Shared Ground
Shared Ground is a podcast that explores resilience & grit, generosity & kindness. We start with true stories of kindness and support during and after the 2025 LA wildfires.
Episodes
How Do You Rebuild After Losing Everything?
In this episode, we sit down with disaster recovery expert Justin Hollerich from Bright Harbor to talk about what really helps after catastrophic loss—what works, what doesn’t, and what most people overlook. With over two decades navigating recovery from wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, Justin shares practical lessons on managing the mental toll of starting over, building ...
What does resilience actually mean - and where do we find it?
We recorded a series of special episodes at a recent gathering focused on rebuilding to insurable standards in Altadena and the Palisades.
Sean sits down with three thoughtful leaders working across architecture, energy infrastructure, and philanthropy:
- Drew Pedrick (MCTIGUE)
- Anuj Desai (Southern California Edison)
- Lisa Cleri Reale (philanthropic and non...
When disaster strikes, who shows up? And who keeps showing up after the headlines fade?
In this episode of Shared Ground, Venice resident Jon Seidman joins Allan and Sean to talk about the quiet, enduring work of recovery after the Los Angeles fires.
We decided to release this on the 6-month anniversary of the January fires - listen to Jon's thoughts about how and when to lean in to understand why.
What does it take to rebuild - not just homes, but a whole community - after disaster?
When 90-mile-per-hour winds swept through Los Angeles County this January, fires devastated neighborhoods in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. In the aftermath, thousands of families faced the impossible: starting over. Among them was Andrew King, a high school principal who quickly became something more.
"Resilience is finding the...
What happens when you've spent years helping communities increase home ownership only to see everything burn down? Beyond the ashes of wildfire devastation, communities face the dual challenge of rebuilding structures while preserving their human spirit.
Sean had the chance to connect with Lori Gay, CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of LA County during a 2-day working session focused on recovery and ...
What happens when fire meets ocean? In the aftermath of January's devastating fires that swept through Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas, the impacts stretched far beyond charred hillsides to affect even our coastal waters. Tracy Quinn, President and CEO of Heal the Bay, brings her unique perspective as both an environmental leader and someone whose home was impacted by the January fires in Los Angeles.
How do we maintain hope while facing growing environmental threats? Abhishek Motayed, founder and CEO of N5 Sensors, offers compelling insights into this question during our candid conversation about wildfire resilience and community protection.
Abhishek's company develops critical technology that provides real-time information to protect communities from environmental hazards, with a special focus on wi...
What happens when everything around you burns to the ground, but your home miraculously survives? For Caroline Paules, this wasn't just a hypothetical question but her lived reality in the aftermath of the devastating 2025 Altadena fires. Standing amid the ruins of what was once a vibrant neighborhood in Jane's Village, Caroline made the remarkable decision to stay, not despite the destruction, but because o...
The moment disaster strikes, our truest selves emerge. When the LA wildfires swept through communities in January 2025, Kate Jerkens didn't hesitate. Before the flames had even crested the hill behind her home, her teenage daughter had already texted asking if her friend's evacuating family could stay with them. No deliberation needed—just immediate, unquestioning welcome.
This profound conversation...
From the tenth floor of her Marina del Rey apartment, Tara watched as a small puff of smoke appeared in the Palisades hills. Within hours, this wisp would transform into a devastating wildfire, forcing thousands to evacuate. What happened next reveals the extraordinary resilience hidden within Los Angeles communities.
Drawing from her experiences during 9/11 (when she lived across from the Pentagon) and a pre...
“You don’t get smarter in the crisis. We use what was built beforehand.”
In this episode of Shared Ground, Sean and Allan talk with Dr. Dan Dworkis -emergency physician, performance coach, and author of The Emergency Mind - about what it means to prepare for, move through, and grow after high stakes moments. Dan speaks of individual, community and systems level approaches to developing resilience.
We explore how commu...
Sean spends a few minutes reflecting on resilience with Amit Singh.
CEO of startup fusion company, NearStar Fusion, Amit talks about childhood through fatherhood, learning the ropes through leading a cutting-edge energy company.
He brings a pragmatic view to approaching difficult times, yet manages to do so with an underlying optimism and kindness towards others in a kind and generous way.
Shared Ground is produced by ...
Today Allan and Sean talk with Joy Gruver about her response to the January fires in the LA region, and more broadly about responding when others are struggling.
We weave between personal stories of giving and professional insights into textile sustainability.
On the personal side, what started as delivering a basic care package with her daughter evolved into something far more profound for Sean's family.
Joy, w...
What happens when everyday life collides with catastrophe? When a food delivery arrives at your doorstep just as wildfire races down the hillside toward your home? These surreal moments reveal who we truly are and how communities respond when crisis strikes.
Stream the episode here, or follow on your favorite streaming service (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc).
Shared Ground emerged from co-host Sean Knierim&apos...
Along with the longer episodes, Allan and I will share shorter conversations with amazing people we encounter that are working to enable resilient communities around the world.
Stream the episode here, or follow on your favorite streaming service (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc).
I met Torend during DC's inagural climate week. Her personal journey inspires me - but what caught my attention first was how she asked q...
In this first episode of Shared Ground (www.shared-ground.com), Allan sits down with Sean and Nina to explore the roots of the project and the personal stories that brought it to life.
Together, we talk through the fires that changed everything for Sean and Nina's family—what it felt like, what was lost, and why those experiences pushed Sean to co-create this podcast.
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