Optimists Club
Optimists Club helps sustain our optimistic, solutions-focused storytelling, including:
Newsletters sharing stories of progress across New England
Podcast interviews with optimists from across the region
LIVE events highlighting local problem solvers
Social media content and collaborations with journalists, nonprofits, universities, and innovators
10% of club membership revenue is donated to support local journalism across New England, including groups like the Granite State News Collaborative.
Membership
$5 per month or $45 annually
Members receive:
Mailed print editions of Granite Goodness newsletters
Members can opt in to receive physical copies by mail, or opt out at any time.An exclusive monthly members-only newsletter
A paywalled edition featuring our personal favorite stories of progress and problem-solving from around the world. All other Granite Goodness content will always remain free.
Discounted tickets to Granite Goodness LIVE shows and merchandise
(We had our first live show on 11/20/25, next one is February 20! Merchandise coming in 2026)Recognition and features
Members may opt into being publicly recognized on the Granite Goodness website and Optimists Club newsletter. Members are randomly selected for features. Email us anytime to have your info removed.
Join us!
You can also gift a membership to someone else in your life who you think could use a little optimism.
THANK YOU ALL for being part of this community and for helping me believe that optimism isn’t naive. It’s pragmatic.
Hard, and worth it.
Granite and good.
-Andy
So who’s in this thing?
Corinne Benfield, Manchester, NH
“I joined Optimists Club because Granite Goodness highlights so many of the reasons why NH is a great place for young people to build thriving lives.”
Corinne is the Executive Director of StayWorkPlay New Hampshire. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast (twice!)
Tim Smith-Gerding, Concord, New Hampshire
“I joined because the world needs optimism more than ever. I believe that in my soul. And I always find Andy’s content timely and uplifting.”
Tim is the President & Founder at Blackbird Collective, one of our strategic partners.
Julianna Dodson, Keene, NH
“One of my favorite authors, Shaun Chamberlin, describes Dark Optimism, as ‘...unashamedly positive about the kind of future we could be creating, and unashamedly realistic about how far we are from doing so today.’ That’s why honest optimism is so essential. Without highlighting the web of good efforts already happening; without the sincere belief that we have what it takes to do the kind of deep reckoning and renewal we need for a truly viable future, what hope do we have? Beyond the philosophy, the practice of storytelling, gathering, and making connections that otherwise wouldn’t be made is a gift that Granite Goodness is giving us.”
Julianna is the Executive Director of the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship and lead organizer for Radically Rural. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Zeina Eyceoz, Nashua, NH
“I joined the Optimists Club to counteract the "bad news fatigue" and isolation that often paralyzes changemakers. I want to see where progress is happening in their own backyard, transforming abstract hope into concrete examples of neighbors solving problems.”
Zeina is the Executive Director of NH Businesses for Social Responsibility.
Rob Dapice, Bedford, NH
“I joined because Andy does an amazing job sharing the stories of all the good things happening in NH! Thank you!”
Rob is the Executive Director and CEO at the NH Housing Finance Authority.
Kim Chandler, Hancock, NH
“I joined because Andy brings positivity and goodness to New Hampshire!”
Kim is the Author of Covered Bridges of New Hampshire
Justin Munroe, Nashua, NH
Justin is the Executive Director of Grow Nashua.
Keith Sandbloom, Milford, NH
“I want everyone's glass to be half-full. The stories I hear coming from Granite Goodness share the same orientation.”
Keith is an inclusive banking advocate and cyclist.
Jason Plant, Sanbornton, NH
“I joined the Optimists Club to get global solutions journalism from my favorite creator, Andy DeMeo!”
Jason is CFO at Sensorium Technological Laboratories. He has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Andrea Burns, Sanbornton, NH
I joined because a good friend gifted it to me, and I am so glad he did. I thrive on learning about and spreading good news in these days in which the plethora of good news is overshadowed by the bad news.
Andrea is a realtor and volunteer.
Alyssa Badolato, Hudson, NH
“I joined the optimists club because I think that’s what the world needs more of right now. Unrequited positivity and a want to create more of it!”
Sarah Andrews, Manchester, NH
“I joined because we need more positive news and views and I want to be in the company of other positive voices in our great state and beyond.”
Sarah is Founder & Consultant at Andrews Coaching & Consulting.
Mandy Sliver, Peterborough, NH
“I joined the optimists club to support voices that lead with hope. In a world where negativity often feels louder and more powerful, the club affirms that optimism is not naïve or weak, but a deliberate choice our communities need more of.”
Mason Lord, Kent, CT
“I joined because I love stories and I have lots of stories while showing young children how to use tools with their hands. So many stories of joy and satisfaction.”
Mason is the Founder of TradesUp.org
Anna Paddock, Tamworth, NH
“I believe that the trajectory of the universe arcs towards justice. There's no denying that there are a lot of bad things in the world, and we should put energy into fixing those problems. However, we NEED to know what is going right in the world - what solutions humanity is creating - in order to have the desire and will to make the world a better place. Granite Goodness is my dose of hope, that reminds me that there are lots of people who care and are working hard to make this world a better place. Joining the Optimists Club is how I show my appreciation for these much needed stories of genuine progress.”
Dylan Wheeler, Boston, MA
“I yearn for a world where everyone bets on humanity. A world where everyone seeks to contribute to society, level themselves up, be helpful, and spread love.”
Ryan Randall, Dover, NH
“I joined because I like the print newsletter!”
Mary Mcmanus, Brookline, MA
“Having faced challenges since I was 5 years old with contracting paralytic polio and then enduring years of abuse at the hands of family members, I realized that the only way to get through challenges is with optimism; knowing that a better future is waiting for me and I just needed to figure out how to create it. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006, I joined my optimism with the power of gratitude to create a future very different than the one Western Medicine predicted for me. Optimism (and gratitude) are infectious and I want to help spread the power of optimism by joining with fellow optimists. I love that Granite Goodness highlights goodness in the New England area. I look forward to wonderful connections and helping to build the community of goodness and optimism that is needed now more than ever.”
Garth Gergerich, Norton, MA
“I believe in supporting the things I want to exist in the world, and taking every opportunity to nudge us toward kindness and progress”
Garth is a curious helper.
Vinicus Isola, Billerica, MA
“I joined the Optimists Club because we need people telling stories about the good in the world.”
Jake Gehrung, Peterborough, NH
“I joined the Optimists Club because Granite Goodness is a light in my life.”
Jake is a Fulbright Scholar and PhD student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
Matt Doubleday, Portsmouth, NH
“I joined the optimists club because there are many things worth paying attention to in our world today but we tend to have an exclusive focus and borderline obsession with the negative. The does makes the poison. This does not make us more informed and it can leave us feeling hopeless. We need to leave space for the positive stories and people that are making our community and world better every day so that we know the fight against these negative happenings is not only possible but worth pursuing.”
Laura Cleminson, Portsmouth, NH
“What makes me optimistic is that people keep showing up for my community. I haven’t done much advertising, and yet people find this work. They come back again and again, they share it with others, and they genuinely want to be part of it. That tells me something real—that people are searching for meaning, for connection, and for growth. The authenticity is what keeps it alive.”
Laura Cleminson is the founder of the Pre-Dead Social Club. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Tess Waresmith, Worcester, MA
Tess Waresmith is the founder of Wealth with Tess.
Carly Salvagno, Westford, MA
Jayson Seaman, Durham, NH
“I support any initiative that helps make NH a place where young people want and are able to stay and build lives for themselves.”
Jayson is a professor at the University of New Hampshire.
Ian Grant, Kittery, ME
“I’ve been an optimist for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, I believed things would work out—that if I stayed smart, persistent, and a little lucky, I could find a way through any challenge. It’s not something you can fake. It’s just how I see the world, and it’s what allows me to see opportunities where others see obstacles.”
Ian is a serial entrepreneur and the Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer of CoastX. He was the first ever guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Nikki Shults, Center Barnstead, NH
“Working in nonprofits, I certainly see and feel the bad news. But even more than that, everyday I work alongside the incredible people who resist the hateful narratives and do good for our neighbors. Those are the people and stories that we need to amplify - there is so much to be optimistic about if you look for it.”
Nikki Shults is the Executive Director of Building Community in New Hampshire.
Alexander Sterling, East Greenwich, RI
Alexander is the CEO at Turtle Island Community Capital.
Lisa Drake, Manchester, NH
Lisa chairs the Board of Directors at NH Businesses for Social Responsibility.
Dovev Levine, Portsmouth, NH
“What makes me optimistic is the people. The deeper I get into this work, the more I meet people who genuinely want to do the right thing. There’s an enormous amount of energy out there—people who care, who want to get involved, and who are looking for ways to contribute. When you bring those people together and make it easy for them to engage, that’s where real progress happens.”
Dovev is the Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Affairs & Assistant Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement at the University of New Hampshire. He has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Jesse Lore, North Hampton, NH
“My kids make me optimistic. They’re smarter than me, they have better ideas, and they genuinely care about the future. Also, every time I drive an electric car, it makes me optimistic, not just because they help the planet, but because they’re simply better. When people experience something better, they share it. That’s how progress happens.”
Jesse Lore is the founder and CEO of Green Wave Electric Vehicles. He has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Ryan Lambert, Portsmouth, NH
Ryan is the Co-founder of DNNR.io. He also co-hosts our Yankee Dynamism podcast.
Krystal Hicks, Dover, NH
“I’m optimistic because I can see the changes happening in real time. Even in a tough market, people are still pushing forward, still applying, still searching for something better. And employers are evolving too. No matter what the market looks like, progress keeps happening—and that’s what gives me confidence in the future.”
Krystal is the founder of Jobtalk LLC. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Krysta Gingue, Dover, NH
Krysta is the Assistant Director of Employer Relations at the University of New Hampshire.
Anna Yates, Portsmouth, NH
“Some of the challenges we face, like climate change, are terrifying—I’ve seen the changes firsthand in places I grew up. It makes it real. But alongside that, I see an incredible amount of potential. I see innovation, commitment, and people stepping up. That’s what makes me optimistic—not because the challenges aren’t serious, but because the response to them is already underway.”
Anna is the head of EHS & Sustainability at Albany International. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Zack Angelini, Newmarket, NH
“I joined the optimist club because I believe we need to put more attention and energy towards the positive things we want to see more of in the world!”
Zack serves as a Program Advisor for the UNH International Changemaker Grant. He has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Sue Kaplan, Andover, NH
“I’m optimistic because human beings want to help. Even in difficult or divisive times, when something truly matters, people show up. They step forward, they support each other, and they do kind and meaningful things. That instinct—to be helpers—is still very much alive, and that’s what gives me hope.”
Sue is the founder and Senior Consultant at Sustainable Futures Consulting. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Fiona Wilson, Durham, NH
“Optimism starts with believing you can make a difference, you might. If you believe you can’t, you definitely won’t. What gives people hope—and what helps combat despair—is a sense of agency. Being part of something, working alongside others, and believing there are real solutions. Because without that belief, nothing moves forward.”
Fiona is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of New Hampshire. She has also been a guest on the Granite Goodness podcast.
Megan Murray, Bedford, NH
“I joined because we could all use a little more optimism and positivity in our day. It naturally influences how you show up for others, handle challenges, and support the community around you.”
Adriana Torres, Milford, NH
“We can be focused on the problems, or focused on the solutions. Being an optimist doesn’t mean practicing toxic positivity; it means acknowledging the challenges, recognizing the complexity of the issues we face, and also having a positive outlook on the future driven by Hope and Intentional Action. It comes down to choice. I choose to believe in the universal humanity of people, and in the power of connectivity and collaborative efforts toward a common goal. Being an optimist carries an advantage: We attract other people who want to dream the impossible and make it happen. Be Well & Joyfully Optimistic! 😊”
Adriana is the creator of The Process Reinvention, LLC.
Jack Potvin, Portsmouth, NH
“There is nothing more important than our communities seeing an optimistic future is ahead - Andy & GG deliver in a big way.”
Amy DeMeo-Mcfarland, York, ME
“I joined the Optimists Club because I believe that what Andy is doing is so, so important for all of us to listen to, absorb and learn from - Andy has a joyful and brilliant spirit -GO ANDY!!!!”
Amy is Andy DeMeo’s mom and a retired public schoolteacher.
Rooster, Tamworth, NH
“Woof”
Rooster is one of Andy’s two dogs. He helps manage operations on the farm, and keeps his big-little brother Arnold in line.
Arnold, Tamworth, NH
*Sniff*
Arnie is Andy’s other dog. He causes trouble around the farm, and is supervised by his little-big brother, Rooster. His full name is Arnold Schwarzenegger Waters, but he goes by Arnie.