#176: Minnesota in This Moment: Hope, Fear, and Showing Up
“Take courage, friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone.”
— Wayne B. Arnason
In this joint episode of the Social Change Leaders Podcast and Spark Good Podcast, longtime collaborators and friends Stephanie Malon-Rufi and Traci Warnberg-Lemm reunite to name the moment we’re living in — and talk honestly about how we need to keep showing up.
This podcast discusses what it’s actually been like living and working in Minnesota during recent ICE activity and community disruption — from the perspective of two people embedded in civic life, small business, and community leadership — and how this moment is reshaping their work in 2026.
This episode is a conversation about:
- What daily life has felt like in the Twin Cities in recent weeks
- Stories from schools, neighborhoods, restaurants, and small businesses that aren’t making headlines
- The collective fear, grief, and anxiety many communities are carrying
- The powerful local networks forming across Minnesota — urban and rural
- Why this moment feels like an end to the “casual citizen” era
- How meaningful work, leadership, and community care are deeply connected
- How Stephanie and Traci are showing up in their work in 2026
Both hosts also share how their thinking has evolved since last year — and why they believe new civic muscles, leadership capacities, business practices, and connections are essential for this moment and into the future.
About Traci’s Work — Social Motion
Drawing on 20+ years in government, coaching, training, and civic engagement, Traci is focusing her 2026 work through Social Motion on:
Monthly podcast conversations on social change leadership, democracy, race, resistance, and systems change
Monthly “Civic Chats” — part civic education, part community, part re-imagining what building up democracy means now and into the future
Coaching for individuals, teams, and organizations inside public systems (education, health, government, nonprofits)
Coaching skills training to build leadership capacity, trust, and momentum across systems
About Stephanie’s Work — Spark Good
Through Spark Good Consulting & Coaching, Stephanie works primarily with small business owners who want to build sustainable businesses that positively impact their communities. In 2026, she is focusing on:
Consistent podcasting and weekly communication to support business owners
High-touch 1:1 coaching to help owners build financially and emotionally sustainable businesses
Supporting leaders to move from reactive to proactive leadership
Focus + Flow — a virtual community for accountability, strategy, and sustainable CEO habits
