Dwayne R. Norris is the Co-founder & COO of Soulful Synergy, a New York-based, minority-owned workforce development and consulting agency focused on creating economic opportunity, social equity, and environmental sustainability. They specialize in training for clean energy and construction jobs, providing workforce planning, and supporting MWBEs (a certification for businesses that are at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by women or individuals from designated minority groups) to bridge the gap between underserved communities and high-quality careers. Founded in 2019, Soulful Synergy began with a small group of passionate individuals who recognized that lasting change requires more than isolated efforts — it demands collaboration, innovation, and a deep commitment to the people they serve. On this episode of Good Standing, Mr. Norris discusses how his own journey-one where college wasn't exactly for him-now parallels a growing trend towards blue collar work and utility-based apprenticeship and certification, as secondary education swells in cost and AI continues to eliminate jobs, especially for recent grads and entry-level applicants. Dwayne also expands on how sales, management, education, technology, and consulting jobs exist (perhaps in blind spots) within or adjacent to well-known roles in the blue collar paradigm. Soulful Synergy seems to be ahead of the curve, positioned as it is, along with a growing list of partner organizations, to respond to a rapidly shifting political, cultural, and economic landscape, while doing it with pride, joy, and a whole lot of soul.

In 2003, Scott Neeson resigned from his role as President of 20th Century Fox International where he oversaw the worldwide release of blockbusters like Titanic, the Star Wars prequels, the original live-action X-men films, Braveheart and more, in order to help change the lives of impoverished children and their families working for less than a dollar a day on an unforgiving landfill in Steung Meanchey, one of the poorest areas in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Since 2004, Scott has stewarded the Cambodia Children's Fund, a 501(c)(3) U.S. registered charity he personally founded and funded, now boasting fundraising offices in the UK, Hong Kong and Australia. For over two decades, Scott has helped to improve conditions on the ground, assisting with education, affordable housing, work-force training, health and wellness (addiction, disease and more), child-protection, and so much more. Since its founding, CCF and Neeson himself have received numerous awards and accolades, while bringing Scott into contact with global policy makers and renowned spiritual leaders, such as the Dali Llama, each and all moved by Scott's hands-on, in-situ immersion, dedication, and seemingly relentless care and compassion. On this episode of the Good Standing podcast, Scott discusses why he left an extremely lucrative executive position at a major movie studio, including all the material rewards such a position would provide, to move across the world to funnel all of his time and resources into one of the most hyper-problematic areas on our shared planet. Scott joined us from his office in Cambodia to lay out his inspiring story of ongoing impact and what legacy really means to him.

Ashley Zelinskie is an artist into "space stuff." Behind an accessible, childlike joy for astronomy and the infinite wonders of planetary science and all things astro, is a deep desire to engage with hard science through the playful prism of artistic exploration and humble proximity intervention. Her works span a variety of media, from sculpture, canvas and print works, to digital art, VR, and holograms. Each artwork is created using cutting edge technology such as 3D printing, computer-guided laser cutting, satellite plating technology, and gaming engines. Her work focuses on visualizing data in abstract forms and finding new and interesting ways to describe complex ideas. On this episode, we discuss how her art, regardless of medium, not only responds to scientific efforts, but often inspires them.

Ashley’s work has been featured by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vice, Popular Science, Space.com, and more. Her work forms part of the permanent collection of the US Department of State Art in Embassies Program, The Whitney Museum’s artport collection, and has been exhibited at Sotheby’s New York, ArtScience Museum in Singapore and most recently Art Center Nabi in Seoul. Zelinskie is a former resident of New Inc.—the New Museum’s Art and Technology Incubator—and the Shapeways x Museum of Art and design “Out of Hand” exhibition residency. A graduate of RISD, she has worked alongside NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Smithsonian and she is a member of Onassis ONX XR studio in New York City. She has a solo exhibition in November 2026 with Heft Gallery in NYC that is set to interrogate the tricky dichotomy between public and private spacefaring agencies, informed by her unique, up-close, hands-on experience.