Why Great Leaders Welcome Different Opinions

Welcome back to the ACT OUT podcast! In this episode, host Adam Tomlin sits down with Morgan DeNicola, Executive Director of the DeNicola Family Foundation, for an inspiring conversation about philanthropy, leadership, global service, and what it really means to create lasting impact.

Morgan shares how a life-changing trip to Africa led her away from a career in marketing and into the world of nonprofit work, where she now oversees global initiatives focused on education, conservation, healthcare, the arts, and humanitarian aid. From meeting world leaders and the Pope to working alongside organizations making a difference around the globe, Morgan offers a behind-the-scenes look at how meaningful change happens—and why relationships and cultural understanding are at the heart of effective leadership.

Adam and Morgan explore the importance of curiosity, travel, and experiencing different cultures as a way to become better leaders and better people. They discuss how philanthropy extends far beyond writing checks, the power of building genuine connections across cultures, and why some of the world's biggest challenges can only be solved through collaboration and compassion.

The conversation also dives into purpose, gratitude, family values, and how Morgan's entrepreneurial upbringing shaped her commitment to giving back. She reflects on balancing business with service, the lessons she's learned from global humanitarian work, and why optimism remains one of the most important leadership qualities in today's world.

If you've ever wondered how philanthropy creates real-world change, what global humanitarian work looks like behind the scenes, or how travel and cultural experiences can transform the way you lead, this episode offers an inspiring perspective on service, purpose, and making a difference.

Learn more about Morgan Denicola here.

Tune in every Thursday for episodes that inspire, challenge, and entertain. Whether you’re here for laughs, lived wisdom, or action steps, the ACT OUT podcast is your space to rethink growth, embrace self-awareness, and act out your passions.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Act Out Podcast. I'm your host, Adam Tomlin. Today's guest is the Executive Director of the Danicola Family Foundation, Morgan Danicola. Let's roll the tape. Hey Morgan, how are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:16

I'm doing good. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:18

I I'm doing really well. So right before we got on, I went on to uh kind of like look at your uh look at your profile. Uh so for the listeners who don't know, like Morgan and I met on something called Podmatch, and uh she and I had uh kind of exchanged messages back and forth like, hey, we're gonna like we can record on this day. And so uh there's like some specific images that it's like, hey, whenever you release this episode, you can uh use you know this image for the thing. A couple of your approved images are with the Pope and President Bill Clinton.

SPEAKER_02 0:52

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Very intimidated on my end.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Oh no, no, they're photoshopped. No, I'm just kidding. I did get to meet uh the the previous Pope. I'm actually gonna meet the new Pope in the beginning of March.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Oh, our vice president can't say the same. So next March, I guess you're gonna be meeting him?

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Sorry, May. Sorry, the beginning of May. I leave at the end of this month. See, I'm already I'm already discombobulated. I leave at the end of this month, and uh I believe May 2nd, I I actually get to meet him and kind of excited. You know, I got to meet the previous one, and those trips are always incredibly interesting, and I I love any excuse to go to Italy.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

So what was so like what what were you doing to uh be able to meet uh the last pope, whatever his name.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

So our family does work with it's called the Papal Foundation, and they do really cool global work. So if there's a a project, whether it's building a school or feeding the homeless or building homes or things like that, the Pope actually gets these requests and then sends them out to this group called the Papal Foundation, where they come together and actually come up with ways to execute these programs on behalf of the Pope. So my father works with them. And since I head up all of our philanthropic endeavors, obviously he brings me with him to show me kind of what's going on. I personally am not engaged with the Papal Foundation, but from our family being engaged, you know, six degrees of separation. I I get to to go and and meet them. And it's a really cool group of people. I was really nervous thinking that it would be very like uptight, but there are so many different types of people that do this work, and they're all out there just trying to make things a little bit better better locally and globally. So it's kind of a great group to be involved with.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

So would you kind of say that your job is a little bit kind of like a a matchmaker, so to speak, where you're you're finding the organizations that are that are doing the work and then trying to find uh you know, like the the people or the groups that they can kind of like work with? Is that is that what you is that what you do?

SPEAKER_02 3:15

If we ourselves can't help fund some of the programs, then yes, then I make the connections like, oh, you know who would think that this is really cool or want to be a part of this or be able to kind of help because it's more in their wheelhouse, then I kind of like a matchmaker. I I like to say I'm either a matchmaker or kind of like a teacher, an educator. So those are kind of the two two things I like to do. And I just love going different places, meeting different people, and continuing to learn myself. So it's it's fun, it's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

I think do you did you study teaching or something? The whenever you said that, the ADHD was kicking in. I was like, I think that I think there's a background there.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Yeah, I was going to be a special education teacher, and then I realized I don't want to do that. And so I went in and started working in marketing for my family companies because they're serial entrepreneurs since I was a kid. I grew up in offices and um I was lucky enough to be able to take a trip to Africa. And I came back and I said, I don't want to be in marketing anymore. And my parents were like, Well, what do you want to do? And I go, I don't know, save the world. And uh they were like, How are you going to do that? And I said, I have no idea. So then I kind of ran. Very humble goal. Yeah, it's small, you know, very bite-sized. And lucky enough that my parents saw that I had a knack for it and they were always interested in giving back. Uh, so we were lucky enough, they sold a few of their companies, created our family foundation, and said, good luck. No, uh, I was able to kind of learn along the way, and I still work very closely, obviously, with my dad and and my family. And it's cool because I run a family foundation, so I get to represent our family that is insanely diverse. So it's it's tough, but a ton of I I get to say it's actually fun.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

So uh what what happened on the Africa trip? It seems like obviously it was very life-changing.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

Yeah. So my dad was originally the one that was invited, and he's like, I'm not going to Africa. I I don't have time to go to Africa. So he said to me, I need you to go, and I need you to take notes about what this is all about. And I'm like in my little cubicle, and I'm looking at him like, wait, you want me, the palest girl on the planet, to go to Africa to take notes for you. And he was like, Yeah, and it was a, believe it or not, a congressional delegation to an orphanage in Africa. And I was there and I met all these incredible children and all of these incredible villagers, but I also got to see the different ways government communicate with each other, foreign governments. And I was like, this is really fascinating, the philanthropic way of looking at it, but also the diplomatic ways of looking at it. And I was, I came back after meeting this beautiful child named Comfort, who had never smiled, and she saw me and I picked her up, like she was two years old, and she looked at my hair, and she was so confused. And I was like, oh my God, this kid's never seen blonde hair. And I took my hair down and like rubbed it on her face, and she smiled. And I was like, I'm having a moment with a child that's never smiled. We do not speak the same language, she does not talk. I didn't say anything to her, but we smiled back and forth at each other. And I had this profound moment where it was like, wait a minute, I can have an impact on people. I can make people feel good. So I went home and I was like, I can't go back to my cubicle. I can't go back to trying to sell things, I can't do that. So I need to do something where I'm either helping people or animals or the environment or um being out there and being engaged. And uh my dad still makes those jokes. He's like, I knew sending you to Africa was a bad idea, but no, I never really. Uh, it totally changed the trajectory of my entire idea of where I was going and what I was gonna do. And, you know, I was a little late to the game because I was, I had like just turned 30, or I was about to just turn 30. So I kind of just started my life all over again, starting in in you know, my 30s, and um combined so many different things that I was told you couldn't combine. Like you can't combine business and philanthropy and you know, all of these and politics and all these things. And I was like, well, I'm gonna. And so that's kind of where I I started, and and um it's been really successful, and I've gotten to meet so many incredible people all over the world that I continue to learn from and I continue to connect with and just try to try to help everybody know there's good in the world, and there are things to stay upbeat about and positive about in those times that it seems like everything's a little dark and dreary, and you're in a rough spot in your life. So that's kind of what I do. I just I go out and try to figure out ways to make things better for people.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

That was the best quarter life crisis ever, I think.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yes, it really was because there I was like just I didn't like public speaking, I didn't like being in rooms full of people, everybody and everything intimidated me. And I I reached this point where I was just like, nope, you gotta, you gotta kind of do this. You're meant to do this and figure it out as you go because you're doing something that very few people know how to do. So it's great to take advice, but at the same time have this ability to be like, well, I'm kind of walking where very few people have walked before. So I might as well just do it my way, the way I feel like it's right. Yeah, it was it was literally the best thing that's ever happened to me. And like I said, I'm still learning, I'm still growing. I still take some big swings and whiff and projects fall flat on their face, and I'm just like, well, what did you learn?

SPEAKER_01 9:31

Yeah. So have you always been kind of like willing to uh like put yourself out there and make mistakes?

SPEAKER_02 9:38

No. So I have dyslexia, so I was not a good student. I did not do well in school.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Again, is that why you wanted to the special education teaching?

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Well, yeah, to how kids that also kind of like felt like they weren't smart or couldn't do things exactly the same way other kids could. I had so many words in my head and so many things that I wanted to express, but couldn't.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

Yeah. I can imagine that's incredibly frustrating.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

Yeah, because then people look at you like, oh, that's the slow kid because she can't read out loud. And it's like, but really in your brain, you're having all these brilliant ideas and you're like, no, I'm I'm in no way slow. I just don't do it the way you do it. So that was kind of what I wanted to do. And then eventually through talking with people, they were they actually said, you have a a very interesting way of always putting words to things that don't normally have words. And it turned out that that was a kind of a bizarre skill that I had and my ability to connect with anyone in a room, even the people that, you know, they said, Oh, you can't make a deep connection with these people. I'm like, again, challenge accepted, okay. And just trying to find common ground with everyone. And it became a a very fun, strong skill that I always had, but didn't know how to. So no, I wanted to just privately live in my house and very rarely interact with human beings. And the universe was like, no, you need to be out there doing this, and just kept throwing these opportunities. And I kept saying no for years. And then finally I reached this point where I'm like, I guess I'm just gonna say yes and see what happens. I mean, the worst that will happen is I won't do it well. Well, there's millions of people out there who continue to do things that they don't do them very well. So what's the difference? So I uh yeah, I decided to take a whole lot of risks. And I still get to those points though, where I'll become very introverted and be like, okay, I'll see you in a month. I need to just disappear and not be around people for a while and uh just stay at home with my dogs. But luckily, most humans understand that and they're like, okay, we'll see you in September.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

That is incredible. I it it's amazing to me how whenever we have like kind of setbacks or whenever that like we kind of go through like tough obstacles, there is sort of like you can take one of two paths. You can like you can like grow from it and be like, you know what, I want to dedicate myself to make sure that like other people don't have the same struggle. And then there's the other option where you can just kind of take it and become very cynical and you know, kind of just like a very much uh kind of nihilistic against the world. Why do you think you were able to use it as something like, I want to uh make sure that that people don't feel this way?

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Well, first I I still am very cynical. No. It just very, very sarcastic and and cynical.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

I just be optimistic right now.

SPEAKER_02 12:51

It just kind of keep it as an internal monologue to myself. But I I guess because for me, every time I said no or tried to kind of wrap yourself in that warm dark blanket where you're like, I feel like this is safe. And um the these doors just kept opening in front of me. And I I felt like eventually it got to the point that uh I was meant to do it, and it it like the the people around me wouldn't allow me to put my head in the sand. They they were just like, you're just not meant to do that, you're not meant to hide. Um, and it takes an insane amount of bravery, I think, to overcome a lot of those things. But when you're capable of, when you take that risk and that jump, the things that we're so capable of doing when we stop hearing those doubts and we stop listening to them. So many people are capable of so many incredible things, but we allow that voice to kind of say, don't do it. And when you're finally get that courage, and I also like to say the personal accountability of what you're contributing to the world. What are you contributing to society around you? And, you know, you can't just say, I don't like the way things are, I don't like the way I feel, but then continue to do the same things. And I think that's kind of this aha moment. And again, I had a lot of great people around me that are like, you don't like how you feel, you don't like what you're doing. Why don't you do something about it and really get to that point where you take that accountability for what you're doing and how you're feeling and how you're acting. And once I started doing that with baby steps, I realized, wait, I'm good at this, or I could achieve this, or for every attempt that I made, there were those downfalls, and I did kind of mess up, but I would learn from them and then try again. And I've just you then become addicted to like seeing what's behind the door and what you can do because you start achieving so much more for you. So I think that that's the big difference, is not that not being afraid, I'm afraid every day. I'm afraid walking out my front door every day, but just to say, okay, I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna see what I can do and be able to go to bed at night knowing I did something that mattered or at least mattered to me. So I think that's the big difference.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

I I heard two big things there. That to me, it sounds like the two big takeaways from that is that number one, courage is contagious. That uh once you're willing to take one courageous act, it kind of like, hey, maybe I can do another. I can do another, and then kind of gets to the point where it's it's addicting, where you're like, hey, what else is possible? I really love that. And the other thing is that it sounds like you surround yourself with the right people, like the people that are making sure that you're taking care of yourself and making sure that you're pushing yourself and continuing to get better.

SPEAKER_02 16:13

I didn't always, and as I got older, I realized the importance of that, to have those people around you, one that help you feel good when you hit dark places, and or you don't always have to talk about work. You can talk about silly things and have fun and disconnect, but also in those moments after you're done disconnecting or taking those breaks that are like, okay, what's next? And to kind of keep pushing you because I think as people, we're supposed to evolve. We're supposed to keep trying, we're supposed to keep growing. And having people around you that push you at your pace are awesome, are absolutely awesome because they'll be like, Yeah, just so you know, you've kind of been for a month, maybe it's time to, and you're like, you know what, it is, it is time. It is time to try something else or keep moving or get out of the house. But I didn't always have that. And once I started finding those people, yeah, I'm a I'm a collector of people that make me laugh and encourage me to do things and strive a little harder, but not those people that are always like trying to get you to strive because you're like, no, I need to not for a minute.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

No, David Goggins, I don't need you right now.

SPEAKER_02 17:29

No, no, muting phone.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

I realize now I'm I'm auditioning to be a friend.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

Yes, yeah. And so so far I feel like reviving.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

I I I could tell it too, yeah. How did you like kind of get started with finding the the right people for your for your tribe or your community?

SPEAKER_02 17:51

Uh I think the first people, and this is gonna sound so lame, but I still love to say it, it was my dad. I stopped having my dad be my dad, and he started to become more of a friend, and he was always pushing, but of course, no daughter wants to, you're like, shut up, dad. You don't you don't wanna constantly have that. But I think I started with him, and he always had such cool people around him that were good friends, but also he was able to build these incredible things with that I was like, you know, I have some really great friends. Let's see if we can like motivate each other more than than just going to the bar. Don't get me wrong, I love going to the bar. But like, let's, you know, and then some of my friends around me were were starting to do some cool things and, you know, build podcasts or businesses or families that, you know, they were really kind of doing some great things. And from there, I started meeting these interesting people and not just having it be work relations, but finding some people that I'm like, we vibe. And yes, it is work, but like, can we have this be more of a friendship? And so I started meeting people around work, but that I just had that perfect kind of vibration with and becoming friends, and they would give me when I would ask for it, you know, I'd be like, Well, what do you think about this? They became sounding boards, and some of them didn't, some of them just didn't let me disappear, you know. They were just amazing at like, you should be doing this. And I think you'd be great at that and just encouraging me. But I think it's that willingness to continue to make friends because again, I know as you get older, your circle does kind of get small, but it doesn't have to. You can keep growing and then you know and then grow and just continuing to have that willingness to meet new people. It's always like it's almost like dating, right? Yeah. Even trying to make friends, it's like dating. It's awkward at first. You're like, do I send a text message? Has it been enough time? Is this weird? And I realize that most adults still have those feelings too. And if you have a sense of humor and make jokes about it, they respond really well. You're right, it has been a week. It was the perfect amount of time to send a text message, and you can have those great friendships and develop them. And I'll always start out with like, I know this is weird because this is also an email. I don't have your cell phone number yet, but do you want to go out and find some appetizers? Do you want to like go out and have a drink or and most people get really still get really excited about it?

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Yeah, definitely. So and I that's that's something that like I've I've struggled with. Uh I moved to uh like from Atlanta to uh Norfolk, Virginia a couple of uh years ago. And I've been here two years and still have had a like kind of hard time uh finding people and stuff, and it's very much like kind of feeling like that first date situation. I'm like, should I not really that interested? Should I like play interested though? And then like all of a sudden I am getting a little interested. It's it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

It's it's weird. It really is. And you know, I even one of my really good friends that I've been friends with now for like four years, we met on a friend app. And it was a high we make jokes now that it was a hundred percent like going on a first date. Um, and and I since deleted that app because I was like, I made one friend, that's success. Let's not test that. But even things like that, you know, and seeing so many adults feeling the same way, but also on that same kind of like, I'll see you in three months because we also still are adulting, but having that understanding of you'll only see people once in a while, but still be able to have conversations and send each other memes is wonderful. But it is it is like dating. Trying to find friends is like dating.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

You know, it's kind of interesting. Uh you seem like pretty uh pretty laid back. I'm sure that you like, you know, get like intense impassion whenever. you're like, you know, like kind of working and stuff. But the the kind of the laid back is throwing me off a little bit because I would think that like coming from like, you know, like your dad, the serial entrepreneur, that it would have been like drilled in that like that you've got to be constantly like on the go and being productive.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

Yeah. And he he's lightened up over the years, but it was very much like that. And what I realized and even in meeting people was my gift is the fact that I can be laid back when I need to be and have a sense of humor and joke around. And when it comes time that I'm executing a program or I'm with members of Congress or on a at an embassy, I know I get very professional and then I feel it out. And you know I've I have a great story of taking some members of Congress we had one kind of outing. Most of the time you're learning, you're in closed door sessions and it's very, very professional and we were getting ready to go the one thing we got to do is a guerrilla trek in Rwanda. And it was actually to show how Rwanda and the Congo can agree on one thing and that's protecting these gorillas. And it's very interesting. It's an interesting dynamic. So we got to go on a gorilla trek and they were it was like nine o'clock at night and I'm tired. And this was probably day five I had been with them. So I'm exhausted and they're arguing about when they're going to shower the next day. And I am sitting here like all I want to do is go to bed. We have to wake up at six o'clock in the morning and climb a volcano. And they're just like looking at me and I'm like and they go what is going on with you? And I said without thinking I said see this is why stuff doesn't get done in Congress. And they all started laughing and I was like crap did I just lose my job but then you realize most people have a sense of humor outside of that need to be professional. And I became friends with a lot of the staff after that and you know they're like you're wonderful because I can do that and I'm professional when I need to be I joke when I can because life even in those serious moments you need to have a sense of humor. You just you need to because if you just are always so serious and always seeing some of the stuff that we see you'd lose your mind. You would be sad all the time. So I like to make sure everybody's everywhere on time. They do what they're supposed to do. And then when we're having downtime yeah relax relax make a joke bond get to know one another because none of us are are going to live forever we need to just have fun. We need to have fun while we're here we need to it's so so incredible.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

So I assumed I'm terrible with geography uh public education. Congo and Rwanda are uh are they neighboring countries? Aaron Ross Powell Yes they share a border okay and so I'm like I'm assuming that there's like a lot of conflict is it over like uh they've had a lot of conflicts over the years for multitude of reasons.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Um you know the a lot of like guerrilla warfare has nothing to do with guerrillas.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Aaron Ross Powell I I was it took so much self-restraint not to make a joke there.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Aaron Ross Powell It's okay I know I was right there with you. And so there's there's a lot of tension when it comes to a lot of that and and people's kind of slip over the borders to either get out of that guerrilla warfare or um to kind of save one another. So they've I mean they've been fighting forever with one another but that's the beauty is those moments of peace and understanding of the necessity to save something or preserve certain things. And I think that's one of the main points that I always like to show in these serious intense moments is we all have something in common that we want to work with other people with. There is always one thing that we can agree on. And it's a matter of finding that and building our relationships out from that one thing because there are there's a plethora of things that we can disagree with and argue with one another and dislike one another. I mean I'm happily married but I can tell you we don't agree on everything. And if we focused on the things that we didn't agree on, we wouldn't be married. So I think it's a lot of the the focusing on the things we have in common and how we can build around those things and having this sensibility of us being different people, different experiences and letting go letting go of some of that other stuff that doesn't contribute to us progressing in any sense of human progression.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

I'm smiling because you could clearly tell where I was going with that question because that was I was going to ask you how do we get like these areas that have been in conflict for so long. So thank you for that though. Yeah are you semi-psychic or like just full on like miscleo I I'm totally misclear. I already know I knew you were going to take a sip of your water I knew that was that so like what uh what what other things do you do like besides the gorilla like this now this has me like so interested like what what other kind of like programs have you kind of done to help show the areas in which uh countries are like are you know working together?

SPEAKER_02 27:47

Well we well I've done Africa a few times I've also done programs in Poland where we were bringing Christmas trees and Christmas gifts to the Holocaust survivors that helped the Jewish community survive during the Holocaust, making sure that they had everything that they needed because those stories are still a necessity to understand like when you get to a certain point what really goes on, what people are thinking. So we've we've done programs there, uh we've done I've done culture programs and technology programs in China, art programs where we exhibit different types of art all around the world, food, music, because I think that people when we think culture don't understand having an understanding of somebody's culture is key to being a leader. It's a key to making these connections because when you know somebody's culture, you in a sense know where they're coming from mentally and why they make decisions the way they make decisions. And when you can have that it's it's such an awesome power to kind of have that understanding because then you know how to work with people. You have that deeper understanding and that mutual respect because my culture is completely different than somebody's somebody else's culture. And I I try to really explain a lot of that and the importance of that because whenever you say diplomacy people immediately are like government and politics and I'm like no it's personal relations it's tactfulness it's it's so much more than that. It's a it's a way to resolve conflict or even prevent it from happening. So I do a lot of programs that are education they are education based in the hopes that it it makes people better leaders, better listeners, a little bit more and when I say empathetic, I don't mean it to be such a like a buzzword, but I mean empathy just in the sense of having an understanding of another person. So I I do a lot of those programs and then I do a lot like I'm starting a grant program in the village that my grandfather grew up in in Italy. And it's a place because it's such a tiny town there's only a couple hundred people there that can't get funds because they're older, they're not still working to do things like build their house or to get internet in certain places or things like that. So we're starting a grant program where the citizens can write to us about things they need done around this town to kind of keep this town thriving rather than having the youth continue to leave it. And I'm obsessed with that program. I think it will be really, really well received. And again these are all places you can go to learn and continue to grow and find ways of doing programs different ways and then bringing them back to the United States. We have a ton of programs going on in the United States that are food programs. We started a film program in Philadelphia where we're taking film students, showing them all this the different ways of filming and we're having them go around Philadelphia to shoot documentaries either about food insecurity or the drug epidemic or the homeless epidemic and kind of just show Philly and all the things that make it great and all the things that struggle. And then we're going to have these documentaries that we can then show around the United States about Philly. I'm a Philly girl. And then hopefully if this program goes really well, we can bring it to some other cities and start showing the the pros and cons and maybe having this ability to from another place come up with a solution to help and kind of make this this big world a little bit more tangible and then understand why people in Philly might be the way people in Philly are so we have a lot of I already know all that.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

So accurate I now I see what you mean by like being being willing to take uh take big swings. I like everything that you do you even know how to like lay a bun or like try to do a sacrifice fly or is it always uh swinging for the fences?

SPEAKER_02 32:01

I I I prefer the swinging for the fences, but I I mean we've done little programs that are safe in a sense like uh we we recently for Easter made a whole bunch of Easter baskets for underprivileged schools so the kids could have like chocolate and coloring books and you know bubble wands and all this fun stuff. So they still had things we we do that for Christmas programs. We do um we also do it with the veterans. We get them tasty cakes because they're obsessed with tasty cakes. So we have schools write cards to either people in homes or veterans and then we bring tasty cakes and little cans of soda because they're they love them just so everybody feels connected. Those aren't incredibly large programs but again they are ones that matter so much to people and aren't anything crazy, aren't anything flashy, but we love doing them. I love making those Easter baskets I love proofreading the cards that come from some of those kids because they are hysterical. They're really funny what what's been your like do you have a couple off the top of your head there was one around well it was more for like New Year's and the one kid wrote in the card, I hope you get rich and famous in 2026 and I'm like this is going to a a home I don't really know how they're gonna get rich and f but I was laughing and just thinking like but it's uplifting and it's positive and it it's teaching the kids that like things like this do matter but there were some of them that were were really funny. And of course there were one or two that I was I just kind of slipped out of the back and was like it's not like I hope you make it to 2026.

SPEAKER_01 33:52

I'm like no you can't you can't do that I I've seen that one post or there there's like a one post where it was like the guy's like I my kid has been hanging out with its grandparents too long because somebody asked him how old are you going to be uh on your birthday it's like Lord willing I'll be seven yeah yep there are some some fun ones you wouldn't happen to have any uh programs for underprivileged podcasters would you I do I do set fill out the form and send it to me so what was your very first project?

SPEAKER_02 34:29

My very first project and this is actually funny was working with the original Ronald McDonald house because the original came from Philadelphia and we were doing luncheons for the families so a lot of the families don't have the opportunity to really leave the homes because they're we're they're there with their sick kids. So what we would do is find out you know what their favorite foods were and bring them to the home and you know do story time and bring in all these different like authors or books and give the kids a place to go and have readings and then also for the adults to eat whatever food it was that they wanted so Philly cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, you know, the the basic comfort foods in Philadelphia and I I just absolutely fell in love with the Ronald McDonald house and that was kind of my first and I was very shy. I think only my dad spoke at that and I'm like you know just getting a lay of the land but they were one of the first groups that we did something with and I think we it was around the same time as the shamrock shake so we were like buying everybody shamrock shakes because it goes to charity so we had these shamrock shakes everywhere of the green and I don't I don't know what that's about. But everybody loves them they go nuts and it goes to charity so but that was my first kind of taste of it and then my first global one what was my first global one I think that was when I went to China and that was yeah that one that was wild my first trip to China was a little confusing but that was very interesting and that was the the global technology and using technology to help with conservation. It was really fascinating met some incredible people there that are trying to kind of merge tech with helping the environment um and that went that went really well but that was my first I was I was just a little piece of that that was huge and a young girl in China was a culture shock or it was a little culture shock and I don't think that that was when I learned kind of not to have preconceived notions of a different place and to kind of be more open about what's normal in another place and what's normal to you. So that was when I started to learn do's and don'ts and waiting to see if people have a sense of humor or waiting to being a little bit more observant um on what is a cultural norm before I just kind of go out and do whatever it is that I think's normal.

SPEAKER_01 37:19

I I think yeah I definitely had that uh had that same kind of issue. I just assumed that everybody grew up in rural northwest Georgia and would think exactly like me. And yeah for some reason that didn't happen whenever I was in Bangkok.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

Yeah yeah I well you know what I find that shocking a travesty more than shocking but yeah yeah it was but the eventually when I was learn like I being in China we had a lot of I had a lot of fun learning and being a part of that and then I got to drink wine on you know um the Great Wall of China and you know do some really interesting things and I had a lot of fun and whenever they they would end with a toast it would it would be now let's drink until we get drunk. And I found that so shocking because we're there for like a work thing and I was like did they just say that and they're like yeah that's they just say that's how we do it here. That's fun. Give me the wine yeah it was and you learn that every place that you go has something fun like that and it's a matter of if you respect it, you're very much welcome to join it and be a part of it and enjoy it. So everywhere I go I go with a clean slate and a willingness to see what it is and do whatever it is and not just show up like you know a crazy American it's like well I'm gonna do it my way. I'm like okay what can I do? What am I allowed to do? What am I not allowed to do? And I'm okay with that.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

I think that especially now there is a like stereotype of Americans kind of coming in and just like we are going to do it like Frank Sinatra my way you know blah blah blah. And so I think coming in and being willing to learn and being like open and uh I I think that's actually like a huge first step.

SPEAKER_02 39:12

Oh yeah and and you have so much more fun because it's when I go to a different place, I don't want to go there still being an American in a sense. I want to go there and learn all of the things that you don't see on the internet. I don't want to go to the Taurus traps. I don't want to go and do I want to know what it's really like. I want to know what your music really sounds like I want to know what your food is really like you know and your clothing and I want I want all of it that most people don't see because that to me is the purest form. And if you go at it like that in the safest of ways. Right, yes yeah yeah in the safest of ways it's just amazing how much more people open their door to you and just are are so like oh come here I have something so cool to show you that I wouldn't have shown to any American that I wouldn't have had somebody come into my house and give you lobster broth and you're like well should I be going into the stranger's house to drink lobster broth? But you know you you earn that kind of that trust and it's it's really it's really great and you see genuine smiles and you have genuine interactions and it changes you. It changes you as a person and you get to learn about yourself like I like this I don't like this. But until you really experience it authentically you can't answer that question.

SPEAKER_01 40:41

There is a certain whenever you like meet a new culture like like you're talking about like really being able to go in and like talk with the locals as different as everything could possibly be you realize like as far as like customs and culture go, as different as that is there is a universality though and like hopes and dreams and this is what what what we want for our children you realize that we have so much more in common than we ever do that would like divide us.

SPEAKER_02 41:12

Absolutely and the needs education food water shelter it's the same it really really is but also yeah hope and and wanting to in a sense be kind of left alone to figure things out at your own pace the way you want to do it. I mean we're all kind of we're all children like I got it like leave me alone let me figure it out on my own and just have the support of people that you know you'll be okay and you have a support structure and that respect, that respect that you're gonna do it in the way you choose to do it and figure it out in the way you choose to figure it out. And I think the the more we understand that and give people I like to say the grace in space but the willingness to be there to support one another is it strengthens our bonds to one another regardless of language, regardless of upbringing, religion, gender, race, none of that really matters it's all trivial and everything else is at the root of what it is to be a person, we're figuring it out. We're trial and error and we just kind of want to go at our own pace and be, for lack of a better term, but kind of left alone in that sense to figure it out. Yeah, it it is really that is a giant similarity every place that I've been, everyone that I've met. And when you come at it with a smile and just genuine love in your heart, people hug me everywhere I go and I love it and I love being a part of it no matter how much we disagree, no matter how much we live our lives differently to be able to make those connections is such a strength and you feel you feel like you have superpowers because you're capable of doing it and making those connections. I I absolutely love it and I'll continue to go anywhere that they'll have me well authenticity doesn't need to be translated. It doesn't matter where you are in the world if you are being yourself anyone can tell that yeah uh yeah absolutely they they can tell and they can also anybody can tell if you're nervous or you're uptight or you're a little too professional or a little too loosey goosey. It's just finding that balance but being genuine in the things that you say, like really meaning them, not just lip service. Um I think those things are all very transparent, especially as you get older. And when you're younger I don't think we we're so wrapped up in our stuff. I don't think we notice Certain cues, but as we get older, we can spot them from a mile away. So I think it's so important to be genuine, but have that flexibility depending on where you're at and who you're with. And then you're golden. Just don't be a jerk.

SPEAKER_01 44:15

You're you're really rare for a lot of reasons, but like one that like it's still can't quite get over is the fact that like you're doing the work, you know, with the with with someone that has a foundation, it it would be very easy for you to sit down and like write checks and then like you know hop on the hop on a call and you know meet a cool podcaster and call it a day. But you seem like you're like really getting your hand started.

SPEAKER_02 44:49

I like that. And that has been something that you know my foundation has uh talked about, my dad has talked about, and we think that it's really, really, really important to be a part of whatever it is you're attempting to do. And also in talking with a lot of people, I've, for lack of a better term, branded myself as a next gen philop philanthropist. And this is really important to tell the difference because I think over the years with the youth, we've lost a lot of trust in philanthropy because so many people just write checks and walk away. And that's it's so important to me for people to know, no, I'm not your normal philanthropist. No, I'm not here to write a check and walk away. I want to know, I want to feel, I want to be a part of it, I want to see the impact, and I want to earn the trust back of the youth, the people who donate to things like this, the people who want to be a part of it, who want to have hope and want to make the world a better place. I want to earn that trust and have people be like, no, I want to join you. I I want to be a part of it. You give me hope. And to inspire people to have a sense of humor, to have a little trust, to have a little faith in that there are so many incredible people out there that are trying so hard to have a positive impact on people and the world around them and to not really give up, but to find those people and join them. And you can have that trust rebuild. So I I definitely work very hard to not be what you would think of when you would think of a philanthropist.

SPEAKER_01 46:33

With with trust, it's one of those things is look just like you were saying that it takes like a million little steps. And it's no, it's never once like, hey, you can trust me. You can say, hey, you can trust me all you want, but trust is one of those things you have to do instead of uh Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

I'm I don't say hey, hey, trust me. I say, hey, come, let me show you. I want to show you what I'm doing. I want to to have you peek behind the curtain. I don't want a curtain. I want transparency. Nobody wants a curtain because then yeah, there is no trust. It's what you see is what you get. When you talk to me on a podcast, if we go out together to do something, I don't know, let's go see a concert. Let's I I don't even care. Let's just go. Uh that I'm going to be exactly the same when I'm out with you. The only time you might be like, holy she got real serious is when I'm in certain rooms. I have to be. And that's to get the work done. When I'm getting the work done, yes, I am very serious. There's some pictures of me up on, you know, my website and a few different places where you see me with this incredibly stern look on my face. And people are like, the people who know me laugh when they see pictures like that. They're like, look at you, you're so serious. And I'm like, well, yeah, I was doing something. Like, I do get serious when I'm doing something. But the second the program's wrapping up, or the second that I'm interacting with the people that the program's gonna benefit, I'm smiles, I'm joking, I'm genuine. And I just think that's the best way to approach something where your job is to literally have an impact on people. I'm not gonna Don't I look approachable?

SPEAKER_01 48:19

Oddly enough, yes. Well, that's good to know. I think it's the shirt that says hope more than anything.

SPEAKER_02 48:26

Yeah, yeah, that's probably it.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

You would you had said hope at one point in one of your answers and I was like, oh my god, she's she said the word that's on her shirt. Oh, I I got really excited about it.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

I wear my messages too, you know.

SPEAKER_01 48:41

It's like anytime in a movie, whenever one of the characters says the name of the movie, like, you know, you have to get excited for it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:48

It's right there. Yeah, yeah. I do that sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 48:52

What is your uh what's your next project coming up where you're getting to meet the Pope?

SPEAKER_02 48:58

Well, that's with the Papal Foundation, so I will be leaving. Yeah, I leave the end of the month. I get to join up with the group business, but also my brother's going with me and my dad this time, which is awesome because me and my dad spend a good amount of time in Rome, so we've done a lot of this stuff, but we get to take my brother to we're gonna do a tour of the Vatican, we're gonna have some fun sprinkled in there for for him as well. And I'm also insanely excited to meet the new Pope because I can actually talk to him a little bit more. There's a little less of a language barrier, but I'm excited to be. Not yet.

SPEAKER_00 49:38

Not so you're not perfect, okay.

SPEAKER_02 49:42

No, far from it. But it will be a good one. So we have that one, and then uh yeah, we have the Philadelphia Film Program that I'm working on, and I'm also meeting up with Rebuild Philly. It's an incredible group that goes into areas that they need help rebuilding their homes before they get to a certain point. They're having a great big event, so I'll be going with them. Yeah, we have a lot of local programs going on. Um, still working on a few of the global ones to kind of get my my ducks in a row. But hopefully in June or July, I will be back in Africa at one of those sister orphanages. We donated a mobile medical van that donates like food, malaria netting, aspirin, things like that to the local villagers. But hopefully, real soon it will start also with vaccinations. So really excited about that. And so hopefully I'll be back out there when that van starts doing all of those kind of visits.

SPEAKER_01 50:41

So have you seen like the need, uh like needs for like especially like Africa countries and stuff uh like increasing since uh USAID has uh kind of decreased. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

Yes, yes, there's a lot, a lot more needs um globally and locally. I mean, I I can't I've just seen need in general skyrocket. I've never had to do so many food programs due to food insecurity. We we are constantly doing those right now. And even things like backpacks and clothing for kids, because even clothes, the cost of clothing has drastically gone up. Um so needs locally and globally have increased over 50%. Um, but the good news is that I've seen um the positive, because I'm a silver lining person and I will always tell you the positive is communities coming together. Average, everyday human being that they themselves are struggling will buy that extra can of soup to give to a food pantry, will buy that extra collared shirt for a kid to be able to go to school. The the communities and the individual donors have really stepped up, and you are seeing a lot more people kind of coming out to support their communities. It is as sad as the it is to see the need drastically increase, it is so beautiful to see people coming together to help their neighbors. And it there's a lot less of this kind of hatred for one another or volatility between one another than I think we know, because we have a tendency to see the highlight reels of that rather than the highlight reels of a lot of people not caring, you know, what your religion is or who you voted for, just seeing somebody in need and stepping up and being that person to help somebody. And I think you're seeing a lot more of that, and it's beautiful and it's hopeful.

SPEAKER_01 52:41

There there is a a beauty. I mean, you ha you have to look at like the silver linings or the beauty in any situation like that, but there is a certain beauty that comes from the absolute worst thing, the absolute worst that could happen, bringing out the absolute best in humanity.

SPEAKER_02 53:00

Well, I mean, it's you have to have the bad to see the good, or you would never see the good. You know, you wouldn't understand, you know, what it it's like to see the sun shining, you know, if you didn't know what it was like to be in the rain. And um, I think that we need to always show the balance of that and the importance of the balance of both and the necessity. Uh I think we all want it to be rainbows and butterflies and puppies, and I would love that. But if I experienced just that, I wouldn't be doing what I do now, or I wouldn't know the necessity of certain things. So I think that as much as we do see the bad and we focus on the bad, that the bad can bring out such beauty and strength in ourselves. It can really test ourselves and what we're willing to do and what we're capable of doing. You have to really be pushed. Some people have to be pushed to a point to be like, you know what, I'm really going to help my neighbor. You have to see your neighbor fall to think I'm going to go help my neighbor. But I think that a lot of there's a lot of potential for good. And people, I think, really want to see the good and they want to be a part of it. We all have that kind of hero complex, don't we? We love watching the movies where there's a hero and we we all want to be there. We all want to swoop in and save somebody and be that superhero. And I think that if the situation doesn't arise, you never step up to see that you are that superhero to a person and you're more than capable of being that hero to a person. You just have to do it. So I think there's a lot of good that potentially can come out of this split if more of us have a willingness to be those bridges and be those superheroes and really just kind of step up and go beyond our misconceptions of one another.

SPEAKER_01 54:59

I think you are absolutely right. There's a tendency, and it kind of unfortunately happens in the most competent of people where you're like, there's that, there's probably somebody better. Like, there is somebody more qualified than me. That's it's not no, we need you. Like that is that is what we need more than anything else is you doing just your thing. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 55:24

Absolutely. And honestly, like I spent the first 30 years of my life wanting to be that hero and saying, there's somebody better. There's somebody else that should be doing that. And we can sit there till we're blue in the face and say somebody else should be doing this, but why aren't you? And I think that's the personal accountability of it and what I kind of sat in the mirror and said, like, well, why don't I? Why isn't it me? And now that I do do it, you know, I still have those moments where I could have been better, I could have helped somebody else, or I could have that's always gonna happen, but at least I know I step up rather than just saying somebody else should, or these are all the issues in the world. Yeah, that's fine, but what are you doing to resolve them? And it should be you, and it can be you. It can be you to help.

SPEAKER_01 56:19

I I really like that.

SPEAKER_02 56:21

See, moments of seriousness, they do happen.

SPEAKER_01 56:24

And it turned out gold too, which is unfortunate. I was hoping it'd just have to be light lighthearted the whole time, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:31

Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 56:34

So if people want to uh find out a little bit more about the you or your organization, uh how can they uh how can they do that?

SPEAKER_02 56:42

So we have a web page, it's you can't really see that, but danicolafamily foundation um dot org is our website, and there's a beautiful little landing page if you want to ask questions or suggest programs, and that comes directly to me, not some person you don't know. It would be me. And I sometimes don't sleep, so it doesn't matter the time, I'll still read them. And um, you also can find us on social media, the Denacola Family Foundation is on Facebook and Instagram. And if you just want to find me, I have my own website. It's morgan.denacola.com. Very simple. It's my name. There's also a landing page that you can fill out and speak directly to me. And I have my own social media. So you can find me on Facebook and Instagram. I can't say that it's always exciting.

SPEAKER_01 57:32

It might just be pictures of my dogs, but And then there also may be Bill Clinton or the Pope in there.

SPEAKER_02 57:38

Well, yeah, sometimes I'll I'll surprise you with something incredibly random that you're like, oh man, I didn't even know she was doing that.

unknown 57:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:45

Well, all right, Morgan, uh, thank you so, so much for coming on. Like this has been this has been fun. Thank you for acting out with me.

SPEAKER_02 57:52

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. This was a lot of fun.