Episode 108: Connor Schoen

At nineteen years old, Connor Schoen co-founded Breaktime with a simple but ambitious vision: to help end young adult homelessness. Over the years, that vision has grown into one of Boston's most influential nonprofits, earning Connor national recognition as one of the country's emerging civic leaders.

But this conversation isn't about accolades or organizational growth.

It's about what happens when the identity you've built through your work begins to intersect with the person you're becoming. Connor reflects on the pressures of leadership, the temptation to perform confidence before you've fully found your voice, and the freedom that comes from embracing every part of who you are. As he speaks candidly about ambition, authenticity, purpose, and the ongoing work of becoming, it becomes clear that Breaktime is only one chapter in a much larger story.

This episode is an invitation to consider a question we all eventually face: What happens when the life you've built no longer defines the person you're becoming?

Connor reminds us that leadership isn't simply about influence or achievement. At its best, it is the quiet work of living with integrity—allowing our public lives and private selves to move toward one another rather than apart. His journey is a powerful reflection on what it means to lead with honesty, remain open to change, and embrace the freedom to keep evolving.