In this moving kickoff to The PlayFull Podcast’s new “Brave Voices” series, host Kristine Michie is joined by Edgar Villanueva—author, activist, and founder of the Decolonizing Wealth Project—for a vulnerable, powerful conversation about truth-telling, repair, and joyful resistance. With deeply personal stories and bold new initiatives, Edgar and Kristine invite listeners into a visionary conversation about healing our systems and ourselves. This is a must-listen for changemakers ready to root their impact in courage, equity, and play.
Key Takeaways:
- Edgar Villanueva's work reclaims philanthropy as a form of spiritual and cultural healing, rooted in his own personal and ancestral history.
- Reparations, at their core, are about repairing broken systems for the collective good, not about loss or blame.
- The Decolonizing Wealth Project has launched a $20 million Youth Mental Health Fund prioritizing BIPOC and queer youth with support from Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures!
- DWP has launched a $1 trillion moonshot for reparative justice over the next decade.
- Liberated Capital operates as a multi-racial, community-guided giving platform where members can contribute starting at $5/month. Anyone can join!
- Edgar emphasizes the importance of humor and joy as tools for resilience and community in justice movements.
- Reparative philanthropy isn’t about saviorism—it’s about redistributing power and trusting community-led solutions.
- Over 23 local commissions across the U.S. are actively exploring or implementing reparations today.
- Even amid polarization and despair, Edgar believes healing is possible through love, grace, and deep spiritual engagement.
"We all want to move forward, and it's really hard to do that in a real, authentic way in a country that refuses to recognize what has happened." — Edgar Villanueva
"Reparations is not only about repairing historical harm; it's about fixing our country in a way that benefits everyone." — Edgar Villanueva
"I invite folks to take on the identity of being a healer, and all of us doing what we can to heal even a little might help repair the mess we're in." — Edgar Villanueva
Episode References:
Solidarity By Design from Decolonizing Wealth Project: https://decolonizingwealth.com/solidarity-by-design/
About Edgar Villanueva: Edgar Villanueva (Lumbee) is an award-winning author, activist, and founder/CEO of the Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) and Liberated Capital. His book Decolonizing Wealth (2018, 2021) helped spark a movement to transform philanthropy through an Indigenous lens. Since 2018, he has led efforts in healing, narrative change, and reparative giving. In 2025, DWP launched Moonshot, a 10-year plan to drive $1 trillion in reparative funding. Villanueva has mobilized nearly $1 billion, including $23 million through Liberated Capital. He advises major institutions on social impact. A Lumbee Tribe member, he holds UNC-Chapel Hill degrees, lives in NYC, and has been featured in major publications including the
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.