American Kidney Fund's Podcast, 'The Kidney Collective,' Debuts New Season on Rare Kidney Disease

ROCKVILLE, Md. (March 31, 2026) —  The American Kidney Fund (AKF) is pleased to announce the launch of a new season of its podcast, "The Kidney Collective™," which will focus on rare kidney diseases and the shared experiences that connect the larger kidney community. 

This will be the first of several seasons that will be published throughout 2026. The first episode of the new season, "Rare Voices, Relatable Stories," is available now as an audio or video podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and AKF's YouTube channel. New episodes will be published every other week. 

The Kidney Collective is AKF's podcast that gives an intimate voice to the many facets of living with kidney disease. Guests of the podcast represent every aspect of the kidney journey, including people living with kidney disease, living kidney donors, patient advocates, health care professionals and other leaders in the field. 

This year, AKF President and CEO LaVarne A. Burton joins the podcast as host — joining co-hosts Tamara Ruggiero, AKF chief communications and marketing officer, and Michael Spigler, AKF chief programs officer.

"I am thrilled to join The Kidney Collective this year and am looking forward to these one-on-one conversations with members of our kidney community," said Burton. "It is an honor to help share these heartfelt stories, and we hope these conversations will provide insights and inspiration to listeners and reassure them that even in the toughest moments, there's hope ahead."

The "Rare Voices, Relatable Stories" season will kick off with a conversation with Donna Cryer, a social impact entrepreneur and pioneer in patient engagement who thrives with chronic kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease and a liver transplant. The season will include a series of episodes that provide a personal and deep dive into various types of rare and/or genetic kidney diseases:

• IgA nephropathy
• polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
• APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD)
• Alport syndrome
• focal segmental glomerulitis (FSGS)
• CAKUT, which includes rare genetic conditions
• lupus nephritis 

The episodes will highlight the unique experience of living with each type of rare or genetic kidney disease and the commonalities in the patient experience across disease states. 

Future seasons of the 2026 podcast will focus on mental health and innovation in kidney disease care. Through these casual, informative and personal conversations, The Kidney Collective provides a space in which listeners can learn from and relate to others going through the experience of living with kidney disease or kidney failure. 

The podcast first launched in August 2025 with a seven-episode, limited series about what guests wish they knew about a variety of aspects of living with kidney disease.

To find out more about The Kidney Collective, visit KidneyFund.org/podcast.