When we first landed on this year’s theme for the annual convening, What Unites Us: Their Future. Our Work., I immediately thought that Eric Liu would be a perfect speaker for the occasion. For the last 15 years I’ve kept a copy of his book, The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker, on my…
In our field, we often talk about the importance civic infrastructure, the connection between people, institutions, and systems in a community. We also love to engage in discussions power. But have you ever stopped for a moment to really break down what those words mean or thought about how people outside the Cradle to Career…
Many organizations are hindered by the very funding mechanisms that make their work possible because they aren’t able to move upstream…but there is another way. Outcomes Financing is an innovative way for governments to invest in better results for their communities and only pay for what works. These projects start with a critical community need…
When we think about the audacious vision of a more equitable world and what it takes to get there, those of us in this sector can often lose sight of an important component of what it means to build something that lasts. Specifically, I’m talking about ourselves. Burnout is something that is all too common…
In recent years, attacks against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States of skyrocketed. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been over 10,300 documented incidents of hate. Today, we’re joined by Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, to learn more about how data…
This week, we’re speaking with Christian Rhodes, Chief of Staff for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Department of Education, to not only hear about his own personal journey, but to get a better understanding how the government can fulfill its role with nonprofits and intermediaries doing this work. We’ll also be…
Many of us in this field have used the phrase “holding equity at the center” but what does it mean? What does it look like in practice? Some of you might be imagining a solar system with planets in orbit around the sun. In this case, the sun itself has a gravitational pull that keeps…
We often talk about youth in future terms. You’ve probably heard or use terms like “the next generation” or “future leaders” but the reality is that if we really want to build to last, we need to have those who are inheriting the future involved right now. This isn’t just more equitable – it’s more…
Today, we’re going to speak with a couple that has traveled over 100,000 miles into the heart of America over discover what those stories would be. Jim and Deb Fallows are the writers and researchers behind the Our Towns book, documentary, and series for The Atlantic. We’ll also be joined by Bridget Jancarz, chief of…
We often hear about the divide between rural and metropolitan areas but today we’re going to explore what that really means, the challenges that we face, and why, to really reach systems transformation, we need to face them together. This episode features Tony Pipa, a Senior Fellow of Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings…
Have you ever noticed that behind every superhero is a good origin story? It’s the tale of they got their superpowers and how they made the decision to fight for the good of others. But whether you are talking about one extraordinary person or a team of uncanny strength, the real superpower is the movement…
In conversation Diamond Howard and her “sister friend” and mentor Simone Woods reflect on their friendship, their respective journeys and their reactions to recent demonstrations against racial injustice. Transcript Simone: So how did we first meet and what is your first memory of me? Diamond: We first met at…