Compassionate Las Vegas

Julian High United Way of Southern Nevada President and CEO With decades of experience in driving change and raising the bar for nonprofits and for-profit organizations, Julian High is well-equipped to bring transformative change as United Way of Southern Nevada's President and CEO. With deep roots in Las Vegas, Julian began his career as the Director of Community and Government Affairs for Sahara Gaming Corporation. As the first African American to serve in this role for a gaming corporation, Julian began his path to breaking new ground and aligning philanthropic giving with local issues. With a heart for serving the community, Julian moved to the East Coast to lead the national communication efforts to secure employment opportunities at National Industries for the Blind. To ensure that every member of the LGBTQ+ family has the freedom to live with equality under the law, Julian next became the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources for the Human Rights Campaign. Through his leadership and determination, the organization received national exposure for their work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Most recently, Julian served as the Founder and President of J3H Platinum, an executive management consultancy that has helped C-Suite executives build strong, cohesive teams and create effective communications, business, and political strategies. With the goal of devoting himself to helping the community where he grew up, Julian and his husband, Michael Vaughn, returned to Las Vegas. Growing up in the Westside neighborhood of Regal Estates, where he served as the Student Body President of Chaparral High School, Julian continues to be a strong advocate for connecting local neighborhoods to resources for all to have the opportunity to succeed. Julian is inspired to leverage resources in our community to match the $10 million donation that United Way of Southern Nevada received from Amazon co-founder MacKenzie Scott to help provide access to education, workforce development, and community support.

Twenty years ago Cristina Gonzalez, founded Ezer ABP a volunteering center in Monterrey with the goal of nurturing a culture of service and training leaders to address issues of grave concern in the community. When she started Ezer, Cristina envisioned an army, the right kind of army, to serve people in need. Ezer ABP, best known as the “Volunteer's home”, has franchised its model to the North (Chihuahua) and the south (Yucatan) of Mexico and now has 11 volunteering centers with around 18,000 volunteers bringing support to more than 384 NGOs. In 2003, she and a group of people founded Estima ABP, an organization that helps people suffering from stress, anxiety, and depression. In 2010, he founded and directed the FOMESUR social project in Galeana Nuevo Leon, in which for more than 5 years she rescued women from prostitution to integrate and train them in a maquila project on which they earned a regular income and could be close to their families. Cristina's passion to be a servant leader is highlighted in her work as a counselor at Retos ABP, Misioneras Catequistas de los Pobres, Human Development Subcommittee of the Nuevo Leon Council, NGO's Council of the Institute of the Youth of San Pedro, Delta Kappa Gamma chapter Nuevo Leon and a social activist of the O&O Academy in Mexico. She is a pioneer of the interreligious dialogue in Nuevo Leon and directed the first and second World Congress SER in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 became founder and director of Encuentro Mundial de Valores ABP, a non-profit organization dedicated to promote human values and intersectorial alliances for the development of community projects. She has 5 years leading “Compassionate Nuevo Leon” (Nuevo Leon por la Compasion) and celebrated 2 years on air with her radio program “Encuentro de Valores”. Cristina is an international speaker, a poet, and recipient of an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Cervantina. In addition to this endless list of service, Cristina has been the secretary to the International Charter for Compassion since 2018.

Prosocial Spirituality training is based on the Nobel Prize-winning work of Dr. Elinor Ostrom and Br. Wayne Teasdale's interspiritual vision. It promotes greater harmony, collaboration, and equity within and among groups, as well as cultivating spiritual depth and maturity in the individuals who make up those groups. Prosocial Spirituality, co-developed by Contemplative Life and Prosocial World, integrates evolutionary scientific concepts with universal spiritual practices to assist formal and informal groups of all sizes gain the tools they need to flourish and contribute in these difficult times.

Tiffany Biscoe shares she how delivers a Jolt of compassion at her three Las Vegas coffee shops where she lives the mantra "to inspire and be inspired." In this heartwarming conversation, Tiffany and Will Rucker talk about Guam, how the COVID-19 pandemic created positive changes for our community, TIABI's partnership that delivers over 300 meals each week, and why third spaces are critical.

DeAndre Esteen, Barclays Vice President, talks with Will Rucker about his journey to global success and why he thinks everyone should be involved in local change.

Join prolific spiritual writer, Joyce Rupp, and Will Rucker from the Compassionate Las Vegas podcast for a livestream interview event focused on the call to courageous, Boundless Compassion in our troubled world. For 15 years, Joyce has focused on living and teaching compassion with an ear and a heart for varied perspectives including: • Science and Medicine • Spiritual and Theology • Sociology and Psychology READINGS If you would like to get to know Joyce Rupp's writings before the event, try these books: Joyce Rupp: Essential Writings Joyce Rupp: Boundless Compassion This Stillpoint Speaker event is brought to you with support from Compassionate Las Vegas.

UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield is an experienced university administrator and prolific scholar in the fields of psychology, health, and aging. A psychologist and expert on the social, psychological, and cultural factors of cognition and healthy aging, Whitfield's current research focuses on the relationship between stress and longevity in African American families. Whitfield has authored or co-authored over 200 publications and has earned nearly $20 million in funding from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Science Foundation. He's a member of the NIA's National Advisory Council on Aging, and he has served on committees for the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Whitfield previously served as provost, senior vice president of academic affairs, and professor of psychology at Wayne State University in Michigan. Prior to Wayne State, he was vice provost for academic affairs at Duke University and held appointments as a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, a research professor in the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. He also was the co-director of the Center on Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research.

André C. Wade is the state director for Silver State Equality. In this role he leads legislative, fundraising and political efforts in the state of Nevada. Previously he was the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. With a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master's in Public Administration, André has worked in human services for more than 20 years in a variety of public and nonprofit contexts including at the National Alliance to End Homelessness as a program and policy analyst. André has served on several boards and committees focused on LGBTQ equality and inclusion such as the Human Rights Campaigns (HRC) steering committee in Las Vegas, HRC's All Children's All Families program and the Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund. Currently, André is the chair of the advisory committee for the Nevada Office of Minority Health and Equity. A native of Las Vegas, André is a certified SMART Flow Yoga instructor who enjoys traveling and reading. As Nevada's statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, Silver State Equality brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in Nevada and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. Silver State Equality is a Nevada-based program affiliated with and supported by Equality California and Equality California Institute, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Together, we're fighting for full LGBTQ+ equality on multiple fronts: Electing pro-equality champions, up and down the ballot; Passing pro-equality legislation in Carson City, Sacramento and Washington DC; Advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice in the courtroom; and Reducing disparities in LGBTQ+ health and well-being through education and advocacy.

As CEO of Set Life Images, Nicole Williams is at the forefront of a Marketing Agency and manages multiple accounts that focus on branding new and existing companies giving new life to her clients' businesses. She has 15 years experience to include marketing, event planning and graphic design for other organizations, having produced successful strategic and brand-building campaigns from start-up companies, political campaigns, and fortune 500corporations, Nicole has paved her own way as an innovative marketing engineer. After Nicole graduated from college she moved to Fayetteville, NC where she worked for Cumulus Media Group in the Promotions Department. Prior to launching her company in 2017, over the course of 7 years Nicole worked her way up the ladder from Leasing Consultant to Property Manager with Camden Property Trust. She was responsible for the daily operations of multi-million dollar assets, surpassing aggressive budget goals. She received national award recognition within the company, including several top performance accolades within the Nevada property portfolio. She also served as a mentor and a marketing task force leader in which she managed and performed marketing strategist that benefited the entire region. She was one of five selected to sit on the IN Committee with the owners of Camden to provide insight on how to attract the millennial renter. In 2016, Camden departed the market and Nicole was hired by the Picerne Group to lease up a new property in Henderson before the peak of the economic surge in Las Vegas. Leasing up to 95% occupancy in record time she saved the owner millions by qualifying the property for refinancing. Nicole was selected to the 2016-2017 Board of Directors for the Nevada State Apartment Association(NVSAA) where she chaired the prestigious Jewel Awards Committee for two years, a Multi-Family Awards Ceremony for the state of Nevada. She is an active member of the NVSAA participating in committees such as Bowling, Community Outreach, and Golf. She is an active member of the She's Got Her OwnNetwork serving as the Event Coordinator at the Water Bar and Lounge, and helping the CEO mentor women and high school students on how to start their own businesses. October 25, 2018 she received a Proclamation from theCity of Las Vegas Mayor Goodman, Congresswoman Titus and US Senator Cortez-Masto declaring the day be recognized as Set Life Images Day. The Governor and Senators defined the event as the first urban, diverse and heterosexual inclusive Las Vegas Pride Block Party of its kind in Southern Nevada. As her company continues to expand, she works very closely in the Las Vegas community partnering and collaborating with other industry professionals producing top-notch events. In 2019, the Urban Chamber of Commerce Women in Business & Politics recently honored Nicole at their annual Gala. Nicole was raised in Las Vegas, graduated from Clark High School receiving the Millennium Scholarship, and is an UNLV Cheer Alumni. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Visual Communications from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

Brian Knudsen was elected to represent Ward 1 in June 2019, enabling him to continue to pursue his passion of public service. Since moving to Las Vegas in 2005, Councilman Knudsen has built programs and services for people and populations in Las Vegas and continues to serve the community as a member of the City Council. For nearly a decade, he worked in the city of Las Vegas on initiatives that shaped the downtown core, redefined the educational landscape and rethought how city services are provided to Las Vegas residents. Councilman Knudsen has worked alongside nonprofit partners, community leaders and elected officials to expand after-school meal programs for children, and helped launch a city- and community-led initiative to improve education in our downtown core. Councilman Knudsen has more than 15 years of experience in city and state governments as well as time spent as the chief executive officer of a large nonprofit organization and as the owner of a small business. His experience covers multiple functions of government and nonprofit organizations and has focused on creating efficiencies, strategic planning and policy development. He is a founding member of Downtown Achieves, which became the city of Las Vegas' inspiration for creating the Department of Youth Development and Social Innovation. In addition, he is a founding member of Nevada's Big Give, a one-day, online giving event that has raised nearly three million dollars for Nevada charities. He also has served as vice chair of the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance, vice president of the McNeil Neighborhood Association and as a member of the Adoption Exchange Board. Councilman Knudsen has a Bachelor's of Science degree from the University of Utah in health education and mass communications. He also has a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California. Brian is happily married and he and his husband have adopted two children. Councilman Knudsen believes that his children, and all Las Vegans, deserve leadership committed to making Las Vegas an even better place to live, work and play. He plans to continue to build a community that ensures equal opportunity, has great schools, provides strong public safety, preserves our neighborhoods and strives to be world class in all we do. #PublicService #LasVegas #Parenting

Karl Catarata is a young social activist who is prepping for law school and a career in government. https://www.ted.com/talks/karl_catarata_generation_z_ers_in_the_extreme #immigration #compassion #civics

A Christmas "Hello."

Will Rucker discusses creating housing solutions for aging residents, and the importance of creating an inclusive community through conversation with LGBTQIA seniors expert Dr. Jason Flatt. Dr. Jason D. Flatt (He/Him/His) is an Assistant Professor in the Social and Behavioral Health Program at the UNLV School of Public Health. Jason's current research works to better understand the risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias among LGBTQ seniors. He also is exploring the role of affordable and inclusive housing for LGBTQ seniors (Building Healthy Outcomes Using a Supportive Environment or Building H.O.U.S.E). His research interests focus on improving health among vulnerable aging populations, including sexual and gender minorities, racial/ethnic minorities, and other disadvantaged groups. Dr. Flatt's research expertise includes implementation science, community based participatory research, epidemiology, mental health and aging, and health disparities of vulnerable populations including sexual and gender minorities. He has an on-going NIH/NIA grant on the epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in sexual and gender minority older adults.

Mauricia Baca returned to The Nature Conservancy in Nevada as State Director in November 2020 after previously serving as the chapter's Truckee River Project Director and Southern Nevada Project Director from 2005-2009. Since 2010, she served as the Executive Director of Get Outdoors Nevada, formerly known as the Outside Las Vegas Foundation. Baca also serves as Chair of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Advisory Council, and as a member on the Transportation Resource Advisory Committee for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, and the City of Henderson's Park and Recreation Board. In June 2020, she was appointed to serve as a member of the State of Nevada's Advisory Board on Outdoor Recreation. Prior to coming to Nevada, Baca served as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division for four years. While in law school, she interned for groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund. She has worked as a community organizer advocating for mass transit with the New York Public Interest Research Group, and she served a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon after graduating from Vassar College.

Lauren Chapple-Love, Ph.D. (she, her, Dr.), a licensed counseling psychologist, is the owner of Elle Psychological Services, LLC in Las Vegas, Nevada. She completed a bachelor's degree focused in Forensic Psychology in 2007 at Bay Path University, her master's in Forensic Psychology in 2010 at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, then went on to secure her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 2018 from The University of North Dakota. She earned additional experience in a pre-doctoral internship with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (2018) and completed post-doctoral training in 2020 at a forensic private practice. She is currently licensed as a psychologist in the state of Nevada. Dr. Chapple-Love's clinical experience primarily lies in Forensic and Correctional Psychology. While in the community, she has worked with court-mandated individuals and in sexual health. Dr. Chapple-Love has focused on diverse populations (e.g., LGBTQAI+, People of Color, the Kink community, etc.) and the ways that they process and can excel while living within systems of oppression and majority culture spaces. She is a member of the executive board of the Nevada Psychological Association (NPA), serving as the current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. Dr. Chapple-Love will also serve as the President-Elect of NPA, the first Black-identified psychologist to be elected in the organization's nearly 65 year history. She is the owner of Elle Psychological Services, LLC, a private practice that currently focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion training and consultation.

Compassionate Las Vegas believes that the need for more compassion is the most pressing issue of our time. There is data to support that love and compassion are not luxuries but necessities for human survival. Compassionate Las Vegas hosts and inspires a network of compassionate businesses, government institutions, groups, and individuals so that Las Vegas may be a more compassionate place to live, work, and play. So what has given me the most hope is the momentum that is built around being compassionate, particularly as it relates to how we will make it out of this pandemic together. The disparate impact has placed compassion at the forefront. The need, not only for compassion but for us to take a critical look at the ways in which we need to strengthen our systems and safety measures. So you can't have that conversation without talking about what compassion might be in a time like this. In previous years when we heard conversations about our digital divide or lack of tech technology capacity in communities, we would say, oh, there's no way we can overcome some of these challenges to see the community come together to ensure that the fifth largest district in the country has equipped all of the children to make sure that they can continue to learn while in this pandemic spoke volumes to not new possibility, because we had said something like that could never happen, but also foster new connections with organizations and an awareness of the ways in which it really is all interdependent. That's a really encouraging time.

Robert Majors shares his passion for providing housing to all. Support this podcast

Robert Majors shares his passion for providing housing to all. Support this podcast

Captain Ken Young is a native of Oakland, California. He relocated to Las Vegas in 1982 as a member of the United States Air Force. He served proudly from 1982 -1991. In 1991 Ken changed uniforms and became a member of the Clark County School District Police Department where he is still currently serving. Captain Young started his law enforcement journey 28 years ago; he worked his way up the ranks from campus officer to his current position as Captain. He is the Commander of the West Division. Over his 28-year career Captain Young has had the distinct honor of being first in a variety of areas to include the department's first Public Information Officer,he is the first African American Captain in the department's history. Captain Young has had the distinct honor of representing the department and state as a national instructor with an emphasis on Public Relations and Cultural Diversity. During his tenure Captain Young has served as the Commander for a variety of specialty units to include; Gang Unit, Problem Solving Unit, Field Initiative Team. He served as a Police Academy Instructor and Assistant Director Captain Young's hobbies include reading, fitness, and vintage cars. Captain Young is also an accomplished musician/vocalist and recording artist. He has worked with and toured the world with a variety of artists. Captain Young remains very active in the Faith-Based community. Following the example of his parents and various mentors, Captain Young has maintained a presence in a variety of community efforts, Youth mentor, and advocate for young men of color. He has participated in many grass-root initiatives to include Kops and Kids, Adopt a Cop, and Men of Standard. Local, national current and past affiliations include, National Association of School Resource Officers, National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, Weed and Seed Initiative, Council of Great City Schools, International Association of Chiefs of Police. As an active member of the Las Vegas My Brother's Keeper Alliance, Captain is currently a Co-Chair for the Law Enforcement Task Force. Captain Young has been recognized throughout his career for his accomplishments, he stated that of the many awards over his career the following are the dearest to him. Citizen of the Year, presented by The Brothers of Mega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Kappa Xi Chapter Las Vegas, NV. Distinguished Service Award, presented by the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. Distinguished Leadership Award, presented by the Victory Missionary Baptist Church Leadership Award, presented by Students Taking Action to Eliminate Unlawful Substance. The City Of Oakland California proclaimed February 2. 2007 as “Kenneth (Kenny) L Young Day” Captain Young stated that he is thankful for the many accolades that he has received over the years. He stated that nothing compares to hearing from a parent or a young person that he has mentored simply saying thanks. #MBK RestorativeJustice #Compassion Support this podcast

Captain Ken Young is a native of Oakland, California. He relocated to Las Vegas in 1982 as a member of the United States Air Force. He served proudly from 1982 -1991. In 1991 Ken changed uniforms and became a member of the Clark County School District Police Department where he is still currently serving. Captain Young started his law enforcement journey 28 years ago; he worked his way up the ranks from campus officer to his current position as Captain. He is the Commander of the West Division. Over his 28-year career Captain Young has had the distinct honor of being first in a variety of areas to include the department's first Public Information Officer,he is the first African American Captain in the department's history. Captain Young has had the distinct honor of representing the department and state as a national instructor with an emphasis on Public Relations and Cultural Diversity. During his tenure Captain Young has served as the Commander for a variety of specialty units to include; Gang Unit, Problem Solving Unit, Field Initiative Team. He served as a Police Academy Instructor and Assistant Director Captain Young's hobbies include reading, fitness, and vintage cars. Captain Young is also an accomplished musician/vocalist and recording artist. He has worked with and toured the world with a variety of artists. Captain Young remains very active in the Faith-Based community. Following the example of his parents and various mentors, Captain Young has maintained a presence in a variety of community efforts, Youth mentor, and advocate for young men of color. He has participated in many grass-root initiatives to include Kops and Kids, Adopt a Cop, and Men of Standard. Local, national current and past affiliations include, National Association of School Resource Officers, National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, Weed and Seed Initiative, Council of Great City Schools, International Association of Chiefs of Police. As an active member of the Las Vegas My Brother's Keeper Alliance, Captain is currently a Co-Chair for the Law Enforcement Task Force. Captain Young has been recognized throughout his career for his accomplishments, he stated that of the many awards over his career the following are the dearest to him. Citizen of the Year, presented by The Brothers of Mega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Kappa Xi Chapter Las Vegas, NV. Distinguished Service Award, presented by the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. Distinguished Leadership Award, presented by the Victory Missionary Baptist Church Leadership Award, presented by Students Taking Action to Eliminate Unlawful Substance. The City Of Oakland California proclaimed February 2. 2007 as “Kenneth (Kenny) L Young Day” Captain Young stated that he is thankful for the many accolades that he has received over the years. He stated that nothing compares to hearing from a parent or a young person that he has mentored simply saying thanks. #MBK RestorativeJustice #Compassion Support this podcast

Rich Harwood President & Founder, The Harwood Institute Author, Speaker, Innovator After working on more than 20 political campaigns and two highly respected non-profits, Rich Harwood set out to create something entirely different. He founded what is now known as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in 1988, when he was just 27 years old. Soon after, he wrote the ground-breaking report Citizen and Politics: A View from Main Street, the first national study to uncover that Americans did not feel apathetic about politics, but instead held a deep sense of anger and disconnection. Over the past 30 years, Rich has innovated and developed a new philosophy and practice of how communities can solve shared problems, create a culture of shared responsibility and deepen people's civic faith. The Harwood practice of Turning Outward has spread to all 50 U.S. States and is being used in 40 countries. Rich has invested his career in revitalizing the nation's hardest-hit communities, transforming the world's largest organizations and reconnecting institutions like newsrooms and schools to society. In Newtown, CT, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich led the process for the community to collectively decide the fate of the school building. Rich is an inspiring, sought-after speaker, who regularly keynotes major conferences and events. He appears regularly on major media outlets. He has written four books, scores of articles and numerous groundbreaking reports. He's also written numerous studies and articles that have appeared on national media including MSNBC, NPR, CNN's Inside Politics, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Special Report with Brit Hume and C-SPAN. Recently, he became a regular contributor to The Christian Citizen, a publication that provides thought on issues of justice, mercy and faith. Follow Rich t: @RichHarwood f: Rich Harwood Support this podcast

Rich Harwood President & Founder, The Harwood Institute Author, Speaker, Innovator After working on more than 20 political campaigns and two highly respected non-profits, Rich Harwood set out to create something entirely different. He founded what is now known as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in 1988, when he was just 27 years old. Soon after, he wrote the ground-breaking report Citizen and Politics: A View from Main Street, the first national study to uncover that Americans did not feel apathetic about politics, but instead held a deep sense of anger and disconnection. Over the past 30 years, Rich has innovated and developed a new philosophy and practice of how communities can solve shared problems, create a culture of shared responsibility and deepen people's civic faith. The Harwood practice of Turning Outward has spread to all 50 U.S. States and is being used in 40 countries. Rich has invested his career in revitalizing the nation's hardest-hit communities, transforming the world's largest organizations and reconnecting institutions like newsrooms and schools to society. In Newtown, CT, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich led the process for the community to collectively decide the fate of the school building. Rich is an inspiring, sought-after speaker, who regularly keynotes major conferences and events. He appears regularly on major media outlets. He has written four books, scores of articles and numerous groundbreaking reports. He's also written numerous studies and articles that have appeared on national media including MSNBC, NPR, CNN's Inside Politics, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Special Report with Brit Hume and C-SPAN. Recently, he became a regular contributor to The Christian Citizen, a publication that provides thought on issues of justice, mercy and faith. Follow Rich t: @RichHarwood f: Rich Harwood Support this podcast

Dr. Michael Karlin Assistant Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics Find out more at www.compassionateintegrity.org/ Dr. Michael Karlin has always been interested in how the human mind works. So while he wasn't sure what he wanted to do career-wise growing up, the Bethesda, Maryland native found himself gravitating toward psychology classes in undergraduate at the University of Georgia; he enjoyed learning what makes people tick, how mind and behavior are intrinsically linked. After earning his bachelor's degree in psychology, Dr. Karlin wasn't sure what to do next, and chose to go into business. It was the early ‘90s, and his forays into the business world found success via the new era of the Internet. “I ended up being successful in commercial banking,” he says. “With a couple of other partners, I started what ended up becoming the first bank on the Internet and the technology company that sold that technology to other banks and eventually brokerages and insurance companies.” He had made a successful career by learning on the job in a field he hadn't expected. “All along the way, as exciting and fun and lucrative as it was, I realized that it was not really what I wanted to be doing,” he recalls. “It was kind of an empty life, and I wanted more.” He retired from the business and started a nonprofit that launched two large mythology and story-telling conferences and performance festivals here in Atlanta. Through that experience, he recognized that he wanted to continue learning and studying – he enrolled in graduate school and earned a Master's in Religious Studies at Georgia State University. He just completed his PhD in Religious Studies at Emory University in 2014, with a focus on the interface between religion and psychology. The teaching of compassion in schools is still an unusual concept, even for more traditional psychology students who often study mental illness diagnosis rather than prevention. But Life University's holistic focus on overall mental health, not just diagnosis, puts an emphasis on these types of pro-social emotions. “A lot of people are skeptical going into it,” Dr. Karlin says of teaching compassion in class. “Often times the image of compassion is soft or new age-y.” But he points out that to have compassion, you must have courage, and students are able to use meditation exercises to cultivate skills that lead to compassion. Unlike many academic programs, this becomes a first-person experience. “Many courses just convey knowledge and then ask students to critically analyze or apply that knowledge,” says Dr. Karlin. “We're asking students to really embody that knowledge.” And while an onslaught of media might have jaded the average American, Dr. Karlin says compassion is built into the human DNA, an undeniable biological factor. “It's not this thin veneer that we've sort of built on through society to hold down our ‘evil nature,'” he says. “You're always going to see elements of compassion cropping up, and people acting benevolently and helping others. Clearly we have a long way to go to take that biological compassion into a universal compassion – that'll take time, generations perhaps, but we're doing our best.” He says that practicing compassion is an essential part of good health, just like diet and exercise. As an associate director of LIFE's Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics, Dr. Karlin is involved in a lot of forward-thinking programs that hope to use compassion-based training to make a larger impact on society. “The CCISE is based on looking at the fundamental human values that promote human, social and environment flourishing,” he says. “These are values we can look at through empirical evidence and design research studies around. If we can look to science and say: What does the body look like when it's feeling compassionate instead of angry? What does it look like when we're... Support this podcast

Dr. Michael Karlin Assistant Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics Find out more at www.compassionateintegrity.org/ Dr. Michael Karlin has always been interested in how the human mind works. So while he wasn't sure what he wanted to do career-wise growing up, the Bethesda, Maryland native found himself gravitating toward psychology classes in undergraduate at the University of Georgia; he enjoyed learning what makes people tick, how mind and behavior are intrinsically linked. After earning his bachelor's degree in psychology, Dr. Karlin wasn't sure what to do next, and chose to go into business. It was the early ‘90s, and his forays into the business world found success via the new era of the Internet. “I ended up being successful in commercial banking,” he says. “With a couple of other partners, I started what ended up becoming the first bank on the Internet and the technology company that sold that technology to other banks and eventually brokerages and insurance companies.” He had made a successful career by learning on the job in a field he hadn't expected. “All along the way, as exciting and fun and lucrative as it was, I realized that it was not really what I wanted to be doing,” he recalls. “It was kind of an empty life, and I wanted more.” He retired from the business and started a nonprofit that launched two large mythology and story-telling conferences and performance festivals here in Atlanta. Through that experience, he recognized that he wanted to continue learning and studying – he enrolled in graduate school and earned a Master's in Religious Studies at Georgia State University. He just completed his PhD in Religious Studies at Emory University in 2014, with a focus on the interface between religion and psychology. The teaching of compassion in schools is still an unusual concept, even for more traditional psychology students who often study mental illness diagnosis rather than prevention. But Life University's holistic focus on overall mental health, not just diagnosis, puts an emphasis on these types of pro-social emotions. “A lot of people are skeptical going into it,” Dr. Karlin says of teaching compassion in class. “Often times the image of compassion is soft or new age-y.” But he points out that to have compassion, you must have courage, and students are able to use meditation exercises to cultivate skills that lead to compassion. Unlike many academic programs, this becomes a first-person experience. “Many courses just convey knowledge and then ask students to critically analyze or apply that knowledge,” says Dr. Karlin. “We're asking students to really embody that knowledge.” And while an onslaught of media might have jaded the average American, Dr. Karlin says compassion is built into the human DNA, an undeniable biological factor. “It's not this thin veneer that we've sort of built on through society to hold down our ‘evil nature,'” he says. “You're always going to see elements of compassion cropping up, and people acting benevolently and helping others. Clearly we have a long way to go to take that biological compassion into a universal compassion – that'll take time, generations perhaps, but we're doing our best.” He says that practicing compassion is an essential part of good health, just like diet and exercise. As an associate director of LIFE's Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics, Dr. Karlin is involved in a lot of forward-thinking programs that hope to use compassion-based training to make a larger impact on society. “The CCISE is based on looking at the fundamental human values that promote human, social and environment flourishing,” he says. “These are values we can look at through empirical evidence and design research studies around. If we can look to science and say: What does the body look like when it's feeling compassionate instead of angry? What does it look like when we're... Support this podcast

Aimee Tram of Anytown Youth Council guest hosts Compassionate Las Vegas - The Podcast with Kathi Thomas of the City of Las Vegas and Heather Engle of Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Support this podcast

Aimee Tram of Anytown Youth Council guest hosts Compassionate Las Vegas - The Podcast with Kathi Thomas of the City of Las Vegas and Heather Engle of Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Support this podcast

Shawnta Jackson is that person who leaves a lasting impression. She motivates, challenges, and provides thought-provoking dialogue. She is a leader, mother, author, internet talk show host, and social entrepreneur with a vision to help people to help themselves and others. She is defying all limitations by succeeding as a single-mother and small business owner who for the past 12 years has been relied upon by organizations and teams across the United States to help implement and evaluate socially conscious programs and initiatives. She also serves as a facilitator and guest speaker for various audiences. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in social and behavioral health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Columbia College Chicago. Shawnta is originally from Las Vegas and resides in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area with her son, Zachary. Learn more about Shawnta at ShawntaJackson.com #journaling #compassion #Entrepreneurship Support this podcast

Shawnta Jackson is that person who leaves a lasting impression. She motivates, challenges, and provides thought-provoking dialogue. She is a leader, mother, author, internet talk show host, and social entrepreneur with a vision to help people to help themselves and others. She is defying all limitations by succeeding as a single-mother and small business owner who for the past 12 years has been relied upon by organizations and teams across the United States to help implement and evaluate socially conscious programs and initiatives. She also serves as a facilitator and guest speaker for various audiences. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in social and behavioral health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Columbia College Chicago. Shawnta is originally from Las Vegas and resides in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area with her son, Zachary. Learn more about Shawnta at ShawntaJackson.com #journaling #compassion #Entrepreneurship Support this podcast

Abandoned at the Reno airport, adopted, and the search for a biological relative. A former non-profit executive with a 15+ year track record of success, Elizabeth Hunterton is now an author, consultant and speaker. She started life as an abandoned newborn found at the Reno International Airport, became the first Black woman to win Miss Nevada, and represented the Silver State at the iconic Miss America Pageant. Today she shows individuals and organizations how to reach the pinnacle of potential by having impactful conversations in judgement-free zones, thus healing rifts. With arguably one of the most astonishing life experiences, her story of creating belonging by building bridges in difficult places will inspire and empower you to: triumph over adversity, connect authentically, and do your part to change the world. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Japanese, and Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She and her work have been featured on: Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Jet Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Montel, and CNN. Elizabeth resides in Las Vegas as the lone female with her West Point Army Ranger husband, 5 and 6-year-old sons, 18-year-old bonus son (stepson), and two senior dogs. Support this podcast

Abandoned at the Reno airport, adopted, and the search for a biological relative. A former non-profit executive with a 15+ year track record of success, Elizabeth Hunterton is now an author, consultant and speaker. She started life as an abandoned newborn found at the Reno International Airport, became the first Black woman to win Miss Nevada, and represented the Silver State at the iconic Miss America Pageant. Today she shows individuals and organizations how to reach the pinnacle of potential by having impactful conversations in judgement-free zones, thus healing rifts. With arguably one of the most astonishing life experiences, her story of creating belonging by building bridges in difficult places will inspire and empower you to: triumph over adversity, connect authentically, and do your part to change the world. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Japanese, and Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She and her work have been featured on: Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Jet Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Montel, and CNN. Elizabeth resides in Las Vegas as the lone female with her West Point Army Ranger husband, 5 and 6-year-old sons, 18-year-old bonus son (stepson), and two senior dogs. Support this podcast

A former non-profit executive with a 15+ year track record of success, Elizabeth Hunterton is now an author, consultant and speaker. She started life as an abandoned newborn found at the Reno International Airport, became the first Black woman to win Miss Nevada, and represented the Silver State at the iconic Miss America Pageant. Today she shows individuals and organizations how to reach the pinnacle of potential by having impactful conversations in judgement-free zones, thus healing rifts. With arguably one of the most astonishing life experiences, her story of creating belonging by building bridges in difficult places will inspire and empower you to: triumph over adversity, connect authentically, and do your part to change the world. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Japanese, and Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She and her work have been featured on: Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Jet Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Montel, and CNN. Elizabeth resides in Las Vegas as the lone female with her West Point Army Ranger husband, 5 and 6-year-old sons, 18-year-old bonus son (stepson), and two senior dogs. https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/adoption (#adoption)​ https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/compassion (#compassion)​ https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackhistory (#blackhistory) Support this podcast

A former non-profit executive with a 15+ year track record of success, Elizabeth Hunterton is now an author, consultant and speaker. She started life as an abandoned newborn found at the Reno International Airport, became the first Black woman to win Miss Nevada, and represented the Silver State at the iconic Miss America Pageant. Today she shows individuals and organizations how to reach the pinnacle of potential by having impactful conversations in judgement-free zones, thus healing rifts. With arguably one of the most astonishing life experiences, her story of creating belonging by building bridges in difficult places will inspire and empower you to: triumph over adversity, connect authentically, and do your part to change the world. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Japanese, and Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She and her work have been featured on: Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Jet Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Montel, and CNN. Elizabeth resides in Las Vegas as the lone female with her West Point Army Ranger husband, 5 and 6-year-old sons, 18-year-old bonus son (stepson), and two senior dogs. https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/adoption (#adoption)​ https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/compassion (#compassion)​ https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackhistory (#blackhistory) Support this podcast

Kathi Thomas has more than 20 years of experience implementing federal grant programs, including Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Welfare-to-Work, and other special-purpose programs for at-risk communities. She is often a convener of key stakeholders and has successfully addressed complex, longstanding problems through collaborative leadership approaches. She has been with the city for four years and previously served as the city's community resource manager. She has worked in both the not-for-profit and public sectors to enhance meaningful change in service delivery systems so that programs are efficient and effective. Kathi oversees key projects addressing homelessness, affordable housing development, education, youth services, neighborhood revitalization, and services for special-needs populations. She has been an adjunct instructor and frequent lecturer for higher-education systems in Nevada and California. She has a master's degree in public administration from National University and received her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Support this podcast

Kathi Thomas has more than 20 years of experience implementing federal grant programs, including Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Welfare-to-Work, and other special-purpose programs for at-risk communities. She is often a convener of key stakeholders and has successfully addressed complex, longstanding problems through collaborative leadership approaches. She has been with the city for four years and previously served as the city's community resource manager. She has worked in both the not-for-profit and public sectors to enhance meaningful change in service delivery systems so that programs are efficient and effective. Kathi oversees key projects addressing homelessness, affordable housing development, education, youth services, neighborhood revitalization, and services for special-needs populations. She has been an adjunct instructor and frequent lecturer for higher-education systems in Nevada and California. She has a master's degree in public administration from National University and received her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Support this podcast

Kathi Thomas has more than 20 years of experience implementing federal grant programs, including Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Welfare-to-Work, and other special-purpose programs for at-risk communities. She is often a convener of key stakeholders and has successfully addressed complex, longstanding problems through collaborative leadership approaches. She has been with the city for four years and previously served as the city's community resource manager. She has worked in both the not-for-profit and public sectors to enhance meaningful change in service delivery systems so that programs are efficient and effective. Kathi oversees key projects addressing homelessness, affordable housing development, education, youth services, neighborhood revitalization, and services for special-needs populations. She has been an adjunct instructor and frequent lecturer for higher-education systems in Nevada and California. She has a master's degree in public administration from National University and received her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Support this podcast

Kathi Thomas has more than 20 years of experience implementing federal grant programs, including Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Welfare-to-Work, and other special-purpose programs for at-risk communities. She is often a convener of key stakeholders and has successfully addressed complex, longstanding problems through collaborative leadership approaches. She has been with the city for four years and previously served as the city's community resource manager. She has worked in both the not-for-profit and public sectors to enhance meaningful change in service delivery systems so that programs are efficient and effective. Kathi oversees key projects addressing homelessness, affordable housing development, education, youth services, neighborhood revitalization, and services for special-needs populations. She has been an adjunct instructor and frequent lecturer for higher-education systems in Nevada and California. She has a master's degree in public administration from National University and received her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Support this podcast

Emily Paulsen has served as the Executive Director of the Nevada Alliance since the Spring of 2016. She believes housing is a human right and is dedicated to building a socially just community where everyone can be housed. Originally from the northern central valley and bay area of California, Emily transplanted to Las Vegas in 2008. She is a doer of all things homeless related and has worked as a street outreach worker, case manager, permanent housing manager, program developer, homeless system innovator, advocate, collaboration builder, service coordinator, and voice for the homeless. She is a lifelong learner, steadfast in the knowledge that an end to homelessness is not only possible but the ultimate purpose of her work. In her article published in the Nevada Independent, Emily says, "In Southern Nevada there are more people experiencing homelessness on any given night than there are shelter beds or other resources. As a result, the shelters are full most nights of the year and thousands of people sleep on sidewalks, in storm drains and other places where no human should live. Not only are there not enough shelter beds for everyone in need, there are even fewer beds for especially vulnerable populations like youth, families, transgender individuals, disabled persons in wheelchairs and women. Nearly 1,800 homeless individuals and families are waiting for placement into a homeless service program today. They want help, but we don't have enough resources to go around. Some of them will be lucky enough to get one of the limited shelter beds available, but many will not. This is a problem, and one that should be addressed urgently. Mayor Carolyn Goodman's proposed ordinance to ticket or arrest people for camping outdoors will not solve this problem. In fact, if passed this ordinance will hurt the region's progress on reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is solvable. We don't lack solutions; we lack the political will to take proven solutions to scale. The mayor can't rightly claim that people need a ticket or jail sentence in order to be motivated to leave the street, when there are nearly 1,800 people waiting for assistance today, and we don't have the resources available to help them. During this critical time, the City of Las Vegas should not create policies that offer no evidence of success and which counter federal policy, hurt collaborative regional efforts, harm highly vulnerable populations and waste scarce public resources. By working together and investing in the expansion and preservation of affordable housing, and in evidenced-based solutions like supportive housing, we can build our homeless response system up so that homelessness is rare, and episodes are brief and non-recurring. There are many actions local government and private businesses can take to achieve this, and now is the time to double-down on those solutions. I'm committed to doing my part. Join me." Emily Paulsen, MSW, has been a homeless service provider and advocate for more than a decade in Southern NV. She is the executive director of the Nevada Homeless Alliance, co-chair of the Southern NV Homelessness Continuum of Care Board, a cross-sector body that leads regional efforts to end homelessness, and the chair of the Policy Council on Homelessness. Support this podcast

Emily Paulsen has served as the Executive Director of the Nevada Alliance since the Spring of 2016. She believes housing is a human right and is dedicated to building a socially just community where everyone can be housed. Originally from the northern central valley and bay area of California, Emily transplanted to Las Vegas in 2008. She is a doer of all things homeless related and has worked as a street outreach worker, case manager, permanent housing manager, program developer, homeless system innovator, advocate, collaboration builder, service coordinator, and voice for the homeless. She is a lifelong learner, steadfast in the knowledge that an end to homelessness is not only possible but the ultimate purpose of her work. In her article published in the Nevada Independent, Emily says, "In Southern Nevada there are more people experiencing homelessness on any given night than there are shelter beds or other resources. As a result, the shelters are full most nights of the year and thousands of people sleep on sidewalks, in storm drains and other places where no human should live. Not only are there not enough shelter beds for everyone in need, there are even fewer beds for especially vulnerable populations like youth, families, transgender individuals, disabled persons in wheelchairs and women. Nearly 1,800 homeless individuals and families are waiting for placement into a homeless service program today. They want help, but we don't have enough resources to go around. Some of them will be lucky enough to get one of the limited shelter beds available, but many will not. This is a problem, and one that should be addressed urgently. Mayor Carolyn Goodman's proposed ordinance to ticket or arrest people for camping outdoors will not solve this problem. In fact, if passed this ordinance will hurt the region's progress on reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness.   Homelessness is solvable. We don't lack solutions; we lack the political will to take proven solutions to scale. The mayor can't rightly claim that people need a ticket or jail sentence in order to be motivated to leave the street, when there are nearly 1,800 people waiting for assistance today, and we don't have the resources available to help them. During this critical time, the City of Las Vegas should not create policies that offer no evidence of success and which counter federal policy, hurt collaborative regional efforts, harm highly vulnerable populations and waste scarce public resources.  By working together and investing in the expansion and preservation of affordable housing, and in evidenced-based solutions like supportive housing, we can build our homeless response system up so that homelessness is rare, and episodes are brief and non-recurring. There are many actions local government and private businesses can take to achieve this, and now is the time to double-down on those solutions. I'm committed to doing my part. Join me."  Emily Paulsen, MSW, has been a homeless service provider and advocate for more than a decade in Southern NV. She is the executive director of the Nevada Homeless Alliance, co-chair of the Southern NV Homelessness Continuum of Care Board, a cross-sector body that leads regional efforts to end homelessness, and the chair of the Policy Council on Homelessness. Support this podcast

Linda Alterwitz a visual artist whose artwork engages photography, collage and interactive installations. Her projects focus on the unseen rhythms of the human body and our relationship to the natural world. Alterwitz's creative practice has been informed by a thirteen-year exploration of scientific technologies that provide visualizations of our physical and cognitive states. In 2015, Alterwitz was the recipient of the Nevada Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship. Her work has been published in Smithsonian Magazine, Orion Magazine, The New Statesman, Musee Magazine among others. She has exhibited her work in both traditional exhibition and site-specific installations in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Spain, Israel, Germany, Greece and Poland. Alterwitz lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23justbreathe (#justbreathe) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23artandscience (#artandscience) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23compassion (#compassion) Support this podcast

Linda Alterwitz a visual artist whose artwork engages photography, collage and interactive installations. Her projects focus on the unseen rhythms of the human body and our relationship to the natural world. Alterwitz's creative practice has been informed by a thirteen-year exploration of scientific technologies that provide visualizations of our physical and cognitive states. In 2015, Alterwitz was the recipient of the Nevada Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship. Her work has been published in Smithsonian Magazine, Orion Magazine, The New Statesman, Musee Magazine among others. She has exhibited her work in both traditional exhibition and site-specific installations in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Spain, Israel, Germany, Greece and Poland. Alterwitz lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23justbreathe (#justbreathe) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23artandscience (#artandscience) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23compassion (#compassion) Support this podcast

Alex Bybee sees educational equity as a moral imperative that is required to fulfill America's promise to our children. He brings this truth to his role as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Communities in Schools of Nevada—the fifth-largest state office of the nation's leading dropout prevention organization that serves over 70,000 students in 75 schools across the Clark, Elko, Humboldt, and Washoe County school districts. Alex leads key strategic projects for the organization, builds relationships with elected and community stakeholders to amplify the impact of the mission, and advises the CEO on the education policy landscape. Previously, he worked for Teach Plus, where he served as the inaugural State Leader for Nevada and led his teachers in legislative efforts which preserved student outcomes as part of Nevada's teacher evaluation system and overhauled Nevada's decades-old school finance plan to achieve greater equity in the state's funding formula. A lifelong Nevadan, graduate of the Clark County School District (CCSD), and proud alumnus of the Honors Program at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), he is deeply and personally invested in the health, education, and wellbeing of Nevada's children and families. His passion for our education system dates back to his involvement as a student advocate in CCSD and at UNR, having served as the President of the Nevada Association of Student Councils, Chairman of the Nevada Youth Legislature and Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada. He stays actively engaged as a mentor, counselor and workshop presenter to each of the organizations for which he is an alum. For three years, Alex served on the steering committee and National Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) which envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. He remains engaged as a volunteer and fundraiser for pro-equality candidates in Nevada. His most meaningful accomplishment is managing and leading the strategy for Save Our Schools Washoe in the 2016 election cycle, which brought together a diverse and broad-based coalition of partners that successfully campaigned for passage of a ballot initiative that provides a new and permanent funding stream for the construction and repair of Washoe County schools — an estimated $800 million over the next decade. Alex is an alumnus of the Jameson Fellowship and a member of the Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2020. He stays connected to his passion for civic discourse and independent journalism by serving as a moderator for the Sun Youth Forum and as a founding co-chair of the Advisory Board of The Nevada Independent. Outside of nonprofits and politics, he loves design, the arts, and being in nature. Connect with him on LinkedIn or tweet him at @AlexBybeeNV. His pronouns are he/him/his. #education #mentor #compassion Support this podcast

Alex Bybee sees educational equity as a moral imperative that is required to fulfill America's promise to our children. He brings this truth to his role as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Communities in Schools of Nevada—the fifth-largest state office of the nation's leading dropout prevention organization that serves over 70,000 students in 75 schools across the Clark, Elko, Humboldt, and Washoe County school districts. Alex leads key strategic projects for the organization, builds relationships with elected and community stakeholders to amplify the impact of the mission, and advises the CEO on the education policy landscape. Previously, he worked for Teach Plus, where he served as the inaugural State Leader for Nevada and led his teachers in legislative efforts which preserved student outcomes as part of Nevada's teacher evaluation system and overhauled Nevada's decades-old school finance plan to achieve greater equity in the state's funding formula. A lifelong Nevadan, graduate of the Clark County School District (CCSD), and proud alumnus of the Honors Program at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), he is deeply and personally invested in the health, education, and wellbeing of Nevada's children and families. His passion for our education system dates back to his involvement as a student advocate in CCSD and at UNR, having served as the President of the Nevada Association of Student Councils, Chairman of the Nevada Youth Legislature and Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada. He stays actively engaged as a mentor, counselor and workshop presenter to each of the organizations for which he is an alum. For three years, Alex served on the steering committee and National Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) which envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. He remains engaged as a volunteer and fundraiser for pro-equality candidates in Nevada. His most meaningful accomplishment is managing and leading the strategy for Save Our Schools Washoe in the 2016 election cycle, which brought together a diverse and broad-based coalition of partners that successfully campaigned for passage of a ballot initiative that provides a new and permanent funding stream for the construction and repair of Washoe County schools — an estimated $800 million over the next decade. Alex is an alumnus of the Jameson Fellowship and a member of the Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2020. He stays connected to his passion for civic discourse and independent journalism by serving as a moderator for the Sun Youth Forum and as a founding co-chair of the Advisory Board of The Nevada Independent. Outside of nonprofits and politics, he loves design, the arts, and being in nature. Connect with him on LinkedIn or tweet him at @AlexBybeeNV. His pronouns are he/him/his. #education #mentor #compassion Support this podcast

The Cupcake Girls provides confidential support to those involved in the sex industry, as well as trauma-informed outreach, intensive case management, holistic resources, and referral services to provide prevention, and aftercare to those affected by sex trafficking. They provide non-judgmental support to empower our clients in their pursuits through respect, resources, and relationships. The Cupcake Girls is launching Local For All, the first of its kind community-driven social enterprise and holistic resource center which combines the mission-driven work of a nonprofit with the sustainability of a public-facing business. Local For All will be a safe and inclusive space for our clients and local community to shop, eat, work and receive pro bono and/or low-cost mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and financial support and resources. Local For All is collaborating with local community partners, businesses, and individuals, many of whom will rent space in our facility and/or offer services to our clients. Local For All is a business entity of The Cupcake Girls where 10% of every dollar in revenue will go towards a local nonprofit, most of which will go directly back to cover the operating costs of our Resource Center. Anyone who enters this space will understand that when they spend money here, they are directly supporting social change in their community. https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNDWk5IUmNpVGtoZkpOYnhZWkVmT2pINDBhUXxBQ3Jtc0tubXRGX3BhVHhpYWlrczJITGNPUjlUeEZ0UFBvUkhJWUUxdkNqZVpTNDBRNnUtUTd2eHNSaXFBY3J5YUJzV05aLThycTFscWNfdFpIdWJrNm9CV1E0bEVWbFdPM3M4T19RVHM0cUU5Sm1QRFhZQU1IYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fthecupcakegirls.org%2F (https://thecupcakegirls.org/)​ https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2lCdHFMU2E4VDdJUHBWNFY2Z2FpMGcwZlNuQXxBQ3Jtc0trM3djMVBwbUdKd1V0WExkT0xiNnpzTl9SeDVRWmoybDJFYldwYzZXNkRpUDRHVHFGY1RvZGRiSUpxRTQ4bXRVQlEtMWRsbG5aRFBlV0hBNGFpVUZGU3ROSjVzQ1k0TnpPcFg1S1ZKc1ozTVVwcE8yTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.localforall.org%2F (https://www.localforall.org/) Support this podcast

The Cupcake Girls provides confidential support to those involved in the sex industry, as well as trauma-informed outreach, intensive case management, holistic resources, and referral services to provide prevention, and aftercare to those affected by sex trafficking. They provide non-judgmental support to empower our clients in their pursuits through respect, resources, and relationships. The Cupcake Girls is launching Local For All, the first of its kind community-driven social enterprise and holistic resource center which combines the mission-driven work of a nonprofit with the sustainability of a public-facing business. Local For All will be a safe and inclusive space for our clients and local community to shop, eat, work and receive pro bono and/or low-cost mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and financial support and resources. Local For All is collaborating with local community partners, businesses, and individuals, many of whom will rent space in our facility and/or offer services to our clients. Local For All is a business entity of The Cupcake Girls where 10% of every dollar in revenue will go towards a local nonprofit, most of which will go directly back to cover the operating costs of our Resource Center. Anyone who enters this space will understand that when they spend money here, they are directly supporting social change in their community. https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNDWk5IUmNpVGtoZkpOYnhZWkVmT2pINDBhUXxBQ3Jtc0tubXRGX3BhVHhpYWlrczJITGNPUjlUeEZ0UFBvUkhJWUUxdkNqZVpTNDBRNnUtUTd2eHNSaXFBY3J5YUJzV05aLThycTFscWNfdFpIdWJrNm9CV1E0bEVWbFdPM3M4T19RVHM0cUU5Sm1QRFhZQU1IYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fthecupcakegirls.org%2F (https://thecupcakegirls.org/)​ https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2lCdHFMU2E4VDdJUHBWNFY2Z2FpMGcwZlNuQXxBQ3Jtc0trM3djMVBwbUdKd1V0WExkT0xiNnpzTl9SeDVRWmoybDJFYldwYzZXNkRpUDRHVHFGY1RvZGRiSUpxRTQ4bXRVQlEtMWRsbG5aRFBlV0hBNGFpVUZGU3ROSjVzQ1k0TnpPcFg1S1ZKc1ozTVVwcE8yTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.localforall.org%2F (https://www.localforall.org/) Support this podcast

Joyce Bosen Creator and Founder of Trauma Recovery Yoga (TRY) Joyce Bosen received her 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certification in Ashtanga yoga after shadowing her mentor Ki F. Kosut at the Ki-Atsu LMT, CPT, RYT at the Institute of Healing Arts for 12 months. Joyce continued to hone her skills as an Ayurveda Consultant and certified T.M. (Transcendental Meditation). Shortly after Joyce created a class called S.O.S. (seriously out of shape) and taught in back rooms of salons and spas to those who were obese, physically, medically, or emotionally unable or unwilling to join a typical yoga class at a gym or studio. It has always been Joyce's stance that “Yoga is for Every-Body”. Over the years Joyce accumulated many CEU's and attended numerous conferences aimed at helping vulnerable populations. Among these certifications are; Restorative Yoga for Back and Spine Injury/Disease from All About Yoga and Trauma-Informed Outreach Certification from The Connection Coalition. As well as workshops hosted by Bessel Van der kolk, Author of The Body Keeps the Score and Dr. James Gordon from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Joyce has experienced multiple traumas herself and those experiences have gifted her with profound empathy. She is drawn to help marginalized populations. In 2012 after watching her 22-year-old son die, Joyce's desire to help was turbo-boosted. She began to research her PTSD diagnosis and work with other mind-body professionals to create a method that helped relieve her own symptoms. After counselors observed her improvement, she was asked to teach this method at the vet center where she herself was receiving talk therapy and quickly found herself very busy teaching at many agencies who needed her style of science-based yoga as a somatic intervention and therapy. Joyce and her husband Darwin co-found Trauma Recovery Yoga and are contracted to teach: at-risk youth at multiple schools, traumatic brain injury patients, PTSD vets and over-comers of other traumas such as traumatic grief, sexual assault, and domestic violence. In 2017 Trauma Recovery Yoga was awarded “The Compassionate Cities award” by the mayor of Las Vegas after the 1 October shooting, for T.R.Y.s offering of free classes in 11 location across the Las Vegas community for those effected. In June 2018 Trauma Recovery Yoga traveled to Denver CO and representing Las Vegas who was awarded the “All America Cities award” for their work to bring these self-regulating tools of yoga to the at-risk youth in Las Vegas through their “Mindful Movement” program. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23yoga (#yoga) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23compassionatelasvegas (#compassionatelasvegas) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23mindbodymedicine (#mindbodymedicine) Support this podcast