The Pissed-Off Optimist with George Aye

What happens when you combine righteous anger with unwavering hope? You get George Aye—and the “Angry Hour.”

In this lively episode, Lou Rosenfeld chats with George Aye, co-founder of Greater Good Studio, about his mission to create spaces for “pissed off optimists”—people who see the world’s injustices and refuse to give up on making things better. George shares the philosophy behind Angry Hour, a growing series of meetups uniting professionals from diverse fields around shared frustration and hope. He explains how these gatherings channel collective energy into meaningful connections, local nonprofit support, and even bigger plans like the upcoming Livid Conference—a national gathering for changemakers who are angry enough to care and optimistic enough to act.

If you’re searching for solidarity in uncertain times—or simply wondering how to turn anger into action—this conversation offers insight, inspiration, and a glimpse into a movement fueled by equal parts rage and resolve.

 

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

• What it means to be a “pissed off optimist”
• How the Angry Hour meetups create safe, energizing spaces for people feeling both outrage and hope
• The kinds of people and professions drawn to this emerging community—and why it transcends industry lines
• The unique structure of Angry Hour events, including icebreakers and support for local nonprofits
• George’s vision for the upcoming Livid Conference: a national gathering for change-driven optimists
• Practical ways to connect, volunteer, or get involved in this growing movement
• Book recommendation: Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond—and why its message resonates with George’s mission

 

Quick Reference Guide:

0:13 - Meet George. He explains why Chicago is the perfect spot for his agency, which only does work for nonprofits

2:46 - The origins of “pissed off optimist”

6:02 - Angry Hours and the universality of pissed off optimists

14:17 - The sustaining factors of the Pissed-Off Optimist movement

18:05 - Five reasons to use the Rosenverse

21:06 - What to expect from an Angry Hours

23:58 - The nonprofit organizations Angry Hours partners with and where George sees things going in the future 

30:15 - How to connect and contribute

31:57 - George’s gift for listeners

Resources and Links from Today's Episode:

Greater Good Studio in Chicago https://greatergoodstudio.com/ Sign up for their newsletter!

Connect with George on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeaye/

George and Greater Good Studios on Medium https://medium.com/greater-good-studio 

Poverty by America  by Matthew Desmond https://www.amazon.com/Poverty-America-Matthew-Desmond/dp/0593239911 

 

Quotes:

“ When we say the ‘pissed off optimist,’ we always are trying to see how we can balance the  hope and sense of healing or repair or just general faith in humanity that we can still do something about this.”

“ I think we need to recognize how broken things are and not lose faith.”

“ Yes, things are nuts right now, but we need each other if we're gonna get through it.”

“Being able to make sure that we continue to have places for hope and reality together, to me, is something I believe we can sustain.”