PathBreakers

Season 2 of PathBreakers opens in Detroit — Kresge's hometown and a city whose comeback story has been told for a decade. But as hosts Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennett note, that story has largely been written through the lens of downtown. The real test of Detroit's revival is whether neighborhoods share in it.In November 2025, Detroit voters made a decisive choice: by the widest margin in the city's history, they elected Mary Sheffield mayor. The daughter of a civil rights leader, the youngest city council member in Detroit history at 26, and now the first woman to serve as Detroit's mayor, Sheffield didn't run on a downtown comeback story. She ran on neighborhoods first.In this episode, Kresge President & CEO Rip Rapson sits down with Mayor Sheffield on the Marygrove Conservancy campus — where Sheffield anchored her transition — for a wide-ranging conversation about what governing for neighborhoods actually looks like.They discuss:* Her "stabilize, support, grow" framework for neighborhood investment* Centering children and families — from Rx Kids cash prescriptions to bus passes for every Detroit public school student* The new Office of Poverty Elimination and the appointment of Dr. Luke Shaefer of U-M Poverty Solutions* Detroit's property tax burden — among the highest in the country — and what reform could mean for residents and development* How the city is navigating the loss of $800M+ in federal funds* What she'd ask of Detroit's philanthropic and corporate communityNext week: we leave City Hall and head into the neighborhoods. Meet Orlando Bailey, Executive Director of Outlier Media — the newsroom built on the premise that journalism should serve the people who need information most.Learn more about Mayor Sheffield: Preview all of Season 2 *CREDITS*Host: Rip Rapson, President & CEO, Kresge FoundationProducer: Juliet HinelyManaging Editor: Krista JahnkeProduction support: Jennifer Kulczycki and Tracey PearsonVideo interview produced by Mark MarxDirector of Photography: Rodney JohnsonAudio Technician: Keith SchembriAssociate Producer: Bria BrownVideo Editor: Carmel FlanaganLogo animation: Collin LeixSpecial thanks: Wendy Lewis Jackson and Jonathan Hui (Kresge Detroit program)

In this special season finale episode, hosts Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennet welcome Kresge Foundation President & CEO Rip Rapson back to reflect back on the stories heard throughout the series and to share an exciting announcement about the future of Kresge. In this conversation, Rip also looks back on his journey to Detroit, reflecting on formative experiences and the influences his architect father and librarian mother had on his development as a leader, thinker, and citizen. And Rip does not escape the PathBreakers “lightning round” tradition … Tracey and Jamie ask Rip 10 “hard-hitting” questions with surprising answers. Read more about Kresge’s big news Read Rip’s book, Drawn to Challenge See Rip Rapson’s Drawings: Visual Maps to Change

Dr. Beverly Wright has been working in climate and environmental justice since before the movement had a name. After 30+ years of leading groundbreaking community-based participatory research in her hometown of New Orleans, Dr. Wright is a celebrated pioneer of the field. Since 1992 she has been the visionary executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, the organization which she also founded. In this episode, Dr. Wright reflects on a post-Katrina New Orleans and her journey from sociologist to movement leader. She also discusses the “communiversity” learning model that she developed for the Deep South Center and the ways they are cultivating the next generation of climate leaders. Learn more about The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice

Cardell Orrin spent years as a high-level IT strategist and engineer. Now, as the executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee, he is “debugging” the processes by which parents and community members in Tennessee engage with their local school boards and state representatives. It’s a debugging that’s needed across America’s school systems. In this conversation, Cardell reflects on a childhood of being “dragged around to school board meetings” by his mother, and the “cynical optimist” problem-solving mindset it helped him develop. Cardell also discusses the specific ways Stand for Children Tennessee helps connect the dots for citizens who want to get involved in education advocacy, and what is at risk when a state proposes taking over a local school district. Read more about Stand for Children Tennessee Learn more about the 901 Moral Budget Coalition

Quetzal Flores is a Grammy-winning musician who combines his immense creative skillset and his deep knowledge of cultural traditions to ignite community participation in resistance and resilience. In this conversation, Quetzal recounts growing up “in movement” with parents who were deeply involved in the civil rights organizing of the Chicano Movement. He describes East LA's historical significance, its current cultural landscape, and what's at stake in the neighborhood today. Quetzal also reflects on the musical and cultural experiences that have shaped his approach to community powerbuilding. Learn more about the Community Power CollectiveHear music from the band QuetzalWatch some beautiful music videos from Quetzal and his band

Dr. Mona Hanna, affectionately known as “Dr. Mona”, is best known as the pediatrician who exposed the Flint water crisis. She is also the associate dean for Public Health at Michigan State University and now the founder of RxKids – a cash prescriptions program for expectant mothers in Michigan and currently the largest cash-transfer program in the country.In this episode, Dr. Mona reflects on how her experience in medical school and her experience navigating the Flint water crisis inform her approach to public health. She also discusses the impact and financial efficiency of RxKids, and how a program like RxKids – which centers love and trust by design – significantly improves health outcomes for babies and new mothers. Find Dr. Hanna’s book, What the Eyes Don’t See, and learn more about RxKids:https://rxkids.org/What the Eyes Don't See

Favianna Rodriguez is an interdisciplinary artist, cultural strategist, and entrepreneur based in Oakland, California. She is the co-founder of The Center for Cultural Power.In this conversation, Favianna shares her journey as an artist and activist, discussing the influence of her immigrant parents, the challenges she faced in pursuing art, and the importance of cultural narratives in shaping political policies. Favianna reflects on her journey with the Center for Cultural Power and her transition into new artistic endeavors, focusing on storytelling in film and television. The discussion also highlights the role of philanthropy in supporting cultural narratives and the necessity of investing in artists to create meaningful change. LEARN MORE about Favianna, her work and the Center for Cultural Powerhttps://favianna.com/https://www.culturalpower.org/https://pathbreakers.flywheelsites.com/story/favianna-rodriguez/

Welcome to PathBreakers, a show from The Kresge Foundation all about the people who break through the noise, red tape, and all of the other obstacles to progress.In each episode, you’ll meet a different Pathbreaker, people working in cities to forge new ways forward and discover the possibilities, sometimes hidden in plain sight.