Shows / Associations Thrive
Associations Thrive
This is Associations Thrive, the podcast celebrating successful associations and their leaders. Listen in as top association executives tell all, revealing the creative and innovative ways they’re increasing their bottom line, serving their members, and reimaging their organizations. The Associations Thrive podcast is hosted by Joanna Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker at Matrix Group International. Joanna’s personal mission and the mission of Matrix Group is to help associations and nonprofits…
Episodes
Associations Thrive200. Joanna Pineda, CEO of Matrix Group, on 200 Podcast Episodes, Writing a Book, and What’s Next for the Company
What do 200 conversations with association CEOs teach us about leadership, resilience, and the extraordinary impact of associations? In this special 200th…
Associations Thrive199. Patti Montague, CEO of SNA, on Keeping Kids Fed, Advocating Through Crisis, and Protecting the Future of School Meals
What happens when schools close, but millions of children still need breakfast and lunch? How can an association help its members keep feeding students—and…
Associations Thrive198. Devin Jopp, CEO of APIC & Tracey Moorhead, CEO of AAPACN, on When It Mattered Most, How Associations Stepped Up During COVID, and the Lasting Lessons of the Pandemic
When the world was in crisis and people desperately needed trusted guidance, who stepped up to help professions, industries, healthcare systems, schools, and…
Associations Thrive197. Bridget Lee, Founder & ED of ALL Chicago, on Effective Governance, Board Training, and Empowered Communities
What does it take to turn passionate community advocates into effective board members? And how can associations and nonprofits better prepare volunteer leaders…
Associations Thrive196. Randy Bowman, CEO of IACET, on Quality Continuing Education, Microlearning, and Responsible AI
How do learners know that the continuing education they receive is accurate and high quality? As AI and new technologies transform learning, how can…
Associations Thrive195. Sheri Jacobs, CAE, CEO of Avenue M Group, on The Unexpected Power of Boundaries, Smart Risk-Taking, and Innovation
What if the thing holding your team back from innovation isn’t too many constraints, but too few? And how can associations create clear boundaries that give…
Associations Thrive194. Jana Darling, President of MGI, on Why Membership Growth Is Getting Harder and Making Your Value Clear
What happens when membership growth gets harder, even though the members you already have continue to renew? How can associations better communicate their…
Associations Thrive193. Carlos Cardenas, CAE, President of Association Latinos, on Leadership, Cultural Superpowers, and Hispanic Heritage Month
What happens when professionals stop viewing their culture as something they need to minimize at work, and start recognizing it as a leadership superpower? And…
Associations Thrive192. Cheryl Kreider Carey, CAE, CEO of SIIM, on Building Bridges Across Imaging, AI, and Creating a Culture of Belonging
What does it take for a 45-year-old association to continually reinvent itself in a field being transformed by digitization and AI? And how can an association…
Associations Thrive191. Angela Davis, CEO of SPR and Yasmeen Fields, CEO of SBI, on Becoming Independent, Association Autonomy, and the Power of Executive Peer Networks
What happens when the organization that has managed your association for decades tells you that you have 18 months to find a new path forward? How can…
Associations Thrive190. Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, on Growing a Niche Sport, Membership Models, and Media Partnerships
How does a sport that many people notice only once every four years build sustained, double-digit growth year after year? What can associations learn from USA…
Associations Thrive189. Kelly Dooley, ED/CEO of ITEEA, on STEM Literacy, STEM Teaching Standards, and Non-Dues Revenue
What does it take to prepare every student, not just future engineers, for a world shaped by technology, AI, and constant innovation? And what role should…
Associations Thrive188. Nir Hindie, Founder of The Artian Part Two: How Business Artistry Applies to Associations
What if your conference wasn't designed around sessions, speakers, and logistics, but around how you wanted attendees to feel? How can your association bring…
Associations Thrive187. Nir Hindie, Founder of The Artian, Part One: What is Business Artistry?
Can an association create deeper member loyalty by focusing not just on solving problems, but on creating experiences that people genuinely care about? In an…
Associations Thrive186. Phil Goldfeder, CEO of AFC, on Responsible Financial Innovation, Creating a Standards-Based Association, and Staying Warm and Fuzzy
How do you help an industry innovate at breakneck speed while ensuring consumer protection, trust, and regulatory compliance? And what role should an…
Associations Thrive185. Jeff Morgan, President & CEO of CMAA, on Community as the Secret Sauce, Member-Driven Growth, and Global Certification
How does an association grow from 6,000 to 9,000 members without a membership sales team? What can associations learn from an organization whose members…
Associations Thrive184. David Walsh, ED of VSAE, on Member Recruitment, New Member Engagement, and Learning Pathways
What if your association's most effective membership recruiters aren't staff at all, but your members themselves? In an era where association professionals…
Associations Thrive183. Emily Bardach, Executive Director of AWPA, on Advocacy, Strategic Planning, and Building Momentum
When your industry is everywhere but almost invisible, how do you tell your story? And how can associations help members navigate tariffs, supply chain…
Associations Thrive182. Celeste Warren, Founder of Destination STEM, Inc, on Representation in STEM, Virtual Access, and Building the Future Workforce
What happens when young people never see anyone who looks like them in the careers they dream about pursuing? And how can associations, nonprofits, and…
Associations Thrive181. Michele Jones, EVP/CEO of NIA, on Her Long Tenure, National Standards, and Member Value in a Consolidating Industry
What if one of the most important contributors to energy efficiency, worker safety, and emissions reduction is also one of the most overlooked? And in an…
Associations Thrive180. Wade Tetsuka, President of UST, on Payments, Peer Learning, and Education as a Bridge to Success
What happens when a fintech leader decides that serving the association community means doing far more than processing payments? And in an environment where…
Associations Thrive179. Whitley Richards, CEO of Cause Strategy Partners, on Nonprofit Board Placement, Governance Training, and Leadership Development
What if one of the most effective ways to strengthen nonprofit leadership is to rethink how board members are recruited, trained, and supported? And in a time…
Associations Thrive178. Michael Coleman, General President of SMART, on Apprenticeships, Member-Centered Benefits, and Advocating for Families and Communities
What does it look like when an organization does more than represent workers and actually builds a community, a career pathway, and a better life? And how can…
Associations Thrive177. Pamela Silberman, Co-founder, Board Member, and Treasurer of STANA, on Smell and Taste Disorders, Patient Advocacy, and Public Health Awareness
Did you know that a loss of smell or taste can be an early indicator of Parkinson's, Alzheimer’s and other dementias? And in an environment where smell and…
Associations Thrive176. Andrea Wood, President & CEO of ACCP, on the Business Case for CSR, Shared Value, and Building Member-Centric Community
What happens when corporate citizenship is no longer a “nice to have,” but a business imperative under scrutiny? And how can associations help members prove…
Associations Thrive175. Eric Ellman, President of NCRA, on Building Trust, Turning Around an Association, and Elevating Member Value
How do you rebuild an association that is struggling financially, operationally, and reputationally, and turn it into an organization that members are excited…
Associations Thrive174. Gwyn Donohue, CAE, ED of ASAMW, on Small-Staff Leadership, Member Value, and Reinventing Governance
How do you rebuild an association when you inherit the top job, lose key staff almost immediately, and have to figure everything out in real time? And in a…
Associations Thrive173. Johnnie White, CEO of AACE, on the Endocrine Care Team, Patient Education, and Microlearning
What happens when 50 million people need endocrine care… but there are only about 4,000 practicing endocrinologists to see the complex cases? In an environment…
Associations Thrive172. Bob London, FASAE, CAE, ED of Alpha Phi Omega, on Leadership Through Service, Capital Campaign Success, and Practicing Foresight
What does it take for a 100-year-old, campus-based organization to stay relevant in a world of virtual chapters, AI search tools, and shrinking higher…
Associations Thrive171. Sherry Budziak, Founder & CEO, and Kevin Ordonez, President & Managing Director of .orgSource, on their new book, the RUG metaphor, the HEART framework, Leadership, and Culture
What are the “rugs” that your association keeps tripping over but no one talks about? What if there was a common, accessible language to help your staff and…
Associations Thrive170. Rebecca Achurch, Kelli Baxter, Carlos Cardenas, and Diana Lee Tucker, on the Continuing Importance of Community Groups
What happens when you gather four leaders representing distinct, identity-based association communities? You get a bold conversation about visibility…
Associations Thrive169. Leakhena Swett, President of ILTA, on M&A Disruption, Strategic Flexibility, and Building Community During Conferences
How do you keep members engaged when the industry is undergoing constant mergers and acquisitions? How can an association stay flexible, strategic, and still…
Associations Thrive168. Matrix Group International, Inc. Staff on Turbocharging with AI, Storytelling, and Personalization
In this special episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda is joined by colleagues from Matrix Group International, Inc.: Dave Hoernig, Vice President…
Associations Thrive167. Hank Dearden, ED of ForestPlanet, on Planting Trees, Community Impact, and Scalable Environmental Models
How do you tackle deforestation and climate change while strengthening local economies? What’s the role of trees in securing food, water, and livelihoods? And…
Associations Thrive166. Richard Roberson, President & CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association, on the Changing Healthcare Landscape, Members Working Together, and Telling the Hospital Story
How can hospitals in rural and underserved communities innovate, stay open, and thrive amid financial pressures and changing healthcare demands? And how can…
Associations Thrive165. Alissa McKinney, ED of Above + Beyond Cancer, on Survivorship, Transformational Journeys, and Building Community
What if we treated every cancer diagnosis not just as a medical challenge but as a journey of hope, strength, and transformation? And what role can an…
Associations Thrive164. Rebecca Achurch, Gretchen Steenstra, Jill Treby, and Joanna Pineda talk about Championing Women and AWTC Advance 2025
How can your association foster inclusive, empowering spaces that go beyond professional development to create real human connections? In this episode of…
Associations Thrive163. Addy Kujawa, CEO of AAOE, on Going Independent, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, and a Culture of Innovation
What does a small association need to go independent? And what does it take to transform an association into an entrepreneurial, nimble, and innovative…
Associations Thrive162. Eric Rossen, ED of NASP, on School Psychologist Shortages, Advocacy, and a Culture of Empowerment
What happens when schools don’t have enough psychologists to meet student needs? And how can associations help their members thrive in such an environment? In…
Associations Thrive161. Nathan Victoria, ED of SPA, on Clinical Personality Assessments, International Partnerships, and Being Filipino-American
How do you redefine a field that’s widely misunderstood, even among its own professionals? And how can associations become essential hubs for interdisciplinary…
Associations Thrive160. David Murillo, CEO of Compass Management Solutions and ED of WCA, on Private Equity, Rebranding an Association, and Creating Superior Experiences
How do you lead when your industry is undergoing rapid transformation? How does an association respond when traditional revenue streams like trade shows are no…
Associations Thrive159. Bart Watson, President & CEO of the Brewers Association, on the Mature Craft Beer Market, Consumer Education, and Supporting Small Brewers Amid Tariff Pressures
Craft beer transformed American tastes—so how does the industry stay relevant in a crowded, flavor-filled beverage market? How can associations support their…
Associations Thrive158. Joanna, Dave C, KiKi, Ben and Dave W, on Staying Energized and Reinventing Ourselves
In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda sat down with fellow association podcasters: Dave Coriale, President of Delcor Technology Solutions…
Associations Thrive157. Sharon Eubank, ED of the Latter-day Saints Charities, on Doing Small Things with Great Love, Local Action, and Global Impact
How can humanitarian organizations respond more effectively to both natural disasters and systemic inequities around the globe? What is the role of empathy…
Associations Thrive156. Josie Hernandez, ED of Casting Society, on the Oscars, Onboarding and Professionalizing an Association, and Imposter Syndrome
How do you lead a volunteer-run organization into its next phase of growth without losing its identity and heart? And how can associations support members who…
Associations Thrive155. Larry Paska, ED of ACTFL, on Advocacy, Standards, Assessments that Fund the Mission, and AI as a Classroom Ally
If instant translation is in everyone’s pocket, why learn another language? How do associations continue to provide value in the face of thriving social…
Associations Thrive154. Howie Berman, ED of National PTA, on Volunteerism, Advocacy, and Belonging in School Communities
How do we support children in school and beyond, especially during a time of cultural, political, and economic fragmentation? What role can associations play…
Associations Thrive153. Steve Pacheco, President and CEO of AAF, on Inspiring the Next Generation, Advocacy, and Staying Ahead of Industry Trends
How do associations support an industry as fast-changing and influential as advertising? How can associations nurture the next generation of professionals…
Associations Thrive152. Pete Sepp, President, National Taxpayers Union, on Taxpayer Rights, IRS Reform, and Building Cross-Partisan Alliances
What does it mean to advocate for taxpayer rights in an increasingly polarized political landscape? Can alliances between the left and right yield real reform…
Associations Thrive151. Matrix Group International, Inc. Staff on the Mood of the Association Community, Lessons Learned from Recent Projects, and CEO Transitions
What is the mood of association executives in 2025? How are Associations utilizing AI to power their organizations? In this special episode of Associations…
Associations Thrive150. Lindsay Currie, Executive Officer of CUR, on Strategic Planning, Board Coaching, and Broadening Participation
How can undergraduate research prepare students for civic engagement in a complex world? How should associations respond when the work of their members is…
Associations Thrive149. Kyung Yoon, President & CEO of KACF, on Disrupting Philanthropy, Funding Grassroots Solutions, and Building Economic Security
What does it mean to be a philanthropist in a community that historically hasn’t seen itself that way? What if associations not only advocated for their…
Associations Thrive148. Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic, on Online Communities, AI, and Associations as the Future of Knowledge Creation
How can associations remain relevant and valuable in an AI-driven world? How do associations create new knowledge while serving as the second source of truth…
Associations Thrive147. Alan DeYoung, CEO of WEMSA, on Free EMS Education, Advocacy, and In Person Membership Visits
What happens when the people we count on to save lives… stop volunteering? How can associations support vital, yet undervalued, professions in today’s economy?…
Associations Thrive146. Dr. Celia Zamora, ED of ACAPT, on Member Engagement, Global Expansion, and Building a New Vision
How do you honor the legacy of a founding executive and also bring innovation, structure, and new energy to an organization? How can associations build strong…
Associations Thrive145. Mike Moss, President of SCUP, on Integrated Planning, Member-Led Learning, and Strategic Transformation
How do we prevent strategic plans from sitting on a shelf and instead embed them into an organization's DNA? How can associations become true communities of…
Associations Thrive144. Alfonzo Alexander, President & CEO of The PhD Project, on Representation in Academia, Compliance Challenges, and Expanding Programming
What happens when your mission to support underrepresented communities in academia suddenly comes under political scrutiny? And how can your association stay…
Associations Thrive143. Joanna Pineda, Dave Coriale and KiKi L’Italien Talk About Grief, Trust, Community and Technology
How do associations stay resilient in times of personal and professional change? How can they remain a trusted space when trust is in short supply? In this…
Associations Thrive142. Tori Miller Liu, President & CEO of AIIM, on AI's Impact on Information Management, Rebuilding an Association, and the Future of Content Discovery
What does responsible AI look like when managing vast amounts of unstructured data? How can associations remain relevant as AI reshapes content discovery and…
Associations Thrive141. Edgar Palacios, Founder & CEO of LEC, on Latino Educator Representation, Community Building, and Advocacy
What happens to students when they don’t see themselves reflected in the teachers and administrators around them? How can associations foster belonging for…