Uncharted Territory

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Theo Wilson, a Black man, who went undercover online as a white supremacist. We discuss his experience exploring the online communities of the alt-right and white supremacy, and he shares perspective about our moment of divisiveness, racial tension, Black Lives Matter, and identities rooted in politics and fear.Theo Wilson is spoken word artist, pianist, actor, singer, rapper, dancer, and activist. A winner of the National Poetry Slam in 2011, Theo began his speaking career in the N.A.A.C.P. at the age of 15, and has always had a passion for social justice.  He attended Florida A&M University, where he obtained his B.A. in Theater Performance. He is the Executive Director of Shop Talk Live, inc. The organization uses the barber shop as a staging ground for community dialogue and healing.Watch his TED Talk here.Theo references this book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, in this podcast  

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Sara Rodriguez, Uncharted's outgoing Chief Strategy Officer, on what it took to build Uncharted into what it is today. Sara talks about how to hire, how to select social ventures, how to implement company policy, and how to trust your gut. Plus she gives advice for future Uncharted employees about how to make Uncharted their own. Sara joined Uncharted in 2014 and served as the Director of Venture Funding, COO, and then Uncharted's CSO. Prior to Uncharted, Sara was the Associate Director at Rockies Venture Club, one of the largest and most active angel groups in the Rocky Mountain Region. She holds B.A.s in Law and Business from the University of Salamanca, Spain, and a master’s degree in International Business and Entrepreneurship from Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Paula Stone Williams. As a transgender woman, Paula has lived both as a man and a woman and she's led companies both as a man and a woman. On this episode, she talks about the practical steps both men and women can take to advance gender equity in the workplace, the challenges and nuances of patriarchal workplace dynamics, and how men and women can be allies and champions for each other.You can watch Paula's numerous speeches and Ted talks below:I've lived as a man & a woman - Here's what I learnedWhat I learned about men - After I transitioned gendersThe story of a parent's transition and a son's redemptionThe Reverend Dr. Paula Stone Williams knows the truth will set you free, but only after it upends your carefully constructed narrative. Her devotion to authenticity caused her to leave her comfort zone as a nationally known religious leader and follow her heart to transition from Paul to Paula. She lost all of her jobs and most of her friends. Williams also discovered the massive differences between life as a male and as a female in America.Williams is the pastor of preaching and worship at Left Hand Church in Longmont, Colorado, a pastoral counselor with RLT Pathways and a sought-after speaker to corporations, government agencies, universities and religious institutions on issues of gender equity and LGBTQ advocacy. She has been featured in the New York Times, the Denver Post, New Scientist, Radio New Zealand, Colorado Public Radio and The Huffington Post. Her TEDxMileHigh talk on gender equity has had more than one million views.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth, on how funders and social impact leaders can apply indigenous wisdom and a racial justice lens to their work and use money as medicine to heal broken systems.Edgar outlines how philanthropic funders and impact investors can use their capital, people, rules, and narratives to advance racial justice through their work.~~~Edgar Villanueva is a globally-recognized expert on social justice philanthropy. Edgar serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Native Americans in Philanthropy, NDN Collective, and is a Board Member of the Andrus Family Fund, a national foundation that works to improve outcomes for vulnerable youth.Edgar currently serves as Senior Vice President at the Schott Foundation for Public Education where he oversees grant investment and capacity building supports for education justice campaigns across the United States.Edgar is the award-winning author of Decolonizing Wealth, a bestselling book offering hopeful and compelling alternatives to the dynamics of colonization in the philanthropic and social finance sectors.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Ricardo Rocha, Founder of Bondadosa, on how to lead and manage a team that grew 870% during COVID-19.Ricardo talks about how everything broke, his approach to management, his approach to hiring, and how leaders need to practice self-forgiveness while everything changes around them.Bondadosa's mission is to advance food justice and create an equitable, sustainable food system. Ricardo is Bondadosa's Founder and CEO. He has steered the company from its beginning when they were delivering food on tricycles to a state-wide food distribution company. Bondadosa participated in Uncharted's Food Access Accelerator in 2017.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview renowned speech coach, Erin Weed, on the proven approach to building authentic connection. Erin is the Founder of Evoso and has worked with hundreds of famous speakers to clarify their message so they can speak their truth with power. On this episode, Erin goes a step deeper by exploring how finding our truth (and holding the space for others to find theirs) enables us to connect at a deeper level when we’re all living and working remotely. For leaders looking to cut through the noise with a clear and compelling message and for managers who want to build authentic relationships with the people around them, Erin outlines a 5-step process to tap into truth. Erin is hosting a Dig Workshop on June 19th. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-workshop-june-2020-tickets-107101441294 About ErinFor almost 20 years, Erin Weed has used words to inspire, to learn, to grow and to evolve society. Her quest is finding human connection at the intersection of truth and communication. At age 22, Erin's college friend was murdered at college. This inspired her to launch Girls Fight Back (GFB), which produced women's safety seminars at schools across the world.  Between 2001-2013, Erin was in the spotlight as a leading women's safety and empowerment expert. She wrote books, was a columnist for CosmoGirl, was an expert on live TV shows, scaled GFB internationally and spoke to over 1 million people at live events. Erin learned the key to making true connection with others is to show up as yourself...and to always speak your truth.  Today Erin is a speaker, author, coach and strategist who works with individuals and companies like Google, NFL Super Bowl champions and University of Colorado.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Ruby Bolaria Shifrin, Director of Housing Affordability at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Ruby outlines how COVID-19 is an opportunity for philanthropists to change their risk-appetite and pursue bigger upstream impact. Ruby also shares practical steps for ways foundations can get serious about gender equality and staff diversity.Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is a pioneering 21st-century foundation, and Ruby reveals how they're being the risk-embracing capital that can test new ideas and why most of the people at CZI do not have a background in philanthropyIn this episode, the following articles are cited:As women take over male-dominated fields, pay dropsWhat is holden women back from equal pay?92 percent of foundation presidents and 83 percent of full-time staff members are whiteLess than 8% of philanthropic support goes towards investing in communities of colorThe NFL's Rooney Rule

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Erin Ulric of the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger. In only five days in late March, they received 384 applications, enlisted a review committee to evaluate those applications, and selected and made grants to 47 organizations working on the front-lines of hunger relief.Erin outlines the behind-the-scenes steps they took to rapidly mobilize people, review applications, and deploy capital. She and her team knew they would make mistakes (as they had never done this before), so they optimized everything around two design principles: speed and simplicity, and let everything else fall into place.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, I interview my therapist, Dr. Carrie McCrudden. Dr. Carrie is a psychologist who provides practical steps for:How leaders can create a resilient space (not a safe space) for their teamsHow colleagues can move past paralysis and overwhelm and into actionHow anyone can care for their mental health and those around themDr. Carrie outlines how the building blocks of mental health are surprisingly physical, and the small micro-adjustments each of us can make to show up without judgment and with the grace and space to lead ourselves and our teams.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Gabe Krenza on how to build connection and belonging in an age of social distancing and virtual work. As a designer of in-person gatherings that lead to breakthroughs, Gabe shares how he is pivoting his work, questions you can ask people on your team, and the softening of formality now that work has entered our personal spaces.Gabe works at the intersection of leadership development and wilderness immersions, where he designs powerful experiences for leaders to reconnect with themselves, their teams, and the natural world. He’s worked with the US Navy, Google, REI, and many other major corporations, and is a master facilitator using the power of in-person gatherings to incite breakthroughs.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Erine Gray, Founder of Aunt Bertha, a company that has built the easiest way for everyday humans to access health and human services. If there is one team that has spent the last 10 years working to be prepared for the COVID-19 crisis, it's the team at Aunt Bertha. Erine started Aunt Bertha during the financial crisis of 2009 because he saw how the social safety net was failing (he came through Uncharted's accelerator in 2012). On this podcast, we talk about the parallels between the 2009 financial crisis and the COVID-19 crisis. Plus Erine outlines a vision for the future of the social safety net post-COVID-19 and how data can, in real time, inform how resources are allocated and redirected.Anyone can go to the website auntbertha.com or findhelp.org and enter your zip code to see what available services are available in your area.  

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Gayle Young, former Chief Cultural and Talent Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, about the posture and conditions necessary for leaders to lead well. Before leaders can make good decisions, they need to put themselves into a posture where successful leading is most possible. We explore how to create those conditions, and how we can heighten our observational faculties and our learning systems critical to sound decision-making.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Teju Ravilochan, Co-Founder of Unreasonable Institute (now Uncharted) on the importance of meditation and mindfulness in the fast-changing workplaces during COVID-19. This episode outlines practical steps everyone can take to bring their attention into the present moment amidst all the stress and anxiety.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview Tracey Stewart, former Investment Director at Gary Community Investments on building the new philanthropic system after COVID-19. Tracey has been a long-time leader in the world of philanthropy and social impact advocacy, and she shares a roadmap for how philanthropy can avoid previous mistakes and not just rebuild post COVID-19, but reinvent itself by connecting with its fundamental purpose.

On our April Fools Day edition of Uncharted Territory, the podcast from Uncharted, we welcome Eric Milburn to the show. Eric asks brilliant questions and is one of the most curious people on the Uncharted Team. In this episode, we explore the art of asking good questions, the power of deep listening, and the benefits of curiosity.

Tune into our first episode ever of Uncharted Territory where we hear from Joe Santini, one of the cultural leaders on Team Uncharted, sharing his cultural philosophy and practical steps to build culture, connection, and fun into Uncharted's culture.