Your 2022 Podcast Playlist
In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies and our partners had a big year. Through tackling climate change to supporting public art projects to working to improve our public health and more, experts worldwide have found unique and impactful solutions to some of the biggest global challenges. And they have the data to back it up.
Our podcast, Follow the Data, and a few of the podcasts from our partners that we’re addicted to, highlighted some powerful stories of the people working on these solutions – and the data that is guiding their progress. As our founder Mike Bloomberg often says: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
We have put together a short playlist of some of the top podcast episodes from Follow the Data in 2022, and some favorites from our friends.
We will see you next year – with more data, more stories of impact, and more conversations with the world’s top experts who are making a difference!
Follow the Data: Creating Pathways to Middle Skill Jobs (January 2022)
We kicked off 2022 with a focus on education, at a time when high school students need access to high-quality job training opportunities more than ever. Businesses are also eagerly looking to hire qualified talent in a range of middle skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year college degree. That’s why Bloomberg Philanthropies supported career and technical education programs with some major investments across the country this year. In this episode, we sit down with Julia Baez, CEO of Baltimore’s Promise, a city-wide collaborative which supports the health and education of Baltimore City youth from cradle to career, and Randall Woodfin, Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. Tune in to hear more about how local programs in Baltimore are offering occupational skills training in fields like tech, health care, logistics, and transportation, and how internships and apprenticeships will help shape the employment landscape in Birmingham. Listen here.
The Art Newspaper’s The Week in Art: Ukraine: the art community and photojournalism (March 2022)
The Art Newspaper has a number of unique podcasts, including “A Brush with…” which is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects, and “The Week in Art.” In a March episode of “The Week in Art” following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian art historian, artist, and curator Svitlana Biedarieva was interviewed. She discussed the current community of artists in Ukraine, Ukrainian art since the Maidan, or Revolution of Dignity, in 2014, and how artists are responding to recent events. Photographer Mark Neville is also interviewed about his experiences in Kyiv creating a photojournalistic series focused on ethical approaches to reportage and the effects of documenting war-torn countries. Tune in for a unique and compelling set of conversations not typically highlighted in international war coverage. Listen here.
Follow the Data: Growing Diverse and Resilient Corals (April 2022)
In this episode, we hear from Sam Teicher – a former Earthshot Prize winner – who co-founded Coral Vita, an organization dedicated to regenerating dying reefs. Coral reefs are a critical ecosystem for our environment and a source of food, livelihood, and cultural heritage for 500 million people globally. They’re also likely to disappear by 2050 if the goals of the Paris Agreement are not met. That’s why Bloomberg Philanthropies is promoting coral reef conservation through our Vibrant Oceans Initiative, which works with coastal communities, nonprofit organizations, local and national governments, policymakers, and academic groups to create more sustainable ocean ecosystems. Tune in to hear about Coral Vita’s unique approach, how they are working with local communities, and what’s at stake if we don’t do all we can to preserve our oceans. Listen here.
GovLove: Advancing Data in Local Government (November 2022)
GovLove, a podcast about the power of local government, offers a deep-dive into the people and policies at work to improve our communities. In one of our favorite episodes this year, Lauren Su, the Director of Certification for What Works Cities, alongside Ruth Puttick, Senior Policy Advisor for the Open Innovation Team, and Lisa Mae Fiedler, Acting Manager of Data and Analytics at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, each share their research and insights into how local governments can use data more effectively. They also tell us more about how they can spread ideas that work to other cities. Listen here.
Public Health on Call: “Take Nothing For Granted With This Virus”—The Latest on COVID Treatment and Vaccines (December 2022)
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health created the Public Health On Call podcast to help spread awareness and share trusted information about the pandemic. Now, two years and hundreds of episodes later, Public Health on Call releases an episode looking at the latest information we have on the virus, treatments, and vaccines. In it Dr. Josh Sharfstein, director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, talks with Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of infectious diseases at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, about how – thanks to vaccines, infection-induced immunity, and new treatments – COVID-19 infections may look different in 2022 than 2020, but why we all must stay vigilant as we head into the new year. Listen here.