflicts
• His concern about hasty and ill-advised military and political decisions

#TheDemLabs #LucianKTruscott #MilitaryAction #PoliticalReporting #AttacksonIran

LucianTruscott.substack.com

TheDemLabs.org