The Perfect 10

In this week's episode, C. Nicole Mason, PhD, interviews Amanda Litman, author & Co-Founder of Run For Something talks why Democrats are addicted to losing and why the future of politics belongs to young people who refuse to wait for permission.  Mason and Litman also discuss what the Democratic Party keeps getting wrong, what it will take to win in 2026, and why the future of politics depends on people who’ve never been in the room before—taking the mic, grabbing the gavel, and changing the game.

In this month's The Perfect 10 Big Idea Interview, Brigid Schulte, Director of New America's The Better Life Lab, and Research Fellow Haley Swenson explain how compelling stories anchored in the experiences of everyday Americans can challenge prevailing narratives around poverty and the social safety net, presenting an alternative vision for an economy and society that works for everyone. Through their work and research, they demonstrate how storytelling can be a powerful tool to foster empathy, shift cultural attitudes, and inspire action on social and economic justice issues.

In this week's BIG Ideas Interview, President/CEO of the National Domestic Workers Alliance Ai-Jen Poo explores the challenges families face in finding and affording quality childcare and elder care, the lack of government support and infrastructure for care, and the necessity for a new social contract that values care and caregiving. She also discusses her experiences with caregiving, why we should all stick together, and how we can win big on care. 

C. Nicole Mason, PhD, interviews Vanessa Priya Daniel, Founder of Groundswell, about the unique challenges and barriers women of color face in leadership positions within social change movements. Vannesa's new book, Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning, was released on March 4, 2025. Vanessa Priya Daniel is a long-time organizer and former executive director of the Groundswell Fund. She has decades of experience working at the intersection of racial and gender justice and has deep relationships with prominent women of color leaders across various social movements. The Perfect 10 Newsletter and What All the Smart Women Are Reading Reviews & Interviews are powered by futureforwardwomen.org

This Episode of Making Space features a lively and thought provoking conversation with Chief Public Affairs Officer at Moveon.org and MSNBC Policy Analyst Karine Jean-Pierre. Topics covered include the humanitarian crisis at the Border, Donald Trump's re-election campaign, and what it will take to win in 2020.

To remove the stigma around abortion, women have been shouting their abortion stories. But what about men, should they be telling their stories too?

In this episode of Making Space, we talk to Kalisha Dessources Figures, Andrea Flores & Nita Contreras, three of the co-authors of the New York Times Bestseller Yes She Can: 10 Stories of Hope & Change from Young Female Staffers of the Obama White House. They tell us how we can engage young women and girls on the issues that matter most to them.

On this episode of Making Space, Vivian Nixon, Executive Director of the College Community Fellowship in New York City, helps us to understand the power of education to transform the lives of formerly incarcerated women and their families. We also discuss who should be leading the movement, and whose voices should be centered in policy conversations around reform efforts. Take a listen.

Howdy? Heya? Can you chip in $5.00? Did you see what I did last night? In this mini-episode, I talk about the overly familiar emails from Democratic Hopefuls hoping to win my vote and dollars.

Despite an impressive slate of women candidates, and the most diverse group of Presidential hopefuls in the history of the United States, white men are leading the pack. In this mini-episode, I ask why and make some strong suggestions about what should be done about it.

Forty-nine percent of Americans say Democrats & the House of Representatives should keep investigating. Forty-eight percent say they should move on and pursue bread and butter issues impacting cities and communities. I believe it's possible to to do both: investigate and pursue an ambitious legislative agenda. For the sake and health of our democracy, we have an obligation to see the Mueller investigation through to the end.

It's a really good question & we end every episode by asking our guests what they are most hopeful about in their work. Working for social change can be hard and sometimes exhausting, so we want to know what keeps leaders engaged over the long haul.

In this this episode, I talk about the inspiration behind my theme music & why making a podcast is the hardest thing I've done in a super long time.

In this intro episode, you get to meet C. Nicole Mason and learn more about Making Space the Radio Show & Podcast.

On this episode of Making Space, we talk with Jeannette Pai Espinosa, President of the National Crittenton Foundation about disrupting the school to prison pipeline for girls of color, supporting young women and girls in communities, and their Upcoming national conference, InSolidarity We Rise in Atlanta, Georgia May 9-11, 2019.

In this episode, Nicole and Fatima Goss Graves, President/CEO of the National Women's Law Center and Co-Founder of Time's Up talk Anita Hill, 2020 priories for Women & Girls, Ending Gender Violence + Solidarity.

Gina is Executive Producer of the nation’s foremost empowerment event for Black Women at the ESSENCE Festival and co-founder of the Beautiful Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana. An Industry veteran, Gina has more than two decades of experience in entertainment and event production working with influencers, luminaries and thought leaders ranging from Oprah Winfrey to Hillary Clinton to Ava Duvernay. In this conversation, we talk with Gina about her career, inspirations, and her work with the biggest platform for Black Women in the world.