Unscripted Stories, Honest Lessons, and Free Food!
Chats with Changemakers is a drop-in conversation series hosted by GreenHouse in UTD 164 and streaming on Microsoft Teams, built for students curious about what social impact looks like when the polish is stripped away. On select Monday afternoons from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, we throw out the podiums and arrange chairs in a semi-circle for casual, candid chats. Guest speakers draw from randomized prompt decks to share their weirdest detours, early stumbles, and accidental breakthroughs. The goal is straightforward: to peel back the curtain on social innovation careers and offer an encouraging space where you can ask real questions without feeling on the spot.
Because deep conversations are significantly better when accompanied by actual sustenance, every session finishes with a free catered dinner during our informal social hour. Once the open Q&A wraps, you can grab a hot plate, speak directly with our guest, and start meeting fellow students who want to build a better world. Our catering spread always covers vegetarian, vegan, halal, and gluten-free options so nobody leaves hungry. Whether you have a nascent idea for a community initiative or you simply want to listen in while enjoying free food, you are welcome to pull up a chair.
Our Fall 2026 Lineup
We are proud to present the full schedule of guest speakers joining us for the Fall 2026 term. Every session offers a candid look into real social impact work through unscripted stories and an open Q&A. Anyone can participate online via Microsoft Teams or join the conversation in person at GreenHouse on Monday evenings. Guests in the room are welcome to stay after the main event for a free catered community dinner. Take a look below to explore the people dropping in this term.
Maddi Leblanc
Session 1: Turning Pivots into Purpose
- Date: September 21, 2026
- Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST
- Location: GreenHouse (UTD 164) and MS Team
- Format: In-Person Guest
- Guest Speaker: Maddi Leblanc
- Teams Link: Coming Soon!
Guest Profile
Maddi Leblanc never followed a linear blueprint. After studying environmental disciplines, her path detoured through competitive paddle-boarding and sports journalism before she stepped into her current role as a structural firefighter. Rather than viewing these distinct chapters as separate detours, Maddi sees them as a continuous commitment to community service and active engagement. Her journey shows how core personal values can remain steady even when job titles change dramatically.
Session Overview
Life after graduation rarely follows a neat checklist. In this opening session, Maddi offers an unvarnished account of what happens when post-university plans shift off course. Attendees will gain practical wisdom on letting go of rigid career expectations, leaning into unexpected opportunities, and using an underlying drive to support community needs as a reliable compass through major career pivots.
Penn Bolourchi
Session 2: Jumping In Before You Feel Ready
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Date: October 5, 2026
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Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST
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Location: GreenHouse (UTD 164) and MS Teams
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Format: Virtual Guest
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Guest Speaker: Penn Bolourchi
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Teams Link: Coming Soon!
Guest Profile
Penn Bolourchi chose not to wait for permission or a senior title before tackling one of the most stubborn systemic challenges facing younger generations today: housing affordability. As the founder of goodDEED, Penn stepped into the housing sector to build models that reimagine equity and homeownership for everyday people. Penn brings first-hand experience from the front lines of early-stage social enterprise, where campus ambition meets the practical realities of launching a startup.
Session Overview
Tackling massive systemic problems can feel overwhelming for student innovators. This session strips away polished post-mortems to examine the messy early days of enterprise creation. Penn shares real stories about launching a venture before feeling entirely prepared, challenging entrenched market conventions, and navigating the trial-and-error process of securing seed capital.
Ashoke Mohanraj
Session 3: Balancing Professional Systems & Creative Passions
- Date: October 19, 2026
- Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST
- Location: GreenHouse (UTD 164) and MS Teams
- Format: Virtual Guest
- Guest Speaker: Ashoke Mohanraj
- Teams Link: Coming Soon!
Guest Profile
Ashoke Mohanraj moves comfortably between courtroom briefs and creative storytelling. Working as a maritime/admiralty lawyer by day, Ashoke is simultaneously an author and aspiring television producer by night: building a career that defies standard categorization. His path demonstrates how legal expertise and creative expression can inform one another, allowing individuals to maintain distinct professional identities without sacrificing artistic energy.
Session Overview
Maintaining creative projects alongside demanding professional obligations presents unique personal challenges. Ashoke breaks down how to balance structured careers with independent creative work, revealing why sound legal grounding serves as protective armor for grassroots ventures: safeguarding community impact while providing creators the stability to pursue bold work.
Cherie Wai
Session 4: Long Haul Systems Change & Backcountry Enterprise
- Date: November 2, 2026
- Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST
- Location: GreenHouse (UTD 164) and MS Teams
- Format: Virtual Guest
- Guest Speaker: Cherie Wai
- Teams Link: Coming Soon!
Guest Profile
Cherie Wai is a GreenHouse alumna whose career spans policy advocacy, global development, and outdoor leadership. She spent ten years championing ethical supply chain legislation, demonstrating how persistent relationship-building and treating policymakers as relatable individuals can break through bureaucratic gridlock. Currently leading Market-Creating Innovation initiatives at World Vision, Cherie focuses on data-informed youth advocacy. Outside corporate walls, she is launching a backcountry wilderness venture that guides beginners through Algonquin Provincial Park to foster environmental appreciation.
Session Overview
Long-term systemic change demands patience, adaptability, and political savviness. Cherie shares candid stories from her ten-year legislative journey, shedding light on how to humanize policy conversations and maintain momentum across extended timelines. She also provides actionable insights on using data to amplify youth voices and transitioning personal outdoor passions into community-focused ventures.
Elizabeth (Liz) Pfisterer
Session 5: Public Health Approaches to Local Cycles of Violence
- Date: November 16, 2026
- Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST
- Location: GreenHouse (UTD 164) and MS Teams
- Format: Virtual Guest
- Guest Speaker: Elizabeth (Liz) Pfisterer
- Teams Link: Coming Soon!
Guest Profile
Elizabeth (Liz) Pfisterer is a GreenHouse alumna dedicated to community healing and systemic wellbeing. While maintaining a part-time therapeutic practice supporting Two-Spirit First Nations community members, Liz centers her primary professional work on violence intervention as Director of The HUB Youth Services. She applies public health methodologies to interrupt local cycles of violence, working directly within communities to foster stability and resilience.
Session Overview
Addressing deep-seated social trauma calls for approaches grounded in empathy, evidence, and local context. Liz discusses how public health frameworks can effectively interrupt patterns of violence at the grassroots level. Attendees will explore the practicalities of community-based intervention, gaining an understanding of how mental health support, cultural awareness, and local action intersect to generate lasting social healing