Michelle Sobel & Harry Gottlieb: Strengthening Democracy Through Joyful Collaboration
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Michelle Sobel & Harry Gottlieb: Strengthening Democracy Through Joyful Collaboration
In this episode of The PlayFull Podcast, Kristine Michie talks with Michelle Sobel and Harry Gottlieb—co-founders of Unify America—about reducing polarization, rebuilding civic trust, and helping people collaborate across differences with curiosity and play. They explore how civic skills grow through structured dialogue, why diverse groups often generate stronger solutions than solitary experts, and how joy and imagination can shift communities away from adversarial habits. Through programs like the Unify Challenge and Civic Gym, Michelle and Harry share how campuses and communities can strengthen civic “muscles,” build intellectual humility, and reclaim a sense of agency in democracy.
Key Takeaways:
Bringing people with varied life experiences into the same conversation leads to richer ideas and more durable outcomes built on shared understanding.
A playful mindset softens conflict, increases openness, and supports meaningful connection even in areas of disagreement.
Curiosity, listening, consensus-building, and problem-solving develop through repeated, structured conversations that build confidence and agency.
Releasing adversarial mindsets reduces stereotypes, improves listening, and opens pathways for genuine cooperation.
Tools like participation lotteries and civic assemblies teach and reveal how communities can make equitable, well-informed decisions together.
Playful, pluralistic engagement models help communities shift from combative habits to collaborative imagination and shared purpose.
“[When you learn these skills] in a situation where you're talking to somebody you will probably never meet again … participants feel free to express themselves and learn how to listen to a new perspective, share their own perspective, and be able to disagree better and be able to find common ground." — Michelle Sobel
"If you are trying to solve problems, you don’t want people sitting around the table who’ve all got the same perspective." — Harry Gottlieb
"You really can’t overstate the importance of imagination, especially when you are trying to, as you were saying, imagine a better world." — Harry Gottlieb
Episode References:
Unify America – https://unifyamerica.org/
Unify Challenge – https://unifychallenge.com/
Civic Gym – https://unifyamerica.org/civic-gym
Jackbox Games – https://www.jackboxgames.com/
Montrose Civic Assembly – https://www.montrosecivicassembly.org/
More about Michelle Sobel:
Michelle Sobel is the President and co-founder of Unify America. She spent about 20 years improving patient experiences through digital health solutions as co-founder of Emmi Solutions and Analyte Health. Before that, she was part of the original Jellyvision creative team and helped launch the first You Don’t Know Jack games. She believes deeply in unifying Americans through dialogue, shared problem-solving, and building civic skills grounded in respect, curiosity, and imagination.
More about Harry Nathan Gottlieb:
Harry Nathan Gottlieb is the founder of Unify America. For the last 25 years, he has focused on making learning and decision-making delightful (as the founder of Jellyvision) and creating unique games that bring people together (as the founder of Jackbox Games). He launched Unify America to apply his game-design thinking to civic life, encouraging democratic decision-making rooted in empathy, consensus, and playful collaboration.
Connect with Michelle Sobel & Harry Gottlieb:
Website: https://www.unifyamerica.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unifyamericaofficial, https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-nathan-gottlieb-8091012/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesobel/,
Connect with Kristine:
Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/
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