Welcome to the Ruthlessly Hopeful’s Profiles In Hope!

I hope the people, science and resources I write about inform, inspire and motivate you to be more hopeful and do more good. 

I profile people who are doing good and spreading hope. I highlight how they remain hopeful in the face of reality, overcome challenges, persevere and remain hopeful. Thank you for sharing these posts with others.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Getting There

An interview with Dr. Melanie Nadeau about her journey to becoming a public health researcher and teacher and the work she is doing to grow the community of Indigenous public health scholars.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Let’s Go

An interview with Jacquie Berglund about her journey to becoming the founder of Finnegan’s Brew Co. and her drive to do good.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

A Third Place

An interview with Anthony Walsh about his experience growing up playing hockey and the work he is doing now to bring more diversity to the game.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Doing As Much Good

An interview with Roger Cummings, co-founder of Juxtaposition Arts, about helping young-urban artists find a path to making art and making a living from their art.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Hope Shines Bright

An Interview with Kathryn Goetzke, the founder of the Shine Hope Company and a mental health advocate. She moved from hopelessness to hope and is teaching others to do the same.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

A Science of Hope

An interview with Dr. Karen Oberhauser, a conservation biologist, about her passion for monarchs, her journey to her current role and what we can do to support monarchs and their habitat, which are under a lot of stress.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Sees All, Serves All and Values All

A conversation with Dr. Joe Gothard, the superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools, about becoming superintendent and the work being done across the district to make sure every student thrives.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Source of Hope

An interview with Devon Thomas Treadwell, one of the founders of The Retrievers, about bringing dogs to safety and the hope that fuels their work.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Seeds In Her Pocket

An interview with Noreen Thomas of Doubting Thomas Farms about going organic, growing tasty and nutrient-dense food and turning hopes into realities.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Change Will Happen

An interview with Brian McNeill of Dignity Twin Cities about the hope for creating a better Catholic Church that fully accepts LGBTQIA+ Catholics.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Wild At Heart

An interview with Tammy Thies, founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary about starting the sanctuary and the hope for ending the exploitation and abuse of wildcats in captivity.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

To Wait and Hope

An interview with Eli and Mitch about their journey to each other and their hopes for starting a family.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Changing Seemingly Unchangeable Forces

An interview with Emily Baxter, the founder of We Are All Criminals, who is working to erase the barriers between those with criminal histories and those with criminal records.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

Something Bigger Than Himself

An interview with Dan Johnson, the CEO of Arise Community Credit Union, the first Black-led credit union in Minnesota. Dan talks about stepping outside his comfort zone to serve a community he loves.

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Martha Lee Martha Lee

The Throughline

An interview with Sara Jones, executive director of the Great North Innocence Project about how hope fuels their work to free wrongly convicted people and reduce the risk of wrongful convictions.

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