Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:18:43 -0500 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1751096 en-us © 2026 Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson yes 308b3658-69b0-5faf-b525-699366f64e62 Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson episodic false Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson discusses every working person's work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don't even have time to think and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like "a Monday through Friday sort of dying."

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson https://storage.buzzsprout.com/kt6w1lbqfjaeyzq2q8iwx9x08486?.jpg Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Leading in Chaos: Bill George on Courage, Values, and Real-World Leadership Leading in Chaos: Bill George on Courage, Values, and Real-World Leadership Bill George joins Christopher Wong Michaelson for a candid conversation on leadership, purpose, and courage in uncertain times. Drawing on his journey from early career setbacks to leading Medtronic, George reflects on the importance of authentic relationships, values-driven decision-making, and aligning personal purpose with organizational mission. The discussion explores what it means to lead with “true north” amid polarization and crisis, the ethical responsibilities of business leaders to employees and communities, and the growing need for moral courage in navigating complexity and change. Grounded in real-world examples, this episode challenges leaders to move beyond profit as a primary goal and instead focus on impact, integrity, and the long-term good. 


]]> Bill George joins Christopher Wong Michaelson for a candid conversation on leadership, purpose, and courage in uncertain times. Drawing on his journey from early career setbacks to leading Medtronic, George reflects on the importance of authentic relationships, values-driven decision-making, and aligning personal purpose with organizational mission. The discussion explores what it means to lead with “true north” amid polarization and crisis, the ethical responsibilities of business leaders to employees and communities, and the growing need for moral courage in navigating complexity and change. Grounded in real-world examples, this episode challenges leaders to move beyond profit as a primary goal and instead focus on impact, integrity, and the long-term good. 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-19045572 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500 2556 5 1 full false "Work and the Good Life" Series: Working for the Common Good with Galon Miller "Work and the Good Life" Series: Working for the Common Good with Galon Miller One way in which the University of St. Thomas is  trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course  called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that most of them want a purpose but relatively few would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable  students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the third of a three-part speaker series, students heard from United States Navy Veteran Galon Miller about his work with returning veterans in their quest for work and the good life.



]]> One way in which the University of St. Thomas is  trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course  called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that most of them want a purpose but relatively few would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable  students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the third of a three-part speaker series, students heard from United States Navy Veteran Galon Miller about his work with returning veterans in their quest for work and the good life.



]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-18168210 Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0600 3044 4 6 full true "Work and the Good Life" Series: Working for the Common Good with Erica Campbell "Work and the Good Life" Series: Working for the Common Good with Erica Campbell One way in which the University of St. Thomas is  trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course  called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that most of them want a purpose but relatively few would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable  students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the second of a three-part speaker series, students heard from Second Harvest Heartland Chief Development Officer Erica Campbell about her quest for work and the good life.


]]> One way in which the University of St. Thomas is  trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course  called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that most of them want a purpose but relatively few would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable  students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the second of a three-part speaker series, students heard from Second Harvest Heartland Chief Development Officer Erica Campbell about her quest for work and the good life.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-18019303 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:00:00 -0500 2743 4 5 full false "Work and the Good Life" Series: Working for the Common Good with Quentin Moore "Work and the Good Life" Series: Working for the Common Good with Quentin Moore One way in which the University of St. Thomas is  trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course  called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that 80+% of them want a purpose, but only around half of them would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable  students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the first of a three-part speaker series, students heard from UST alum Quentin Moore about his quest for work and the good life.



]]> One way in which the University of St. Thomas is  trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course  called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that 80+% of them want a purpose, but only around half of them would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable  students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the first of a three-part speaker series, students heard from UST alum Quentin Moore about his quest for work and the good life.



]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-17905428 Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0500 3077 4 4 full false Moral Realism and Relativism in Higher Education: A discussion encircling a culture of encounter. Moral Realism and Relativism in Higher Education: A discussion encircling a culture of encounter. Is their one truth or is the truth relative? Are some moral values better than others? Are some cultural artifacts worth teaching and preserving more than others? Guided by perspectives in history, theology, and ethics from St. Thomas faculty (listed below) this conversation aims to foster understanding across differing values and religious beliefs as well as explore how shared values and a deeper understanding of moral differences can lead to a more inclusive higher education culture and stronger societal connections.

  • Dr. Shaherzad Ahmadi, Associate Professor of History
  • Dr. Laurel Potter, Assistant Professor of Theology
  • Dr. Christopher Wong Michaelson, Barbara and David A. Koch (“coach”) Endowed Chair in Business Ethics & Academic Director of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership

Co-sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies of the University of St. Thomas as part of their 2025 Culture of Encounter Ideas Festival.


]]> Is their one truth or is the truth relative? Are some moral values better than others? Are some cultural artifacts worth teaching and preserving more than others? Guided by perspectives in history, theology, and ethics from St. Thomas faculty (listed below) this conversation aims to foster understanding across differing values and religious beliefs as well as explore how shared values and a deeper understanding of moral differences can lead to a more inclusive higher education culture and stronger societal connections.

  • Dr. Shaherzad Ahmadi, Associate Professor of History
  • Dr. Laurel Potter, Assistant Professor of Theology
  • Dr. Christopher Wong Michaelson, Barbara and David A. Koch (“coach”) Endowed Chair in Business Ethics & Academic Director of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership

Co-sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies of the University of St. Thomas as part of their 2025 Culture of Encounter Ideas Festival.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-17161859 Wed, 14 May 2025 13:00:00 -0500 3567 4 3 full false Beauty and Work: A LIVE panel discussion with St. Thomas students, professionals, and experts. Beauty and Work: A LIVE panel discussion with St. Thomas students, professionals, and experts. Is beauty something that's antithetical to work, or is beauty to be found anywhere and everywhere, including work? During this LIVE podcast recording, hear from St. Thomas students who talk about the future of work that they are hoping for, from professionals who share their everyday reality of work, and scholars who connect goodness, truth, and beauty to meaningful work and a meaningful life. 

Student panelists:

  • Cheniqua Morrison, majors in English and Film Studies 
  • Joe Burbach, major in Business Administration 
  • Katie Iverson, majors in Accounting and Law and Compliance, minor in Philosophy 

Professional panelists:

  • Maija Garcia, Director of Education and Professional Training, Guthrie Theater 
  • Quentin Moore, VP Advancement, Ascension Catholic Academy 
  • John Sullivan, J.D, Nonprofit Board Member and Retired General Counsel, Carlson Companies 

Expert panelists:

  • Mark McInroy, Th.D, Associate Chair of the Theology Department; Founding Co-Director of the Claritas Initiative
  • Wendy Wyatt, Ph.D, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Founding Co-Director of the Claritas Initiative

Co-sponsored by:



]]> Is beauty something that's antithetical to work, or is beauty to be found anywhere and everywhere, including work? During this LIVE podcast recording, hear from St. Thomas students who talk about the future of work that they are hoping for, from professionals who share their everyday reality of work, and scholars who connect goodness, truth, and beauty to meaningful work and a meaningful life. 

Student panelists:

  • Cheniqua Morrison, majors in English and Film Studies 
  • Joe Burbach, major in Business Administration 
  • Katie Iverson, majors in Accounting and Law and Compliance, minor in Philosophy 

Professional panelists:

  • Maija Garcia, Director of Education and Professional Training, Guthrie Theater 
  • Quentin Moore, VP Advancement, Ascension Catholic Academy 
  • John Sullivan, J.D, Nonprofit Board Member and Retired General Counsel, Carlson Companies 

Expert panelists:

  • Mark McInroy, Th.D, Associate Chair of the Theology Department; Founding Co-Director of the Claritas Initiative
  • Wendy Wyatt, Ph.D, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Founding Co-Director of the Claritas Initiative

Co-sponsored by:



]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-17157890 Wed, 14 May 2025 09:00:00 -0500 3647 4 2 full false Fantasy Football and the Good Life, featuring Coach Caruso. Fantasy Football and the Good Life, featuring Coach Caruso. Is fantasy football part of the good life, is it just a colossal waste of time – or worse? This podcast is ordinarily about work, but this episode is about play, and whether any redeeming consequences come from the work that a $30 billion industry of analysts, podcasters, pundits, gamers, and other fantasy nerds put into it. To put that question to the test, in Fall 2024, 11 honors students at the University of St. Thomas and Professor Christopher Wong Michaelson formed a fantasy football league for a class called “Fantasy Football and the Good Life.” While playing fantasy football against each other, they also discussed ethical questions in fantasy sports: from fairness to conflicts of interest, racism to sexism in sports, collusion and punishment, and more. 

For the final class assignment, students had to select and debate five propositions examined over the semester. The propositions concern the following topics: success, punishment, fair play, luck, and gambling. Who won and who lost each debate doesn’t matter any more than who won and lost on the fantasy football field. To judge the arguments, student judges were joined by one celebrity guest judge: University of St. Thomas Head Football Coach and multiple coach of the year award-winner, Glenn Caruso. 

Listen and learn about "Fantasy Football and the Good Life."

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson. 


]]> Is fantasy football part of the good life, is it just a colossal waste of time – or worse? This podcast is ordinarily about work, but this episode is about play, and whether any redeeming consequences come from the work that a $30 billion industry of analysts, podcasters, pundits, gamers, and other fantasy nerds put into it. To put that question to the test, in Fall 2024, 11 honors students at the University of St. Thomas and Professor Christopher Wong Michaelson formed a fantasy football league for a class called “Fantasy Football and the Good Life.” While playing fantasy football against each other, they also discussed ethical questions in fantasy sports: from fairness to conflicts of interest, racism to sexism in sports, collusion and punishment, and more. 

For the final class assignment, students had to select and debate five propositions examined over the semester. The propositions concern the following topics: success, punishment, fair play, luck, and gambling. Who won and who lost each debate doesn’t matter any more than who won and lost on the fantasy football field. To judge the arguments, student judges were joined by one celebrity guest judge: University of St. Thomas Head Football Coach and multiple coach of the year award-winner, Glenn Caruso. 

Listen and learn about "Fantasy Football and the Good Life."

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson. 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-16518465 Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0600 2107 4 1 full false 2023 Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Awardee - George Lee 2023 Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Awardee - George Lee The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The 2023 awardee, George Lee, is the founder of Jobs Foundation, REPOWERED, and CEO Snap Agency. His genuine care for people is at the cores of his character. Poverty alleviation, vocational skills development, promotion of sustainable industry, elimination of discrimination, urban waste management, hazardous waste reduction, and climate change mitigation are just a few of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals achieved here in Twin Cities as a result of Lee's unwavering dedication to create social enterprises focused on BOTH providing comprehensive job training for individuals facing barriers to employment AND responsible electronic waste recycling.

Listen and learn more about Lee and his service to the common good.

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson. 


]]> The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The 2023 awardee, George Lee, is the founder of Jobs Foundation, REPOWERED, and CEO Snap Agency. His genuine care for people is at the cores of his character. Poverty alleviation, vocational skills development, promotion of sustainable industry, elimination of discrimination, urban waste management, hazardous waste reduction, and climate change mitigation are just a few of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals achieved here in Twin Cities as a result of Lee's unwavering dedication to create social enterprises focused on BOTH providing comprehensive job training for individuals facing barriers to employment AND responsible electronic waste recycling.

Listen and learn more about Lee and his service to the common good.

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson. 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-15392578 Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0500 2342 3 8 full false Is Your Work Worth It? Part Three: A conversation with Chad Sokol. Is Your Work Worth It? Part Three: A conversation with Chad Sokol. Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Chad Sokol is the third of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it? 

Sokol has held some of the best executive positions we can imagine, as the head buyer of wine, beer, and now candy at Costco, the U.S.-based warehouse club retail chain. But on his career journey, he has also operated a drill press machine and herded carts in the parking lot. Did I mention he also performs music and is a published poet? Listen on for his take on what makes his work worth it. 

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.





]]> Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Chad Sokol is the third of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it? 

Sokol has held some of the best executive positions we can imagine, as the head buyer of wine, beer, and now candy at Costco, the U.S.-based warehouse club retail chain. But on his career journey, he has also operated a drill press machine and herded carts in the parking lot. Did I mention he also performs music and is a published poet? Listen on for his take on what makes his work worth it. 

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.





]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14961728 Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0500 1620 3 7 full false Is Your Work Worth It? Part Two: A conversation with Kristine Enea, JD. Is Your Work Worth It? Part Two: A conversation with Kristine Enea, JD. Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Kristine Enea, JD, is the second of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it? 

Enea has had many careers: in law, big tech, writing a book, politics, and real estate, among others. Now 58 years old, she is a student again, preparing for her next career: as a medical doctor. Listen on for her take on what makes her work worth it. 

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.


]]> Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Kristine Enea, JD, is the second of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it? 

Enea has had many careers: in law, big tech, writing a book, politics, and real estate, among others. Now 58 years old, she is a student again, preparing for her next career: as a medical doctor. Listen on for her take on what makes her work worth it. 

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14961706 Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0500 1999 3 6 full false Is Your Work Worth It? Part One: A conversation with Dennis Curley. Is Your Work Worth It? Part One: A conversation with Dennis Curley. Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Dennis Curley is the first of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it? 

Dennis Curley has sung “Sweet Caroline” at least 1,000 times. That helps to explain why he says, “You can’t base your perception of who you are on what you do.” Listen to what makes Dennis’ work as a music performer worth it. 

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.


]]> Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Dennis Curley is the first of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it? 

Dennis Curley has sung “Sweet Caroline” at least 1,000 times. That helps to explain why he says, “You can’t base your perception of who you are on what you do.” Listen to what makes Dennis’ work as a music performer worth it. 

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14739045 Thu, 21 Mar 2024 13:00:00 -0500 2061 3 5 full false In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part Four: A conversation with John Sullivan, J.D. In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part Four: A conversation with John Sullivan, J.D. In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part four of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with John Sullivan, who recently retired from a long and distinguished career as a corporate lawyer but who remains active in volunteer engagement with organizations such as the Minneapolis Foundation and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Sullivan shares his story about following his interests rather than a pre-set plan in his search for a career for the common good. He says, “I doubt that my legal work will be remembered for long, but I believe that I have helped local nonprofits become more effective and I have created significant change for the lives of LGBTQ+ people and my hope is that those changes will inspire additional changes by future leaders.” 

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part four of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with John Sullivan, who recently retired from a long and distinguished career as a corporate lawyer but who remains active in volunteer engagement with organizations such as the Minneapolis Foundation and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Sullivan shares his story about following his interests rather than a pre-set plan in his search for a career for the common good. He says, “I doubt that my legal work will be remembered for long, but I believe that I have helped local nonprofits become more effective and I have created significant change for the lives of LGBTQ+ people and my hope is that those changes will inspire additional changes by future leaders.” 

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14540902 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0600 2419 3 4 full false In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part Three: A conversation with Lindsey Hickey. In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part Three: A conversation with Lindsey Hickey. In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part three of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with Lindsey Hickey, CEO of Simek’s, who shares her story about thriving in the chaos of balancing a family while leading a second-generation family business in her search for a career for the common good.  

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part three of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with Lindsey Hickey, CEO of Simek’s, who shares her story about thriving in the chaos of balancing a family while leading a second-generation family business in her search for a career for the common good.  

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14540877 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0600 1897 3 3 full false In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part Two: A conversation with Katrina Anderson. In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part Two: A conversation with Katrina Anderson. In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part two of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with recent University of St. Thomas graduate, Katrina Anderson, a park ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains, who shares her story about changing her major, her expectations and her zip code in her search for a career for the common good. She is still figuring out the path to that waterfall but has discovered along the way that she’s allowed to enjoy the view along the journey. 

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part two of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with recent University of St. Thomas graduate, Katrina Anderson, a park ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains, who shares her story about changing her major, her expectations and her zip code in her search for a career for the common good. She is still figuring out the path to that waterfall but has discovered along the way that she’s allowed to enjoy the view along the journey. 

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14540862 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0600 2437 3 3 full false In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part One: A conversation with Cesar Osvaldo Mendez Portillo. In Search of Careers for the Common Good Part One: A conversation with Cesar Osvaldo Mendez Portillo. In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part one of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with recent University of St. Thomas graduate, Cesar Osvaldo Mendez Portillo, a self-described “banker by accident” who shares his story about the importance of building relationships in his search for a career for the common good.  

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> In Search of Careers for the Common Good is a four-part series of candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore – discussing the ways in which reality and one’s ideals about careers intersect in the search and struggle to find careers for the common good.  

In part one of this series, Christopher Wong Michaelson has a discussion with recent University of St. Thomas graduate, Cesar Osvaldo Mendez Portillo, a self-described “banker by accident” who shares his story about the importance of building relationships in his search for a career for the common good.  

This series is co-sponsored by the following enterprises at the University of St. Thomas: 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-14540651 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0600 1880 3 2 full false Principled Leadership Research Fellows: A discussion about apple commodity markets, K-Pop's cultural influence on business, and building trust in the workplace. Principled Leadership Research Fellows: A discussion about apple commodity markets, K-Pop's cultural influence on business, and building trust in the workplace. In this episode, Michaelson moderates a discussion with each of the 2022 Principled Leadership Fellows from the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.

So, how is it that apples, K-Pop and building trust are discussed on the same podcast episode? Listen to learn more from each Fellow as they share their unique research agendas and the connections to leadership and business practice. 

2022 Fellows
Chad Brinsfield, Ph.D, Associate Professor Management. Topic: What hinders manager voice endorsement: The role of voice type, manager dominance tendency, and manager perceived status threat.

Ameeta Jaiswal-Dale, Ph.D, Professor of Finance. Topic: Challenges and potential for community value creation through sustainable food entrepreneurship.

Shinwon Noh, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Entrpreneurship. Topic: Rise of Cultural Industries from Emerging Markets: Case of K-Pop 2. 


]]> In this episode, Michaelson moderates a discussion with each of the 2022 Principled Leadership Fellows from the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.

So, how is it that apples, K-Pop and building trust are discussed on the same podcast episode? Listen to learn more from each Fellow as they share their unique research agendas and the connections to leadership and business practice. 

2022 Fellows
Chad Brinsfield, Ph.D, Associate Professor Management. Topic: What hinders manager voice endorsement: The role of voice type, manager dominance tendency, and manager perceived status threat.

Ameeta Jaiswal-Dale, Ph.D, Professor of Finance. Topic: Challenges and potential for community value creation through sustainable food entrepreneurship.

Shinwon Noh, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Entrpreneurship. Topic: Rise of Cultural Industries from Emerging Markets: Case of K-Pop 2. 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson Buzzsprout-13591844 Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0500 2567 3 1 full false A conversation about business, family and the business of family. A conversation about business, family and the business of family. In this episode, Michaelson moderates a panel discussion titled: Family business: How to create meaningful work for the family, employees and betterment of the community, as part of the University of St. Thomas Schulze School of Entrepreneurship Family Business Center breakfast series. 

Panelists include three family business leaders who approach meaningful work in a variety of ways, but always with a goal of making the world around them better: Vikas Narula, founder of Keyhubs and Neighborhood Forest; Kris Kowalski Christiansen, CEO of Kowalski’s Markets; and, Traci Tapani, Co-President of Wyoming Machine. 

Michaelson and panelists explore several topics: How we’ve arrived at the new “purpose economy” or the “passion economy" in an era in which we expect our work to make the world and our lives better and, how family businesses can balance the worthy purpose of supporting family goals and individual passions with business needs and social impact.


]]> In this episode, Michaelson moderates a panel discussion titled: Family business: How to create meaningful work for the family, employees and betterment of the community, as part of the University of St. Thomas Schulze School of Entrepreneurship Family Business Center breakfast series. 

Panelists include three family business leaders who approach meaningful work in a variety of ways, but always with a goal of making the world around them better: Vikas Narula, founder of Keyhubs and Neighborhood Forest; Kris Kowalski Christiansen, CEO of Kowalski’s Markets; and, Traci Tapani, Co-President of Wyoming Machine. 

Michaelson and panelists explore several topics: How we’ve arrived at the new “purpose economy” or the “passion economy" in an era in which we expect our work to make the world and our lives better and, how family businesses can balance the worthy purpose of supporting family goals and individual passions with business needs and social impact.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-12460156 Fri, 17 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0500 4761 2 7 full false A Raisin in the Sun Panel Discussion at the Guthrie Theater A Raisin in the Sun Panel Discussion at the Guthrie Theater In this episode, host, Christopher Michaelson, intermixes his commentary with a recording of a panel discussion taken during an in-person event at the Guthrie Theater in May 2022. The special event titled, A Raisin in the Sun: Panel Discussion and Performance, was an experiential opportunity aimed at helping shape the role of business in cultivating racial justice and social equity in the Twin Cities community.

Esteemed panelists included Austene Van, director of A Raisin in the Sun, founder of the New Dawn Theater Company, and producing artistic director of the Yellow Tree Theater; Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas; and panel moderator, Tina Burnside, cofounder and curator of the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG).

A Raisin in the Sun overview:
"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"

In 1951, poet Langston Hughes posed these questions, and Lorraine Hansberry answered with a theatrical masterpiece that broke down racial barriers both on and off stage. The play follows the three-generation Younger family as they grapple with different definitions of the American dream and how to achieve it. When the matriarch, Lena, buys a home in an all-white neighborhood, the Youngers are greeted by thinly veiled racism and financial pitfalls that threaten to pull the family apart and push their dream out of reach.  

With special thanks to the generous sponsors for the evenings' events: Guthrie Theater, Robins Kaplan, Ryan Companies, SPS Commerce, Sunrise Banks, Target, US Bank, Verizon, the Racial Justice Initiative, and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.


]]> In this episode, host, Christopher Michaelson, intermixes his commentary with a recording of a panel discussion taken during an in-person event at the Guthrie Theater in May 2022. The special event titled, A Raisin in the Sun: Panel Discussion and Performance, was an experiential opportunity aimed at helping shape the role of business in cultivating racial justice and social equity in the Twin Cities community.

Esteemed panelists included Austene Van, director of A Raisin in the Sun, founder of the New Dawn Theater Company, and producing artistic director of the Yellow Tree Theater; Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas; and panel moderator, Tina Burnside, cofounder and curator of the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG).

A Raisin in the Sun overview:
"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"

In 1951, poet Langston Hughes posed these questions, and Lorraine Hansberry answered with a theatrical masterpiece that broke down racial barriers both on and off stage. The play follows the three-generation Younger family as they grapple with different definitions of the American dream and how to achieve it. When the matriarch, Lena, buys a home in an all-white neighborhood, the Youngers are greeted by thinly veiled racism and financial pitfalls that threaten to pull the family apart and push their dream out of reach.  

With special thanks to the generous sponsors for the evenings' events: Guthrie Theater, Robins Kaplan, Ryan Companies, SPS Commerce, Sunrise Banks, Target, US Bank, Verizon, the Racial Justice Initiative, and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-12309164 Wed, 22 Feb 2023 18:00:00 -0600 2257 2 6 full false 2022 Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Awardee - Erica Neubert Campbell 2022 Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Awardee - Erica Neubert Campbell The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The 2022 awardee, Erica Neubert Campbell, is the epitome of a principled leader: Empathic, authentic, and driven to serve others. Her commitment to purposefully and positively impact the Twin Cities community through her leadership at the Pinky Swear Foundation is inspiring. Listen and learn more about Erica and her incredible passion and service to the common good.


]]> The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The 2022 awardee, Erica Neubert Campbell, is the epitome of a principled leader: Empathic, authentic, and driven to serve others. Her commitment to purposefully and positively impact the Twin Cities community through her leadership at the Pinky Swear Foundation is inspiring. Listen and learn more about Erica and her incredible passion and service to the common good.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-12210731 Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0600 1954 2 5 full false Klara and the Sun: A conversation about of the nature of intelligence and the cost (and benefits) of progress. Klara and the Sun: A conversation about of the nature of intelligence and the cost (and benefits) of progress. Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

In this episode, host Michaelson and two guests: The book reviewer, Fordham University Gabelli School of Business Assistant Professor, Santiago Meija, and University of St. Thomas Associate Professor of Marketing & Academic Director of Business in a Digital World, Lisa Abendroth discuss the book Klara and the Sun written by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. Klara and the Sun is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend (AF), with incredible observational qualities of humans and humanity; designed to learn and subsequently imitate human behavior, Klara is bought, sold, and tossed into serving as a friend for a girl. While discussing the book's plot, Michaelson, Meija and Abendroth examine its underlying themes including the nature of intelligence, the cost of progress, and the identification and value of "real" relationships.   

This book review was also published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?"

With special thanks for the support of the University of St. Thomas Opus College Business in a Digital World Initiative and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

In this episode, host Michaelson and two guests: The book reviewer, Fordham University Gabelli School of Business Assistant Professor, Santiago Meija, and University of St. Thomas Associate Professor of Marketing & Academic Director of Business in a Digital World, Lisa Abendroth discuss the book Klara and the Sun written by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. Klara and the Sun is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend (AF), with incredible observational qualities of humans and humanity; designed to learn and subsequently imitate human behavior, Klara is bought, sold, and tossed into serving as a friend for a girl. While discussing the book's plot, Michaelson, Meija and Abendroth examine its underlying themes including the nature of intelligence, the cost of progress, and the identification and value of "real" relationships.   

This book review was also published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?"

With special thanks for the support of the University of St. Thomas Opus College Business in a Digital World Initiative and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-11691970 Mon, 14 Nov 2022 11:00:00 -0600 2367 2 4 full false What have we learned about business and ethics from the pandemic discussion series: Part three What have we learned about business and ethics from the pandemic discussion series: Part three As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in human behavior, it has also brought out the best and worst in business behavior. This virtual series seeks to learn from the ethical successes and failures of business during the pandemic to guide the future promise and purpose of business. 

Series facilitators, Christopher Michaelson and Harry Van Buren III, the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, convene nationally recognized thought leaders from business, medicine, academia, and civil society to explore ethical challenges that faced and continue to face business. 

In part three of this series, Michaelson and Van Buren are joined by Joanne Ciulla, Professor and Director of the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School, and Doug Lepisto, Associate Professor of Management and Co-Director of the Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy at Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business, to discuss how to distinguish essential from non-essential workers in an intersected global economy as well as how businesses should attract and retain workers during and after the Great Resignation. 


]]> As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in human behavior, it has also brought out the best and worst in business behavior. This virtual series seeks to learn from the ethical successes and failures of business during the pandemic to guide the future promise and purpose of business. 

Series facilitators, Christopher Michaelson and Harry Van Buren III, the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, convene nationally recognized thought leaders from business, medicine, academia, and civil society to explore ethical challenges that faced and continue to face business. 

In part three of this series, Michaelson and Van Buren are joined by Joanne Ciulla, Professor and Director of the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School, and Doug Lepisto, Associate Professor of Management and Co-Director of the Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy at Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business, to discuss how to distinguish essential from non-essential workers in an intersected global economy as well as how businesses should attract and retain workers during and after the Great Resignation. 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-10962586 Thu, 14 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500 4573 2 3 full false What have we learned about business and ethics from the pandemic discussion series: Part two What have we learned about business and ethics from the pandemic discussion series: Part two As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in human behavior, it has also brought out the best and worst in business behavior. This virtual series seeks to learn from the ethical successes and failures of business during the pandemic to guide the future promise and purpose of business

Series facilitators, Christopher Michaelson and Harry Van Buren III, the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, convene nationally recognized thought leaders from business, medicine, academia, and civil society to explore ethical challenges that faced and continue to face business. 

In part two of this series, Michaelson and Van Buren are joined by MayKao Y. Hang, University of St. Thomas Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Founding Dean Morrison Family College of Health, to discuss how businesses can support or harm public health as well as better understand the tensions healthcare businesses face simultaneously advancing profitability and increasing access to care. 


]]> As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in human behavior, it has also brought out the best and worst in business behavior. This virtual series seeks to learn from the ethical successes and failures of business during the pandemic to guide the future promise and purpose of business

Series facilitators, Christopher Michaelson and Harry Van Buren III, the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, convene nationally recognized thought leaders from business, medicine, academia, and civil society to explore ethical challenges that faced and continue to face business. 

In part two of this series, Michaelson and Van Buren are joined by MayKao Y. Hang, University of St. Thomas Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Founding Dean Morrison Family College of Health, to discuss how businesses can support or harm public health as well as better understand the tensions healthcare businesses face simultaneously advancing profitability and increasing access to care. 


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-10962551 Thu, 14 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500 3993 2 2 full false What have we learned about business and ethics from the pandemic discussion series: Part one What have we learned about business and ethics from the pandemic discussion series: Part one As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in human behavior, it has also brought out the best and worst in business behavior. This discussion series seeks to learn from the ethical successes and failures of business during the pandemic to guide the future promise and purpose of business. 

Series facilitators, Christopher Michaelson and Harry Van Buren III, the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, convene nationally recognized thought leaders from business, medicine, academia, and civil society to explore ethical challenges that faced and continue to face business. 

In part one of this series, Michaelson and Van Buren are joined by Alison Taylor, Executive Director Ethical Systems at NYU Stern School of Business, and Ed Freeman, University of Virgina Darden School of Business Elis & Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, and Academic Director of the Institute for Business in Society, to discuss profit and price-gouging during the pandemic and to what extent the cost of doing business has been externalized onto stakeholders.


]]> As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in human behavior, it has also brought out the best and worst in business behavior. This discussion series seeks to learn from the ethical successes and failures of business during the pandemic to guide the future promise and purpose of business. 

Series facilitators, Christopher Michaelson and Harry Van Buren III, the Barbara and David A. Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, convene nationally recognized thought leaders from business, medicine, academia, and civil society to explore ethical challenges that faced and continue to face business. 

In part one of this series, Michaelson and Van Buren are joined by Alison Taylor, Executive Director Ethical Systems at NYU Stern School of Business, and Ed Freeman, University of Virgina Darden School of Business Elis & Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, and Academic Director of the Institute for Business in Society, to discuss profit and price-gouging during the pandemic and to what extent the cost of doing business has been externalized onto stakeholders.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-10962526 Thu, 14 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500 4780 2 1 full false What is the purpose of work? A discussion with Hubert Joly, former Best Buy CEO & author of The Heart of Business What is the purpose of work? A discussion with Hubert Joly, former Best Buy CEO & author of The Heart of Business Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our ninth podcast episode airs with host Michaelson discussing the meaning and purpose of work with Hubert Joly, who not only has written a book that he published in 2021 called The Heart of Business, but who has also had to practice what he preaches in an executive career that culminated in being the CEO of consumer electronics retailer Best Buy from 2012 through 2019. Joly’s work at Best Buy and elsewhere earned him numerous "best CEO" accolades and put the company at the top of Barron’s "most sustainable companies" list. 

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our ninth podcast episode airs with host Michaelson discussing the meaning and purpose of work with Hubert Joly, who not only has written a book that he published in 2021 called The Heart of Business, but who has also had to practice what he preaches in an executive career that culminated in being the CEO of consumer electronics retailer Best Buy from 2012 through 2019. Joly’s work at Best Buy and elsewhere earned him numerous "best CEO" accolades and put the company at the top of Barron’s "most sustainable companies" list. 

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-10653529 Fri, 20 May 2022 12:00:00 -0500 2540 1 9 full false 2021 Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Awardees 2021 Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Awardees The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The three inaugural awardees represent differing areas of ongoing service in a professional setting yet share a common commitment to purposefully and positively impacting the Twin Cities community. The awardees’ individual unique areas of focus help further illuminate business’s role in society not only as an economic driver but as a creator and enduring mechanism with the power to ensure a just, equitable, healthy society. Listen and learn more about each worthy awardee, their incredible passion and service to the common good.

The inaugural awardees are (in no particular order, simply listed by order of their interviews on the podcast):

Minnesota Frontline Healthcare Workers, accepting the award on behalf of the workers is Caroline Njau, Senior Vice President Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer at Children's Minnesota.

Omar Williams, Chair, 3M Employee Resource Network: Black Leadership Advancement Coalition (3M BLAC); 3M Area Business Leader: Precision Grinding & Finishing, US & Canada.

Galon Miller, CEO of Cyber Intelligence Cyber Security, LLC; Founder and Executive Director of Cyber Warrior Foundation, Inc.; Consultant for Project Got Your Back; & Partnership with Eagle Group of Minnesota Veterans.


]]> The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The three inaugural awardees represent differing areas of ongoing service in a professional setting yet share a common commitment to purposefully and positively impacting the Twin Cities community. The awardees’ individual unique areas of focus help further illuminate business’s role in society not only as an economic driver but as a creator and enduring mechanism with the power to ensure a just, equitable, healthy society. Listen and learn more about each worthy awardee, their incredible passion and service to the common good.

The inaugural awardees are (in no particular order, simply listed by order of their interviews on the podcast):

Minnesota Frontline Healthcare Workers, accepting the award on behalf of the workers is Caroline Njau, Senior Vice President Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer at Children's Minnesota.

Omar Williams, Chair, 3M Employee Resource Network: Black Leadership Advancement Coalition (3M BLAC); 3M Area Business Leader: Precision Grinding & Finishing, US & Canada.

Galon Miller, CEO of Cyber Intelligence Cyber Security, LLC; Founder and Executive Director of Cyber Warrior Foundation, Inc.; Consultant for Project Got Your Back; & Partnership with Eagle Group of Minnesota Veterans.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-9888636 Fri, 14 Jan 2022 16:00:00 -0600 3440 1 8 full false Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A conversation about finding redemption at work and in life with Guthrie Theater Artistic Director, Joe Haj, and playwright Lavina Jadhwani Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A conversation about finding redemption at work and in life with Guthrie Theater Artistic Director, Joe Haj, and playwright Lavina Jadhwani Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our seventh podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: Artistic Director for the Minneapolis-based Guthrie Theater, Joe Haj, and playwright, Lavina Jadhwani, adaptor for the Guthrie's 47th annual A Christmas Carol play. 

Michaelson, Haj and Jadhwani discuss the beloved Charles Dickens' story, A Christmas Carol, exploring the play's deeper themes of social and economic justice thoughtfully scripted and packaged in this holiday classic.  

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our seventh podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: Artistic Director for the Minneapolis-based Guthrie Theater, Joe Haj, and playwright, Lavina Jadhwani, adaptor for the Guthrie's 47th annual A Christmas Carol play. 

Michaelson, Haj and Jadhwani discuss the beloved Charles Dickens' story, A Christmas Carol, exploring the play's deeper themes of social and economic justice thoughtfully scripted and packaged in this holiday classic.  

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-9512710 Mon, 08 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0600 2840 full false Twenty Years After 9/11 Part Three: A conversation with Jackie Zins & Stacy Pervall, former representatives of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Twenty Years After 9/11 Part Three: A conversation with Jackie Zins & Stacy Pervall, former representatives of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund As the nation approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the podcast features a multipart series that includes interviews with survivors of the terrorist attacks exploring the question, ‘What can the lives that were tragically lost during the 9/11 attacks still teach us about living and working meaningfully?’”

This series includes conversations with Fred Price, an executive from investment firm Piper Sandler, which lost 66 people on 9/11; representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall; and, with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas of Babson College, with whom Michaelson has collaborated on research about meaningful work.

In part three of this series, Christopher Michaelson and former representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, attorneys Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall, discuss the extremely difficult work of monetizing a human life.

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) provides compensation to individuals (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who were present at the World Trade Center or the surrounding New York City Exposure Area; the Pentagon crash site; and the Shanksville, Pennsylvania crash site, at some point between September 11, 2001, and May 30, 2002, and who have since been diagnosed with a 9/11-related illness.  The VCF is not limited to first responders.  Compensation is also available to those who worked or volunteered in construction, clean-up, and debris removal; as well as people who lived, worked, or went to school in the exposure zone.   


]]> As the nation approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the podcast features a multipart series that includes interviews with survivors of the terrorist attacks exploring the question, ‘What can the lives that were tragically lost during the 9/11 attacks still teach us about living and working meaningfully?’”

This series includes conversations with Fred Price, an executive from investment firm Piper Sandler, which lost 66 people on 9/11; representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall; and, with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas of Babson College, with whom Michaelson has collaborated on research about meaningful work.

In part three of this series, Christopher Michaelson and former representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, attorneys Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall, discuss the extremely difficult work of monetizing a human life.

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) provides compensation to individuals (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who were present at the World Trade Center or the surrounding New York City Exposure Area; the Pentagon crash site; and the Shanksville, Pennsylvania crash site, at some point between September 11, 2001, and May 30, 2002, and who have since been diagnosed with a 9/11-related illness.  The VCF is not limited to first responders.  Compensation is also available to those who worked or volunteered in construction, clean-up, and debris removal; as well as people who lived, worked, or went to school in the exposure zone.   


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-9109769 Mon, 30 Aug 2021 10:00:00 -0500 2058 1 6 full false Twenty Years After 9/11 Part Two: A conversation with Fred Price, managing director at Piper Sandler Twenty Years After 9/11 Part Two: A conversation with Fred Price, managing director at Piper Sandler As the nation approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the podcast features a multipart series that includes interviews with survivors of the terrorist attacks exploring the question, ‘What can the lives that were tragically lost during the 9/11 attacks still teach us about living and working meaningfully?’”

This series includes conversations with Fred Price, an executive from investment firm Piper Sandler, which lost 66 people on 9/11; representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall; and, with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas of Babson College, with whom Michaelson has collaborated on research about meaningful work.

In part two of this series, Christopher Michaelson speaks with Fred Price,  managing director in the financial services group at Piper Sandler. Price was a managing principal and a founding principal of Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P., as well as a member of the firm's executive committee when the World Trade Center was attacked on 9/11.  He has been extensively involved in the firm's capital markets activities and provides senior oversight to the firm's client support services and other business affairs.


]]> As the nation approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the podcast features a multipart series that includes interviews with survivors of the terrorist attacks exploring the question, ‘What can the lives that were tragically lost during the 9/11 attacks still teach us about living and working meaningfully?’”

This series includes conversations with Fred Price, an executive from investment firm Piper Sandler, which lost 66 people on 9/11; representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall; and, with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas of Babson College, with whom Michaelson has collaborated on research about meaningful work.

In part two of this series, Christopher Michaelson speaks with Fred Price,  managing director in the financial services group at Piper Sandler. Price was a managing principal and a founding principal of Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P., as well as a member of the firm's executive committee when the World Trade Center was attacked on 9/11.  He has been extensively involved in the firm's capital markets activities and provides senior oversight to the firm's client support services and other business affairs.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-9109717 Mon, 30 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0500 2179 1 5 full false Twenty Years After 9/11 Part One: A conversation about meaningful work with Jen Tosti-Kharas Twenty Years After 9/11 Part One: A conversation about meaningful work with Jen Tosti-Kharas As the nation approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the podcast features a multipart series that includes interviews with survivors of the terrorist attacks exploring the question, ‘What can the lives that were tragically lost during the 9/11 attacks still teach us about living and working meaningfully?’”

This series includes conversations with Fred Price, an executive from investment firm Piper Sandler, which lost 66 people on 9/11; representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall; and, with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas of Babson College, with whom Michaelson has collaborated on research about meaningful work.

In part one of this series, Christopher Michaelson has a discussion with academic colleague and research collaborator, Jennifer Tosti-Kharas. Tosti-Kharas is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Babson College. She teaches organizational behavior and leadership in the undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs. Prior to joining Babson, she was an Assistant Professor of Management at San Francisco State University. Jen earned her Ph.D. in Management with an emphasis on Organizational Behavior from New York University's Stern School of Business, and her B.S. in Economics with concentrations in Management and Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jen's research explores career development, with a focus on meaningful work and work as a calling.


]]> As the nation approaches the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the podcast features a multipart series that includes interviews with survivors of the terrorist attacks exploring the question, ‘What can the lives that were tragically lost during the 9/11 attacks still teach us about living and working meaningfully?’”

This series includes conversations with Fred Price, an executive from investment firm Piper Sandler, which lost 66 people on 9/11; representatives of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Jackie Zins and Stacy Pervall; and, with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas of Babson College, with whom Michaelson has collaborated on research about meaningful work.

In part one of this series, Christopher Michaelson has a discussion with academic colleague and research collaborator, Jennifer Tosti-Kharas. Tosti-Kharas is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Babson College. She teaches organizational behavior and leadership in the undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs. Prior to joining Babson, she was an Assistant Professor of Management at San Francisco State University. Jen earned her Ph.D. in Management with an emphasis on Organizational Behavior from New York University's Stern School of Business, and her B.S. in Economics with concentrations in Management and Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jen's research explores career development, with a focus on meaningful work and work as a calling.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-9109631 Mon, 30 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0500 2965 1 4 full false Who is Capitalism? A conversation about Homeland Elegies with Ayad Akhtar and Azish Filabi Who is Capitalism? A conversation about Homeland Elegies with Ayad Akhtar and Azish Filabi Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our third podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: Playwright, novelist, screenwriter, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author of Homeland Elegies, Ayad Akhtar as well as the reviewer of Homeland Elegies, Associate Professor of Ethics and Executive Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College of Financial Services, Azish Filabi, JD. 

Michaelson, Akhtar and Filabi discuss Akhtar's recent book, Homeland Elegies, exploring the role capitalism played - and continues to play - in simultaneously building and crushing lives in the name of the American dream. 

This book review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" 

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending September 30, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at the American College of Financial Services and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our third podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: Playwright, novelist, screenwriter, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author of Homeland Elegies, Ayad Akhtar as well as the reviewer of Homeland Elegies, Associate Professor of Ethics and Executive Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College of Financial Services, Azish Filabi, JD. 

Michaelson, Akhtar and Filabi discuss Akhtar's recent book, Homeland Elegies, exploring the role capitalism played - and continues to play - in simultaneously building and crushing lives in the name of the American dream. 

This book review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" 

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending September 30, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at the American College of Financial Services and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-8981530 Thu, 05 Aug 2021 15:00:00 -0500 3713 1 3 full false What is the Dilemma in the Social Dilemma? A conversation about Netflix’s Popular Documentary with Shuili Du and Lisa Abendroth What is the Dilemma in the Social Dilemma? A conversation about Netflix’s Popular Documentary with Shuili Du and Lisa Abendroth Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our second podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: The documentary reviewer, University of New Hampshire Associate Professor of Marketing, Shuili Du and, University of St. Thomas Associate Professor of Marketing & Academic Director of Business in a Digital World.

Michaelson, Du and Abendroth discuss The Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, highlighting the good, the bad, and the ugly of social networking in today's world and in the future. 

This documentary review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this documentary worth seeing?" and "What ideas or questions will this documentary illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" 

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending July 31, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our second podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: The documentary reviewer, University of New Hampshire Associate Professor of Marketing, Shuili Du and, University of St. Thomas Associate Professor of Marketing & Academic Director of Business in a Digital World.

Michaelson, Du and Abendroth discuss The Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, highlighting the good, the bad, and the ugly of social networking in today's world and in the future. 

This documentary review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this documentary worth seeing?" and "What ideas or questions will this documentary illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" 

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending July 31, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-8680282 Thu, 10 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500 3356 full false All About AI Ethics: A conversation about Ian McEwen’s Machines Like Me with Tae Wan Kim All About AI Ethics: A conversation about Ian McEwen’s Machines Like Me with Tae Wan Kim Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our first podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and guest Carnegie Mellon Professor Tae Wan Kim discussing the ethical implications of artificial intelligence for business and society, through the lens of Ian McEwen’s recent novel, Machines Like Me.

This book review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" 

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this book review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending April 23, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person’s work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don’t even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Our first podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and guest Carnegie Mellon Professor Tae Wan Kim discussing the ethical implications of artificial intelligence for business and society, through the lens of Ian McEwen’s recent novel, Machines Like Me.

This book review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" 

To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this book review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending April 23, 2021.

With special thanks for the support of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.


]]> Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson Buzzsprout-8281871 Tue, 06 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0500 2489 1 1 full false