In Episode 179 of the Contagious Culture Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh, known as the Disengagement Doctor, an award-winning educator and curriculum strategist who challenges how we think about learning, leadership, and belonging.

This conversation goes deeper than engagement strategies and gets to the root of the issue: disengagement isn’t a motivation problem, it’s often a design problem. Dr. Singh shares how many systems unintentionally push people into autopilot and survival mode, where compliance is rewarded, silence is normalized, and identity is left out of the learning experience.

Together, we explore how curriculum shapes culture, why voice and belonging matter more than ever, and what it takes to design environments that honor humanity while driving real impact.

If you lead people in any capacity, this episode will challenge what you’ve accepted and invite you to build something better.

Charlotte runs on relationships, and few people understand that better than Maddie Myers, SVP and Director of Client and Community Relations at PNC.

In this energizing conversation, Maddie shares how she blends corporate strategy with authentic community impact across Charlotte and the Western Carolinas. From arts and culture to early childhood literacy, and from economic development to nonprofit leadership, she operates at the intersection of business growth and community good.

We explore the human side of corporate leadership and what meaningful sponsorship and partnership really look like. Maddie breaks down why early childhood and literacy are not just social priorities but economic ones, and how trust is built across corporate, civic, and nonprofit spaces. She also reflects on what it means to show up fully as a leader, a mom, and a neighbor.

Maddie’s journey from nonprofit fundraising to executive banking leadership proves that community work is business work, and that the strongest brands are built through service, presence, and purpose.

If you care about leadership, civic impact, or the future of Charlotte, this episode is for you.

What happens when clinical expertise meets creativity and calling?

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle sits down with Charlotte-based changemaker Leanna Calvin, Founder and Executive Director of Exposure Project.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with degrees from Tuskegee University and Fordham University, Leanna has worked with youth across the country. But her proudest achievement isn’t a title, it’s impact. After years in mental health and youth development, she noticed a pattern: young people lacked exposure to career possibilities and struggled to see the value in their own uniqueness.

So she built the solution.

Exposure Project is now transforming lives across Charlotte through hands-on career exploration and character development, serving 124 students, engaging 80 families, delivering 277 hours of programming, and introducing youth to 70 career fields.

This conversation explores purpose, leadership, resilience, and what it really takes to build something that changes lives.

If you care about culture, youth empowerment, and legacy-driven leadership, this one is for you.

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