In this special episode, CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane is joined by ALF Lead Facilitator Laura Weaver for the first time on the podcast. We learn about Laura's very own leadership journey, including her work in the education field and the story of how she spent time working in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Laura is an author, non-profit director, leadership consultant, and group facilitator with twenty-five years of experience in non-profit and social change work, leadership, education, health and writing. She currently serves as the Director of Transformative Learning at the PassageWorks Institute—a non-profit dedicated to creating meaningful, inclusive and engaging school cultures based on the integration of Social and Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, Equity, and a Whole Systems Approach to change.

Recorded during ALF's We The People with Eric Ward event on December 3, 2020. Eric K. Ward, Civil Rights Leader and Executive Director, Western States Center in conversation with Muhammed Chaudry (XXVI), Managing Partner, MAC Capital Partners, and ALF-SV Board Member. Eric K. Ward is a national expert on the relationship between hate violence and preserving democratic institutions, governance, and inclusive societies, and has nearly 30 years of expertise in community organizing and philanthropy.

On November 16, ALF Silicon Valley and ALF National hosted a virtual dialogue with the award-winning author of the bestselling book Decolonizing Wealth, Edgar Villanueva! In this episode, we're sharing our conversation with Edgar, where he and ALF-SV CEO/ALF National Board Chair Suzanne St. John-Crane discuss the role of wealth and philanthropy in moving the needle towards equity.

ALF-SV CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane sat down in June (via Zoom) with key players in the emergence of a cross-sector systems change over the last decade in the approach to housing and homelessness in Santa Clara County. Joining Suzanne in this episode are: Jen Loving, ALF Class XXV, Destination: Home CEO Ky Ly, ALF Class XXXV, Santa Clara County Deputy County Executive, Jacky Morales-Ferrand, ALF Class XXXIV, City of San Jose Interim Director of Housing Erin Connor, Public Benefit Investment Program Manager at Cisco Foundation

In 2016 a group of non-profit CEOs came together to explore how to put equity at the center of their organizations and how to navigate the sometimes challenging conversations that accompany significant cultural change. ALF was invited in to facilitate this CEO Diversity Inclusion Equity Liberation affinity group, whose journey has been transformative for the members and their organizations. Joining host Suzanne St. John-Crane is the group's founding members, Senior Fellows Shiloh Ballard Executive Director of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Poncho Guevara Executive Director of Sacred Heart Community Service, and Chris Wilder CEO of the Valley Medical Center Foundation. Each graciously shares their origin story, impact to date, and their hopes for scaling what they've learned.

In the past few years, Silicon Valley’s economy has reached new levels of employment, income, innovation, and investments as major companies are fundamentally altering the character and evolution of innovation in the region. While there are certainly many positives attributed to this boom, we cannot ignore its attributed problems and the disparity it has created. Established in 1993, Joint Venture brings together Silicon Valley’s established and emerging leaders from different sectors to have focus on issues and work toward innovative solutions. Russ Hancock (Class XX), President and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley shares with us his thoughts and observations of Silicon Valley; the changes that this valley has seen through the past few decades, the ups-downs, the innovations in tech and other sectors, and possible solutions to this growing disparity we are experiencing.

From an early age, ALF Senior Fellow Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins (Class XVI) has taken on leadership roles that catapulted her to the center of creating a more just, equitable and inclusive world. Her eclectic career path has lead her to running the South Bay Labor Council - representing more than 110,000 union members, to expanding universal healthcare for kids, engaging negatively impacted communities in environmental justice policies, to working with pop sensation Prince in reclaiming ownership of his music catalog. Her latest venture, Promise, is a "decarceration" startup that uses technology to reduce recidivism, minimize costs and promote public safety.

in November of 2018, American Leadership Forum hosted a retreat called Leading with Purpose with special guests Ellen Grace O’Brian, Author and Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment and Ela Gandhi, Founder of the Gandhi Development Trust in South Africa that continues the nonviolence work of her grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. ALF Senior Fellow and County Supervisor Dave Cortese walked in with his own special guest – Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers Movement and renowned nonviolence leader in her own right. The women had never met before, and we at ALF couldn’t resist the opportunity to host an impromptu dialogue facilitated by Supervisor Cortese, on what keeps them leading with purpose in tireless pursuit of a non-violent world. We share this historic meeting and conversation with you all.

In November of 2016, Santa Clara County voters approved a $950 Million affordable housing bond projected to fund 120 new affordable housing developments over ten years, including 4800 new units for extremely low income and very low income individuals. In October of 2018, Supervisor Cindy Chavez (Class XII) – an architect of Measure A - and San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez (Class XXXI) spoke with ALF CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane at a San Jose Rotary Club meeting about Measure A funded developments in progress, in the pipeline, or struggling to get through a sometimes contentious public process.

In April of 2018, SCC Supervisor Dave Cortese’s office hosted a firearms and safety summit where over 300 community members came together to talk about – guns. He enlisted ALF’s help in facilitating a participatory dialogue. In the liberal bubble of Northern California, the right conditions for dialogue brought together a surprisingly diverse cross section of gun enthusiasts, NRA supporters, as well as gun reform advocates and antigun activists. The goal? For attendees to leave understanding – and perhaps even building community – with those who had opposing views. Featured Guests, L-R: Supervisor Dave Cortese (Class XXXIII) Walter Wilson, Facilitator and Community Activist Rayna Ritchie, Summit Attendee For more information about ALF's Fellows Experience and Facilitation Services: [email protected]