Spirituality Was a Lifeline: Creating Conditions for Awakening” with Rich Havard – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 226)

Rich Havard is the Director of the Youth Mental Health Fund at the Decolonizing Wealth Project and in Episode 226, he shares his journey from growing up in a small town in rural Mississippi to becoming a leader at the intersection of spirituality, justice, and philanthropy. Reflecting on his upbringing, he speaks honestly about how experiences of difference, exclusion, and faith shaped his early sense of vocation and empathy for others. Rich describes how spirituality became a lifeline throughout his life, from childhood questions about identity and purpose, through his coming-out journey, and into his work creating spiritually grounded communities for young adults. He traces how this calling evolved through pastoral ministry, the founding of the Inclusive Collective, and later into philanthropy, where he sought to become the kind of funder he wished he had when leading a small nonprofit. Now, at the Youth Mental Health Fund, he works to support culturally responsive approaches to mental health that integrate spirituality, justice, and community care for young people. The conversation also explores what it means to “decolonize” wealth and challenge philanthropic systems to move resources differently toward collective well-being rather than accumulation. Rich reflects on moments that compelled him to act against injustice, on the role of faith communities in standing with vulnerable people, and on the fragile but persistent hope that comes from choosing to be an “arc bender.” This episode is a thoughtful meditation on healing, belonging, and the inner work needed to sustain outer change. Listener Engagement:

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