Engaging Austin

SaulPaul, Austin's Musician with a Message, joins Engaging Austin to discuss how quarantine helped him pivot, using vulnerability as a strength, and how being an entrepreneur is more than just running a business.  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast Become a supporter of Engaging Austin at www.patreon.com/engagingaustinpodcast ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Checking in with Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper Madison, City Council Member for District 1 in Austin, TX, to discuss topics including the response to the February ice storm in Texas, the importance of representation in government, and building civic engagement. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast Become a supporter of Engaging Austin at patreon.com/engagingaustinpodcast ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Natasha's previous interview can be found here Any Stansbury's interview, Episode 02 can be found here EA Anniversary Panel #2 with Ruben Cantu, Selena Xie and Colin Stansbury can be found here:

Austin for All People is a group of concerned citizens in Austin who are opposing Proposition F, or the Strong Mayor proposition, on the May 2021 ballot. Mason Ayer, CEO of Austin’s Kerbey Lane Cafe, joined Engaging Austin to explain the argument against changing Austin’s form of government. Find Austin for All People here: https://austinforallpeople.org/ https://twitter.com/Austin4AllPpl https://www.facebook.com/Austin4AllPpl ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast Become a supporter of Engaging Austin at patreon.com/engagingaustinpodcast ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RELATED EPISODE INFORMATION Austinites for Progressive Reform spoke with Engaging Austin in Episode 26

Ryan Ginard is a civic connector and fundraiser with over 15 years of experience in government, higher education, nonprofits and organized philanthropy. He joined Engaging Austin to discuss the ecosystem of philanthropy, innovation in fundraising and reframing the narrative around nonprofit sustainability.  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RELATED EPISODE INFORMATION Kyle Kerrigan discusses Nonprofit Innovation Briona Jenkins' Mastermind episode on Fundraising and Diversity episode can be found here   Sign up for the Engaging Austin Book Club: www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/bookclub

Austinites for Progressive Reform has submitted five ballot proposals for Austin's May 1, 2021 election that will fundamentally change the structure of city governance. Founder Andrew Allison joins Engaging Austin to discuss the details of each ballot proposal and how he believes they will make Austin "the most pro-democracy city in the country." For more information on APR, please go to www.austinprogress.org   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information about Engaging Austin, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

In our second anniversary panel conversation, Selena Xie of Austin EMS Association, Ruben Cantu of Community Resiliency Trust, and Colin Swanson of Mainspring Schools discuss the disastrous Ice Storm that hit Texas in February 2021, the community relief efforts that followed, and the need for continued community engagement and resiliency in a year that has taxed us all.  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RELATED EPISODE INFORMATION Selena Xie was a guest on Episode 3: https://www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/eaguests/episode-3-selena-xie Ruben Cantu was guest in Episode 21: https://www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/eaguests/episode-21-ruben-cantu Colin Swanson was featured on Nonprofit Masterminds, episode 5: https://www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/nonprofit-masterminds/ea-masterminds-05-budgets-that-tell-a-story

Student activists Nabila Eve and Krystal Salmeron joined Engaging Austin to discuss the efforts of Generation Ratify TX, a youth led organization dedicated to passing the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. Visit https://www.texasgenerationratify.org/ for more information Nabila can be found on social @nabilaeve Krystal can be found on social @krysenmy   Engaging Austin is a weekly podcast focusing on leaders in Austin's nonprofit and civic engagement spaces.    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sign up for the Engaging Austin Book Club: www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/bookclub

Sustainable Food Center’s Development Officer Naomi Silverman joined Engaging Austin to discuss the ways SFC meets the needs of Austinites experiencing food instability and the importance of incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion in nonprofit operations. Visit https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/ for more information about programs, farmers markets, and where to donate Engaging Austin is a weekly podcast interviewing leaders in Austin's nonprofit and civic engagement spaces.  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast  

Engaging Austin and The Tea with Bri join up again to discuss the winter storm disaster affecting Texas and how to help. 

In the summer of 2020, the Austin City Council voted to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in order to better utilize funds elsewhere. Following Texas HB 1325 that legalized hemp and CBD in the state, local law enforcements have been burdened with expensive testing protocols to test the amount of THC in any confiscated contraband.Austin-based criminal defense attorney Jesse Taylor joined Engaging Austin in July 2020 to discuss what these new regulations mean for Austinites, particularly those who are caught in the legal system for various minor infractions but are unable to fully liberate themselves because of compounding fees and fines.Engaging Austin is a weekly podcast where I interview leaders in Austin's nonprofit and civic engagement spaces.  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com.Follow Engaging Austin on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustin, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hitch_group, and Youtube ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++    

Engaging Austin Podcast turns one year old! To celebrate, we're bringing back former guests for a series of panels to check in on what our guests have been up to.Kyle Kerrigan and Pooja Sethi joined our first panel to talk about the updates in federal immigration policy, as well as the local Austin May ballot provisions: the proposed Strong Mayor shift, Democracy Dollars, and moving the Mayoral elections to a Presidential Election Year.Engaging Austin is a weekly podcast where I interview leaders in Austin's nonprofit and civic engagement spaces.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.comFollow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcastWatch video of this episode at https://youtu.be/3ifFqHQopEw++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Kyle's episode can be found here: https://khitchingham.podbean.com/e/episode-5-1582846111/ Pooja's episode can be found here: https://khitchingham.podbean.com/e/017-pooja-sethi/ Sign up for the Engaging Austin Book Club: www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/bookclub

Courtney Clark is an author, public speaker, and expert on nonprofit board service. She joined Engaging Austin's Nonprofit Masterminds to discuss how to be a better board member, what a board should and shouldn't do, and why you should ditch your board composition matrix.Engaging Austin is a weekly podcast where I interview leaders in Austin's nonprofit and civic engagement spaces. You can find Courtney’s work at www.courtneylclark.com++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++For more information, go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/engagingaustinpodcast++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Sign up for the Engaging Austin Book Club: www.engagingaustinpodcast.com/bookclub

Denise Hernandez is a lawyer by day and social entrepreneur by night, and she joined Engaging Austin in March 2020 to talk about social impact and entrepreneurship as the founder of Hustle for the Cause and Chingona Fest Texas. In this interview, we dive into Denise’s  passion for amplifying Latina voices, businesses, and cultural spaces, and what that looks like in Austin, creating cultural spaces and having difficult conversations, and the best models for social impact businesses.  For more information about our guests, please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com 

Colin Swanson, Business Manager at Austin's Mainspring Schools, draws upon her experience in the theater to inform her accounting and businesses career. In this conversation, Colin explains how budgets can tell stories and illustrate the values of a nonprofits. For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

In the first episode of The Tea About the Texas Lege, a collaboration between The Tea with Bri and Engaging Austin, Warren Burkely talks about criminal justice reform at the state level.Briona Jenkins is the host of The Tea With Bri Podcast, and Warren Burkley is a is a Texas native with a history of involvement with advocacy and justice movements. As a tech professional, he works to create equity in workplaces where employees of color are often underrepresented. As a musician and painter, he is an active member of the DIY arts scene in Austin, always uplifting the profiles of artists of color and in marginalized communities. For more information, please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com. 

In one of our favorite interviews of 2020, recorded March 6th,  the day SXSW was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruben Cantu joined us at Capital Factory studios to talk about the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in his career. He has worn many hats over the years and...well, just listen for yourself. It's a treat. For more information, please follow @engagingaustinpodcast on Instagram and go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com for more information about our guests.  

Cassie Davis, an Austin-based data and policy researcher, explains the critical role of data collection in drafting strong public policies that affect nonprofits and legislation. We discuss how service-based nonprofits can use key representation and "data walks" to frame and evaluate their programs and better serve the community.  For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it" is a common saying in nonprofits, but it can be difficult for smaller organizations to know where to start, what data to collect, and how to effectively tell their story using numbers. Dr Christian Bell of Eleven 11 Consulting explains the best questions to ask, how to sift through the noise in the numbers, and setting up your nonprofit to most effectively evaluate your work. For more information, please visit https://www.christianmbell.com/ or www.engagingaustinpodcast.com. 

Briona Jenkins of Briona Jenkins Consulting joins Engaging Austin to discuss her career as a nonprofit fundraising and marketing professional and the key steps an organization needs to take in order to create an effective and innovative fundraising campaign. We also discuss the nature of nonprofit culture and how board service can impact your professional development.  For more information, please visit www.brionajenkins.com and www.engagingaustinpodcast.com 

Recorded on March 2nd, Meme Styles, President and founder of MEASURE, joined Engaging Austin to discuss the crucial role of data in addressing societal disparities. MEASURE's Innocence Initiative addresses the adultification of Black Girls and the school to prison pipeline.  For more information, please visit https://www.measureaustin.org/ and www.engagingaustinpodcast.com. 

Glenaan O'Neil of Lone Stat Victims Advocacy Project shares her experience, successes and setbacks in starting a nonprofit from the ground up. What to do, what questions to ask, and what not to do are all covered in this episode. For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Mike Herschenfeld is running for Austin School Board, District 8, on a platform of systemic change including flexibility in enrollment and funding, and community input in school design.  Education is a crucial component of economic development, civic engagement, and quality of life for any city, and even if you don't have kids, Mike explains why understanding the educational system and implementing equitable changes is so important for every citizen.  For more information please visit mikeforaustin.com and engagingaustinpodcast.com

John Gorman, Austin-based essayist on culture, futurism and public affairs, joins Engaging Austin to discuss the Constitutional possibilities that would arise if the President is incapacitated by COVID-19, a deep dive into the Electoral College, and I make a really bad WAP joke.  For more information please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and please vote!   

On June 16, Pooja spoke joined Engaging Austin to discuss defunding the police, her vision for 10-1 Community Centers, and why if it ain't Austin, it ain't shit. Throughout her career, Pooja Sethi has advocated and spoken out for others. She brings a voice of equality, innovative thinking, and passion to the Austin community. As a mother, attorney, local business owner, and a nonprofit founder fighting for survivors of abuse and assault and their children, she exemplifies these values every day. Sethi serves on city committees and task forces to champion the rights of first responders, advocate for education for all and supports environmental initiatives because she strongly believes in an Austin that is safe, healthy, and green for everyone.For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com.

Recorded on June 12, Executive Director of Austin's The New Philanthropists joins Engaging Austin to discuss the importance of diversity in nonprofit Boards of Directors. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Paulina is a driven and self-directed Creative Thinker that has focused her career on delivering solutions for multicultural communities, as well as helping clients connect with audiences in relevant and meaningful ways.As a seasoned Creative, she has led above the line, below the line and experiential and cause marketing campaigns for a variety of clients including Bacardi REI, James R. Jordan Foundation, Nike and Capital IDEA. Most recently, Paulina has taken on a role as a Design Thinking Coach in the tech industry and is currently the Executive Director for The New Philanthropists. She's a scholar at life and is passionate about mentoring and philanthropy.For more information about Engaging Austin, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.org, and https://www.tnpaustin.org/ to learn more about The New Philanthropists. 

On April 10, I spoke with Austin City District 1 Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison to discuss the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Natasha Harper-Madison is a native Austinite who has dedicated her life to serving East Austin. She is a mother of 4 ranging in age from 8 to 23, and married to Austin Fire Department Lieutenant Thomas Madison. Growing up in poverty, she gained a deep and personal understanding of how important it is for Austin to prioritize affordability and offer pathways to economic mobility. After attending Arizona State University, Natasha returned to Austin to work in her community as an entrepreneur. She served as board president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association and also founded East Austin Advocates. In both roles, she deployed her skills for leadership and collaboration to advocate for small businesses and to help connect under-represented people with the resources they need to succeed.Natasha is also passionate about government that serves the people and is active with Take5toVote, an organization that helps constituents engage with their government by providing training and breaking down barriers like identification issues and transportation needs. This community-level activism sparked Natasha’s interest in seeking public office, a mission she fulfilled with her successful campaign for Austin City Council’s District 1 seat in 2018.For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

In response to the protests following the police murders of George Floyd, Mike Ramos, and thousands of other black men and women, Bri Jenkins and Megan Sappenfield join Engaging Austin for a candid conversation about racism and white supremacy. Recorded on May 31, 2020, this episode includes profanity and some sensitive subject material.  For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Recorded at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I share my thoughts about the effect of the crisis on my community.  For more information, please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Saatvik Aluwahlia is a Digital Strategist with Progress Texas, and he dialed in to Engaging Austin to discuss resiliency during the pandemic, manifesting your visions, and what he knows, not believes.  For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com 

For more information, please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Shaleiah Fox of Fresh Chefs Society spoke with us pre-pandemic about the importance of supporting the foster care system and how Fresh Chefs builds community, life skills, and stability for Texas children currently in the system.  For more information, please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Nathan Ryan, co-founder of Blue Sky Partners and Good Politics, spoke with us about engaging Austin's voters, working on the City of Austin Economic Prosperity Commission and Ethics Board, and weighs on on what's better for a grilled cheese: butter or mayonnaise?Find more information at www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Tune in tomorrow as Nate Ryan discusses engaging Austin citizens in local politics and the occasional fiery consequences, working on City commissions and helping organizations grow, and whether butter or mayonnaise is best for grilled cheese sandwiches. For more information, visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com. 

Chris Harris of Texas Appleseed talks about how he got involved in Austin community activism.  For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com!

LSVAP Founder and Executive Director Glenaan O'Neill and I talk about how to serve undocumented immigrants in rural Texas who are experiencing domestic violence.  Learn more about LSVAP at www.lsvap.org

The Giveback Initiative pairs Austinites who have lost their jobs to the COVID-related layoffs with nonprofits who have "shovel-ready" projects that will help build their capacity during this pandemic. You can donate at GoFundMe or learn more at https://www.hitchinghamgroup.com/giveback-what-we-do 

Kyle Kerrigan of Austin's Upbring nonprofit organization discusses new approaches to growing nonprofits using analytics and business development tools. Visit www.engagingsustinpodcast.com for more information! 

Kevin McLaughlin discusses urbanism and affordable housing in Austin, TX. Visit engagingaustinpodcast.com for more information. 

This week, we discuss the state of emergency services in Austin, Texas. Did you know the city still only has two ambulances for Downtown Austin, the same number as 10 years ago? Listen to why this information is so important to your health and the growth of the city! 

Amy Stansbury of Austin EcoNetwork (soon to be Austin Common) and A Functional Democracy shares how to get involved with local politics and buy an Electric Vehicle! For more information, visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Huge thank you to Austin Habitat for Humanity’s Greg Anderson for taking the plunge with me and talking about Austin’s housing situation and the Land Development Code.