Grounds to Listen

Brendan Tuohey

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:55:41 -0000

On this episode of "Grounds to Listen," Brendan Tuohey, co-founder and president of PeacePlayers, talks with UVA Batten dean Ian H. Solomon about how the organization is bringing people together across divides in the Middle East, South Africa, Northern Ireland, and the United States through sports. In a wide-ranging conversation, the former basketball player and coach shares how kids who play together can learn to live together.

Tim Phillips

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:49:53 -0000

Tim Phillips, founder and CEO of Beyond Conflict, joins UVA Batten dean Ian H. Solomon on this episode of "Grounds to Listen" to discuss his work reducing conflict and increasing tolerance around the world. Phillips shares his thoughts on how to bring leaders together to learn from one another, even in the aftermath of violence and division.

Tim Tassopoulos

Wed, 07 May 2025 17:50:00 -0000

On the latest episode of Grounds to Listen, Tim Tassopoulos joins Batten Dean Ian Solomon to talk about his journey from part-time hourly Chick-fil-A employee to President and Chief Operating Officer of the iconic chicken sandwich chain. Tassopoulos shares his thoughts about what makes a great leader, the power of mentorship, and the importance of creating a strong culture.

Nicholas Ma

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:00:00 -0000

On this episode of Grounds to Listen, film producer and director Nicholas Ma talks with Batten Dean Ian Solomon about his latest work, “Leap of Faith.” The conversation, recorded this summer prior to the November 2024 election, offers inspiration and hope to those looking to bridge divides and find beauty in recognizing our common humanity. Ma previously produced the award-winning documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" about television personality Fred Rogers.

Mariko Silver

Thu, 23 May 2024 16:01:00 -0000

On this special episode of Grounds to Listen, Mariko Silver, president and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation, joins Dean Ian Solomon for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership. The two discuss the importance of curiosity, the challenges of leading diverse groups of people, and the value of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Melissa Thomas-Hunt

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Grounds to Listen, Dean Ian Solomon talks with Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt about her new book, "Inclusion Unlocked - A Guide for Leaders to Act," the challenges of being an inclusive leader in today's world, the role of candor in leadership.

Thomas-Hunt is the John Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business and professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. She is the senior associate dean for the Residential Full-Time MBA Program at the Darden School and the former Head of Global Diversity and Belonging at Airbnb where she led the strategy and execution of our global internal diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging programs.

Bill Howell and David Toscano

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 17:01:00 -0000

Bill Howell, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, and David Toscano, former Minority Leader and mayor of Charlottesville, join Dean Ian Solomon to talk about their time in the legislature, how they worked together across the aisle to get things done, and the importance of listening as a leader.

Kevin Parker

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 22:33:12 -0000

Former Washington state representative and entrepreneur Kevin Parker joins Dean Ian Solomon to share his story of how his experience as a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting has shaped his journey as a leader and to offer ideas for policy solutions to the epidemic of gun violence. The Batten School invited Parker to Grounds in November, 2023 to participate in our "Beyond Boundaries" special event on the one-year anniversary of the shooting that took the lives of three UVA student-athletes. This episode is the third in a three-part series featuring elected leaders who are alums of Rodel Institute's prestigious Rodel Fellowship leadership development program.

Bill Gates & Heather Carter

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Dean Ian Solomon talks with two Arizona Republicans - Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, who presided over the pivotal county's 2020 presidential election and recount, and State Sen. Heather Carter - about the challenges they have faced by working across the aisle and the importance of communication. This audio-only episode is the second in a three-part series featuring elected leaders who are alums of Rodel Institute's prestigious Rodel Fellowship leadership development program.

Lauren Matsumoto

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:27:12 -0000

Hawaii State Rep Lauren Matsumoto joins Dean Ian Solomon for a conversation about her path from Miss Hawaii to Minority Leader and the challenges of leading a "superminority". This audio-only episode is the first in a three-part series featuring elected leaders who are alums of Rodel Institute's prestigious Rodel Fellowship leadership development program.

Governor Jim Gilmore

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Vidcast version is available on youtube.

Bo Seo

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0000

The second episode of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy’s Grounds to Listen podcast features Bo Seo, two-time world debate champion and author of the book “Good Arguments.” Seo talks about how debate has influenced his life and how we can learn how to argue better.