ALF's The Dialogue

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, we hear from ALF Senior Fellow and Chief Growth Officer at Launch Your First, Tony Lam, of Class XLII. Tony tells the story of his family's arrival in the US after the fall of Saigon, talks about his experience bridging his life as an entrepreneur, and shares his drive to bring change and opportunity to the autistic community with the launch of Andy's Cafe. Tony also shares his reaction to being approached by a colleague who encouraged him to consider joining the Fellows Program.

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, we're revisiting our interview with American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, of Class XVI. Suzanne St. John-Crane, ALF Silicon Valley CEO and The Dialogue Podcast Executive Producer, sat down with Phaedra in 2019 to discuss the leadership roles that catapulted her to the work of creating a more just, equitable, and inclusive world. Phaedra's eclectic career path included leading the South Bay Labor Council, representing more than 110,000 union members, working to expand universal healthcare for children, to working with 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 this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, we're featuring American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow Cynthia Bright. Cynthia is a member of Class XLIII and serves as the Deputy General Counsel and Global Head of Litigation Ethics and Compliance at HP Inc. Cynthia shares the story of what led her to accept the invitation to the fellows program, and how the experience evolved her view of her own leadership. She also gives us insight into how the bond between classmates fueled a strong spirit of collaboration that has led to countless joint efforts since even before the group completed their year-long journey.

In this episode of the dialogue podcast, we're featuring ALF Senior Fellow Usha Srinivasan of Class XLII. Usha shares a reading of her contribution to Making Waves—AAPI Voices, a project of ALF Silicon Valley's AAPI Caucus. Through this project, the group hopes to share the experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with the ALF network and broader community. Usha Srinivasan is the Founding CEO and President of Mosaic America, a nonprofit organization that aims to strengthen diverse communities through collaborative multicultural arts. Usha is a trained Bharatanatyam (Classical Indian) dancer who is passionate about using the arts to strengthen the community. She is a Knight Foundation Creative Community Fellow (2016-17) and a member of the Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) Cohort (2015-16) in San Jose. She has served on the boards of World Arts West, Wildlife Rescue Palo Alto, and the City of Santa Clara's Cultural Commission. Usha holds a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, and an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, ALF Silicon Valley CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane sits down with author, activist, and faith leader Rev. Ben McBride for a one-on-one, in-depth conversation about his new book, Troubling the Water: The Urgent Work of Radical Belonging, the division that seems to permeate every sector of society, and the work of widening the circle of inclusion and belonging. Ben posits that radical belonging means looking at our implicit biases, faulty understandings of power, and how we "other"—or "same"—people. Sometimes, it even means troubling the waters—speaking hard truths in situations that appear calm but that cloak injustice. Rev. Ben McBride is an internationally recognized faith leader, activist, and sought-after speaker who has spoken to large audiences in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. McBride is the founder of the Empower Initiative and the Bring the HEAT campaign, and he served as director of PICO California. McBride was featured in the Sundance Film Festival Award-winner The Force, and in 2020, the Center for American Progress listed him as one of the top faith leaders to watch. McBride lives in Oakland, California, with his wife, Gynelle, and their three daughters.

For Senior Fellow Vandana Kumar (Class XXXIX), storytelling is integral to life. From the stories told to her by her maternal grandmother about protecting their property under the British Raj to her mother's telling of the non-violent resistance formed in her grandfather's house, inspiration came early. With the confidence and valuable life lessons sparked by these two women, Vandana came to the U.S. to embark on her own journey of storytelling. Today, Vandana Kumar is a publishing executive with a 35-year track record in the industry. She leads the India Currents Foundation as President and CEO. As a new immigrant, she co-founded India Currents magazine in 1987 and published an award-winning print magazine from April 1987 to Dec 2017. Fully digital today, India Currents has the largest following among Indians in the United States and recently won the California News Publishers Association award for General Excellence in Digital Publishing. In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, Vandana shares a reading of a piece she wrote for Making Waves – AAPI Voices, a project of ALF Silicon Valley's AAPI Caucus. Through this project, the group looks to share the experiences of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) with the ALF network and broader community. The title of this project, Making Waves – AAPI Voices, is inspired by the book Making Waves, An Anthology of Writings By and About Asian American Women. We thank editor Dr. Elaine Kim and Asian Women United of California for their groundbreaking work and permission to use the title. Learn more about ALF Silicon Valley's AAPI Caucus and the Making Waves | AAPI Voices project here: alfsv.org/blog/making-waves-aapi-voices

In this episode of ALF's The Dialogue Podcast, host and ALF Silicon Valley CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane is joined by Carin Taylor and Eureka Daye. Carin and Eureka are members of Class XLII, the current Fellows Program class, now in the final months of their yearlong Fellows Program journey. Carin and Eureka discuss their experience going into the Fellows Program, reflecting on their fears, apprehensions, and ultimate takeaways from their weeklong wilderness trip, a central part of the annual Fellows Program experience. Carin is the Chief Diversity Officer at Workday and has global responsibility for the development and execution of Workday's inclusion and diversity strategy. Eureka is the Director of Custody Health & Custody Behavioral Healthcare for the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System. About The Dialogue Podcast ALF's The Dialogue Podcast was made possible by the ALF Silicon Valley Network, with special thanks to our Leadership Circle members and the 2023 Exemplary Leadership Celebration premier sponsors. The Host and Executive Producer of the ALF's The Dialogue Podcast is Suzanne St. John-Crane. The show's creative director, audio engineer, and production manager is Richard Ángel Vega.

Our guest in this episode of The Dialogue is author, entrepreneur, public servant, retired executive, and ALF Class XVIII Senior Fellow, Eddie García. Eddie's new book, Summer in the Waiting Room: Faith, Hope, Love, tells the incredible story of his journey to overcome his fear of failure, his drive to succeed, and the sudden heart attack that left him clinging to life in the ICU. Eddie joins ALF Marketing & Communications Director Richard Ángel Vega via Zoom to give a first-hand account of his health crisis and describes how the love of his family and a journey of faith led him to share his story. Eddie García is the former Vice President of Local Government Affairs for Comcast of California, Founder of the Latino Leadership Alliance Leadership Academy, past Board Trustee for the East Side Union High School District, and Founder of García Strategies Leadership Development. Summer In The Waiting Room - Faith, Hope, Love: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZFC5HFX?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

We're working on all-new episodes of ALF's The Dialogue Podcast, including new installments of our popular Senior Fellow Spotlight series, where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of our most remarkable Senior Fellows. To get us ready for the upcoming season, we're taking you back to April 2020 and our first-ever Senior Fellow Spotlight episode with Silicon Valley pioneer Ken Coleman of ALF Class III! Ken talks about his early life in a small town in southern Illinois, lessons learned from serving as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force, and his eventual move to the Bay Area, where he began a storied career starting with HP in 1972. In 1999, Ken was named one of the ten most influential African Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2001, he was named one of the top 25 Black executives in technology by Black Enterprise magazine. He is also the recipient of numerous honors, including our very own Exemplary Leader Award; the Ohio State University Distinguished Service Award; the National Alliance of Black School Educators Living Legend Award; the One Hundred Black Men of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award; and the Silicon Valley Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. Ken has served as a member of the Boards of Directors of City National Bank, MIPS Technologies, and United Online. He is currently Chairman at EIS Group Ltd.

On June 24, 2022, ALF Senior Fellows and Fellows from our national network joined together to learn and share about our roles and opportunities to think and act in new ways to make and keep our communities safe. This ALF National event featured local and national leaders in law enforcement and civil rights from California, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington. The panel was moderated by ALF Silicon Valley Fellows Program Co-Facilitator, Rick Williams (Class XXXIII). Panelists: -Louis Cooper, Sr. Director of Security & Corporate Social Responsibility, Port of Tacoma, and member, Tacoma Police Advisory Committee (ALF Tacoma, Class XX) -Officer James Gonzales, San Jose Police Department and co-leader, ALF Justice & Safety Learning Community (ALF Silicon Valley, Class XXVII) -Darcie Green, Executive Director, Latinas Contra Cancer, and co-leader, ALF Justice & Safety Learning Community (ALF Silicon Valley, Class XXVIII) -Chief Jeffrey Ledford, Shelby Police Department (ALF Charlotte Region, Class XV) -Chief Sheryl Victorian, Waco Police Department (ALF Houston, Class XLVII)

In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Paz-Cedillos and Vanessa Shieh, Co-Executive Directors at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San José. During the pandemic, the Mexican Heritage Plaza became a community hub for essential resources and information, feeding over 50,000 residents, testing 15,000 individuals, and vaccinating 25,000 people. We talk to Jessica and Vanessa about their work at the Mexican Heritage Plaza over the last several years, their ability to pivot during the pandemic, and their unique journeys to their current leadership roles. I also learned about the Class XLI Fellows Program dialogue exercise that had a significant impact on Jessica during a critical time in her life. About Jessica Paz-Cedillos Jessica is the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador. She was born and raised in East Oakland and knows firsthand the impact that arts and culture can have to build pride, preserve our heritage, and fuel community and economic development. Jessica has dedicated her career to the public sector, working for organizations like the ACLU and SOMOS Mayfair, where she helped to double the organization's budget. Jessica is excited to be leading the School of Arts & Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza — a vibrant, cultural institution in East San Jose — and looks forward to continuing her work in the Mayfair community. About Vanessa Shieh Vanessa lives, works, and plays in San Jose. She has served as the Associate Director for the School of Arts and Culture at MHP since 2012 and is now the organization's longest-serving employee. During that time, she has helped to transform the Mexican Heritage Plaza from an underused facility into a trusted community hub and anchor. With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit accounting and organizational development, Vanessa continues to ground the Plaza's team and partners in strategic perspectives that seek answers to the question: how can we create a better normal? She served as the Interim Executive Director for the organization between June 2018 and February 2019. Before joining the School, Vanessa worked with Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley; Reading Partners; and Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence. She is deeply committed to finding the intersection of the local community's needs and the creative sector's insights. Vanessa has an MBA with an emphasis in Accounting from Golden Gate University and a BA in English from the University of San Francisco.

In this episode, we're bringing you another Senior Fellows Spotlight where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of the most remarkable leaders in the ALF network. Listen as we hear from veteran business leader and ALF Senior Fellow Linda C. Lawrence (Class XIII) about her work in the early days of global technology firms like Netscape and Apple. She offers us insight into how she navigated being the only woman at the table and how she worked to establish her place in the male-dominated international executive space. She also shares how she learned the value of service at an early age and how those values have shaped her personal and professional trajectory. Linda Lawrence, is a successful global business leader & advisor -- both for profit (Trustworthy AI, Owl Eye Media, Netscape/AOL, Apple Computer, and Dogfight LLC, producers of the award-winning film Speed & Angels);  and for impact (Truhoma, Let It Ripple, Zero1, Open Media Network, American Leadership Forum, Friends of Franklin Scholars, Computer Museum/Computer Bowls).

Recorded live during our Jan. 13 event featuring Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, ALF Senior Fellow (Class VIII) and author of Her Honor: My Life on the Bench… What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It.

Recorded live during our October 19, 2021 event: A Conversation with Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. ALF Senior Fellows, Fellows, and guests heard from Darren Walker in dialogue with ALF CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane. The two discussed reparations and what we, as leaders in our community, can do to repair and heal our communities and democracy. ALF Board Chair and Senior Fellow Jon Hicks (Class XXXI) opened the session, followed by ALF Senior Fellow Carol Larson (Class XV), who introduced Mr. Walker. Darren Walker has been included on numerous leadership lists, including Time's annual 100 Most Influential People, Rolling Stone's 25 People Shaping the Future, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, Ebony's Power 100, Out magazine's Power 50, and the Wall Street Journal's 2020 Philanthropy Innovator.

ALF Silicon Valley CEO and host of The Dialogue Podcast, Suzanne St. John-Crane, is joined in this episode by Senior Fellows Jayne Battey (Class XXIV) and Mark Bahaus (Class XX) to discuss what we can all do in the face of a changing climate. Jayne and Mark each give insights into their personal and professional conservation and climate action journeys and discuss how others can help reduce the footprint we leave on the planet. Our guests are both members of ALF's Climate Action and Sustainability Affinity Group, which aims to bring together a diverse group of leaders to consider cross-sector solutions to accelerate carbon reduction locally. About our guests: Jayne Battey is the founder and owner of Miramar Farms, a leadership development center north of Half Moon Bay. Jayne provides senior leadership coaching and facilitation for organizations working primarily on environmental, health, housing, and education work. She is vice-chair the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and previously served on the boards of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Youth Outside, and Cabrillo Education Foundation. Jayne is a member of the ALF National Board of Trustees. Mark Bauhaus is a market-oriented systems thinker, Environmental Entrepreneur, Partner @JustBusiness, Mentor to purpose-driven startups, Senior Advisor to Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow. He served 35+ years as a technology EVP / General Manager building global businesses up to $5 Billion revenue in internet consulting, software, hardware and networking products at Juniper Networks, Sun Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard. Mr. Bauhaus graduated with a B.S. degree in "Business Management and Environmental Systems Analysis" with high honors from the University of California at Davis.

Extraordinary people. Transformative year. It's a phrase we often use here at ALF to describe the Fellows Program, and it's a description that takes on added meaning for ALF Class XXXIX. When Toni Vanwinkle, Senior Director of Digital Workplace Experience at Adobe, and Miguel Marquez, Chief Operating Officer for the County of Santa Clara, accepted the invitation to participate in Class XXXIX, they had no idea just how transformative - and challenging - the experience would be. Toni and Miguel chat with CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane about embarking on their 2020 Fellows journey amid a pandemic and other crises while simultaneously building a support system for each other in an extraordinary year of upheaval and uncertainty. Listen to Toni and Miguel discuss how the container was set virtually for intense conversations, bonding, and reimagining a new normal.

Recorded live during our June 11 event, Why Equality Is The Future of Work: Preparing For The Post Pandemic Workplace, the ALF network joined author Michelle King and host Jon Hicks to discuss being a leader for gender equality and equity in the workplace. Participants also gained insights into moving from goal to action to create more equitable policies, practices, and cultures that support our people, organizations, and businesses. Featuring Michelle King, globally recognized expert on gender equality and organizational culture, author of THE FIX: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work, and founder and managing director of Equality Forward, a global consultancy that specializes in building cultures of Equality. Hosted by ALF Senior Fellow and Board Vice-Chair, Jon Hicks (Class XXXI).

In celebration of Pride Month, we've turned The Dialogue podcast microphone over to three Senior Fellows who join us to discuss a brief history of the LGBTQ+ community in Santa Clara County. Our guest host for this special episode is Dr. Amor Santiago (Class XV), Vice President of Development and Community Affairs at Project Open Hand. Joining Amor is Terry Christensen (Class XIV), Professor Emeritus, SJSU; Host and Executive Producer of Valley Politics for CreaTV; and Ken Yeager (Class VI), Former SCC Supervisor; Executive Director, BAYMEC Community Foundation; Creator of QueerSiliconValley.org. Our three guests delve into key milestones in the LGBTQ+ rights movement locally and beyond, reflect on the road ahead, and preview the culmination of decades of experiences in the new exhibit titled Coming Out: 50 Years of Queer Resistance & Resilience in Silicon Valley, opening June 25th, 2021. Learn more about Queer Silicon Valley and the exhibit at History San Jose at queersiliconvalley.org.

In this episode, we continue with our Senior Fellows Spotlight series, where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of the most remarkable Senior Fellows in the ALF network. In today's show, we're pleased to feature a truly inspiring individual, San José Fire Chief Robert Sapien of ALF Class XXV. Robert talks to us about early memories of growing up near King and Story in East San José and reflects on his mother's impact on his sense of community and his commitment to the common good. We also hear Chief Sapien discuss his career trajectory, key lessons he's learned along the way, and his view of seeing our way through what currently divides us. Robert attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San José and joined the San Jose Fire Department as a firefighter in 1989. He rose through the ranks as a fire engineer, fire captain, battalion chief, and Deputy Chief of Bureau of Field Operations. In 2016, Robert was appointed Assistant Fire Chief, then Acting Fire Chief in 2017. He was officially appointed Fire Chief in 2018. Robert participated in ALF Class XXV and joined the ALF board in March 2020.

Recorded live during our April 22nd event, Stop AAPI Hate: A Conversation with Dr. Russell Jeung. Featuring Dr. Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Chair, Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. Listen to Dr. Jeung and members of ALF's AAPI Caucus discuss the experiences of the AAPI community in this time of resurging anti-Asian violence and what we can do to stand united against all forms of racism.

Recorded live during our March 24th event, Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage with Valarie Kaur. Featuring Valarie Kaur, founder of the Revolutionary Love Project and author of See No Stranger, a Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. Moderated by LaDoris Cordell (ALF Class VIII), Retired Superior Court Judge and author of the forthcoming memoir, Her Honor: A Judge’s Candid Look At Our Legal System. Listen to Valarie and LaDoris engage in dialogue about how we can lead with love for truth and reconciliation in this time of division and fear in our country and communities.

Dog Whistle Politics, Racism, and the Housing Crisis: recorded live during our February 24th virtual event featuring Ian Haney López, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at U.C. Berkeley and author of Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class. Ian Haney López joined our network to discuss how dog-whistle politics contribute to the ongoing housing crisis and generate further division in our community.

With this episode, we're launching the first in an ongoing series of podcasts where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of our most remarkable Senior Fellows. We're calling it Senior Fellow Spotlight. We begin this new "spotlight" series with Silicon Valley pioneer Ken Coleman of ALF Class III. Ken talks about his early life in a small town in southern Illinois, lessons learned from serving as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force, and his eventual move to the Bay Area, where he began a storied career starting with HP in 1972. In 1999, Ken was named one of the ten most influential African Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2001, he was named one of the top 25 Black executives in technology by Black Enterprise magazine. He is also the recipient of numerous honors, including our very own Exemplary Leader Award; the Ohio State University Distinguished Service Award; the National Alliance of Black School Educators Living Legend Award; the One Hundred Black Men of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award; and the Silicon Valley Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. Ken has served as a member of the Boards of Directors of City National Bank, MIPS Technologies, and United Online. He is currently Chairman at EIS Group Ltd.

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: alfsv@alfsv.org

In 2016, a report on philanthropy in Silicon Valley revealed a major disconnect between donors and the local community. The report found that 90% of philanthropic dollars leave the region and of the dollars that stay, the vast majority are given to hospitals and universities. The good news, and the opportunity, is that the report revealed that our booming Silicon Valley community houses more than 76,000 millionaires and billionaires. American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane speaks with ALF Senior Fellows Carol Larson, CEO of the Packard Foundation, and Rick Williams, CEO of the Sobrato Family Foundation at a San Jose Rotary Club meeting on how we as a community must play a role in creating a “give where you live” culture.

Four unlikely partners were brought together through ALFSV's Urban Innovation Network. What happened as a result changed the conversation - and policy - around the City of San Jose's event permitting process. Guests: Blage Zelalich, Downtown Manager, City of San Jose Ryan Sebastian, Principal, Movable Feast Demone Carter, Program Manager, School of Arts & Culture Jim Reber, Executive Director, San Jose Parks Foundation

Through a series of intersections and dialogues brought about by American Leadership Forum’s Education Innovation Network, ALF Senior Fellows Chris Funk, Superintendent of East Side Union High School District and Siobhan Kenney of Applied Materials are joined by Katey Kennedy of the 1440 Foundation to talk about their journey of seeding, and scaling, a mindfulness program in schools.

Senior Fellow Dr. Robbie Pearl (Class XVII), recent CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, discusses his second book, Mistreated: Why We Think We're Getting Good Healthcare (and Why We're Usually Wrong) which hit #7 on the bestseller list. Dr. Pearl adamantly stresses that while fixing health insurance is critical, we need to focus as much on the way that medical care is technologically enabled, organized and delivered - for the good of the patient in all of us. Dr. Pearl is donating all book proceeds to charity.

These ALF Faith Leader Affinity Group members talk at a very personal level about race, bigotry and the power of listening. These unlikely allies came together to support one another, and in the process, envisioned a stategy to heal the fracture of perceived difference in our community.

Why are Silicon Valley community-based organizations struggling to meet demand in one of the wealthiest and most sophisticated regions in the world? Why aren’t more Silicon Valley philanthropists directing their dollars toward local organizations and issues, in addition to national or global causes? Senior Fellows Alexa Cortés Culwell and Heather McLeod Grant, co founders of Open Impact, set out to answer these questions in their recently released report, The Giving Code: Silicon Valley Nonprofits and Philanthropy. In this podcast, Heather shares a bit about their findings and what steps can be taken to bridge the giving gap.

Consultant/Coach and ALF Senior Fellow Amari Romero-Thomas (Class XVI)guides you to let go of what no longer serves you and turn your focus to the ONE thing. A perfect follow up to ALF's Taking Stock retreat.

ALF Faculty Member Jane Wei-Skillern discusses her research of nonprofit networks, examining how leaders that focus less on building their own institutions and instead invest to build strategic networks beyond their organizational boundaries can achieve dramatic gains in mission impact with the same or fewer resources.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez (Class XII) and Destination Home Executive Director Jennifer Loving (Class XXV) share their story of bringing public, private and non-profit stakeholders to the table to courageously and creatively address homelessness in Santa Clara County.

Senior Fellow Ann Ravel (Class XI) talks about the very deliberate choice she made to go public about the Federal Election Commission's dysfunction.