June 28, 2025 • 47 mins
In this episode of the Project Good Podcast, Annmarie Hylton interviews Morgan DeNicola, the executive director of the DeNicola Family Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to advancing world health, cultural diplomacy, conservation, and humanitarian recognition. Morgan shares her experiences in overcoming personal challenges and the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. She discusses her involvement with the Humpty Dumpty Institute and their efforts to address global issues through cultural exchange and dialogue. Morgan emphasizes the significance of recognizing and encouraging young people in charitable activities, staying focused on core values, and the need for open-mindedness and personal accountability in philanthropy. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of sustaining long-term impact and the role of proper guidance for youth in making a positive difference.
00:00 Welcome to the Project Good Podcast
00:54 Introducing the DeNicola Family Foundation
01:30 Interview with Morgan DeNicola Begins
03:40 Morgan's Personal Journey and Insights
10:41 The Importance of Philanthropy and Accountability
17:08 Morgan's Work with the Humpty Dumpty Institute
30:53 Challenges and Perspectives in Philanthropy
36:32 Recognizing Humanitarian Champions
41:31 Staying Focused and Making an Impact
45:32 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks
Morgan DeNicola is the Executive Director of the DeNicola Family Foundation. The Foundation incorporates the four Passions of World Health, Humanitarian Recognition, Conservation and Cultural Diplomacy. Morgan recognizes the importance of doing good while recognizing those who are equally committed. Morgan is the Vice Chairman of the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) in New York. HDI works around the world to inform and foster dialogue amongst critical stakeholders on key global issues. They do this through their programs with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of State, United Nations, and International Embassies, engaging young people, supporting cultural diplomacy, and working on humanitarian programs.
Morgan during her time working alongside the United Nations, she has led trips to Beijing China in for the Taihe Global Civilization Forum and to Malawi where the level of poverty she saw there kicked off a fundraising initiative, called the Cosmo Cares Mobile Healthcare Van. The Van services remote villages of Lesotho, Africa. Recently Morgan led a congressional delegation in Rwanda.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Annmarie Hylton (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Project Good Podcast.
(00:02):
I'm your host, Annmarie Hylton.
Project Good is a social impactpodcast interviewing experts
and advocates about the pressingproblems that we face globally.
The Project Good Podcast is broughtto you by Project Good Work.
The goal of this podcast is to inspirepeople and organizations to develop a
mindset that can move other positiveaction regarding the complex social
issues facing people and the planet.
(00:23):
For June, we're focused onhelping society flourish.
The overall feeling on the planetis a mix of hope and despair, awe
and fear, connection and alienation.
While there is also a movement for manypeople to feel a sense of peace and
connection to the earth, there's alsowidespread concern about environmental
issues, social inequalities, and theperceived worsening of the world.
(00:47):
The underlying sentiment isthere's an anticipation for change
and personal accountability.
The DeNicola Family Foundation is aprivate charitable foundation rooted
in the passion for advancing worldhealth, cultural diplomacy, humanitarian
recognition, and conservation.
An extension of Cosmo DeNicolaCompanies, a privately held company
(01:08):
with a diverse portfolio of businessesranging from technology publishing,
professional sports and entertainment.
The organization's mission is tocontinue its legacy of doing good,
while recognizing those who are equallycommitted to core humanitarian efforts.
The organization's founding principle iscaring is an action, not just an emotion.
(01:30):
Today I have the pleasure ofinterviewing Morgan DeNicola,
who's the executive director ofthe DeNicola Family Foundation.
The foundation incorporates thefour passions of world health,
humanitarian recognitions,conservation, and cultural diplomacy.
Morgan recognizes the importance ofdoing good while also recognizing
those who are equally committed.
(01:50):
Morgan is the vice chairman of the HumptyDumpty Institute, or HDI in New York,
HDI works around the world to informand foster dialogue amongst critical
stakeholders on key global issues.
They do this through their programswith the US Congress, the US Department
of State, United Nations, and theInternational Embassies, engaging young
(02:11):
people supporting cultural diplomacyand working on humanitarian programs.
During her time, she worksalong with the United Nations.
She has LED trips to Beijing, China,in the Thai Global Civilization
Forum and to Malawi or thelevel of poverty she saw there.
Kicked off a fundraising initiativecalled Cosmo Cares Mobile Healthcare Van.
(02:32):
The Van Services remotevillages around La Sotos Africa.
Recently Morgan led acongressional delegation in Rwanda.
Let's get into the interview.
(02:53):
Morgan Day, Nico.
Nicola has been a team member of theSteinberg d Nicola Humanitarian War,
which recognizes members of the NFL forthe work they do in their communities.
Morgan has a degree in elementaryeducation from Long Island University,
university CW Post, and is an activeboard member of the Elwood Zoo,
located in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
(03:14):
The zoo is dedicated to providingthe community with a varied learned
experiences that encourage people toplay an active role in wildlife and
environmental conservation activities.
Welcome Morgan.
Morgan DeNicola (03:26):
Hi.
Thank you for
having me.
Annmarie Hylton (03:28):
Hi.
I am very excited for this conversationand to talk about all the wonderful things
that you are, um, doing in the world andalso, uh, of course your organization.
And, uh, before we get in there, theto the questions and dive into the
interview though, I always like toget to know the heart of the person
and what made them who they are.
(03:50):
And so, um, my question for you isthroughout all your experiences that
you've had, um, in your life, andI know it might seem like, oh, this
is a, a lot to think about, what doyou feel is the most important thing
you have learned about yourself?
Morgan DeNicola (04:05):
That you have to climb out of your comfort zone
to discover all of the thingsthat you're capable of doing.
Wow.
Okay.
Annmarie Hylton (04:13):
So do you think, I'm just assuming, I guess, that you had to go
through a transformation within yourselfthat I guess maybe in, uh, you know,
previous years or younger years that,um, maybe you you questioned yourself.
Is that I guess howyou got to that answer.
Morgan DeNicola (04:32):
Yeah.
Um, growing up I was kind of a, aquiet, shy kid until high school.
And I have dyslexia, so, um, I found beingin school to be kind of difficult and I
started to have a lot of that self-doubtthrough high school and into college that
I. Was only capable of so much, and itwasn't until I started putting myself
(04:58):
into really testing what I was able todo and around a lot more individuals
that encouraged you to try harder andpush harder, that I was really able to
discover that I could contribute a lotmore to the world around me and that.
That nervousness that I felt on a regularbasis you kind of have to push through and
(05:20):
you can be so much more than that littledoubtful voice in the back of your head.
So it was definitely, therewere a lot of growing pains.
I think more in like I I alittle later in life for me.
So it was probably.
I wanna say late twenties, mid to midthirties was a lot of, you know what,
let me just really try to do thingsthat I'm not sure I'm capable of doing.
(05:44):
And, um, through the course ofdoing those, those things, it, it
almost became a little addicting.
Like, okay, you knowwhat, that was awesome.
I actually enjoy challenging myself.
Let me try harder and harderand doing more and more unique
things I'd, I'd like to say.
Annmarie Hylton (06:01):
Wow.
And that's like perfect then for the workthat you do, because, you know, when you
get into, um, uh, humanitarian work orcharitable work, um, there's no, I guess
I would say there's no straight path.
Definitely.
And what I mean by that, um, justto explain myself is, there's so
many factors that are sometimesnot accounted for that come up.
(06:24):
And then as, uh.
As humans, we all know, asthey say, life is lifeing.
Yes.
Um, so yeah.
So that is, um, I guess a greatpersonal perspective to go in with
that, knowing that you are up fortaking on, um, challenges that you
may have never thought of taking on.
(06:45):
Um, and so I guess, uh, thenext question I have is.
Was it your idea then to getinto charitable work, or how
did you start into your career?
Morgan DeNicola (06:56):
My family was always charitable.
They were always giving people, sogrowing up, I, I. Always saw them helping
people, family members, coworkers.
So the idea of supporting my communityand, and being active in helping those
that I could, I just watched my parentsdoing that from a very young age.
(07:19):
And, um.
We, we were in business, you know,our, our family owned so many different
businesses, and it wasn't until Itook that first trip to Malawi to
visit an orphanage that I came backrealizing that all the things that
I. Was fearful of or sad about it.
(07:40):
You come back with a completelydifferent perspective when you see
some trials of other in individuals.
And when I came back, I decidedI needed to go into a career
that was service for others.
And I didn't quite knowwhat that meant at the time.
And it wasn't until I had somereally great conversations with
(08:02):
my family that they realized that.
I should be in, in like acharitable and philanthropic world.
So that's how we formed our firstsmall charitable organization,
which started out as Cosmo Cares.
My dad's name's Cosmo.
It was catchy.
I liked it.
Um, and from there we, we kind ofwere learning together as a family.
(08:26):
And once I really got thehang of it and enjoyed it and.
I got my hands dirty.
I like to say, um, getting involvedin everything, we were able to,
through the success of the businessesform our family foundation and, um.
It's been a, a few years and I continueto learn, continue to grow, and our
(08:46):
foundation has really, really becomethe center of not only my work life,
but it, it has become really who Iam and I'm always thinking about it,
always thinking of how to help people.
And it's a big part of mylife and our family's lives.
Wow.
You
Annmarie Hylton (09:02):
know, that is, um, I guess that's inspiring because, you
know, the thing is you could go, havewent two directions is, being that it
was, uh, already I guess in ingrainedin a way that, um, your family gives.
But it's also a amazing too because,um, being when you have a family
that has, uh, you know, a familyof, uh, que a business family, um.
(09:25):
And, you know, a lot of businesses theygive, but usually, you know, they're
like, oh, you know, um, they give toa few local organizations, but your
family decided to take it to the nextlevel and go international, which is,
uh, you know, is, I guess it takes, uh.
A different type of, um, heart to do thator, uh, a different type of perspective
(09:46):
because most people are just thinking,okay, we'll fix the things around here.
Meaning like, you know,our local community, our
neighborhood, our local country.
But then, um, I. Uh, wanting to really, Iguess, see things from a whole different
perspective that isn't something thatnaturally, I guess, occurs unless that's
(10:07):
something that is really on, I guess youwould say your whole family's heart a bit
to, to take it to the next level becausethere are, you know, lots of people that
have, uh, you know, that are in charities.
But for them to get a globalperspective is not always so common.
I. So, um, that's amazing.
And so now that you've had more ofa I guess a, a global perspective
(10:32):
when it comes to not only charity,but would you say, um, and I'm sure
you encounter a lot of, um, you know,other, uh, foundations and charities.
Um, would you say that you feel thatthere is a mindset change that needs to
happen when it comes to philanthropy?
Morgan DeNicola (10:50):
Yes, definitely.
I think that we need to the people whoare in the philanthropic world need to
communicate a little bit more, I think, tothe worlds around them, about not only the
necessary steps into being philanthropic,but more that being in philanthropy.
It's not money.
I, I think a lot of peoplealways go to, well, I can't.
(11:14):
Be involved in a lot of this stuff.
I don't have money.
And I think that's the job of the peoplewho head up a lot of these organizations
to say, no, it, it's beyond money.
It, it's time, it's creative thinking,it's connections, um, and engagement.
Philanthropy is so muchmore than than money.
(11:35):
And I think that's wherethere's kind of a disconnect.
In the engagement of like individuals,you've seen the decline in individual
donors since, 2016, and it's gonea little bit more like corporate
and, and corporate sponsorships.
And I think that's becausethere's some fear around well, I
don't have the money to donate.
And, um, I think if we kind of getback to the encouragement of no,
(11:57):
it's, it's so much more than that.
It's, it's being engaged in yourcommunities and it's, it's helping the
people that are heading up with ideas,um, that we'd get more engagement with
the different groups and worlds around us.
And I think that's kind of.
The next big movement that we should havein the philanthropic world is kind of
(12:21):
pushing more of that, uh, perspective.
Annmarie Hylton (12:24):
Yes.
'cause I think not, uh, not tobe, but I think , we've tried the
throwing money at the problems thing.
Mm-hmm.
But it doesn't solve the,the, the real issues.
For example, you know, um, I'm just gonnatake one that is a, uh, a huge, huge
problem that I don't know if we'll eversolve is , plastics in the ocean, right?
(12:45):
Mm-hmm.
Um, and I'm taking that because thatis, you know, we're, it's, it's hard to
keep track of the ocean as a vast place.
Um, and not to be funny, but I guessfunny and the tides are always changing.
And, you know, so theplastic, you know, moves.
So it's not easy to, you know,oh, we cleaned it all up and
it's, and it's done right.
(13:06):
And so we could throw money atit, you know, send a whole bunch
of boats, you know, divers.
But then, you know, lo and behold,we have, you know, a whole bunch of
plastic we find hidden under, you know.
Know some coral reef rocksor something of that sort.
Mm-hmm.
And so, yes, we can do the, you know, yes.
Pick up your trash, throw it away,you know, do all of those things.
(13:28):
But the real problem has to start,how did the trash get there?
Yes.
And, you know, and that is thething, um, sort of like what I
was saying in the intro is I thinkwe're in the time of accountability.
Um, and I don't wanna sound sopessimistic as, uh, one of my guests,
(13:48):
but we're kind of on a, a tickingclock if we continue the same way.
And I think right now it's the.
It's the period of when peopleare coming to the conclusion.
Like, we either have to do radical changeand accountability, or we have to do both.
I think yeah, I would sayit's a time of accountability.
(14:09):
Uh, this is just my thoughts, I guess.
What would you say, if you were going todefine this, um, period that you've been
seeing around the world when it comes toI guess making a difference in change?
Morgan DeNicola (14:20):
Oh, it's, it's definitely accountability.
I, I feel like I've said that on somany of these guest podcasts that I do.
We, we like to point fingersat other people or groups or,
um, well, this person's doingthis, so why should I do that?
And we very rarely reflecton what we are doing.
(14:42):
And I think that there definitely needsto be that, well, what am I doing?
And what I think we also need tomake it, this is gonna sound a little
weird too, but like, make it simplefor people to make these changes.
So it, you have to like create roadmaps.
(15:03):
Okay.
If you are.
Buying a lot of things that have plastic.
Here are simplistic steps that you cantake to maybe buy less plastic or be
aware of it and start kind of bringingit to people's attention in a way
that makes it easier to just solve.
(15:23):
Because I think we're, we have somany problems that are just thrown
at us that you stand there and youget overwhelmed and you're like,
how can I resolve any of this?
You, you get overwhelmed.
And I think when.
You are able to present the issue,but also several as simple as you can
make its solutions, it's a lot easierfor people to have that accountability
(15:47):
and make those little changes.
And I know there are a lot ofcompanies that are out there that
are trying to make like deodorantsthat come in cardboard, you know?
And, um.
Detergent sheets ratherthan coming in detergent.
And so I think there are people thatare making these changes to at least
(16:07):
allow the consumer to have options.
And now I think that we need to likecontinue to just publicize those,
publicize those solutions a littlebit more, and encourage that, that
self-reflection without judgment.
Annmarie Hylton (16:24):
Yes.
And I think, yeah.
And you just said the, your lastline there without, without judgment.
Um, I think that's the, I think that'sthe, the, the biggest thing that has,
at least what I've seen, is that nobodywants the finger pointed at them.
And they're like, well, I didn'tdo this, this, and this, and this.
Mm-hmm.
Um, and it's, uh, well, as we see onthe news, I've had to go to a point
(16:46):
of limiting myself how much news.
It's a squabble fest.
Yes.
Yes.
And, um, and you know, as we squabble,um, you know, things are not necessarily
getting, um, getting better and thenalso, you know, um, it's demotivating,
um, to, uh, you know, uh, a lot of people.
(17:06):
And so.
I guess when we start to, um, look atall the different types of, um, you
know, projects and things that you'vebeen part of, you know, one of the,
the, um, uh, things that I think isjust, uh, great and impressive about
you is that you've been part of the,um, Humpty Dumpty Institute or HDI
and so you've gotten to see I guess.
(17:29):
A whole bunch of different perspectivesaround the world, because I think one
of the things that you know, here inthe US we tend to have tunnel vision and
maybe uh, get, get lost and not reallyknow the, the real problems, I guess.
So let's, uh, speak a little bitabout your experience, I guess
with the, with the, um, instituteand I guess how it's helped you
(17:53):
with your work and the foundation.
Morgan DeNicola (17:56):
Yeah, so Humpty Dumpty, I joined as, um, my, my
father actually joined it first, andhe was the one that introduced me
to the work that they were doing.
And he goes, I just think thatthis is the way you think.
I feel like you just lovewhat's going on over here.
So, um.
(18:17):
HDI was awesome and allowed me to attendthe parts of meetings and programs that
I was able to, to kind of learn to seeif it was a fit for me to be a part
of the things that they were doing.
And I instantly fell in lovebecause their ability to.
Try to help global issues, inmy opinion is, is unmatched.
(18:41):
With their way of thinking and tryingto connect and really just trying to
give everybody an opportunity to sharetheir cultures, share their perspectives.
And it really changed my lifebecause again, like you said,
when you are only exposed to.
One culture or one way of thinking youdon't, I like to say you don't really
(19:06):
know yourself because how can yousay you don't like this or how you,
can you say you don't believe this ordon't wanna be a part of this if you
haven't experienced all these things?
We're us as humans are ever growing, everevolving, depending on our experiences.
So the more things you expose yourself to.
The more you're able to learnabout yourself and, and the
(19:27):
world around you, and you canbe a more active problem solver.
I, I think that's one of thegreat things that the HDI does is
they educate, we educate on, uh.
If you have one issue in one partof the world and the same issue in
another part of the world, to actuallyhave these conversations of comparing
(19:48):
solutions and comparing ideas andworking together, it brings new thoughts
and new experiences to the table.
And, um, I think that.
You become almost addicted to thatbecause you continue to learn and you
learn that truth is, is more complicatedand perspectives are so different.
(20:19):
So your reality becomes like a littlebit more, um, abstract or, or it changes
depending on where you go in the world.
And to me that's fun and exciting.
It's not a, a scary thing.
HDI has changed the way I dealwith everything from my personal
relationships to, uh, my professionalrelationships and really the way I
(20:43):
look at every problem that I encounter.
I.
Annmarie Hylton (20:47):
Wow.
The thing that, you know, that the linethat you said is that, you know, you
learn about yourself and then in orderto learn about yourself, and then you can
change the, I guess the perspective ofother people and also change the world.
And I think that is it.
It was profound to me when yousaid that because, um, and I'm para
praising, um, that I never thoughtabout change as self discovery.
(21:15):
But if we wanna get, I guess, even alittle woo woo, or maybe not woo woo,
um, depending on, you know, your beliefssystem is that, obviously we're all
connected, um, in the fact that we'reall on this crazy ball called Earth.
But there's a deeper connection,of course, that we are.
Uh, each citizens of humanity.
(21:37):
And within that we are, you know, weare more of the same person than we are.
I guess different.
And so when you learn about yourself, thenyou are actually understanding all the
other uh, humans in a certain perspective.
So I was, I thought that was.
(21:58):
Uh, really profound when you said thatbecause it took me to a, a deeper Liv
level because it became the key ofwhy people should be mo motivated to
be part of any philanthropic efforts,but also change in itself because it's
really about learning about who you are.
(22:19):
So if that's not a motivation forpeople I don't know what else is.
Um, so that was, uh, no, that was a, aprofound statement that you said that
I had never thought about change inthat way is that it really is about
learning about yourself in order tomake things better for the whole,
(22:40):
because we are part of that whole.
So, yeah.
So that I think that is, uh, just,uh, an, an amazing, uh, viewpoint that
you have pulled from your experienceof working with the institute.
I. And so I guess, the other things,you've gotten to have a, you know, a, a
wonderful opportunity, first of all, Ihave to say, even before jumping in that,
(23:02):
um, you know, I don't know your, your,your dad personally, but your dad seems
like he is, you know, not only of coursea go-getter, but, and, I guess amazing in
that he has, um, such a large perspective.
And just like an aside, I guess, um,what do you think contributed to him
having the perspective that he does, thathe can help then instill that in you?
Morgan DeNicola (23:27):
I think two things.
He comes from, uh, animmigrant background.
His family's from Italy, so he hasthat attachment to Italian culture
as well as US culture, but he's.
Been in so many different businessesfrom software, healthcare to sports
(23:50):
and entertainment, that he's met somany different people from different
walks of life that he's been curious.
And he's talked to and he's been openwith, um, all, all over starting just
in the United States in all walksof life and then growing globally
to meeting so many people overseasthat again, the more you, you open
(24:13):
up your heart, your door, and listento people who are different than you.
You can't help but start to takeon different thought processes
and different perspectives.
So I watched.
As I was older, I didn't notice whenI was younger, but as I was older, I
watched my, my father do this and, andas well as my mother meeting so many
(24:34):
different people and never being closedoff to anything that they said or or
their perspectives or their life story.
But really kind of em embracinglistening to those experiences and.
Even through that, he became a moresuccessful businessman because he was able
to do that and get those new perspectivesand, and hear these different voices.
(24:58):
So it just came very naturallyfor me as well as my brother.
I. To see this and see the successthat happens in your personal and your
professional life by opening yourselfup to hearing other people and allowing
them to be a part of your life.
So we just naturally started doing this,the same thing, and we've really, really
(25:20):
been lucky to meet so many incrediblepeople that we've been able to learn from.
Annmarie Hylton (25:25):
And I have to say that is the, the statement that we need
right now is about being open to meetingpeople and to learning from people.
Um, because we are in the time whereeverybody's, uh, you know, um, uh,
building, building walls, and so, um, thatis something that everybody needs to learn
(25:46):
right now, that we have to, you know, workon, uh, breaking down, um, these walls.
'cause I'm sure, um, just like, uh, Iam, I'm sure you have, um, uh, concerns
about where, what you see that's goingon I guess, uh, here in the US I guess.
Um.
Uh, especially one of the recent thingsthat happened, you know, a lot of,
(26:08):
um, organizations, uh, went throughlike a, a freeze funding period.
Um hmm.
Yeah.
You know, um, and, uh, it's, I guess,um, I guess disheartening to see
that you know, I guess it always wasthere, but that people not having the.
The global awareness that, you know, youwere lucky to, um, have both because,
(26:33):
uh, you had a, a parent that, um, hadalready that perspective being you know,
growing up in an immigrant uh, family,but also just that was already on their
heart because I think, you know, thathas to already be in somebody's heart.
Even if sometimes you're animmigrant, that's not something
you naturally lean towards.
Um, a lot of times.
Um.
(26:53):
Myself, uh, uh, came from immigrant,a family or an immigrant myself.
Um, you know, it's not somethingnecessarily that just happens for
all immigrants because a lot ofpeople are just trying to fit in.
And so, uh, they shy away from thatkind of stuff because they're just
like, I just wanna be, you know,part of this new thing that I joined.
(27:14):
I don't have time tothink about, you know?
Bigger perspectives.
So, um, so yes.
My, I guess my next question that Ihave for you is that I wanna kind of,
uh, dive a little bit deeper and findout a little bit about the projects
that you're doing in your foundation.
And I guess, uh, if you wanna tell meabout the favorite one that you've,
(27:37):
um, gotten to be part of or head up.
Morgan DeNicola (27:40):
Ooh, a favorite's gonna be tough.
I, I really like, we'restill working on, um.
Speaking about being in touchwith our immigrant heritage.
Uh, we are building a communitycenter in Italy in the tiny, tiny
town that my grandfather grew up in.
And I love being a part of this becausewe were able to see the needs of, our
(28:04):
ancestral hometown and be able to.
Help them.
'Cause it's a very smalltown in, in the mountains.
Um, so to be able to help them isjust near and dear to my heart.
But I, I think the biggestthing that I am excited about
isn't something that's giant.
It's actually kind of small.
And, um, we're, we started to giveawards to young children that are giving
(28:32):
back to their communities to try to.
Continue to recognize and amplifythe necessities of getting young
kids to want to be giving back.
And philanthropic and charitable.
So I actually love this becauseI have met some, some young
(28:52):
kids in grade school that.
It's just that it's instilled inthem that they want to help either
their classmates or they're raisingmoney or, or finding canned goods
for pantry programs, but really aregiving it their all for no other reason
than that's what they want to do.
So I, I really love recognizing these kidsand, you know, we give them an award as
(29:15):
well as, a little financial contributionto whatever it is that they're doing
to try to encourage them to keep going.
So that is, one that I just, I, Ilove because you can see the joy
in the children being recognized,and I feel like it also encourages
their classmates who see them beingrecognized to maybe think about being
more active in their environment.
(29:36):
So, I really like that, that one, and I'mreally excited about the community center.
Those, those would probably be my top two.
But I really do love all the programsthat we do, so it's really hard for
me to, uh, try to even narrow it down.
Annmarie Hylton (29:50):
No problem.
I understand.
Uh, um, and I don't want youto have, like, they'll be
like, they're their favorite.
Um, I guess the other thing, becauseyou do have a background with working
with, um, young people now I. I, I hearall different perspectives, um, out in,
on the, on the streets about, um, youknow, where are youth and young people
(30:13):
going and, you know, their mindset.
And I think in every generation,because, you know, um, especially as
we're older, uh, we have a differentperspective because we grew up.
Um, or were children ina different time period.
So there's always like,the kids nowadays mm-hmm.
Kind of, uh, you know, uh, saying.
Right.
Um, but one of the big sentiments isthat there has been, uh, a big thing
(30:37):
of either that the youth are in thislike doomsday feeling or they are lost.
Or they have, you know, their,they're, um, you know, a, a mix of
techno, a half human half technology.
Um.
I guess, what have you seen, I guess,from your perspective, because you are
(30:58):
working with young people and, um, Iguess what's, give us some hope, I guess.
Morgan DeNicola (31:07):
I, I've seen both.
I've seen the younger kids and,and this includes a high school.
I, I just worked with, um.
High school and we, we planteda whole bunch of trees for Earth
Day and they were engaged andinvolved and happy to be there.
And it was a beautiful, this thingto see, you know, these, uh, 16,
17, 18 year olds that were reallyexcited to learn how to properly plant
(31:30):
trees and learn about conservation.
And not just forced to be there.
They actually chose to be there.
So.
It's really nice to see that, andI'm lucky enough to be an aunt
to, to many, many a children.
Um, and a lot of them when encouraged,want to do good, they want to be positive.
(31:52):
They want to, you know, uh, be a,a defender of good and, and a, a
voice for those who are voiceless.
I think it's just a matter ofthem having the proper examples
to see one that it's possible.
'cause I think with social mediaa lot of the things they see is
just the noise gets the attention.
(32:13):
And they're already getting kindof, again, that emotional fatigue by
seeing so much problems like, uh, youknow, them just being on TikTok or
Facebook or Instagram, like, they'regonna see those same like really
loud, aggressive individuals who are.
Putting a lot of of problemsout there for them to see.
(32:36):
So I think, um, just they're gettingoverwhelmed at a young age very quickly.
So it's kind of up to.
All of us adults, noteven I'm not a parent.
Like I said, I'm an aunt, but it'seven up to me to be an example of,
Hey, I know there's a lot going on,but you have so much power in you.
(32:59):
To change things and be a good personand do good things, and that it's not
going to stop you from having fun.
It's not going to, doesn't mean you can'tbe goofy or, or get into a little trouble.
We all get into a littletrouble, of course, but, um.
You still on a regular basis can bethis superhero in a sense for, for
(33:23):
helping others and for doing littlethings like rather than stepping over
that piece of trash, just pickingup and putting it in the trash can.
That's something like little things likethat go a real long way, but I think that
we need to remind them of those thingsand that's kind of up to us as adults to.
(33:43):
Be at the forefront of givingthese examples of the fact that,
yeah, we all have a lot going on,but we still are capable of making
our communities a little better.
So I would say that
Annmarie Hylton (33:55):
you would uh, that right now the big thing that's
missing, um, from, I guess theadults, um, to the youth as guidance.
Absolutely.
Yes.
And, uh, I guess, um.
As, uh, adults we're failing them, Iguess for, uh, a few different reasons.
I think a lot of us are dizzy.
Um mm-hmm.
And what I mean by that is like, there'sso much also coming from us, especially,
(34:20):
um, depending on, you know, your age.
You know, you have a, um.
I guess I could say a convergence of,uh, of, uh, uh, of periods in time.
And what I mean by that, you know, this,uh, technological technological period,
but then you're still, um, at least forme, and I could be just speaking, you
still have the nostalgia for the old wayand you're trying to, uh, old way of life.
(34:43):
Before we had, you know, socialmedia, a bunch of, uh, emails.
Um, and so you're trying to see how canyou make both of those worlds still exist?
So, um, I think, you know, that's for meat least why, um, sometimes I struggle.
Um.
Uh, to be, uh, you know, thinking allthe time about I, you know, I just have
(35:06):
a toddler so they're not, not, uh, youknow, doing complicated things yet.
You know, we're just still worryingabout like, uh, finger paint but, um,
but just, you know, uh, but I, but Isee it in myself in that you're trying
to make, both of these worlds that, um.
Exist together, and I'm notsure if they can all the time.
(35:27):
That's how I feel.
Morgan DeNicola (35:28):
Yeah.
No, I, I, I agree.
And, you know, even seeing it, you know,my, my two of my closest nieces that,
uh, I am too, uh, they're not super old.
You know, they're, they'renot even teenagers yet and you
still kind of compete with, um.
A lot of what they're seeing on all thesocial media, and then you have to kind
(35:49):
of get clever to engage them or, or to getthem to be curious about certain things.
But I think it's just a matter ofhow much do you want to encourage it?
How much do you want to reallyshow them just on a, a daily basis.
The little, little everyday things thatyou could do and, make a game of it.
(36:09):
I, uh, every kid loves a a game, soI like to just make a game of it now.
Annmarie Hylton (36:17):
I'm going to, uh, switch the, uh, switch the
conversation, uh, a little bit because,uh, I wanna get back to a little
bit of the, uh, your organization.
I know it's a big jump from goingfrom us speaking from youth and, you
know, what the youth perspective.
But then in a way it isn't because Iwanna talk about the fact that your
organization, um, honors people whoare champions, and I always think of
(36:41):
champions as, uh, you know, heroesthat, you know, not only adults
but children look up to as well.
And so in, uh, being involved in,in picking out the, uh, different
and champions that you guys honoreach year, and these are usually
athletes that are, um, you know,doing great things in the community.
I guess.
(37:02):
Well, I guess first let's talk aboutwhy, I guess, how did it come to be
that you decided to pick athletes,I guess, to honor in communities?
How did that come about?
I.
Morgan DeNicola (37:13):
Our family actually used to be owners of an arena football team.
So we started out tiny Wilkes,very Scranton pioneers,
uh, indoor football team.
And then from there, the PhiladelphiaSoul Arena football team.
My dad is a big football guy.
And, um.
Over the course of doing that, hejust got more and more engaged with
(37:36):
different athletes and even a fewpeople who work for the Eagles.
And he met Lee Lee Steinberg, whoas a famous sports agent, and uh, he
does a Super Bowl party every year.
And they got together and said,wouldn't it be cool to recognize some
(37:57):
of these players that are really.
Doing awesome things and, andunique things and different
things in their communities.
And they both kind of got togetherand thought it was a great idea.
So this.
Award actually started way before my timeand it's, um, continued to evolve to not
just the athletes, but coaches membersof the, their offices, uh, and staffers.
(38:24):
So it's not just the players, it's reallyjust people in the NFL world that started
foundations or charities or who are justvery active in, in their communities.
And it's, it's a great thing to be a partof because again, it's always encouraging.
Even the athletes that are coming intothe draft class of a, you know, a lot
(38:47):
of these professional players are veryactive in giving back to their community.
So again, it's that like encouragingthe next generation to think about that
as they move on with their careers.
Annmarie Hylton (39:01):
Now in your eyes, what makes a, a, a humanitarian, uh, champion?
Like what would you say are your threetop things that you're like that makes
somebody a humanitarian champion?
Morgan DeNicola (39:13):
Somebody who is a approachable and listens to the
problems around them, not just theirperspectives on the problem, but
actually listen to the community's needs.
And somebody who doesn't stop.
I think a lot of the times, um,you know, we get drained and,
and we'll be like, this is justtoo much and we'll step away and.
(39:38):
Members of the community that believein the sustainability of whatever it
is that they're doing, that they'renot just like you said earlier, uh,
throwing money at a problem and walkingaway, but really actively being a part
of it and trying to find a sustainablesolution to what the issue is.
Annmarie Hylton (39:57):
Yes.
And I think that's, uh, I think that'sthe hard part now because, uh, you know,
um, and why, I mean, that's the hard part.
Not only because, you know, youhave to stick it out for the work,
but then there's so many thingsnowadays that come at you, different
people, different perspectives.
And especially if you are, um, youknow, uh, a known athlete, maybe, you
(40:18):
know, you have so many, um, opinionslike, you know, um, it's hard, as
they say, to make everyone happy.
I. Yeah, absolutely.
Um, you know, you might be like,well, I'm doing good, but they're
like, it's not good enough.
And you're like, well, what are you doing?
Morgan DeNicola (40:33):
Yes,
Annmarie Hylton (40:34):
Yes.
And so, um, that leads me to the,the question because, you know,
there are so many, um, issues andproblems and all these different
things that are coming at, you know.
Um, uh, people when it comes to, uh,you know, uh, being a giver, right?
Uh, it makes me think actuallyof the statement there's, you
(40:55):
know, givers and takers, right?
And so, um, and what I mean by that isthat, you know, I. As a giver, you know,
you attract people who are sometimes, youknow, not always on the same trajectory
or, you know, or, or thinking in waysthat you're like, well, that's not
really going to be helpful, I guess.
How do you I guess stay strong in the.
(41:19):
Philanthropy space.
And what I mean by that is likewhen you know you have people that
are, that may latch on for notthe same giving reasons, they're,
they're not necessarily, um, givers.
How do you stay, I guess, mentallystrong and stay focused on your mission
Morgan DeNicola (41:37):
That is.
A really good question because thatdoes happen that especially when
you're, you're out there makingmoves and getting involved with all
types of different things, people dokind of get attracted and, and, you
know, kind of wanna be a part of it.
But one of the things that I learnedalong the way is finding those.
(41:58):
Two, three we're lucky enough tohave managed to get four passions.
So those are the four things thatI stick to, um, which is the,
like we said, the conservation,the humanitarian recognition, uh,
world health and the diplomacy.
So if I'm, somebody's trying to pullme away from those passions, I know.
(42:23):
That I can't do it.
Like I, I, I could, but I needto focus on the things that I am
passionate about so you don't burn out.
Um, so I think the, the hardestthing for people to say in charity
and philanthropy is no, but I thinkwe have to know when to say no.
(42:45):
Um.
With the understanding of I needto stick to my guns, I need to
stick to what I know and what feedsmy soul in helping other people,
because that prevents that burnout.
And I think it's also just not engagingwith individuals that aren't there
(43:09):
for the same reasons you are there.
I think.
Sticking with like minds and peoplewith the same kind of mission as you,
who really become your, your coregroup and network is really important.
And kind of the, the other peoplethat might come around, you
know, acknowledging and seeing.
(43:30):
If they want to be with you on yourjourney, and if it doesn't align,
again, just kind of going back tothat, I, I'm sorry, it doesn't align
and, and that learning the no, andI still struggle with that honestly.
To this day.
I absolutely, absolutely hate saying noto anyone, but I also am realistic in
(43:52):
the sense that I only have so much time.
I only have so many things that I caneffectively have a hand in change.
So I, I would say that that's,that's a very tough thing to do, but.
Really important for yourown sanity and impact.
Annmarie Hylton (44:13):
It's hard.
Yeah.
I have this.
Yeah.
It's hard to say no for a lot of thingsbecause you don't, um, you know what
I've found sometimes, and I'm sureyou've experienced this too, if you
do do the no, you have, um, sometimespeople who turn and say, but how is
this giving and how is this, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And, um, and you're like, what?
(44:35):
You're, uh, you know, it's, um,the, the tables sometimes get
turned on you, but then you'relike, well, we can't do everything.
So I like the fact that you stick toyour four core values, and if it isn't
in those four core values, then you know.
It allows you to have, you know,a foundation or a grounding
(44:56):
on why you're saying no.
Um, so I think that is a greattip, is that everybody should have
just like a written set of values.
Like this is, you know, this iswhat we do and why we do it, and,
you know, we have to stick to this.
And so when you have somebody that comesto you and, you know, um, wants to, uh,
you know, propose something with outsideof those values, although it may sound
(45:19):
wonderful, you've gotta be able to manageyour time, energy, and your own efforts.
So that's a excellent tip.
And so now I have, um,one last question for you.
Um, if you could only fix, um, oneproblem on the planet, what would it be?
Morgan DeNicola (45:39):
I would say close-mindedness.
Again, it goes back to I think thata lot of the issues that we face.
Locally and and globally have to do withthe fact that we get very stuck in the
way we view a problem and that if we wouldjust spend a little time really listening
(46:04):
to one another on what the issues are andways to solve them, and coming together,
we could resolve a lot more problems.
But I think it's that that kind of rigid,my perspective is the right perspective or
the way I live my life is the right way.
(46:25):
I think that that's where wecontinue to kind of repeat problems
and we don't get out of a lot ofsituations with that rigidness.
So I would just honestlylove to, to teach the world.
That an open mind is limitlesspossibilities in resolving a lot of issues
(46:49):
that might not just be yours, but yourneighbors or somebody you care about.
I like it.
Annmarie Hylton (46:55):
Open-mindedness.
It's the, I think it is the,the problem that we definitely
need to solve right now.
Yes.
And where we're going.
Where we're going.
Thank you Morgan, foryour time and insight.
To learn more about Morgan DeNicola,go to DeNicola family foundation.org.
If you have a passion for an unservedcommunity, a social justice problem,
(47:17):
or wanna change minds contactproject, good work@projectgood.work.
To start your project of Changetoday, subscribe to our mailing
list at Project Good Work slashsubscribe to get our episodes and
blog articles sent to you each month.
To our listeners, thanks fortuning in to Project Good.
We're focused on what matters.
Hello and welcome to the Project Good Podcast.
(00:02):
I'm your host, Annmarie Hylton.
Project Good is a social impactpodcast interviewing experts
and advocates about the pressingproblems that we face globally.
The Project Good Podcast is broughtto you by Project Good Work.
The goal of this podcast is to inspirepeople and organizations to develop a
mindset that can move other positiveaction regarding the complex social
issues facing people and the planet.
(00:23):
For June, we're focused onhelping society flourish.
The overall feeling on the planetis a mix of hope and despair, awe
and fear, connection and alienation.
While there is also a movement for manypeople to feel a sense of peace and
connection to the earth, there's alsowidespread concern about environmental
issues, social inequalities, and theperceived worsening of the world.
(00:47):
The underlying sentiment isthere's an anticipation for change
and personal accountability.
The DeNicola Family Foundation is aprivate charitable foundation rooted
in the passion for advancing worldhealth, cultural diplomacy, humanitarian
recognition, and conservation.
An extension of Cosmo DeNicolaCompanies, a privately held company
(01:08):
with a diverse portfolio of businessesranging from technology publishing,
professional sports and entertainment.
The organization's mission is tocontinue its legacy of doing good,
while recognizing those who are equallycommitted to core humanitarian efforts.
The organization's founding principle iscaring is an action, not just an emotion.
(01:30):
Today I have the pleasure ofinterviewing Morgan DeNicola,
who's the executive director ofthe DeNicola Family Foundation.
The foundation incorporates thefour passions of world health,
humanitarian recognitions,conservation, and cultural diplomacy.
Morgan recognizes the importance ofdoing good while also recognizing
those who are equally committed.
(01:50):
Morgan is the vice chairman of the HumptyDumpty Institute, or HDI in New York,
HDI works around the world to informand foster dialogue amongst critical
stakeholders on key global issues.
They do this through their programswith the US Congress, the US Department
of State, United Nations, and theInternational Embassies, engaging young
(02:11):
people supporting cultural diplomacyand working on humanitarian programs.
During her time, she worksalong with the United Nations.
She has LED trips to Beijing, China,in the Thai Global Civilization
Forum and to Malawi or thelevel of poverty she saw there.
Kicked off a fundraising initiativecalled Cosmo Cares Mobile Healthcare Van.
(02:32):
The Van Services remotevillages around La Sotos Africa.
Recently Morgan led acongressional delegation in Rwanda.
Let's get into the interview.
(02:53):
Morgan Day, Nico.
Nicola has been a team member of theSteinberg d Nicola Humanitarian War,
which recognizes members of the NFL forthe work they do in their communities.
Morgan has a degree in elementaryeducation from Long Island University,
university CW Post, and is an activeboard member of the Elwood Zoo,
located in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
(03:14):
The zoo is dedicated to providingthe community with a varied learned
experiences that encourage people toplay an active role in wildlife and
environmental conservation activities.
Welcome Morgan.
Morgan DeNicola (03:26):
Hi.
Thank you for
having me.
Annmarie Hylton (03:28):
Hi.
I am very excited for this conversationand to talk about all the wonderful things
that you are, um, doing in the world andalso, uh, of course your organization.
And, uh, before we get in there, theto the questions and dive into the
interview though, I always like toget to know the heart of the person
and what made them who they are.
(03:50):
And so, um, my question for you isthroughout all your experiences that
you've had, um, in your life, andI know it might seem like, oh, this
is a, a lot to think about, what doyou feel is the most important thing
you have learned about yourself?
Morgan DeNicola (04:05):
That you have to climb out of your comfort zone
to discover all of the thingsthat you're capable of doing.
Wow.
Okay.
Annmarie Hylton (04:13):
So do you think, I'm just assuming, I guess, that you had to go
through a transformation within yourselfthat I guess maybe in, uh, you know,
previous years or younger years that,um, maybe you you questioned yourself.
Is that I guess howyou got to that answer.
Morgan DeNicola (04:32):
Yeah.
Um, growing up I was kind of a, aquiet, shy kid until high school.
And I have dyslexia, so, um, I found beingin school to be kind of difficult and I
started to have a lot of that self-doubtthrough high school and into college that
I. Was only capable of so much, and itwasn't until I started putting myself
(04:58):
into really testing what I was able todo and around a lot more individuals
that encouraged you to try harder andpush harder, that I was really able to
discover that I could contribute a lotmore to the world around me and that.
That nervousness that I felt on a regularbasis you kind of have to push through and
(05:20):
you can be so much more than that littledoubtful voice in the back of your head.
So it was definitely, therewere a lot of growing pains.
I think more in like I I alittle later in life for me.
So it was probably.
I wanna say late twenties, mid to midthirties was a lot of, you know what,
let me just really try to do thingsthat I'm not sure I'm capable of doing.
(05:44):
And, um, through the course ofdoing those, those things, it, it
almost became a little addicting.
Like, okay, you knowwhat, that was awesome.
I actually enjoy challenging myself.
Let me try harder and harderand doing more and more unique
things I'd, I'd like to say.
Annmarie Hylton (06:01):
Wow.
And that's like perfect then for the workthat you do, because, you know, when you
get into, um, uh, humanitarian work orcharitable work, um, there's no, I guess
I would say there's no straight path.
Definitely.
And what I mean by that, um, justto explain myself is, there's so
many factors that are sometimesnot accounted for that come up.
(06:24):
And then as, uh.
As humans, we all know, asthey say, life is lifeing.
Yes.
Um, so yeah.
So that is, um, I guess a greatpersonal perspective to go in with
that, knowing that you are up fortaking on, um, challenges that you
may have never thought of taking on.
(06:45):
Um, and so I guess, uh, thenext question I have is.
Was it your idea then to getinto charitable work, or how
did you start into your career?
Morgan DeNicola (06:56):
My family was always charitable.
They were always giving people, sogrowing up, I, I. Always saw them helping
people, family members, coworkers.
So the idea of supporting my communityand, and being active in helping those
that I could, I just watched my parentsdoing that from a very young age.
(07:19):
And, um.
We, we were in business, you know,our, our family owned so many different
businesses, and it wasn't until Itook that first trip to Malawi to
visit an orphanage that I came backrealizing that all the things that
I. Was fearful of or sad about it.
(07:40):
You come back with a completelydifferent perspective when you see
some trials of other in individuals.
And when I came back, I decidedI needed to go into a career
that was service for others.
And I didn't quite knowwhat that meant at the time.
And it wasn't until I had somereally great conversations with
(08:02):
my family that they realized that.
I should be in, in like acharitable and philanthropic world.
So that's how we formed our firstsmall charitable organization,
which started out as Cosmo Cares.
My dad's name's Cosmo.
It was catchy.
I liked it.
Um, and from there we, we kind ofwere learning together as a family.
(08:26):
And once I really got thehang of it and enjoyed it and.
I got my hands dirty.
I like to say, um, getting involvedin everything, we were able to,
through the success of the businessesform our family foundation and, um.
It's been a, a few years and I continueto learn, continue to grow, and our
(08:46):
foundation has really, really becomethe center of not only my work life,
but it, it has become really who Iam and I'm always thinking about it,
always thinking of how to help people.
And it's a big part of mylife and our family's lives.
Wow.
You
Annmarie Hylton (09:02):
know, that is, um, I guess that's inspiring because, you
know, the thing is you could go, havewent two directions is, being that it
was, uh, already I guess in ingrainedin a way that, um, your family gives.
But it's also a amazing too because,um, being when you have a family
that has, uh, you know, a familyof, uh, que a business family, um.
(09:25):
And, you know, a lot of businesses theygive, but usually, you know, they're
like, oh, you know, um, they give toa few local organizations, but your
family decided to take it to the nextlevel and go international, which is,
uh, you know, is, I guess it takes, uh.
A different type of, um, heart to do thator, uh, a different type of perspective
(09:46):
because most people are just thinking,okay, we'll fix the things around here.
Meaning like, you know,our local community, our
neighborhood, our local country.
But then, um, I. Uh, wanting to really, Iguess, see things from a whole different
perspective that isn't something thatnaturally, I guess, occurs unless that's
(10:07):
something that is really on, I guess youwould say your whole family's heart a bit
to, to take it to the next level becausethere are, you know, lots of people that
have, uh, you know, that are in charities.
But for them to get a globalperspective is not always so common.
I. So, um, that's amazing.
And so now that you've had more ofa I guess a, a global perspective
(10:32):
when it comes to not only charity,but would you say, um, and I'm sure
you encounter a lot of, um, you know,other, uh, foundations and charities.
Um, would you say that you feel thatthere is a mindset change that needs to
happen when it comes to philanthropy?
Morgan DeNicola (10:50):
Yes, definitely.
I think that we need to the people whoare in the philanthropic world need to
communicate a little bit more, I think, tothe worlds around them, about not only the
necessary steps into being philanthropic,but more that being in philanthropy.
It's not money.
I, I think a lot of peoplealways go to, well, I can't.
(11:14):
Be involved in a lot of this stuff.
I don't have money.
And I think that's the job of the peoplewho head up a lot of these organizations
to say, no, it, it's beyond money.
It, it's time, it's creative thinking,it's connections, um, and engagement.
Philanthropy is so muchmore than than money.
(11:35):
And I think that's wherethere's kind of a disconnect.
In the engagement of like individuals,you've seen the decline in individual
donors since, 2016, and it's gonea little bit more like corporate
and, and corporate sponsorships.
And I think that's becausethere's some fear around well, I
don't have the money to donate.
And, um, I think if we kind of getback to the encouragement of no,
(11:57):
it's, it's so much more than that.
It's, it's being engaged in yourcommunities and it's, it's helping the
people that are heading up with ideas,um, that we'd get more engagement with
the different groups and worlds around us.
And I think that's kind of.
The next big movement that we should havein the philanthropic world is kind of
(12:21):
pushing more of that, uh, perspective.
Annmarie Hylton (12:24):
Yes.
'cause I think not, uh, not tobe, but I think , we've tried the
throwing money at the problems thing.
Mm-hmm.
But it doesn't solve the,the, the real issues.
For example, you know, um, I'm just gonnatake one that is a, uh, a huge, huge
problem that I don't know if we'll eversolve is , plastics in the ocean, right?
(12:45):
Mm-hmm.
Um, and I'm taking that because thatis, you know, we're, it's, it's hard to
keep track of the ocean as a vast place.
Um, and not to be funny, but I guessfunny and the tides are always changing.
And, you know, so theplastic, you know, moves.
So it's not easy to, you know,oh, we cleaned it all up and
it's, and it's done right.
(13:06):
And so we could throw money atit, you know, send a whole bunch
of boats, you know, divers.
But then, you know, lo and behold,we have, you know, a whole bunch of
plastic we find hidden under, you know.
Know some coral reef rocksor something of that sort.
Mm-hmm.
And so, yes, we can do the, you know, yes.
Pick up your trash, throw it away,you know, do all of those things.
(13:28):
But the real problem has to start,how did the trash get there?
Yes.
And, you know, and that is thething, um, sort of like what I
was saying in the intro is I thinkwe're in the time of accountability.
Um, and I don't wanna sound sopessimistic as, uh, one of my guests,
(13:48):
but we're kind of on a, a tickingclock if we continue the same way.
And I think right now it's the.
It's the period of when peopleare coming to the conclusion.
Like, we either have to do radical changeand accountability, or we have to do both.
I think yeah, I would sayit's a time of accountability.
(14:09):
Uh, this is just my thoughts, I guess.
What would you say, if you were going todefine this, um, period that you've been
seeing around the world when it comes toI guess making a difference in change?
Morgan DeNicola (14:20):
Oh, it's, it's definitely accountability.
I, I feel like I've said that on somany of these guest podcasts that I do.
We, we like to point fingersat other people or groups or,
um, well, this person's doingthis, so why should I do that?
And we very rarely reflecton what we are doing.
(14:42):
And I think that there definitely needsto be that, well, what am I doing?
And what I think we also need tomake it, this is gonna sound a little
weird too, but like, make it simplefor people to make these changes.
So it, you have to like create roadmaps.
(15:03):
Okay.
If you are.
Buying a lot of things that have plastic.
Here are simplistic steps that you cantake to maybe buy less plastic or be
aware of it and start kind of bringingit to people's attention in a way
that makes it easier to just solve.
(15:23):
Because I think we're, we have somany problems that are just thrown
at us that you stand there and youget overwhelmed and you're like,
how can I resolve any of this?
You, you get overwhelmed.
And I think when.
You are able to present the issue,but also several as simple as you can
make its solutions, it's a lot easierfor people to have that accountability
(15:47):
and make those little changes.
And I know there are a lot ofcompanies that are out there that
are trying to make like deodorantsthat come in cardboard, you know?
And, um.
Detergent sheets ratherthan coming in detergent.
And so I think there are people thatare making these changes to at least
(16:07):
allow the consumer to have options.
And now I think that we need to likecontinue to just publicize those,
publicize those solutions a littlebit more, and encourage that, that
self-reflection without judgment.
Annmarie Hylton (16:24):
Yes.
And I think, yeah.
And you just said the, your lastline there without, without judgment.
Um, I think that's the, I think that'sthe, the, the biggest thing that has,
at least what I've seen, is that nobodywants the finger pointed at them.
And they're like, well, I didn'tdo this, this, and this, and this.
Mm-hmm.
Um, and it's, uh, well, as we see onthe news, I've had to go to a point
(16:46):
of limiting myself how much news.
It's a squabble fest.
Yes.
Yes.
And, um, and you know, as we squabble,um, you know, things are not necessarily
getting, um, getting better and thenalso, you know, um, it's demotivating,
um, to, uh, you know, uh, a lot of people.
(17:06):
And so.
I guess when we start to, um, look atall the different types of, um, you
know, projects and things that you'vebeen part of, you know, one of the,
the, um, uh, things that I think isjust, uh, great and impressive about
you is that you've been part of the,um, Humpty Dumpty Institute or HDI
and so you've gotten to see I guess.
(17:29):
A whole bunch of different perspectivesaround the world, because I think one
of the things that you know, here inthe US we tend to have tunnel vision and
maybe uh, get, get lost and not reallyknow the, the real problems, I guess.
So let's, uh, speak a little bitabout your experience, I guess
with the, with the, um, instituteand I guess how it's helped you
(17:53):
with your work and the foundation.
Morgan DeNicola (17:56):
Yeah, so Humpty Dumpty, I joined as, um, my, my
father actually joined it first, andhe was the one that introduced me
to the work that they were doing.
And he goes, I just think thatthis is the way you think.
I feel like you just lovewhat's going on over here.
So, um.
(18:17):
HDI was awesome and allowed me to attendthe parts of meetings and programs that
I was able to, to kind of learn to seeif it was a fit for me to be a part
of the things that they were doing.
And I instantly fell in lovebecause their ability to.
Try to help global issues, inmy opinion is, is unmatched.
(18:41):
With their way of thinking and tryingto connect and really just trying to
give everybody an opportunity to sharetheir cultures, share their perspectives.
And it really changed my lifebecause again, like you said,
when you are only exposed to.
One culture or one way of thinking youdon't, I like to say you don't really
(19:06):
know yourself because how can yousay you don't like this or how you,
can you say you don't believe this ordon't wanna be a part of this if you
haven't experienced all these things?
We're us as humans are ever growing, everevolving, depending on our experiences.
So the more things you expose yourself to.
The more you're able to learnabout yourself and, and the
(19:27):
world around you, and you canbe a more active problem solver.
I, I think that's one of thegreat things that the HDI does is
they educate, we educate on, uh.
If you have one issue in one partof the world and the same issue in
another part of the world, to actuallyhave these conversations of comparing
(19:48):
solutions and comparing ideas andworking together, it brings new thoughts
and new experiences to the table.
And, um, I think that.
You become almost addicted to thatbecause you continue to learn and you
learn that truth is, is more complicatedand perspectives are so different.
(20:19):
So your reality becomes like a littlebit more, um, abstract or, or it changes
depending on where you go in the world.
And to me that's fun and exciting.
It's not a, a scary thing.
HDI has changed the way I dealwith everything from my personal
relationships to, uh, my professionalrelationships and really the way I
(20:43):
look at every problem that I encounter.
I.
Annmarie Hylton (20:47):
Wow.
The thing that, you know, that the linethat you said is that, you know, you
learn about yourself and then in orderto learn about yourself, and then you can
change the, I guess the perspective ofother people and also change the world.
And I think that is it.
It was profound to me when yousaid that because, um, and I'm para
praising, um, that I never thoughtabout change as self discovery.
(21:15):
But if we wanna get, I guess, even alittle woo woo, or maybe not woo woo,
um, depending on, you know, your beliefssystem is that, obviously we're all
connected, um, in the fact that we'reall on this crazy ball called Earth.
But there's a deeper connection,of course, that we are.
Uh, each citizens of humanity.
(21:37):
And within that we are, you know, weare more of the same person than we are.
I guess different.
And so when you learn about yourself, thenyou are actually understanding all the
other uh, humans in a certain perspective.
So I was, I thought that was.
(21:58):
Uh, really profound when you said thatbecause it took me to a, a deeper Liv
level because it became the key ofwhy people should be mo motivated to
be part of any philanthropic efforts,but also change in itself because it's
really about learning about who you are.
(22:19):
So if that's not a motivation forpeople I don't know what else is.
Um, so that was, uh, no, that was a, aprofound statement that you said that
I had never thought about change inthat way is that it really is about
learning about yourself in order tomake things better for the whole,
(22:40):
because we are part of that whole.
So, yeah.
So that I think that is, uh, just,uh, an, an amazing, uh, viewpoint that
you have pulled from your experienceof working with the institute.
I. And so I guess, the other things,you've gotten to have a, you know, a, a
wonderful opportunity, first of all, Ihave to say, even before jumping in that,
(23:02):
um, you know, I don't know your, your,your dad personally, but your dad seems
like he is, you know, not only of coursea go-getter, but, and, I guess amazing in
that he has, um, such a large perspective.
And just like an aside, I guess, um,what do you think contributed to him
having the perspective that he does, thathe can help then instill that in you?
Morgan DeNicola (23:27):
I think two things.
He comes from, uh, animmigrant background.
His family's from Italy, so he hasthat attachment to Italian culture
as well as US culture, but he's.
Been in so many different businessesfrom software, healthcare to sports
(23:50):
and entertainment, that he's met somany different people from different
walks of life that he's been curious.
And he's talked to and he's been openwith, um, all, all over starting just
in the United States in all walksof life and then growing globally
to meeting so many people overseasthat again, the more you, you open
(24:13):
up your heart, your door, and listento people who are different than you.
You can't help but start to takeon different thought processes
and different perspectives.
So I watched.
As I was older, I didn't notice whenI was younger, but as I was older, I
watched my, my father do this and, andas well as my mother meeting so many
(24:34):
different people and never being closedoff to anything that they said or or
their perspectives or their life story.
But really kind of em embracinglistening to those experiences and.
Even through that, he became a moresuccessful businessman because he was able
to do that and get those new perspectivesand, and hear these different voices.
(24:58):
So it just came very naturallyfor me as well as my brother.
I. To see this and see the successthat happens in your personal and your
professional life by opening yourselfup to hearing other people and allowing
them to be a part of your life.
So we just naturally started doing this,the same thing, and we've really, really
(25:20):
been lucky to meet so many incrediblepeople that we've been able to learn from.
Annmarie Hylton (25:25):
And I have to say that is the, the statement that we need
right now is about being open to meetingpeople and to learning from people.
Um, because we are in the time whereeverybody's, uh, you know, um, uh,
building, building walls, and so, um, thatis something that everybody needs to learn
(25:46):
right now, that we have to, you know, workon, uh, breaking down, um, these walls.
'cause I'm sure, um, just like, uh, Iam, I'm sure you have, um, uh, concerns
about where, what you see that's goingon I guess, uh, here in the US I guess.
Um.
Uh, especially one of the recent thingsthat happened, you know, a lot of,
(26:08):
um, organizations, uh, went throughlike a, a freeze funding period.
Um hmm.
Yeah.
You know, um, and, uh, it's, I guess,um, I guess disheartening to see
that you know, I guess it always wasthere, but that people not having the.
The global awareness that, you know, youwere lucky to, um, have both because,
(26:33):
uh, you had a, a parent that, um, hadalready that perspective being you know,
growing up in an immigrant uh, family,but also just that was already on their
heart because I think, you know, thathas to already be in somebody's heart.
Even if sometimes you're animmigrant, that's not something
you naturally lean towards.
Um, a lot of times.
Um.
(26:53):
Myself, uh, uh, came from immigrant,a family or an immigrant myself.
Um, you know, it's not somethingnecessarily that just happens for
all immigrants because a lot ofpeople are just trying to fit in.
And so, uh, they shy away from thatkind of stuff because they're just
like, I just wanna be, you know,part of this new thing that I joined.
(27:14):
I don't have time tothink about, you know?
Bigger perspectives.
So, um, so yes.
My, I guess my next question that Ihave for you is that I wanna kind of,
uh, dive a little bit deeper and findout a little bit about the projects
that you're doing in your foundation.
And I guess, uh, if you wanna tell meabout the favorite one that you've,
(27:37):
um, gotten to be part of or head up.
Morgan DeNicola (27:40):
Ooh, a favorite's gonna be tough.
I, I really like, we'restill working on, um.
Speaking about being in touchwith our immigrant heritage.
Uh, we are building a communitycenter in Italy in the tiny, tiny
town that my grandfather grew up in.
And I love being a part of this becausewe were able to see the needs of, our
(28:04):
ancestral hometown and be able to.
Help them.
'Cause it's a very smalltown in, in the mountains.
Um, so to be able to help them isjust near and dear to my heart.
But I, I think the biggestthing that I am excited about
isn't something that's giant.
It's actually kind of small.
And, um, we're, we started to giveawards to young children that are giving
(28:32):
back to their communities to try to.
Continue to recognize and amplifythe necessities of getting young
kids to want to be giving back.
And philanthropic and charitable.
So I actually love this becauseI have met some, some young
(28:52):
kids in grade school that.
It's just that it's instilled inthem that they want to help either
their classmates or they're raisingmoney or, or finding canned goods
for pantry programs, but really aregiving it their all for no other reason
than that's what they want to do.
So I, I really love recognizing these kidsand, you know, we give them an award as
(29:15):
well as, a little financial contributionto whatever it is that they're doing
to try to encourage them to keep going.
So that is, one that I just, I, Ilove because you can see the joy
in the children being recognized,and I feel like it also encourages
their classmates who see them beingrecognized to maybe think about being
more active in their environment.
(29:36):
So, I really like that, that one, and I'mreally excited about the community center.
Those, those would probably be my top two.
But I really do love all the programsthat we do, so it's really hard for
me to, uh, try to even narrow it down.
Annmarie Hylton (29:50):
No problem.
I understand.
Uh, um, and I don't want youto have, like, they'll be
like, they're their favorite.
Um, I guess the other thing, becauseyou do have a background with working
with, um, young people now I. I, I hearall different perspectives, um, out in,
on the, on the streets about, um, youknow, where are youth and young people
(30:13):
going and, you know, their mindset.
And I think in every generation,because, you know, um, especially as
we're older, uh, we have a differentperspective because we grew up.
Um, or were children ina different time period.
So there's always like,the kids nowadays mm-hmm.
Kind of, uh, you know, uh, saying.
Right.
Um, but one of the big sentiments isthat there has been, uh, a big thing
(30:37):
of either that the youth are in thislike doomsday feeling or they are lost.
Or they have, you know, their,they're, um, you know, a, a mix of
techno, a half human half technology.
Um.
I guess, what have you seen, I guess,from your perspective, because you are
(30:58):
working with young people and, um, Iguess what's, give us some hope, I guess.
Morgan DeNicola (31:07):
I, I've seen both.
I've seen the younger kids and,and this includes a high school.
I, I just worked with, um.
High school and we, we planteda whole bunch of trees for Earth
Day and they were engaged andinvolved and happy to be there.
And it was a beautiful, this thingto see, you know, these, uh, 16,
17, 18 year olds that were reallyexcited to learn how to properly plant
(31:30):
trees and learn about conservation.
And not just forced to be there.
They actually chose to be there.
So.
It's really nice to see that, andI'm lucky enough to be an aunt
to, to many, many a children.
Um, and a lot of them when encouraged,want to do good, they want to be positive.
(31:52):
They want to, you know, uh, be a,a defender of good and, and a, a
voice for those who are voiceless.
I think it's just a matter ofthem having the proper examples
to see one that it's possible.
'cause I think with social mediaa lot of the things they see is
just the noise gets the attention.
(32:13):
And they're already getting kindof, again, that emotional fatigue by
seeing so much problems like, uh, youknow, them just being on TikTok or
Facebook or Instagram, like, they'regonna see those same like really
loud, aggressive individuals who are.
Putting a lot of of problemsout there for them to see.
(32:36):
So I think, um, just they're gettingoverwhelmed at a young age very quickly.
So it's kind of up to.
All of us adults, noteven I'm not a parent.
Like I said, I'm an aunt, but it'seven up to me to be an example of,
Hey, I know there's a lot going on,but you have so much power in you.
(32:59):
To change things and be a good personand do good things, and that it's not
going to stop you from having fun.
It's not going to, doesn't mean you can'tbe goofy or, or get into a little trouble.
We all get into a littletrouble, of course, but, um.
You still on a regular basis can bethis superhero in a sense for, for
(33:23):
helping others and for doing littlethings like rather than stepping over
that piece of trash, just pickingup and putting it in the trash can.
That's something like little things likethat go a real long way, but I think that
we need to remind them of those thingsand that's kind of up to us as adults to.
(33:43):
Be at the forefront of givingthese examples of the fact that,
yeah, we all have a lot going on,but we still are capable of making
our communities a little better.
So I would say that
Annmarie Hylton (33:55):
you would uh, that right now the big thing that's
missing, um, from, I guess theadults, um, to the youth as guidance.
Absolutely.
Yes.
And, uh, I guess, um.
As, uh, adults we're failing them, Iguess for, uh, a few different reasons.
I think a lot of us are dizzy.
Um mm-hmm.
And what I mean by that is like, there'sso much also coming from us, especially,
(34:20):
um, depending on, you know, your age.
You know, you have a, um.
I guess I could say a convergence of,uh, of, uh, uh, of periods in time.
And what I mean by that, you know, this,uh, technological technological period,
but then you're still, um, at least forme, and I could be just speaking, you
still have the nostalgia for the old wayand you're trying to, uh, old way of life.
(34:43):
Before we had, you know, socialmedia, a bunch of, uh, emails.
Um, and so you're trying to see how canyou make both of those worlds still exist?
So, um, I think, you know, that's for meat least why, um, sometimes I struggle.
Um.
Uh, to be, uh, you know, thinking allthe time about I, you know, I just have
(35:06):
a toddler so they're not, not, uh, youknow, doing complicated things yet.
You know, we're just still worryingabout like, uh, finger paint but, um,
but just, you know, uh, but I, but Isee it in myself in that you're trying
to make, both of these worlds that, um.
Exist together, and I'm notsure if they can all the time.
(35:27):
That's how I feel.
Morgan DeNicola (35:28):
Yeah.
No, I, I, I agree.
And, you know, even seeing it, you know,my, my two of my closest nieces that,
uh, I am too, uh, they're not super old.
You know, they're, they'renot even teenagers yet and you
still kind of compete with, um.
A lot of what they're seeing on all thesocial media, and then you have to kind
(35:49):
of get clever to engage them or, or to getthem to be curious about certain things.
But I think it's just a matter ofhow much do you want to encourage it?
How much do you want to reallyshow them just on a, a daily basis.
The little, little everyday things thatyou could do and, make a game of it.
(36:09):
I, uh, every kid loves a a game, soI like to just make a game of it now.
Annmarie Hylton (36:17):
I'm going to, uh, switch the, uh, switch the
conversation, uh, a little bit because,uh, I wanna get back to a little
bit of the, uh, your organization.
I know it's a big jump from goingfrom us speaking from youth and, you
know, what the youth perspective.
But then in a way it isn't because Iwanna talk about the fact that your
organization, um, honors people whoare champions, and I always think of
(36:41):
champions as, uh, you know, heroesthat, you know, not only adults
but children look up to as well.
And so in, uh, being involved in,in picking out the, uh, different
and champions that you guys honoreach year, and these are usually
athletes that are, um, you know,doing great things in the community.
I guess.
(37:02):
Well, I guess first let's talk aboutwhy, I guess, how did it come to be
that you decided to pick athletes,I guess, to honor in communities?
How did that come about?
I.
Morgan DeNicola (37:13):
Our family actually used to be owners of an arena football team.
So we started out tiny Wilkes,very Scranton pioneers,
uh, indoor football team.
And then from there, the PhiladelphiaSoul Arena football team.
My dad is a big football guy.
And, um.
Over the course of doing that, hejust got more and more engaged with
(37:36):
different athletes and even a fewpeople who work for the Eagles.
And he met Lee Lee Steinberg, whoas a famous sports agent, and uh, he
does a Super Bowl party every year.
And they got together and said,wouldn't it be cool to recognize some
(37:57):
of these players that are really.
Doing awesome things and, andunique things and different
things in their communities.
And they both kind of got togetherand thought it was a great idea.
So this.
Award actually started way before my timeand it's, um, continued to evolve to not
just the athletes, but coaches membersof the, their offices, uh, and staffers.
(38:24):
So it's not just the players, it's reallyjust people in the NFL world that started
foundations or charities or who are justvery active in, in their communities.
And it's, it's a great thing to be a partof because again, it's always encouraging.
Even the athletes that are coming intothe draft class of a, you know, a lot
(38:47):
of these professional players are veryactive in giving back to their community.
So again, it's that like encouragingthe next generation to think about that
as they move on with their careers.
Annmarie Hylton (39:01):
Now in your eyes, what makes a, a, a humanitarian, uh, champion?
Like what would you say are your threetop things that you're like that makes
somebody a humanitarian champion?
Morgan DeNicola (39:13):
Somebody who is a approachable and listens to the
problems around them, not just theirperspectives on the problem, but
actually listen to the community's needs.
And somebody who doesn't stop.
I think a lot of the times, um,you know, we get drained and,
and we'll be like, this is justtoo much and we'll step away and.
(39:38):
Members of the community that believein the sustainability of whatever it
is that they're doing, that they'renot just like you said earlier, uh,
throwing money at a problem and walkingaway, but really actively being a part
of it and trying to find a sustainablesolution to what the issue is.
Annmarie Hylton (39:57):
Yes.
And I think that's, uh, I think that'sthe hard part now because, uh, you know,
um, and why, I mean, that's the hard part.
Not only because, you know, youhave to stick it out for the work,
but then there's so many thingsnowadays that come at you, different
people, different perspectives.
And especially if you are, um, youknow, uh, a known athlete, maybe, you
(40:18):
know, you have so many, um, opinionslike, you know, um, it's hard, as
they say, to make everyone happy.
I. Yeah, absolutely.
Um, you know, you might be like,well, I'm doing good, but they're
like, it's not good enough.
And you're like, well, what are you doing?
Morgan DeNicola (40:33):
Yes,
Annmarie Hylton (40:34):
Yes.
And so, um, that leads me to the,the question because, you know,
there are so many, um, issues andproblems and all these different
things that are coming at, you know.
Um, uh, people when it comes to, uh,you know, uh, being a giver, right?
Uh, it makes me think actuallyof the statement there's, you
(40:55):
know, givers and takers, right?
And so, um, and what I mean by that isthat, you know, I. As a giver, you know,
you attract people who are sometimes, youknow, not always on the same trajectory
or, you know, or, or thinking in waysthat you're like, well, that's not
really going to be helpful, I guess.
How do you I guess stay strong in the.
(41:19):
Philanthropy space.
And what I mean by that is likewhen you know you have people that
are, that may latch on for notthe same giving reasons, they're,
they're not necessarily, um, givers.
How do you stay, I guess, mentallystrong and stay focused on your mission
Morgan DeNicola (41:37):
That is.
A really good question because thatdoes happen that especially when
you're, you're out there makingmoves and getting involved with all
types of different things, people dokind of get attracted and, and, you
know, kind of wanna be a part of it.
But one of the things that I learnedalong the way is finding those.
(41:58):
Two, three we're lucky enough tohave managed to get four passions.
So those are the four things thatI stick to, um, which is the,
like we said, the conservation,the humanitarian recognition, uh,
world health and the diplomacy.
So if I'm, somebody's trying to pullme away from those passions, I know.
(42:23):
That I can't do it.
Like I, I, I could, but I needto focus on the things that I am
passionate about so you don't burn out.
Um, so I think the, the hardestthing for people to say in charity
and philanthropy is no, but I thinkwe have to know when to say no.
(42:45):
Um.
With the understanding of I needto stick to my guns, I need to
stick to what I know and what feedsmy soul in helping other people,
because that prevents that burnout.
And I think it's also just not engagingwith individuals that aren't there
(43:09):
for the same reasons you are there.
I think.
Sticking with like minds and peoplewith the same kind of mission as you,
who really become your, your coregroup and network is really important.
And kind of the, the other peoplethat might come around, you
know, acknowledging and seeing.
(43:30):
If they want to be with you on yourjourney, and if it doesn't align,
again, just kind of going back tothat, I, I'm sorry, it doesn't align
and, and that learning the no, andI still struggle with that honestly.
To this day.
I absolutely, absolutely hate saying noto anyone, but I also am realistic in
(43:52):
the sense that I only have so much time.
I only have so many things that I caneffectively have a hand in change.
So I, I would say that that's,that's a very tough thing to do, but.
Really important for yourown sanity and impact.
Annmarie Hylton (44:13):
It's hard.
Yeah.
I have this.
Yeah.
It's hard to say no for a lot of thingsbecause you don't, um, you know what
I've found sometimes, and I'm sureyou've experienced this too, if you
do do the no, you have, um, sometimespeople who turn and say, but how is
this giving and how is this, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And, um, and you're like, what?
(44:35):
You're, uh, you know, it's, um,the, the tables sometimes get
turned on you, but then you'relike, well, we can't do everything.
So I like the fact that you stick toyour four core values, and if it isn't
in those four core values, then you know.
It allows you to have, you know,a foundation or a grounding
(44:56):
on why you're saying no.
Um, so I think that is a greattip, is that everybody should have
just like a written set of values.
Like this is, you know, this iswhat we do and why we do it, and,
you know, we have to stick to this.
And so when you have somebody that comesto you and, you know, um, wants to, uh,
you know, propose something with outsideof those values, although it may sound
(45:19):
wonderful, you've gotta be able to manageyour time, energy, and your own efforts.
So that's a excellent tip.
And so now I have, um,one last question for you.
Um, if you could only fix, um, oneproblem on the planet, what would it be?
Morgan DeNicola (45:39):
I would say close-mindedness.
Again, it goes back to I think thata lot of the issues that we face.
Locally and and globally have to do withthe fact that we get very stuck in the
way we view a problem and that if we wouldjust spend a little time really listening
(46:04):
to one another on what the issues are andways to solve them, and coming together,
we could resolve a lot more problems.
But I think it's that that kind of rigid,my perspective is the right perspective or
the way I live my life is the right way.
(46:25):
I think that that's where wecontinue to kind of repeat problems
and we don't get out of a lot ofsituations with that rigidness.
So I would just honestlylove to, to teach the world.
That an open mind is limitlesspossibilities in resolving a lot of issues
(46:49):
that might not just be yours, but yourneighbors or somebody you care about.
I like it.
Annmarie Hylton (46:55):
Open-mindedness.
It's the, I think it is the,the problem that we definitely
need to solve right now.
Yes.
And where we're going.
Where we're going.
Thank you Morgan, foryour time and insight.
To learn more about Morgan DeNicola,go to DeNicola family foundation.org.
If you have a passion for an unservedcommunity, a social justice problem,
(47:17):
or wanna change minds contactproject, good work@projectgood.work.
To start your project of Changetoday, subscribe to our mailing
list at Project Good Work slashsubscribe to get our episodes and
blog articles sent to you each month.
To our listeners, thanks fortuning in to Project Good.
We're focused on what matters.
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