Haywood Burns Institute

09/02/2026

Have you ever thought about starting something, but found it hard to actually get started?

So did we.

In this episode, Samantha Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows are joined by their producer, Nathan Fink, for an honest and candid conversation about what it took to finally start Future on Deck and what they’ve learned along the way.

🎧 Listen to Future on Deck Episode 5 Here!

https://futureondeck.buzzsprout.com/2573118/episodes/19660851

08/05/2026

All right, it's time for another episode of Future on deck! On this episode Samantha Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows are meeting with David Carroll the Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development, the first major aspect of Youth Justice Reimagined!
Innovation in Action with David Carroll - Future On Deck
buzzsprout.com
Innovation in Action with David Carroll - Future On Deck
What happens when a community refuses to accept the system as it is, and starts imagining something better in its place? In this episode, Sam Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows sit down with David Carroll, Director of the Department of Youth Development...

07/22/2026

🚨 Last chance to register! Don't miss out on our Built to Bloom workshop, an interactive learning experience designed to equip youth-serving professionals with practical tools to create more inclusive, affirming environments for girl and gender-expansive youth.

July 23 | Virtual | Register now: http://bit.ly/4aZsx2W

07/02/2026

Come on in and check out Episode 3 of our Future on Deck podcast!

In this latest episode, Sam Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows explore creativity as the foundation of social innovation and a critical force for building futures beyond the systems we have inherited. Because real transformation requires more than improving what already exists—it requires imagining something entirely new.

Tune in, reflect with us, and share this conversation with other future world builders.

Listen Here!

What if creativity isn't a luxury, but the very thing that frees us? In this episode, Sam Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows explore creativity as the soul of social innovation and the engine of building what does not yet exist. From Tshaka's first meet...

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

Today we celebrate Haywood Burns birthday one of the giants whose shoulders we stand upon! We know that James and Haywood are together in the ancestral realm watching over us, guiding us, and providing the motivation to keep on moving!

06/03/2026

Check out Future on Deck episode 2!

https://futureondeck.buzzsprout.com/

How do we unlock our greatest human potential? Integrity is our key.

In this episode, Sam Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows of the Haywood Burns Institute return to the value that anchors everything else: integrity. They explore why integrity is not just a personal virtue but the foundation of trust, consistency, innovation, and the difficult conversations this moment demands. From the quiet compromises people make to protect themselves in hierarchical systems, to a powerful exchange with Taller Salud in Puerto Rico that reframed maternal health around the safety of sons, Samantha Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows unpack and explore the many angels that needs to be considered when creating real community centered solutions. Because the future we are reaching for will require the full humanity of every voice to be at the table, and the courage

05/06/2026

It’s launch day 🎉
Episode 1 of Future on Deck is now live and accessible at the link in bio and anywhere you get your podcast!

What if the future isn't something that happens to us, but something we build together? In this debut episode, Sam Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows of the Haywood Burns Institute introduce Future on Deck — a space where social innovation, human potential, and radical imagination collide. This is their first conversation, their first question, and an open invitation to dream out loud and co-create a world not yet built. The future cannot wait! Check it out here https://futureondeck.buzzsprout.com

05/05/2026

T-Minus 2 days until the official launch of our podcast, Future on Deck, which premieres Wed. May 6th!
The podcast where human potential meets social innovation.
Are you ready to journey with us?

04/29/2026

Happy Wellness Wednesday!
We are just 1 week away from the official premiere of our new podcast, Future on Deck!

Mark your calendars and get ready to join us on this journey where human potential meets social innovation.