Inside the $25M TANF Pilot: A Conversation on Poverty Alleviation That Matters

What if we stopped managing poverty—and started ending it?

In this game-changing episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty, Scott C. Miller—founder and national anti-poverty leader—sits down with Mark Farley, Executive Director of UCDD and Empower UC, to reveal what’s actually working inside Tennessee’s bold $25 million TANF Pilot.

Together, they take you behind the scenes of a statewide effort tackling the toughest barriers to economic mobility—from dismantling the Benefits Cliff to reclaiming Tennessee’s “phantom workforce.” No fluff. No theory. Just real strategies driving generational change.

Whether you're a policymaker, civic leader, funder, or frontline advocate, this episode offers rare insight into how systems can shift—and what it takes to build the future we need.