On The Edge Of Equity

What does it take to create lasting transformation in a community? Frank Cumberbatch, vice president of engagement at Bader Philanthropies, talks about his inspiring journey from the island of Trinidad and his commitment to improving the quality of life in Milwaukee. Cumberbatch’s latest endeavor, the Opportunity Center project, in collaboration with Damian Buchman, aims to create a community center that is 100% accessible and inclusive. Inspired by his own gratitude for the opportunities he received, Cumberbatch envisions a space where children and families from different backgrounds can come together, build relationships, and play and learn. Tune in to hear Cumberbatch’s insights on meeting people where they are with empathy and understanding, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and appreciating the gifts each person brings. Episode Highlights:04:48 - What we have to do is look inside of ourselves and try to figure out, "What did we wake up this morning to do? What is our purpose?" If you can find your own purpose is in all of what needs to be solved, you're going to be very productive, because you're going to be going at it in a very true, authentic way. 10:37 - If people could take only one thing away from this podcast, it's that there is a way to lift your family up but you got to put in work and you got to commit to your children.24:16 - I think if we put our stuff till tomorrow, we'd never do this. Because what I've learned from him, there really is no tomorrow. The reason why there is no tomorrow, it's not guaranteed to any one of us.Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedInConnect with Frank CumberbatchLinkedInGuest Bio:Frank Cumberbatch leads Bader Philanthropies’ exploration of a neighborhood, place-based strategy to complement the Foundation’s existing grantmaking, with an emphasis on the Harambee neighborhood. Frank brings more than 30 years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Previously, he was Program Manager with Acts Housing, the Senior Assistant to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and a member of numerous startups. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.

Storytelling and Gender Equity with Dr. Leah FlackDr. Leah Flack is a professor of English at Marquette University and a member of the global nonprofit Narrative Four, which creates safe spaces through structured events called story exchanges where people can exchange meaningful stories and learn to listen deeply to each other.  In this episode, Flack shares her passion for storytelling and how it has shaped her career, from finding her path in literature classes to emphasizing the significance of shared stories in cultural moments like the #metoo movement.  Tune in to hear this thought-provoking discussion about experiences that encourage storytelling and empathy, as well as how to uplift women’s voices. Episode Highlights01: 51 - I think that I was born into this work. As a kid, I saw myself growing up in stories inside of the books that I was reading. And I look back on that and I'm really grateful for it because I think that I grew up inside of books, and that was powerful for me. I was a first generation girl who was in a family where there was no expectation for me to go to college. But reading all of the time showed me that the world was bigger than I realized and that I could be more than the stories I was hearing about my future.12:53 - There are all kinds of studies that show that women don't receive the same level of care as men, particularly women of color. And so the larger question becomes how can we insist that we be heard and that we be heard accurately and fully so that we can get not only the kind of attention and credit that we deserve but also the care in life or death situations? So my hope is that if women can learn to tell their stories, to value their stories and to really create spaces for one another to tell their stories that they will have that skill when it really matters.15:58 - I think that by opening our campus to a wider constituency, to inviting women from the community onto campus that we can learn from them, we can learn from their experiences. There's lots of different kinds of expertise. We can get a sense of kind of where are the vulnerable places and support research that will address those areas, and we can make research available to them that will be useful in their roles as leaders in the community. Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedInConnect with Dr. Leah FlackInstitute for Women's LeadershipDr. Leah Flack at MarquetteBioLeah Flack, Ph.D., is a professor of English who has published two books and several articles emerging from her interest in the ways language and storytelling have facilitated powerful acts of self-expression and social rebellion in a global context, from the ancient world through the #metoo movement.  The recipient of Marquette’s Raynor Award for Teaching Excellence, she is passionate about finding new ways to help students discover the value and joy of stories, including their own stories. A researcher in transnational modernism, she enjoys teaching classes on Russian and Irish literature, the epic tradition, and modern literature. She is a participant in the Ignatian Colleagues Program run by the AJCU to educate and immerse leaders from American Jesuit universities in

Representation matters. Tune in to hear Bernard Rahming, the Milwaukee Program Director of the Literacy Lab's Leading Men Fellowship, share his passion for bridging the education opportunity gap and diversifying the teaching workforce. The Leading Men Fellowship is a transformative organization supports young men of color who have recently graduated from high school as they participate in a year-long, residency-style experience providing literacy support to pre-kindergarten students. During their experience, the young men have access to robust coaching and professional development opportunities that equip them with the skills needed to transform the lives of students – and their own. Don’t miss this episode! You can find out how to support the fellowship and the young men creating successful pathways to diversify the teaching workforce.Episode Highlights04:08 - Our first challenge is really finding young men that are wanting to do something, wanting to give back or wanting to serve, and then showing them this is a way they can serve. We kind of have to address that harm first of all, but to show them that they have a role that they can actually play in being that person that they wish they had. They can be that young teacher that they wish they might have had when they were in elementary school. 05:30 - Sometimes we're surprised by the young man that that turns out to be like, "I found my passion and my calling through teaching." But I think really, the first thing is commitment. 08:32 - That's a SEEDS approach. It's an acronym that stands for how to be sensitive, how to encourage, how to educate, how to develop skills, and ultimately, how do you develop a self-image within a young person. SEEDS is so great that we actually kind of very softly or maybe secretly use it with the young men themselves.Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedInConnect with Bernard Rahming LinkedInThe Literacy LabThe Leading Men FellowshipGuest Bio:Bernard Rahming, IIMilwaukee Program Director, the Literacy Lab’s Leading Men FellowshipBernard Rahming is the Program Director for the Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship Program in Milwaukee. He is passionate about building school-to-career pathways and believes education is a vehicle for empowerment. Bernard earned his master’s degree in Community Psychology from Concordia University-Portland and his bachelor’s degree in Math and Psychology from Marquette University.

In this powerful episode, Teig Whaley-Smith, chief alliance executive of the Community Development Alliance (CDA), unveils his mission to advance racial equity by providing quality, affordable homeownership for Black and Latino Milwaukeeans. Join us as we delve into his data-driven approach and collaborative strategies that are reshaping the city's housing landscape.Whaley-Smith’s passion for making Milwaukee the best place on planet earth stems from his upbringing in a multiracial family and sense of urgency around fighting for housing issues out of what he calls “love, and not white guilt.”Tune in to learn more about how the CDA is uniting diverse stakeholders, combating predatory landlord practices and empowering homebuyers with down payment assistance.Episode Highlights:10:19 - What's really important in a planning process is that you do talk to people to get their stories as a form of data and that qualitative data, and then also matching that with the quantitative data that is out there. So, we use a process called GARE, the Government Alliance on Race and Equity to develop our plan, and they have a tool that prompts you to ask some really important questions because the reality is there's no such thing as a racially neutral policy.14:29 - There was a sense that we should be building 1500-square foot homes because that's what's being built in the suburbs and otherwise. If you actually talked with residents, they just want a stable place to live that they can call their own. It turns out that the average home in city in Milwaukee is a thousand square feet. If we continue to develop strategies that are building houses that are too big and too expensive, we will never have an impact on racial equity. 23:22 - In the racial equity world, those terms actually mean something different because an ally is somebody that supports you and supports your ideas in theory, as long as it doesn't cost them anything. An accomplice is when you are willing to put something on the line to say, "I'm willing to give something up to do something that you've asked me to do."Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedInConnect with Teig Whaley-SmithLinkedInGuest Bio:Teig Whaley-Smith's spassion is building and leading collaborative teams to make Milwaukee the best place on planet earth. He believes that for Milwaukee to achieve its full potential, there needs to be a focus on the people and neighborhoods that have been left out of the larger political, social, and economic systems. Whaley-Smith was raised and continues to live in the Sherman Park neighborhood and is a proud Milwaukee Public Schools alumnus and parent.In 2022, Whaley-Smith was named the Chief Alliance Executive for the Community Development Alliance (CDA).  CDA is an affiliation of community development funders and practitioner in the Milwaukee Area that led Milwaukee’s first Collective Affordable Housing Plan, with the goal of advancing racial equity by providing a quality affordable home for every Milwaukeean. The plan lays out a transformative road map to support 32,000 new Black and Latino homeowners, and 32,000 homes for families making less than $15 per hour. CDA continues to successfully bring together funders and partners to implement the innovative approaches within the plan.  Prior to joining CDA, Whaley-Smith served as the chief operating officer of Milwaukee County where he managed a $1.2 billion annual budget, serving one million residents.  He supported the expansion of mental health services, the...

How can storytelling and meaningful relationships drive positive change in communities? Jeremy Podolski, director of public relations and editorial strategy for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation (GMF), explores communicating for the greater good and how building relationships and pursuing equity are woven into this.Tune in to this powerful episode as Podolski shares best practices for telling stories and listening to stories, as well as how GMF and Milwaukee’s Ex Fabula give him an incredible platform to do both. Episode Highlights:05:22 - There's no formula and that's a good thing. I don't know that any one person is an expert on how to build a relationship. I would say that my approach is to just really try to personalize the interactions that I have. Thinking about every opportunity we have to come in contact with someone new or to reconnect with someone that we already know to some degree, being really intentional about making sure that it's not a transactional interaction, but that there's meaning behind it. 09:57 - It's really hard to understate the importance of equity. It really reflects the values that someone holds, and also just the aspirations for our community and the potential that's there. There's really so much to gain from our community advancing equity, racial equity, economic equity, or social equity.17:48 - We're drawn as listeners to things that tug at us emotionally or that we might hear that triggers a memory for us, or speaks to something that we have an interest. So, as a communicator, do your best to try to predict what those things are, and try to give people something that they feel inspired to listen to or read or dig into in some way.Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedInConnect with Jeremy PodolskiLinkedIn

Faithe Colas, who is president of VonCommunications and a seasoned communications professional, explores the profound impact of stories and how they connect us all, including across different lived experiences. Faithe discusses her multifaceted career and how her early involvement in photojournalism shaped her path and delves into the legacy of her late husband Eric Von, a veteran broadcaster who dedicated his life to supporting community leaders and fostering dialogue. Gain a deeper understanding of the need for authentic and transparent conversations about diverse perspectives in this inspirational episode. Episode Highlights04:55 - When someone comes to you with a question, with a challenge, with an idea, they're sharing a part of you, of themselves rather, that they've been inspired some kind of way to do this. This is their gift. My gift is to connect them and if they're coming to me, they have confidence that somehow I can help them along their journey.07:44 - I think as a human race, we are connected by stories because it reminds us of the commonality that we have. That's the first thing. The second thing is it can make you feel comfortable with someone that you don't know. Why I'm so passionate about telling stories of African-American people is because there's always this perception that we have to explain our humanness. So, we're constantly having to show people that we're positive, that we want the same things that you want out of life, that we're good people, that we're talented, that we're intelligent, that we're educated.17:31 - These voices, they not only shape the news that we hear and see, but they help to shape those conversations that happen in the editorial spaces, in staff meetings. Sometimes you might be the only African-American voice in the room. Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedInConnect with Faithe ColasFaithe Colas has a 33-year career in media and community engagement. Her sweet spot is connecting people and growing the community through public and community relations. She’s passionate about empowering women, supporting Black businesses and changing the narrative about Milwaukee.Colas is the host and producer of “I’m Every Woman” and “There’s Always Something Good to Talk About,” which air on 860Today.com. She’s a member of the National Council of Negro Women-Milwaukee Section, NAACP Milwaukee Chapter, Wisconsin Black Media Association, Milwaukee Press Club, Public Relations Society of America-Milwaukee Chapter and WUWM Advisory Board. She’s also a lead fundraiser for the WUWM Eric Von Broadcast Fellowship, which honors her late husband’s legacy by fostering the next generation of broadcast journalists.Colas was born and raised in Milwaukee. She is a John Marshall High School graduate and holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Midwest Bible College.In another life, Colas would have been a professor of African-American studies and the history of the Black press. If she ever gets free time, she’d fill it with reading books, going to lectures, attending author readings and watching documentaries.LinkedInEric Von Broadcast Fellowship

Funeral homes have had a profound impact on communities for decades. Learn from Dr. Camelia Clarke, president and CEO of Paradise Memorial Funeral and Cremation Services and the Leon L. Williamson Funeral Home, as she shares her journey in the death care industry, the legacy of Black funeral homes and her commitment to serving families during their most vulnerable times.Through the legacy initiative of “How will you be remembered?”, Clarke discusses how she and her family-owned funeral homes support people as they process grief while also celebrating the lives of those who have passed on. Tune in to gain insights about the vital role funeral homes play in communities and the power of remembrance. Episode Highlights:08:14 - In fact, when Martin Luther King, Jr. passed away, when he was killed, the last person to witness him being alive was the limousine driver from the funeral home. He was being transported via the limo of a local funeral home. And so, how we are still carrying that legacy through here in Milwaukee, we acquired last year, the eldest African -American funeral home in Milwaukee, which is almost 75 years old. That's  Leon L. Williamson Chapel that we have. That funeral home has been the site of so many meetings, so many strategic meetings with churches with community leaders, and it's right there in the heart of the community and it is such a gem.12:09 - How will you be remembered? That legacy stands on so many levels, whether it's living or whether it's in sickness, or whether it's in death. What you say to people, how you make them feel, they'll never forget it. What you do and how you contribute, people will never forget that. 14:34 - I want to be a helper of people and being able to help poor people for me has evolved from sitting in that arrangement with that husband who's lost his wife or the mother who's tragically lost her son or daughter, and making a difficult time a little bit easier by helping them to create a service that celebrates the life that their loved-one lived. Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedIn Connect with Dr. Camelia ClarkeLinkedIn Guest Bio:Dr. Camelia Clarke brings over 20 years of service in the funeral industry as a licensed funeral director. She is also a licensed insurance intermediary for the state of Wisconsin. She is an active member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and Selected Independent Funeral Homes. She is the past president of the Milwaukee Waukesha County Funeral Directors (MWCFDA) and the immediate past president of the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association (WFDA).Clarke graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science, Cardinal Stritch University (BSBA), Marquette University (EMBA) and the University-Wisconsin Whitewater with a Doctorate of Business Administration.She has served on many boards, including the MATC Funeral Service Advisory Board, Prince Hall Masonic Foundation, Zonta International Club of Milwaukee, Outreach Community Health Care Center and Greater Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce. She is an active member of Unity Grand Chapter O.E.S., Sarah's Joy Chapter #8 O.E.S., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter in Milwaukee.Clarke has been an active church member of the Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ for many years. She is the wife of Marcel and is the mother of four wonderful children, Raja’ee, Jazzmin, Mariah and Mia Clarke.

How can we handle feedback in a way that promotes personal growth and development? Tammy Belton-Davis, founder and president of Athena Communications, shares invaluable insights on the art and science of giving and receiving feedback, as well as reminds us how feedback and criticism differ. She emphasizes the importance of delivering feedback with love and empathy because it creates a supportive environment that fosters growth and resilience.Additionally, Belton-Davis shares her personal experiences and highlights the importance of faith, positive affirmations and choosing to be better. Don’t miss this episode, which is packed with tips on how to engage in open conversations with trusted advisors and introspective examination while intentionally seeking areas for improvement.Episode Highlights:05:10 - Criticism is really about pointing out what is wrong. The difference in both is that feedback should propel us. It should give us an opportunity to do self-inventory. It should give us an opportunity to sort of analyze and go, "Hmm, I hear that." But it should be an opportunity for us to grow.15:01 - Those people that we have the most intimate level of relationship with are often the folks who will tell us the truth, and sometimes in very candid ways, and sometimes it doesn't feel good, because these are people that you love. 20:01 - You know me as a person of faith. I rely a lot on my relationship with God to both be my guide, my compass, my foundation, my everything. There are often conversations that I'm having like, "Help me because I need help." Because I recognize that a mindset change is about intentionality.Connect with Becky Dubin JenkinsLinkedIn Connect with Tammy Belton-Davis  LinkedIn Guest Bio:With a background in government, education and public relations, Tammy Belton-Davis is an award-winning public relations and diversity professional. She launched Athena Communications in 2009.From July 2020-February 2022, Tammy served as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, with which she has worked in multiple capacities for the past eight years. During her time with the Rep, she worked directly with executive leadership and the board of trustees to develop, implement and measure equity, diversity and inclusion goals and served as an internal coach on inclusiveness and diversity issues. An accelerant in this important work, Tammy assisted the theater as it transitioned to a more permanent staffing structure to lead ED&I work into the future.Prior to launching Athena, Tammy held senior-level positions in city government and community-based organizations and served as a staff assistant with the Milwaukee County Board and Milwaukee Common Council.Tammy brings a fresh perspective, excellence and passion to every project she undertakes. Because of her charismatic style, she is a sought-after facilitation leader for branding sessions and equity training. In 2017, Tammy was inducted into Alverno College’s Vanguard Society, the highest honor bestowed upon an alumna for their professional achievement and community service. In 2021, she was a part of the inaugural class of the Milwaukee Biz Times’ Notable Alumni, a recognition for distinguished local alumni. She was recognized as a 2017 Center of Change for her commitment to work as a change agent in Milwaukee, and Athena Communications was recognized with a Diversity in Business Award by the Milwaukee Business Journal.Tammy is an active member of the

Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee, is passionate about selling her beloved city to national and international visitors. She grew up in the hospitality industry, starting work in the field at 15 years old, and her work these days has her doing everything from being part of a bipartisan group of leaders bidding for national political conventions to leading her team in culturally responsive work. In this episode, Williams-Smith talks about economic impact through hospitality and discusses her efforts to engage diverse businesses in VISIT Milwaukee’s partnership base. Above all, she says? Never put a limit on your potential – and be kind.

Dave Steele, Executive Director of MobiliSE, shares how Milwaukee and surrounding areas are taking big steps to ensure equitable multi-modal transportation. From the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit to FlexRide Milwaukee — an on-demand shuttle program connecting people to suburban job sites — learn how these innovative solutions are helping people access greater job opportunities in the region. Dave explains why it's so important to attract new talent into Milwaukee and how transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse emissions. He also offers insights on why conversations around multi-modal transportation often focus on what can't be done rather than what can be done. Plus, hear his optimism for Milwaukee’s progress in this space and discover ways individuals can make an impact on climate change through their own behavior. Tune in to hear Dave Steele dive deep into all things multi-modal transportation and explore how we can create an equitable region through improved regional connectivity for economic development and talent attraction. Learn more about the exciting projects underway in southeastern Wisconsin!