Running to the Noise, Episode 28

People closest to the world’s biggest problems often have the best solutions. They just don’t always have access to the dollars needed to bring them to life. That belief is at the center of Cecilia Conrad’s work to rethink how philanthropists find and fund big ideas.

In this episode of Running to the Noise, Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar speaks with Conrad, founding CEO of Lever for Change, the nonprofit that has helped direct more than $2.5 billion toward high-impact organizations around the world.

Before entering philanthropy, Conrad spent years in academia as an economist and professor focused on equity, access, and opportunity. A Stanford-trained economist and former managing director at the MacArthur Foundation, she now helps donors identify and support innovative organizations whose ideas might otherwise go overlooked.

Ambar and Conrad discuss how traditional philanthropy often relies on invitation-only networks that can miss promising ideas and organizations. The conversation centers on how efforts like Lever for Change and MacArthur’s 100&Change are opening those doors wider, helping philanthropists discover solutions they might never have otherwise encountered.

The episode also explores Oberlin’s tradition of bold, unconventional thinking, including its distinction as the nation’s leading liberal arts college producer of MacArthur “genius grant” fellows. From there, the discussion turns to the evolving role of philanthropy, the responsibilities that come with concentrated wealth, and how major donors decide which ideas and organizations to support.

Finally, the conversation closes with Cecilia’s thoughtful advice for Oberlin graduates and anyone stepping into the workforce who is interested in nonprofit work, philanthropy, and finding a meaningful way to leave their mark on their career and community.

What We Cover in this Episode

• Cecilia Conrad’s path from academia to philanthropy
• How Lever for Change has helped move more than $2.5 billion to organizations around the world
• Why traditional philanthropy can overlook innovative organizations and ideas
• The origins of MacArthur’s 100&Change competition and open-call philanthropy
• How billionaires and major donors think about risk, trust, and impact
• What Conrad learned from leading the MacArthur Fellows Program
• Why creativity and innovation often emerge from interdisciplinary thinking
• The importance of mentorship, friendship, and “diffusers” in sustaining leadership
• Oberlin’s culture of creativity, innovation, and public purpose
• What it means to “run to the noise” in philanthropy and leadership