John Papola

John Papola is, first and foremost, a husband, father, Italian Catholic, and patriotic voluntarist. He’s also a serial media entrepreneur committed to using storytelling for the advancement of civilization and human flourishing. As the founder and CEO of Austin-based Emergent Order Foundation, John is best known for his Keynes vs. Hayek economics rap videos, which have reached tens of millions of students and educators globally. He also hosts Dad Saves America, a digital series dedicated to exploring the biggest issues facing our next generation through the lens of heroic fatherhood. Over the past decade, John’s media ventures have produced hundreds of hours of content for over 100 million viewers. His documentaries include “At The Fork,” which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was distributed on Amazon Prime, “The Pursuit,” featuring Arthur Brooks on Netflix, and “To My Father,” starring Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023. John began his career in New York City at major networks including MTV, Nickelodeon and Spike TV where, as one of the network’s creative directors, he launched numerous new shows with award-winning creative campaigns, including the True Dads and True Dads in Uniform initiatives.