Benji Backer on Bridging Divides With Empathy

In this episode of B-Sides: The Deeper Side of Leadership, host Lorelle Atkinson sits down with Benji Backer, Founder & CEO of Nature Is Nonpartisan, to explore the personal experiences that shaped his approach to leadership and conservation. From a formative childhood hike that sparked his connection to the outdoors to his work building a cross-partisan environmental movement, Backer shares why reconnecting with nature is essential not just for the planet, but for human wellbeing. He reflects on the power of public lands to unite communities, the role of empathy in bridging political divides, and why meaningful progress depends on rebuilding relationships across differences. At its core, this conversation is about finding common ground, not just in nature, but in each other.