I was recently reminded of a poem by Wendell Berry that resonated strongly because it describes the very nature of our work. Berry is one of my literary heroes, we’re both Kentucky natives and University of Kentucky graduates. As an English major, I read much of his poetry and fiction. And I find myself returning…
Improving economic and social mobility in our communities is complex work and cannot happen in a vacuum. As the philanthropic sector continues to grapple with the best way to address these layered challenges, the default is often a siloed approach that provides restricted programmatic support to generate outputs rather than a broader collaborative approach to…
Emmy-winning journalist and self-proclaimed Democracy junkie Maria Hinojosa’s words stung like a paper cut, conjuring up my memories of growing up Black and invisible in a semi-rural white community. As she kicked off the fourth day of the 2021 Annual Convening, I found myself relating to the powerlessness she described of young Latinx children who…
Going further together Listening to Heather McGhee break down “zero-sum” thinking and its crippling impact on our nation at the 2021 Annual Convening underscored for me the importance of the Cradle to Career Network. “We’re all on the same team.” If we are going to change the “zero-sum” thinking that has been holding back all…
Home is sacred. Home is safe. Yet as we heard from Matthew Desmond, author of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” and Terri Ludwig, president of Ballmer Group Philanthropy at Tuesday’s keynote plenary at the Roots to Rise 2021 Cradle to Career Network Convening, home is, far too often, out of reach…
A shared vision for what’s possible for every child, cradle to career, is at the heart of our work. The systemic obstacles we’re facing are too large for any one entity to tackle on its own — it takes a collective approach to address the underlying challenges youth and families are facing. To be…
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to be a part of an amazing all-female panel discussing the role of neighborhood organizations and the networks that support them in improving outcomes for youth and families. Moderated by the brilliant Angela Glover Blackwell, I joined Dreama Gentry and Sondra Samuels to share what we have learned…
Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack” begins to play as the StriveTogether Leadership Program seminar concludes. Several participants chuckle as they pack their materials to head home, having discovered that the music over the previous two days was themed given the activity or time of day. For decades, researchers have studied how music affects people’s productivity,…
This is an excerpt of a piece published in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Read the full piece here. The COVID-19 crisis demands leadership at its best and women are answering the call in Cincinnati and Ohio. Women everywhere have the opportunity to step up and lead in their neighborhoods and communities. No act of empathy, kindness…
“If everybody can be successful, imagine what our community is going to be,” says Danae Davis, executive director of Milwaukee Succeeds. Danae was interviewed for StoryCorps by Parvathi Santhosh-Kumar, StriveTogether’s vice president of equitable results. Listen to their conversation to learn why Danae thinks her community is poised for real change. Listen to the interview
When I moved into my new house a few months ago, I received a beautiful plant as a housewarming gift. I wanted this plant to thrive. But I didn’t pay enough attention to its proper care — what type of soil did it need, what type of pot accommodated its roots or how frequently should…
