In this episode of Work Shouldn’t Suck, host Tim Cynova connects with the ever-awesome Shannon Litzenberger to explore the intersections of democracy, creative practice, and collective thriving. Together, they dive into how artistic methodologies can expand leadership frameworks and help shape more caring, equitable communities.

In this episode:

• How creative practice informs leadership and systems change
• The importance of mutual care and collective thriving
• Sensory attunement, attentional awareness, and improvisational leadership
• Disrupting default systems and embracing world-making as a practice

Fresh from the national tour of her production World After Dark and moments away from presenting at a social theory, politics, and the arts conference in Spain, Shannon shares insights on how creative practice can serve as a catalyst for personal and societal transformation. They discuss the power of mutual care, the significance of sensory attunement, and the need to reimagine default patterns in both the workplace and society.

This episode also touches on the enduring influence of Shannon’s friendship and collaboration with the late Diane Ragsdale, their shared exploration of aesthetics and embodiment, and their co-authored chapter in Democracy as Creative Practice. Plus, hear how Shannon is bringing her artistic ethos into unexpected spaces—like reimagining an academic panel as an improvisational score.

Tune in for a conversation packed with practical wisdom, unexpected insights, and a reminder that thriving workplaces and thriving communities are built on mutual care, relational leadership, and a willingness to embrace the unfamiliar.

Quotables

“This is where I find a lot of fertile ground for transformation, and why I feel it's so important for creative practice methodologies to gain purchase in this conversation around change, because they're practice-based, and practice is how we change habits. We can have lots of fruitful conversations that evoke ways of knowing that we understand, but to actually become something different than what we've already been conditioned to be requires practice, not just a kind of conceptual knowing.” – Shannon Litzenberger

“ Practice is the pathway to change. If you want to be able to expand your repertoire of being and doing, you have to practice things that are unfamiliar.” – Shannon Litzenberger

“Identity is a very powerful organizing construct in society. The pandemic especially I think really highlighted identity significantly as an organizing structure, as a way of revealing structural harms and inequities. It also started to deepen the way that we are relating in these identity-based affinity groups, and in a sense, this is a challenge when it comes to developing practices that are supportive of a pluralistic democracy. Because, in a pluralistic democracy, we need to develop an ability to be together in ways that are not so strictly codified that we are all twisting ourselves in a knot to try to belong, that actually we need to be able to embrace differences within a dynamic whole in order to work well and co-create well together.” – Shannon Litzenberger

• Values in Creative Practice (02:14)
• Exploring “World After Dark” (04:08)
• Leadership and Collective Action (09:32)
• Navigating Post-Pandemic Challenges (11:10)
• Creative Practice in Organizations (17:43)
• Improvisational Leadership (27:09)
• Collaboration with Diane Ragsdale (35:33)
• Improvisational Score as Panel Discussion (42:29)
• Final Thoughts and Reflections (45:52)

• Shannon's Substack

In this episode of the Work Shouldn’t Suck podcast, host Tim Cynova begins an exploration into the crucial intersection of Human Resources (HR) and climate emergencies. Recorded amidst recent natural disasters, the discussion explores how workplaces can prepare for and respond to climate-related challenges, underscoring the importance of planning for the unexpected, building resilient systems, and supporting employee well-being in the midst of these emergencies.

Joining the conversation are Jenna Ringelheim and Jillian Wright, bringing their insights on meaningful HR and organizational design practices rooted in equity, anti-racism, and compassion. They emphasize the importance of proactive planning, values-based workplace design, and the integration of equity, empathy, and integrity in HR practices. This spirited discussion highlights the evolving nature of workplace challenges posed by climate change and the need for resilient, people-centered organizational frameworks.

Highlights:

• Introduction to Climate Emergency and HR (00:00)
• Unplanned vs. Unexpected Events (01:06)
• Climate Justice HR: A New Approach (02:31)
• Guest Introductions and Their Work (03:04)
• Values-Centered Work in HR (04:08)
• Climate Justice HR in Practice (10:39)
• Real-World Examples and Challenges (12:43)
• Developing Compassionate Leave Policies (18:18)
• Building Resilient and Supportive Workplaces (22:16)
• The Importance of Flexibility and Empathy (34:28)
• Final Thoughts and Takeaways (44:22)

Related Resources:

• The Resilient Organization: A Guide to Nonprofit Disaster Preparedness by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy
• Scarcity and the Non-Profit People Paradox Example 2 delves into the St. John’s case study and how they approached the unplanned versus the unexpected
• Climate Emotions Wheel including a Guide to Climate Emotions
• Phases of Disaster Response from the Institute for Collective Trauma and Growth
• University of California’s Center for Climate Justice “What is Climate Justice“ and the Six Pillars of Climate Justice.
• Tulane University’s “What Is a Disaster Management Cycle?”
• Crisis Relief & Recovery on “What is Disaster Leadership?”
• “How to Lead Through a Crisis” by the Center for Creative Leadership
• “The connection between the climate crisis and outdated leadership models” by the Academy for Sustainable Innovation
• “

In this episode of Work Shouldn’t Suck, host Tim Cynova is rejoined by co-host Lauren Ruffin and special guest Adam Huttler, the founder of Fractured Atlas and current head of product and technology at MonkeyPod, another company he founded. Together, they dive into the nuances of starting and scaling organizations, drawing from their shared experiences at Fractured Atlas and beyond.

The conversation explores the intricacies of startups and scaling, including the critical transition points, calibrating risk between staff and boards, the importance of intellectual honesty, and the role slack plays in supporting a culture of learning.

Key Highlights:

• Product-Market Fit [02:09]
• Startup Phase Challenges [02:56]
• Transitioning to Scaling Mode [03:22]
• Experimentation & Intellectual Honesty [04:45]
• Evaluating Team & Leadership [08:35]
• Nonprofit Sector Dynamics [13:51]
• Risk Calibration in Nonprofits [20:08]
• Strategic Planning & Strategic Thinking in Organizations [26:11]
• Hybrid Workplace & Organizational Culture [32:27]
• Building High-Performing Teams [36:30]
• Creating Space for Learning & Growth [44:55]

BIOS

ADAM HUTTLER is the founder and head of product of MonkeyPod, an all-in-one software platform for nonprofit organizations that supports accounting, donor management, fundraising, collaboration, and more. A serial entrepreneur at the intersection of technology, culture, and social justice, his career emphasizes developing innovative business models and revenue strategies for mission-driven companies, in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

In 1997, Adam founded Fractured Atlas, a non-profit technology company that helps artists with the business aspects of their work. During Adam's twenty years as CEO, the organization grew from a one-man-band housed in an East Harlem studio apartment to a broad-based service organization with an annual budget of $25 million. When he left in 2017, Fractured Atlas's services had grown to reach over 1.5 million artists across North America and distributed over $250 million to support their work.

From 2003-2013, Adam also ran Gemini SBS, a software development firm serving the nonprofit and public sectors. Before being acquired by Fractured Atlas in 2013, Gemini worked with clients such as the US Department of Education, New York University, and the University of North Carolina, among many others.

In 2017, Adam left Fractured Atlas to launch Exponential Creativity Ventures, a boutique venture capital fund backing early-stage technology companies that support human creative capacity. ECV was fully deployed as of late 2019, but Adam continues to support and advise ECV's 18 portfolio companies.

In 2019, a personal side project became a bona fide startup when Adam publicly launched MonkeyPod.

Adam has a B.A. in theater from Sarah Lawrence College, an M.B.A. from New York University, and is a self-taught software developer. In 2011, he was recruited for the inaugural class of National Arts Strategies' Chief Executive Program. He is also an alumnus of Singularity University's Executive Program and the University of California at Berkeley's Venture Capital Executive Program.

Adam was named to Crain's New York Business's 2016 "40 Under Forty" class and was listed by Barry's Blog as one of the "Top 50 Most Powerful and Influential Leaders in Nonprofit Arts" for five consecutive years.

LAUREN RUFFIN (she/her) is the Director and Lead Strategist of Art & Culture at Michigan Central. An expert in responsible innovation, her work centers on defining and implementing best practices for organizations reshaping the world through technology to ensure