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a multi-award winning podcast exploring the surprising, practical relevance of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions on our life with money

Money, Meet Meaning

Our religious and wisdom traditions actually have a lot to teach us – and have for millennia – about one of the great sources of stress and struggle in our contemporary lives.

Money, Meet Meaning inhabits the seldom-visited intersection of “Personal Finance” and “Religion & Spirituality.” Each episode will unearth practical insights and shine light on the varied ways our wisdom traditions pave a path – whether you’re religious, spiritual, or none of the above – for navigating our complex financial lives.

Season One of Money, Meet Meaning was honored with national recognition, earning the Award of Excellence from the Wilbur Awards and being named Best Religion Podcast by the Religion News Association.

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Latest Episodes

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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

Building What You Believe

Amber and Tom explore faith-based entrepreneurship through three distinct voices, each integrating spiritual conviction into their real-world work. Hear from Tim Busch, Jenna Nicholas, and Eboo Patel.
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

What We Pass Down

In this episode, hosts Amber Hacker and Tom Levinson sit down with Kim Duchossois and Jessica Swoyer Green, a mother-duo from one of Chicago’s most community-minded philanthropic families, to explore what gets passed down through generations besides wealth.
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

Ethical Spending Without Losing Your Mind

After talking with Harvard Business School’s Nien-Hê Hsieh about moral gray zones in leadership, Tom and Amber zoom in on the everyday gray zones most of us face: What do you do when ethical clothing costs twice as much?
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

A Spiritually Mature Economy

Ever tried to buy some chocolate and ended up in a spiral of label-scanning and ethical cross-checking? Tom and Amber open this episode with the dizzying reality of ethical consumerism – and then zoom out.
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

Trusting the Universe…or Your Retirement Account?

After their conversation with Buddhist teacher Cara Lai, Amber and Tom return to one of the deep tensions at the crossroads of spiritual life and financial planning: Do we save and prepare for the future, or trust that resources will appear when we’re living into our purpose?
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Trust the Flow: Money, Fear and the Practice of Generosity

What if your money habits say more about your heart than your bank account? In this episode Tom Levinson and Amber Hacker talk with Cara Lai, a Buddhist mindfulness teacher, about the spiritual side of money.
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

Mission, Money, and Machine

After talking with AI investor Colin Evans, Amber and Tom return to the mic to wrestle with the thorny questions Colin’s episode raised. Can purpose win out over profit – or does money have the final say? If AI frees us from toil, is that liberation – or the loss of something essential?
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

Can AI Make Us More Human?

In this episode, hosts Tom Levinson and Amber Hacker talk with Colin Evans, a tech innovator and AI investor whose journey spans Buddhist monasteries, Catholic churches, and Silicon Valley boardrooms.
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  • Money, Meeting Meaning

When Money Walks In, Does God Walk Out?

After their conversation with Dr. Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Amber and Tom return to a provocative line attributed to Quincy Jones: “When money walks in the room, God walks out.” Is that true – or does money simply expose what already has our attention?
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  • Money, Meet Meaning

Money, Creativity, and a Ministry of Music

From the South Side of Chicago to global stages, Dr. Che “Rhymefest” Smith has lived at the crossroads of art, money, and spiritual searching. Amber and Tom sit down with the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning songwriter, educator, and public servant to explore what happens when inspiration intersects with industry and calling becomes responsibility.

Hosts

Amber Hacker

The Chief of External Affairs & CFO at Interfaith America, Amber’s passion for finance has earned her the nickname “Budget Hacker”. She has been featured in Women’s Day magazine for her personal finance work, and has written about religion and the workplace for Harvard Business Review. Amber holds an MBA and is a Christian: her commitment to interfaith cooperation and conversation is inspired by Jesus’ call to love your neighbor. 

Tom Levinson

In his work as co-Managing Member of Park Piedmont Advisors and co-founder of LK Advisors, Tom helps guide families toward thoughtful, values-driven uses of their financial resources. Tom is also a Harvard Divinity School graduate and a frequent writer on religion, spirituality, and American society. His commitment to interfaith cooperation and conversation is inspired by the deep ethical wellsprings of his Jewish tradition.

Awards

Best Religion Podcast by the Religion News Association

The Award of Excellence by the Religion Communicators Council

Feature Articles​

Money, Meet Meaning

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Conversation and practical insights on the varied ways our religious traditions pave a path – whether you’re religious, spiritual, or none of the above – for navigating our complex, everyday financial lives. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Contact Us

We’d love to hear from you. Send us your questions, feedback, and stories.

Hannah Snoeyink

Executive Assistant

Interfaith America

[email protected]

Credits

Hosted by: Amber Hacker and Tom Levinson
Executive Producers: Interfaith America, Park Piedmont Advisors, LK Advisors
Partner Organizations: Religion News Service, Princeton Faith & Works Initiative
Produced by: Windhaven Productions and Bluejay Atlantic

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Get inspired, equipped, and connected to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity.

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