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PODCAST

Participation Trophy

Topher Williams

Millennials have been handed a sh*t sandwich. We’ve been labeled lazy, entitled, and (just like our participation trophies) we’ve had everything handed to us. But Millennials are all grown up, and it turns out that this hard-working, purpose-driven generation is changing the world. Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.

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All Episodes

39:30

EP14: This is How We Win Young People

Participation Trophy ·

2025/11/28

Youth organizers are reshaping democracy from the ground up with a level of purpose and urgency that’s impossible to ignore.This episode of Participation Trophy takes a clear look at how youth are driving real change through community-based organizing. Topher Williams talks with Dakota Hall of the Alliance for Youth Action, who explains why young people are stepping up in such large numbers and how rising costs, shrinking opportunities, and a desire for honest leadership shape their political

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40:47

EP13: Here’s What It Looks Like to Run For Office in...

Participation Trophy ·

2025/11/14

What does it really mean to run for office in Texas today? Topher Williams talks with Odus Evbagharu, a millennial organizer and Houston native, about what it takes to fight for working families in a state where politics often feels out of reach.Odus breaks down how issues like health care, education, and wages shape daily life across Texas and why every campaign should start with those kitchen table concerns. He also explains how redistricting tilts the playing field and what it takes to push

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41:29

EP12: Ghosting Voters: How Democrats are Getting...

Participation Trophy ·

2025/10/31

Local elections shape how our communities actually function, from the safety of our streets to the quality of our parks and schools. In this episode, DSPolitical’s Director of Business Development MaryEllen Veliz joins Topher Williams to talk about why those races deserve more of our attention and how democrats can start showing up differently. Why do so few people vote in elections that affect their lives the most? What would happen if campaigns treated voters like real people instead of targets in

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41:06

EP11: Redefining Relationships: Is Monogamy for the...

Participation Trophy ·

2025/10/17

Ever notice how much shame still creeps into the way we talk about love, sex, and relationships - even in supposedly progressive spaces? Activist, educator, and certified relationship coach Brian Gerald Murphy joins Topher Williams for an honest conversation about what happens when we stop letting shame dictate how we love and start creating relationships built on choice, consent, and curiosity. Together, they unpack the difference between polyamory and open relationships, talk about what it

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34:35

EP10: Congress and Motherhood with Brittany Pettersen

Participation Trophy ·

2025/09/19

Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen talks about leadership in government through a lens that feels anything but abstract. She shares what it was like growing up with a parent struggling with opioid addiction and how that experience shaped the way she thinks about policy, fairness, and the role of congress in people’s everyday lives.What does it mean to step into an institution built for older, wealthy men when you’re a millennial woman raising two kids? How do you push for the government to reflect

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40:04

EP09: The State of Independent Journalism Today

Participation Trophy ·

2025/08/15

The fight for truth has never felt more urgent, and few know that better than political journalist Maritsa Georgiou. In this episode, she joins Topher Williams to talk about the realities of journalism in a fractured media landscape, the rise of disinformation, and the Montana roots that shaped her belief in community and integrity.Maritsa shares how early influences, from her grandfather’s work as a TV meteorologist to watching the aftermath of 9/11 unfold on live television, set her on a path

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36:00

EP08: How We Can Still Pass Conservation Policy in 2025

Participation Trophy ·

2025/08/08

Montana conservationist Whitney Tawney joins host Topher Williams for a conversation about the messy, meaningful work of protecting public lands and the relationships that make real progress possible.Raised in Missoula by parents who founded the state’s first environmental lobby, Whitney grew up with a front-row seat to grassroots activism and long-term conservation work. Now a mother herself and former executive director of Montana Conservation Voters, she reflects on the people and places that

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30:39

EP07: Breaking Barriers, From a Kid in Rural Montana...

Participation Trophy ·

2025/08/01

Bryce Bennett went from a closeted teen in rural Montana to a state legislator who helped repeal Montana’s anti-LGBTQ laws. Now, he’s leading a national movement to make voting more accessible through Vote Early Day.Topher Williams sits down with Bryce to trace the throughline of his life: a deep belief in democracy, a commitment to visibility, and an unshakable drive to make change. Bryce shares what it was like growing up queer in a conservative town where violence felt more real than

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29:54

EP06: Everything is More Fabulous in Texas

Participation Trophy ·

2025/07/18

Can you really lead a movement in sparkly boots and a big hat? And more importantly, shouldn’t you?This week on Participation Trophy, Topher Williams sits down with Charlie Bonner, a fierce advocate for democracy who cut his teeth organizing in Texas and now brings that same energy to his work in the UK. From middle school civics class to testifying at the Capitol, Charlie’s path to leadership is full of grit, humor, and really good stories. He shares what it was like to fight back against voter

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25:07

EP05: How to Get Off the Sidelines and Into the Movement

Participation Trophy ·

2025/07/11

Karen Pandy-Cherry didn’t wait for someone to hand her a megaphone, she picked it up herself. Raised in Belize and now leading from Tulsa’s historic Black Wall Street, Karen shares how early lessons in family, service, and leadership shaped her path to becoming the President and CEO of New Leaders Council. Her approach to leadership is rooted in building power and making sure others have access to it, too.In this episode, Karen and Topher Williams get real about what it takes to stop watching

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32:37

EP04: Why Registering to Vote Still Matters

Participation Trophy ·

2025/07/04

Headcount is turning concerts into launchpads for civic action by making voter registration as common as buying a band tee. In this episode, Topher Williams chats with Lucille Wenegieme, the Executive Director at Headcount, about how music, culture, and civic engagement all show up in the same place, and why that matters more than ever. Lucille shares how her Nigerian-American upbringing shaped her approach to community, and how that early sense of mutual aid evolved into a nationwide movement that

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24:59

EP01: Pride and Prejudice, How to Thrive After...

Participation Trophy ·

2025/06/27

Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of gun violence and the Pulse nightclub attack. Brandon Wolf, activist and National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, shares how surviving the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting transformed his life, and why he’s dedicated himself to fighting for LGBTQ+ safety, belonging, and justice. On this episode of Participation Trophy, Brandon joins Topher Williams to trace the personal and political journey that brought him to the frontlines of

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22:01

EP02: How Old is Too Old to Run for Office?

Participation Trophy ·

2025/06/27

Most of America’s political power sits in the hands of people nearly twice the median age, but Amanda Litman is working to change that by helping a new generation step into office.Topher Williams talks with Amanda about the age gap in American leadership and what it means for the future of the country. Why are so few elected officials under 40? What happens when the same people hold power for decades without making room for new voices? Amanda shares how Run for Something has helped more than 1,500

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45:15

EP03: Alt-Utah, What Democrats are Missing About the...

Participation Trophy ·

2025/06/27

Two powerhouse organizers are flipping the script on Utah politics by proving that even the reddest states can be ripe for progressive change. Topher Williams is joined by Jackie Morgan and Gabi Finlayson, the co-founders of Elevate Strategies, for a conversation that challenges the way we think about political possibility in places like Utah. If a state has been red for decades, does that mean it will always stay that way? And what happens when people on the ground start organizing differently, not

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00:38

Participation Trophy - Trailer

Participation Trophy ·

2025/06/03

Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.

en

15 results

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