Ripple & Root

A podcast at the intersection of bold leadership,

compassionate action, and the Mahāyāna spirit of

awakening that serves all beings.

Ripple & Root draws from two of nature's most profound teachings. A ripple begins with a single point of contact - one stone, one act, one voice - and moves outward in widening circles, touching everything it reaches. The root is what anchors and nourishes: invisible, patient, and deeply committed to sustaining what grows above ground.

Together, Ripple & Root speaks to leaders who create lasting change not through noise or force, but through purpose-driven action grounded in values. Our guests are the stone-throwers and root-tenders — changemakers whose lives demonstrate that how you lead matters as much as what you accomplish.

Contributors

Host

Jess Vachon

Jess Vachon (she/her) is a leadership practitioner, Buddhist minister, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, security, and human-centered leadership.

As founder of Vigilant Violet, Jess brings a rare combination of executive rigor and contemplative depth to conversations about what it means to lead with integrity in complex times.

Ripple & Root is where she sits down with historians, healers, advocates, and executives — leaders who chose service over safety, depth over speed, and impact over applause — to explore the ripples their choices send into the world.

🎙️ Follow Ripple & Root wherever you listen to podcasts 🌐 therippleandroot.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessvachon1

Guests

Guest

Ramon Perez

An AI technologist and military veteran, Ramon Perez founded the Digital Democracy Project after January 6th to address the systemic failures driving hyperpart…

An AI technologist and military veteran, Ramon Perez founded the Digital Democracy Project after January 6th to address the systemic failures driving hyperpartisanship and voter alienation.

DDP is a nonpartisan nonprofit that partners with Voatz, a blockchain-based mobile voting app, to let registered voters tell their legislators how to vote on hundreds of active bills — with real-time, secure results delivered before floor votes happen.

At session's end, DDP scores each legislator based on how closely their votes matched what their constituents asked for.

What began with Florida legislation in 2023 now covers federal bills for all U.S. voters and state legislation in six states. Their target: all 50 state legislatures by 2027.

🌐 digitaldemocracyproject.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramon-perez-97a87a41/

Guest appearance on:

Democracy In Your Pocket with Ramon Perez

Guest

Tom Joseph

Tom Joseph is an innovator, business owner, and social activist. As the founder of Bookminders, he developed a transformative approach to outsourced bookkeeping and pioneered a remote-first employment model that prioritizes flexibility and work-life balance.

As an activist and media producer, he launched Wilson's Fountain and America's Main Street Party, introducing a new method for nominating members of Congress. With a track record of leveraging technology for societal well-being, he applies a business-oriented approach to election reform.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsjoseph/

Guest appearance on:

A "People’s Primary"