Let's Give A Damn

Let's Give A Damn

Let's Give A Damn is a weekly podcast hosted by Nick Laparra featuring inspiring, entertaining, and deep conversations with activists, nonprofit leaders, authors, entrepreneurs, artists, and many other kinds of damn-givers. You'll hear from exceptional humans like Matthew McConaughey, Rainn Wilson, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Reshma Saujani, Gabor Maté, Colman Domingo, and hundreds of others.

Episodes

June 10, 2025 64 mins

🎉 It’s ‪Dr. Ibram X. Kendi day on the podcast!

👉🏽 It is a joy to have Dr. Kendi on the show this week. Read his full bio here: https://www.ibramxkendi.com/bio

👉🏽 In this conversation, we talk about his new book (Malcolm Lives!), collective liberation, the genocide in Gaza, the rise of fascism in the United States, and so much more.

❤️ If you love the show and want to support us, please consider joining our Patreon: http://lgad....

Mark as Played

On May 5, Let's Give A Damn co-sponsored an event in NYC called Palestine: The Moral Issue Of Our Time with Gabor Maté and Chris Hedges. It was a sold-out event with 800 attending in persons and hundreds more attended online via our livestream.

Most importantly we raised tens of thousands of dollars for Middle East Children's Alliance! MECA works to protect the rights and improve the lives of children in the Middle East thro...

Mark as Played
April 9, 2025 71 mins

🎉 It’s Taylor Lorenz Day on the podcast!

👉🏽 It is a joy to have Taylor on the show this week. Read Taylor's full bio here: https://www.taylorlorenz.com

👉🏽 In this conversation, we talk about the current state of independent journalism, why she constantly puts herself in the crosshairs of willfully ignorant idiots, the genocide in Gaza, Long Covid, and so much more. This conversation was a long time coming and I really reall...

Mark as Played
April 3, 2025 53 mins

It’s Maggie Smith Day on the podcast! 

Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful; My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book illustrated by SCBWI Portfolio grand prize winner Leanne Hatch; the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change; as well as Good Bones, named one of the Best Five Poetry Books of 2017 by the Washington Post and winner of t...

Mark as Played
February 7, 2025 41 mins

It’s Ed Begley Jr. Day on the podcast! 

Ed Begley, Jr. recently starred in Hallmark film, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, and was a fan favorite on the very popular series Young Sheldon and Better Call Saul and was recently a series regular on Netflix’s Future Man

On the environmental front, he is one of the foremost environmentalists in Hollywood, supporting and advocating for multiple eco-initiatives and charity organizat...

Mark as Played
January 17, 2025 63 mins

It’s Mara Kronenfeld Day on the podcast! 

As the Executive Director of UNRWA USA, Mara Kronenfeld leads the strategic vision, operations, and fundraising efforts of the nonprofit organization that supports the humanitarian and human development work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience in international development, Mara is a Fulbright Schola...

Mark as Played
December 10, 2024 77 mins

It’s Lauren Paul & Molly Thompson Day on the podcast! 

Lauren Paul is the co-founder of Kind Campaign and Director, Writer and Producer of Kind Campaign's award-winning documentary, Finding Kind. Finding a way to start a conversation about bullying has been on Lauren’s heart ever since her own life-altering experience in middle school. After studying film at Pepperdine University, Lauren joined forces with her friend and fellow ...

Mark as Played
November 12, 2024 62 mins

Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He now pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences. 

He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theolog...

Mark as Played
October 29, 2024 101 mins

Jess Natale is the creator of the Instagram account @so.informed. Her background is in marketing, journalism, political volunteering, and activism. She’s dedicated the So page to educating millions of people around the world on topics ranging from politics and reproductive rights to criminal justice reform and more.

She is actively involved in political protests and organizing, focusing on efforts on the ground to effect change. She...

Mark as Played
August 13, 2024 109 mins

It’s Daniel Maté & Aaron Maté day on the podcast! Let’s get this out of the way — yes, they are the sons of Dr. Gabor Maté


Daniel is a composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theatre. He is also a mental chiropractor. And he is one of the hosts of Bad Hasbara - The World’s Most Moral Podcast. Lastly, he coauthored a book with his dad called The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.


Aaron is a t...

Mark as Played
July 23, 2024 93 mins

It’s Lily Greenberg Call day on the podcast! Remember a couple of months ago when we heard on social media that a Biden appointee had resigned over his atrocious handling of and his complicity in the genocide in Gaza? Lily is *that* staffer!


Lily is a former Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the Department of Interior. She has nearly a decade of experience in politics, movement organizing, and domestic and international hum...

Mark as Played
June 18, 2024 91 mins

Genesis Be, a dynamic artist and activist, harnesses the power of music to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for social change. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, her music blends elements of hip-hop, soul, and spoken word, creating a powerful platform for storytelling and empowerment. 

With lyrics that confront systemic oppression and celebrate resilience, Be's artistry transcends entertainment, serving as a catalyst for dialogue ...

Mark as Played
May 22, 2024 74 mins

Born and raised in the Bronx, Joél Leon is a performer, author, storyteller, and damn-giver extraordinaire. 

“Joél’s words are where I go when I need some inspiration. And he never lets me down.” Lin-Manuel Miranda

“In each generation, there are only a few authors who are gifted with the ability to fully capture the best parts of the human condition. Joél is one of those authors.”Frederick Joseph

I’m so glad we get to be alive at...

Mark as Played
February 6, 2024 86 mins

It’s been a few weeks but we’re back! My guest this week is the brilliant Katie Bogen. In her own words, Katie is a clinical psychology PhD student, a trauma therapist, a sex researcher, a rad Jewess, a queer activist, and a cottagecore rabble-rouser.

Katie is truly a wonderful soul. Over the past few months, ever since this horrific genocide began, she has been one of the most helpful voices on social media. She has made loads of c...

Mark as Played
January 9, 2024 55 mins

I know it’s a bit late—hello 2024!—but I wanted you to experience some of my favorite moments and some of your favorite moments in 2023. I spoke with some incredible folks last year and I learned so much from them. Here’s to many more incredible conversations in 2024!

If you want to skip around this episode, here are the timestamps for each highlight:

Simran Jeet Singh - 8:07 

Rachelle Lefevre - 16:54

Megha Desai - 24:18

Rainn Wilson - ...

Mark as Played
December 12, 2023 61 mins

Noor Tagouri’s name literally  means “Guiding Light.” And a guiding light she is! Noor is back for a second time. Her first appearance was for episode 19 of the podcast in the summer of 2017! 

At 29, Noor is an award-winning journalist and producer, a touring speaker for over 15 years, and has told stories in every medium from radio and print, to documentaries and brand campaigns.

In 2019 Noor founded At Your Service Media, a consult...

Mark as Played
November 28, 2023 88 mins

Meike Ziervogel is a German-British novelist with five novels to her name. She is the founder of an award-winning publishing company in the UK and a fluent Arabic speaker. Since 2018 she has lived in Lebanon. From 2018 to 2019 she transformed a failing needle art workshop in the Shatila refugee camp into a sustainable independent business, providing a monthly income to 100 refugee women. In January 2020 she set up Alsama Project wi...

Mark as Played
November 14, 2023 52 mins

My guest this week is my friend and incredible human, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis. Jacqui is an author, activist, preacher, and public theologian toward creating an antiracist, just, gun violence free, fully welcoming, gender affirming society in which everyone has enough. Read the rest of her bio here

Watch or listen to Jacqui’s Listen, Learn, Lean Into Peace series.

Learn more about Freedom Rising 2024!

Follow Jacqui on Instagram, Twitt...

Mark as Played
October 24, 2023 83 mins

My guest this week is the esteemed Tim Wise. Tim is among the most prominent anti-racist educators and authors in the United States. He has spoken to audiences in all 50 states and internationally about systemic racism, inequality, and methods for dismantling racism in institutions from workplaces to schools to law enforcement. 

He is the author of nine books including his most recent essay collection, Dispatches from the Race War, ...

Mark as Played

My guests this week are two truly remarkable women. I met Sophia and Patricia at the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 meetings a few weeks ago. 

Read more about Sophia Kianni’s work here. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. And make sure to check out Climate Cardinals! 

Follow Patricia Velásquez on Twitter and Instagram. Consider getting involved with the Wayuu Taya Foundation.

---

📱 Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, Twi...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.