Welcome to the podcast on grand challenges. Today, I’m diving into Stop Stigma Together, an initiative I lead that aims to eliminate stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders on a national scale. This effort was launched through the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, following a transformative $150 million gift from the Huntsman family to the University of Utah.

Stigma exists at three levels—structural, social, and individual—impacting policies, workplace environments, and personal attitudes. To tackle this, we collaborate with major organizations like Mental Health America, NAMI, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association, working across sectors such as media, criminal justice, education, and marginalized communities. Our approach includes advocacy, policy reform, and public awareness campaigns like Love Your Mind and Mental Health Care Works.

By bringing together experts, policymakers, and those with lived experience, Stop Stigma Together is building a movement to transform how Americans think about and address mental health. Visit StopStigmaTogether.org to learn more and join us in this grand challenge.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

In this interview, I sit down with Glenn Kreiner, the Ellis Skaggs presidential chair in business ethics at the University of Utah, to discuss his involvement with the Stop Stigma Together initiative, a Grand Challenge focused on addressing mental health stigma. Kreiner shares his passion for applying research to real-world problems and highlights the initiative's key achievements, such as building a diverse leadership infrastructure and convening impactful summits. You both emphasize the importance of balancing ambiguity and concrete goals, leveraging complementary skills within the leadership team, and learning from other Grand Challenges, like the innovative mental health court model in Miami-Dade. Kreiner also discusses his current work on workplace stigma, legal analysis, and longitudinal research, all aimed at driving long-term, systemic change.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

In this podcast, we’ll explore “wicked problems” —complex social issues like poverty or climate change—using a “systems model for change.” This model emphasizes three interconnected levels: personal beliefs, social systems, and structural systems. Grand Challenges, such as “Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation” or improving ultrasound proficiency, demand changes across all three. For instance, healthier nurses (personal) need supportive workplace environments (social) and stronger healthcare policies (structural). Meanwhile, boosting ultrasound skills requires comprehensive training (personal), institutional support (social), and clear regulations (structural). Engaging everyone at every level is crucial: individuals, communities, policymakers, and anyone affected. Collaboration ensures buy-in and fosters lasting solutions. Although these challenges are complex, they’re solvable through coordinated efforts that address each layer of the system. Inspired by Kenneth McLeroy’s CDC model, we see that true change is social, requiring community-driven, multifaceted approaches to transform big issues into collaborative progress.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

This conversation explores Dr. Darrell Kirch's personal and professional journey in addressing mental health stigma. It highlights the formation of the "Stop Stigma Together" initiative, the impact of COVID-19, and the challenges and successes in driving cultural change around mental health awareness and acceptance.

Read more about my work in Grand Challenges on my website.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

In this episode, I talk about the 10 key elements for social change that have inspired my approach, based on the work of Dr Christina Economos and a team she led in 2001. This rubric is intuitive, easy to understand, and has an enormous impact.

Click here to download a high-resolution image of the 10 key elements graphic.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

Former CEO of the American Nurses Association, Marla Weston led the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Grand Challenge to improve nurses' health and impact patient outcomes. The initiative engaged diverse stakeholders and overcame challenges, but Weston emphasizes defining the problem, allowing flexibility, and meeting people where they are. The pandemic amplified the issues, underscoring the Grand Challenge's importance. Weston would have moved faster, but the lasting impact was raising awareness and driving systemic change around nurses' health, invaluable during the pandemic.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

This episode introduces six grand challenges I've helped design and lead, including two I'm actively working on and four in progress. Here's an overview, followed by details and links to learn more:

1. Thriving Earth Exchange – This initiative, conceived by Chris McEntee during her CEO tenure at the American Geophysical Union, connects communities with scientists to address environmental challenges. I helped define its scope, launch it, and served two terms on the American Geophysical Union board to support its growth. It has expanded from a few projects to over 140. Visit thrivingearthexchange.org.
2. Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation – Created to improve the health of America’s 4 million nurses, this challenge began when Marla Weston, then CEO of the ANA, reacted to data showing nurses were generally less healthy than the average American. Her words, "Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation," became the initiative’s foundation. Visit healthynursehealthynation.org.
3. Center for Financial Planning – Led by the CFP Board, this challenge focuses on diversifying the financial planning profession by engaging individuals under 30, women, and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Learn more at cfp.net.
4. Intellios Ultrasound Proficiency Grand Challenge – Aims to certify and ensure proficiency in ultrasound use worldwide by 2030, enhancing healthcare equity and patient safety. With ultrasound devices becoming affordable and widely available, this initiative addresses the need for global proficiency. Visit https://inteleosfoundation.org/grand-challenge
5. Stop Stigma Together – using the National Academies’ report, Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders, this initiative addresses stigma through structural, social, and individual approaches. Now in its fourth year, I continue to lead this effort. StopStigmaTogether.org
6. American Association of Physicists in Medicine – A newly launched challenge to identify critical breakthroughs in medical physics over the next decade. It includes exploring theranostics, a personalized medicine technique combining imaging and targeted therapies, and AI applications in both research and clinical settings. Visit https://site.aapm.org/home

Join me as I share the stories behind each challenge, highlight the contributions of leaders like Chris McEntee and Marla Weston, and provide links for you to explore further.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

In this inaugural episode, Seth Kahan introduces listeners to the transformative potential of Grand Challenges as a force for systemic change. He draws on his extensive experience leading initiatives that tackle societal issues, including his work in Earth and space science, nursing, medical ultrasound, mental health and substance use disorders, finance, and physics in medicine. Seth shares the core purpose and vision behind his work. He outlines the key concepts and practical approaches that will be explored in future episodes, creating a foundational understanding for anyone eager to drive impactful social change. Seth also brings insights from his bestselling book, Getting Change Right, shedding light on the techniques, mindset, and hard-won lessons that have fueled his success. This episode sets the stage for an inspiring journey, designed to provide listeners with tools and strategies to take on today’s most pressing challenges.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info