Our 2025 Inspiration Guide

From thought-provoking nonfiction to articles and reports that sparked tough conversations, our team took in a wide range of ideas this year.

These are the books, films, and resources that inspired us in 2025—some deeply tied to our work, others simply meaningful to who we are as humans.

Here’s a curated look at what shaped us in 2025:

Mike’s Picks:

• Book: The Case for a Debt Jubilee

• Article: A Biocratic Paradigm: Exploring the Complexity of Trauma-Informed Leadership and Creating Presence™

• Report: The Grief Tax

• Brief: Universal Basic Assets Map

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Austin’s Picks:

• Poetry: Dear God, Dear Bone, Dear Yellow

• Poetry: A Portable Paradise

• Poetry: Citizen: An American Lyric

• Book: Caring Democracy

• Book: There is Always this Year: On Basketball and Ascension

• Book: Let's Become Fungal! Mycelium Teachings and the Arts

• Article: Tragedy of the Commons by Elinor Ostrom

• Article: Insiders and Outsiders Assess (Who Is “The Community”: Participant Observation, Key Informant Interview, Focus Group Interview, and Community Forum)

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Alicia’s Picks:

• Book: Loving Corrections

• Report: Building a Learning Society

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Rian’s Picks:

• Book: The Eye: How the World's Most Influential Creative Directors Develop Their Vision

• Book: The Wild Edge of Sorrow

• Book: The Creative Act: A Way of Being

• Movie: Killers of the Flower Moon

• Movie: The Croods

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Kyron’s Picks:

• Book: The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection

• Book: The Last Days of Cabrini-Green

• Book: Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal

• Book: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents 

• Book: Complete Family Wealth 

• Book: Outwitting The Devil: The Secret to Freedom & Success