Forbes 50 Over 50 Impact Leader & After The Fire USA Founder, Jennifer Gray Thompson, Hosts with Compassion, Clarity, Humor & Heart
SONOMA, CA, UNITED STATES, May 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — With wildfires increasing more than 250% and doubling in intensity over the last decade, After the Fire USA (ATFUSA) – the standard bearer for post-fire community rebuilding – is relaunching its newly revamped, flagship podcast, How to Disaster, on May 1, 2026. Hosted by ATFUSA Founder and CEO and Forbes 50 Over 50 Impact Leader, Jennifer Gray Thompson, the podcast is designed to meet the growing demand for clear, survivor-centered recovery guidance at scale.
The nonprofit ATFUSA was born out of the NorthBay Fires of 2017 to help communities navigate long-term disaster recovery. Eight years later, from Maui to Malibu, newly inducted members of what ATFUSA calls “The Worst Club with the Best People,” are asking the same questions: How do we recover? And who can help guide the process when systems are confusing, fragmented, or unfamiliar?
Survivor-Led Recovery, Made Understandable
The weekly series addresses a critical gap in public understanding by offering clear, experience-based guidance for survivors, community leaders, and decision-makers navigating disaster recovery in real time — while making room for humanity, resilience, and the hard-earned humor that often emerges when people are doing their best to figure things out after a disaster.
Grounded in ATFUSA’s nationally recognized survivor-led recovery model, How to Disaster focuses on what people are living through after disaster and helps translate the systems, decisions, and long-term processes that shape recovery — without losing sight of progress, connection, and the hope that comes from walking the path alongside others who have been there.
The first episodes of How to Disaster feature such subject matter experts as:
•. John Mills – Founder, Watch Duty App
• Jen Goodlin – Executive Director, Rebuild Paradise Foundation
• Ralph Bloemers – Natural Resources Expert and Filmmaker
• Joel Pollack – Journalist and Palisades Fire Survivor
• Ash Level – Co-Founder, Altadena Rising
• Nicole Huguenin – Co-Founder and Director, Maui Rapid Response
• Renae Hanvin – CEO and Founder, Resilient Ready
• Dr. Daniel Aldrich — Dean’s Professor of Resilience and Director, MS Resilience
Studies Program at Northeastern University
• IO Wright – Co-Founder, Post Fire
“Wildfire recovery is my life’s work,” said Gray Thompson. “The mission of our humanity-centric approach is to alleviate suffering by providing ongoing, real-time resources for victims and officials who are often facing these impossible questions for the very first time.”
Evan Spiegel, Co-Founder and CEO of Snap Inc, Palisades Fire victim and founder of the L.A.-based, post-fire nonprofit Department of Angels, says. “We were really fortunate. We engaged an organization called After the Fire that specializes in disaster recovery. We brought their expertise together with all the Angelenos community members who were impacted from all across L.A.”
Crafted with a fire survivors’ unique insights that understand recovery isn’t linear or tidy, the episodes prioritize clarity and pacing, helping listeners understand where they are in the process, what matters most, and what comes next.
While ATFUSA’s social media platforms will focus on immediate developments and recovery program updates, the weekly podcast episodes will feature:
– Kim on the Street Segments – On-the-ground reporting from disaster-affected communities, by veteran podcaster & correspondent Kim Marshall, reflecting the lived and emotional realities of recovery and resilience.
– Systems Level Analysis: Clear-eyed discussions of the recovery issues people are grappling with most, from FEMA policy shifts to tax relief.
– Hope Dealers – A steady look at hard-earned wins, recovery milestones, and the moments that remind communities they are making progress, even when the process still feels messy and imperfect.
About the Executive Team:
– Host & Executive Producer: Jennifer Gray Thompson, Founder and CEO of After the Fire USA and a nationally recognized disaster recovery leader, brings decades of experience translating federal policy and long-term recovery planning with her to the role.
– Executive Producer & Correspondent: Kim Marshall, veteran podcaster and Palisades Fire evacuee, Founder of S’Well The Agency and Creator/Host of the podcast, #L.A. Rising – Stories of Healing, Help & Hope.
– Director: Hayden Lyon, Founder & Managing Director, NOVA Podcasting.
– Associate Producer: Natalie Minuzzo
Kim Marshall
S’Well The Agency
+1 310-487-3554
kim@swelltheagency.com
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How to Disaster podcast 3-Minute Reel
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