Power Station

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#33 Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz, Capital Area Asset Builders Oct 15, 2018

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Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz, Associate Director of Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB), returns to Power Station with news about the expansion of its Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaign into Washington DC's historic Wards 7 and 8. The EITC enables working people, whose employment is low-wage and sporadic, to claim a tax credit through through their annual tax filing. This return can be instrumental in providing savings towards a home, college education or a small business. The challenge is to get the word out, which is why CAAB launched DC Community Conversations. It raises awareness about the EITC through presentations in schools and community centers in neighborhoods where disinvestment has stripped communities of resources and families of personal wealth. Joseph is exactly the right person to lead this effort. He is a former financial advisor and the product of a single parent household with high aspirations but limited means. His energy and commitment seem boundless and he is a consummate collaborator with the public and corporate partners that share his vision.

#32 Power Station with Becky Belcore and Jung Woo Kim Oct 08, 2018

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Get ready for a dynamic conversation! Becky Belcore, Co-Director, and Jung Woo Kim, Organizer, at National Korean American Service & Educational Consortium (NAKASEC) talk to Power Station about their holistic approach to serving, engaging and advocating for Asian-Americans, this country's fasting growing population. NAKASEC, based in Virginia, has robust affiliates in Chicago and Los Angeles. They help new immigrants and multi-generational AAPI families access services and develop a voice on the issues that directly impact their lives. Becky's background in labor organizing and Jung Woo's experience as an undocumented young person inform their approach to organizing and policy advocacy. Jung Woo's launched Journey 2 Justice, a 37 day bike ride from Seattle to San Diego, in support of Citizenship for All. Once you hear him. you will want to join their next campaign!

#31 Terry Ao Minnis, Advancing Asian American Justice & Angela Manso, NALEO Educational Fund Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

Terry Ao Minnis and Angela Manso joined me for a conversation about Census 2020 at Power Station. As you will hear, the stakes for the Census could not be higher. The Census determines the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and the allocation of federal dollars to states. And it is an inventory of who lives in this country, vital information for building a just society. It is important and hopeful that these powerhouse nonprofits, are collaborating with other high-level stakeholders, including MALDEF, through a coalition led by the Leadership Conference of Human and Civil Rights. We talk about implementing a Census in a volatile political environment, the significance of the President's attempt to add a citizenship question to the form and the status of lawsuits regarding the Census. They are Census obsessed and we are the better for it.

#30 Fabrice Coles, Congressional Black Caucus Sep 24, 2018

Show notes

The Congressional Black Caucus, known as the conscience of Congress, has been an unabashed advocate for communities of color since its founding in 1971. As executive director of the CBC, Fabrice Coles serves 48 members, including the Chairman, Cedric Richmond, Congressman from Louisiana's 2nd District. His work informs the CBC's on-the-record responses to the issues of the day, including the current Supreme Court nominations process, and the issuance of new and forward looking legislation. Witness the Jobs and Justice Act of 2018, which proposes reforms to and investment in criminal justice, community development, affordable housing and education. The Act reflects the CBC's commitment to working with prized external nonprofit partners, including the National Urban League. In addition to his legal and Capitol Hill expertise, Fabrice has the heart and soul of an organizer. He makes the case for nonprofits to use the power of their station, starting at the local District Office level, where visits have the potential to inform, engage and influence policy makers.

#29 Carmen Huertas-Noble, City University of New York School of Law Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

When Carmen Huertas-Noble was a law student she expected a future in public interest law but she did not expect to excel in contracts. Now a tenured professor at the City University School of Law and Director of the Community and Economic Development Clinic, Carmen uses her business acumen to help workers, often in low-wage industries, to develop worker owned cooperatives. This growing movement to create and scale cooperatives, is supported by resources and pending legislation in New York City and State. Carmen collaborates with nonprofits, worker cooperatives, policymakers, organized labor, and community leaders to build an eco-system that is generating a new generation of coops. She honors workers and their advocates and is teaching her students to do so as well. The ability for low-income, workers of colors and immigrants to build an economic future for themselves and their families is especially meaningful in such a challenging political era.

#28 Ron Hantz, Network for Developing Conscious Communities Sep 10, 2018

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Ron Hantz is back! Our first Power Station guest returns with updates about the Network for Developing Conscious Communities, and the role of intentionality in community development planning and implementation. Ron reports on an NDCC Conference, held last May in Baltimore, that was rooted in the idea that community development requires not just bricks and mortar and access to capital. It requires the deep engagement of neighborhood people in change making. Ron talks about putting his theory of change into action. He is working with nonprofits in New Jersey, Alabama and Indiana, focusing on young leaders who are poised to lead change in their communities. They are building new eco-systems for change and scaling up. Ron believes that we can and should elevate the voices and view of local leaders making progressive change..

#27 Janis Bowdler, JPMorgan Chase Foundation Sep 03, 2018

Show notes

Janis Bowdler's road to the JPMorgan Chase Foundation started with a personal realization. As a child, she saw that her neighborhood did not have the same resources as others and she was determined to change that paradigm. As Policy Director at National Council of La Raza, now UnidosUS, Janis worked with member organizations whose zip codes have been considered pre-determinants for a lack of access to quality housing, education and jobs. She brought those groups to meet with their elected leaders on Capital Hill where they explained the problems those families face, from foreclosure to unsound housing conditions. and the need for both resources and policy change. As Janis says, their advocacy potential was incredible. They had the data, the stories, the evidence in the thick of the crisis. Now, as President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Janis applies her experience and deep knowledge about community economic development to global philanthropy. Janis is the right person, in the right seat.

#26 Glenn Cantave, Movers and Shakers, NYC Aug 27, 2018

Show notes

Glenn Cantave, founder of Movers and Shakers NYC, uses virtual reality, augmented reality and performance art to reframe and reclaim the narratives of marginalized communities. His use of technology to inform and provoke conversation is more than innovation; it is revolutionizing how the nonprofit sector engages communities and advocates for policy change. Glenn and his creative cohort at Movers and Shakers are working on several fronts, collaborating with NYC schools on curriculum development, creating a system of corporate accountability for community harms and re-envisioning the leaders we choose to champion.

Learn more:https://www.moversandshakersnyc.com

#25 Jeremie Greer, Prosperity Now Aug 20, 2018

Show notes

Jeremie Greer, VP, Policy and Research, at Prosperity Now, is clear and uncompromising about the state of our nation. He underscores that poverty cannot be overcome by individual will alone. Poverty alleviation requires systemic change, which Prosperity Now's Network of Champions is advancing. These are community-based nonprofits that advocate for reform using original research, data and on-the-ground experience to build their case. Jeremie talk about Catalyst Miami, which is organizing to address our nation's racial wealth gap, the promise of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Trump Administration's unbridled efforts to dismantle the agency. And he invites us to register for the upcoming Prosperity Summit, which brings together over 1,000 advocates for wealth building and a more equitable future. Learn more at https://prosperitynow.org

#24 Haley Griffin, The Raben Group Aug 13, 2018

Show notes

Haley Griffin guides nonprofit staff and boards of directors through the always challenging process of strategic planning. A Principal in The Raben Group, a leading DC-based national public affairs and strategic communications firm, Haley brings deep experience in organizational development to each interaction with her nonprofit clients. Luckily for them, she also brings rigor, humor and patience. As Haley explains, she frames the experience with her clients by asking what success looks like to them. That question invariably galvanizes an important conversation. And she expands on Robert Raben's most reliably surprising question about a client's nonprofit competitors. Listen, learn and check out The Raben Group and its podcast, The Beat DC.

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