Podcast appearances and mentions of mackenzie scott

[This is a slightly different kind of podcast, a news summary - and will have its own podcast feed eventually]Every Fourth Turning, at least since the founding of America, has been defined by a great war: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II. When I began this Substack a few years back, the world war we might be fighting would be Iran, Russia, and China against the United States and its allies, including Israel. It made sense then. Not so much now. That was before Putin invaded Ukraine, before October 7th, before the United States government pursued Trump like he was a war criminal, before his attempted assassination, and his second win. Steve Bannon says we're already fighting World War III.Now, as Trump declares “unconditional surrender, " everyone wonders, is this it? Is this our great war?Iran doesn't appear to have an ally in Russia or China at the moment. Trump just met with his security advisers and will address the nation later this afternoon. It does feel a little like the post 9/11 drumbeat for war, and we're all still wary and fearful that it might turn into “regime change” rather than a negotiated peace. We will know what their plans are soon enough. The neocons like Lindsey Graham are prepared to go all the way.Earlier today, Tammy Bruce spoke to the press from the State Department:She mentions that Trump has made the same warning, that Iran can never have a nuke, over 40 times, going back to 2011. Here is that video:Dealing with Iran has been one of the main conflicts between Trump and Barack Obama, so it's easier to see how it started and how it's going. Trump's administration is not the Bush administration. If the 2008 Wall Street meltdown was the crisis that sparked the Fourth Turning and the mission is, as Steve Bannon says, to dismantle the Deep State that took us to the $700 billion bailout, then a big war in the Middle East would fracture the MAGA coalition. For his part, Benjamin Netanyu has said he believes Iran threatens America too, and indeed, they've been trying to assassinate Trump. If there is a graceful way to end the threat without getting into war, that's the path Trump will want to take.A MAGA Divided Cannot Stand.MAGA is split over whether or not to aid Israel in its fight against Iran. Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, and Marjorie Taylor-Greene are locking arms with Dave Smith and Glenn Greenwald to push back against any involvement. Breitbart reports that members of the Squad have now joined Thomas Massie to limit Trump's power on Iran:From Breitbart:While he remains the sole Republican backing such a legislative effort, several top Democrats from the far-left of the Democratic Party, including “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), have indicated they are signing on to the Massie proposal.Alex Jones is opposed to any help or aid in Israel's war, writing:Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon discussed our involvement, with Bannon urging Trump and MAGA to keep their eye on the ball. He means to go after and dismantle the Deep State:Raheem Kassam sums up the internal conflict well:Ice Raids Paused, Then UnpausedThe Iran conflict is not the only dividing issue in MAGA. There is a split between those who want to support farms and hotels with their large immigrant staff, many of whom are undocumented and have worked for the companies for decades. Versus the opposing side, who insist Trump must not back off even an inch when it comes to mass deportations. Trump listened to them and retreated from his original plan to offer a potential middle ground.Federal Agents Arrest NYC Comptroller & Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander At Immigration CourtAccording to the Left, Lander was arrested for asking to see a warrant. But the truth is, he was arrested for assault, per a Fox report:New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested by Department of Homeland Security(DHS) agents on Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a federal officer. The article quoted a DHS spokesperson,"Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413% increase in assaults against them—it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment, no one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences."Letitia James said:"This is profoundly unacceptable. Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power. No one should face fear and intimidation in a courthouse, and this is a grotesque escalation of tensions. The administration's rampant targeting of New Yorkers only makes our communities less safe."The Democrats had four years of the Biden administration to do something about the border. They didn't. Instead, they encouraged millions to flood in, many of them unvetted. Yet, because the migrants represent an oppressed group, the Democrats can't turn away. They are choosing this as one of their base issues because it feeds their ongoing delusion that they are living under a fascist dictator. No Kings vs. Army's 250th AnniversaryThe coverage of the No Kings protest was amplified to look like a grassroots movement, even though it was well-funded and populated by the same people who had protested in the “Hands Off” event not long before. It reached roughly the same number of participants, around 5 million. This will be their playbook for the next five years.The legacy media muted the coverage of the Army's parade, and if they covered it at all, they covered it as militaristic, fascist-like, and compared it to North Korea.Here is a balanced report by Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, and Dan Turrentine on 2Way:Assassination NationThe Democrats will not let the crisis of the recent shootings of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota go to waste and are currently calling the shooter the “MAGA assassin.”On the list of targets were 45 Democrats, “including dozens of Minnesota lawmakers and members of Congress such as Rep. Angie Craig, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Sen. Tina Smith. It also included members of Planned Parenthood, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the organization, and several healthcare centers across the Midwest,” according to Fox9.As usual, the reaction to the shootings, horrific and tragic though they are, is far less than we saw for the assassination of the healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione, who has been turned into a martyr and a hero by the Left. Both assassination attempts against President Trump were not treated the same way by the legacy media, and coverage was muted. Again, we turn to 2way to hear balanced coverage.If you think we're living through crazy times, you would be right. Every Fourth Turning feels transformational in good and bad ways. Change is all around us. These are just a few pressure points we are currently hitting as a country.Let me know if you like this format. Until next time.[I hope to turn this into video but I ran out of time to do it today. Next time]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sashastone.substack.com/subscribe

Synopsis: What happens when a world-class scientist and a philanthropic legacy collide with one of medicine's greatest challenges? Dr. Howard Fillit and Mark Roithmayr of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) join host Alok Tayi for an inspiring conversation on bold science, visionary funding models, and the future of Alzheimer's research. From treating Estée Lauder in the 1990s to building a $100M venture philanthropy engine, they trace ADDF's evolution into a global leader in high-risk, high-reward drug development. The discussion covers the rise of biomarkers and digital diagnostics, the foundation's partnerships with visionaries like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, and how ADDF's venture philanthropy approach bridges the “valley of death” in biotech. They also dive into global regulatory challenges, the economic urgency of Alzheimer's, and why the future lies in prevention, precision medicine, and a patient-first mindset. This episode is a masterclass in scientific grit, ecosystem thinking, and turning urgency into progress. Biography: Howard Fillit, MD Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Howard Fillit, MD, is a geriatrician, neuroscientist, and innovative philanthropy executive, who has led the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) since its founding. Dr. Fillit has held faculty positions at The Rockefeller University, the SUNY-Stony Brook School of Medicine and the Cornell University School of Medicine. In 1987, he joined the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he is a clinical professor of geriatric medicine and palliative care, medicine and neuroscience. Dr. Fillit also maintains a limited private practice in consultative geriatric medicine with a focus on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications and is the senior editor of Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. Dr. Fillit is the recipient of many awards and honors including the Rita Hayworth Award from the Alzheimer's Association. Mark Roithmayr Chief Executive Officer Mark Roithmayr is an admired nonprofit leader with four decades of experience in both start-ups and mature organizations. As CEO of the ADDF, he is responsible for steering the Foundation's overall strategy, focus, and business operations. Since joining the ADDF in 2017, the organization has transformed dramatically in impact, scale, presence, and brand. Under his leadership, the ADDF's revenue has increased five-fold from $17M to over $90M, and mission-related investing has grown over 100%. He works closely with Dr. Fillit, executive leadership, and the board to advance the ADDF's mission of accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. His key accomplishments include securing donations from Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and MacKenzie Scott, and a 10-figure gift from the Lauder family to cover ADDF's overhead for the next 20 years.

What if the biggest thing holding your business back… is you?In this episode of Scaling Expertise, I sit down with Jill James, founder of The Jill James, a fractional COO firm that helps expert founders scale without burning out or staying stuck in operator mode. Jill built her firm by asking one powerful question: “How can I help people do the work they love without being buried in admin?”We dig deep into the invisible costs of overwork, the identity shift from doer to leader, and the moment Jill realized she needed to break her own rules to scale. If you're feeling like your business can't run without you, this episode is your wake-up call.Jill shares hard-earned wisdom from scaling businesses to $10M+ and offers actionable ways to reclaim your time, build operational clarity, and let go of control—without compromising your vision.Key Takeaways:Founders can be the bottleneck. If your business can't function without you, it's not scalable.Don't sell your time—sell your thinking. Experts grow when they stop doing and start designing systems.Scaling isn't about doing more—it's about doing less, better. Create space so the business can operate without you.You don't need to be a “visionary.” You just need to be clear about where you want to go.Resist the "fixer" urge. Let your team solve problems so they can grow into their roles.Fractional leadership. This can help expert founders transition out of operator mode with structure and sanity.Jill is a featured author in The Wisdom Collection: Stories That Transform How We Live, Connect, and Lead—an anthology of powerful insights from business leaders who've built, failed, and figured things out the hard way so you don't have to. Each chapter is practical, quick to read, and full of hard-won wisdom.The book launches June 24 and will be available for just $1.99 during its first 24–48 hours.Want the launch link or more details? Check out Jill's announcement post on LinkedIn.Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

What happens when your nonprofit receives a transformational gift—seemingly out of the blue? In this episode, change management expert Michael Randel joins Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken to explore what nonprofits can learn from the MacKenzie Scott giving wave. Together, they discuss how to prepare for sudden funding growth, what risks to avoid, and how to communicate wisely during a time of high visibility and high stakes.Guest BioFounder and Principal of Randel Consulting AssociatesLong-standing consultant in nonprofit change management and scalingResearcher on philanthropic giving and leadership dynamicsRegular advisor to mission-driven organizations facing major transitionsWe Discuss:Michael's research into nonprofits that received large-scale gifts from MacKenzie ScottWhy divisiveness after a big gift was less common than expectedHow to manage sudden scaling and increase organizational readinessThe value of a “quiet phase” in your communication strategyHow to plan for the eventual “financial cliff” once funding is spentWhy this moment calls for both bold leadership and intentional restraintQuotes:“One day, 10 million dollar suddenly landed in our bank account.”“Should we be careful what we wished for?”Resources:Michael Randel's LinkedIn pageRandel Consulting Associates LinkedIn pageRandel Consulting AssociatesGet insider tips to overcome the 5 most common problems facing leaders during change - download hereMackenzie Scott has donated part of her fortune to over 2,000 organizations doing amazing work. What are they doing with all this newfound money? - download here

In this episode, Lesley Logan highlights stories of women using power for good, from world-changing philanthropists to unsung heroes like Marty Goddard. She also shares community wins and a personal productivity breakthrough that proves how small changes lead to big results. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co.And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How the world's richest women are quietly creating real impact.Marty Goddard's invention of the rape kit and why her story matters.How staying top of mind helps Tami-Adrian land another podcast feature.Lesley shares how she simplified her inbox and saved hours of work.Why small wins and consistent action add up to lasting change.Episode References/Links:Laura Craik's Article - https://beitpod.com/lauracraikBuy Back Your Time by Dan Martell - https://a.co/d/cMHFKJR If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/ Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/ Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  It's Fuck Yeah Friday. Brad Crowell 0:01  Fuck Yeah. Lesley Logan 0:05  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 0:48  Hi, Be It babe. How are you? How's it going? Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast, the Fuck Yeah Friday podcast. We talk about what is a win and we celebrate things that inspire us, and we have a mantra, and then we go about our day. So here we go, our win, or the inspiration, actually. The, well, I think this is a win too. So the inspiration that I found on the internet that really like made me happy. This, maybe, maybe it will make other people happy, but I love this. The title is What the World's Richest Men Could Learn From the World's Richest Women. And this is from Reshma's Instagram account, and Reshma had the bike face talk I'm pretty sure, and I really love her. So instead of fixating on power, living forever and winning the space race, Melinda French Gates, Laurene Powell Jobs, Anne Wojcicki and Mackenzie Scott are quietly trying to make the world a better place. So this goes on and talks about all the different things that these women are doing, but I just think, like, these ladies, I know, I bet you know their last names, these are our five richest women in the world, and they are doing epic, epic things from with the money that they have, and they're not doing anything to tear people down, to tear down a group of people. They're actually using their money for good. And so I truly, truly love that. These women are doing great things and so you should definitely look them up. There's an article from Laura Craick that was posted on February 5th 2025 so if you want to dive in more to what they're doing, and if you want to learn more about Reshma, I highly recommend it, because she talks a lot about worrying, about being, like, I only have a few minutes to say everything I was gonna say, and then, like, learning and meeting all these male CEOs and going, wait, you run this company, I can run circles around you, like, so it's just, I don't know. I found it really inspiring and I hope that you do, too. So go check that out. And let's all be more obsessed with what these women are doing, because I think that that's going to make us feel a whole lot better in this world with all that's going on. And let's be impressed and empowered and, and all the things from them. And then I'm going to give you one more thing, and I'm going to go into your wins. Lesley Logan 2:53  So meet Marty Goddard, the woman who invented the rape kit, while she didn't receive credit for her work, shocking, she revolutionized sexual assault forensics. Yeah. So get this, in the 1970s, few women felt safe. There's tons of sexual abuse. Spousal rate was still, was still legal, freaking crazy, until 1993. Let's not go into that, that's going to depress us all. But Marty Goddard was a volunteer for a phone hotline for runaway teens in Chicago. Many callers reported sexual abuse, but not necessarily to the police. Marty took upon herself to further investigate cases by visiting crime labs and hospitals, interviewing as many people as possible. And a standard was set. In doing this, she developed a standard by which evidence is collected following a rape. Her evidence collection kit included basic supplies, cotton swabs, a comb, paper bags, labeled envelopes and glass slides for semen specimens, plus protocols, forms and resources for victims, its simplicity made it affordable, replicable and the more likely to be adopted. The kit opened doors to our understanding of victims and abuse. In other words, these cases are no longer had to be a "he said, she said" sort of thing. She was not given credit. Under the nonprofit Goddard was running, the kit was trademarked as the the "Vitullo Evidence Collection Kit for Sexual Assault Examination." She routinely worked very closely with the police department order to make the progress she did, and an effort to not ruffle any feathers, gave the kit the name after police sergeant, Louis Vitullo. Newspapers credited Louis Vitullo, often reducing Marty Goddard to his assistant or ignoring her entirely. But she didn't chase recognition. She channeled her energy into expanding the kit's reach because impact mattered to her more than credit. So why it matters? The mention of the rape kit has helped countless victims find justice. Survivors still fight to be heard, but rape kits provide crucial evidence that strengthens their case. Hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits sit in a police storage. Goddard gave us a tool to fight for justice. It's up to us to push that fight forward with legislative reform funding and by holding law enforcement accountable for processing evidence in a timely manner. So you guys, we do have some work to do there. I would highly recommend calling your local people and like making sure that they're funding these things. But I just thought, how cool is this person? Like she was more she was more obsessed with getting people to adopt this kit and use it so people, victims, could actually get help. So it won't be a "he said, she said" and now she's getting the recognition that she deserves. Very, very cool. Lesley Logan 5:06  Okay, let's go and do a win of yours. So this is from Tami-Adrian George, and she said, a podcast about pickleball reached out to me to be my guest with my topic, Pilates for Players. The invite is a win by itself. And they why they contacted me is its own win. A second host from a completely different topic and show, I guess it's over a year ago, suggested my name with a lovely glow up. Like LL and Brad have said and has mentioned in many webinars, always about keeping in touch. I would comment on the second host post, listen to an episode and comment maybe three or four times a year and they remembered. And when I asked my college boy which friend group he'd be with and where they were going for spring break, he said he just really wants to come home and eat my cooking and curl up with his cats and chill. So cue the mommy tears. You know, I bought that plane ticket so fast. So I love this. How cool is that, that she made such an impact on one podcast and then she stayed in touch by just commenting. And then another podcast was like, oh, we want to have you on. Because the first podcast was like, yeah, this person has stayed top of our mind. So way to stay top of mind. Tam, it's not the easiest thing to do, and you did it. It all takes work, you guys. It all takes time and effort and energy, but stay in touch with people, even little things like liking and commenting. I tell you guys all the time, reviews on this podcast are, like, revenue. If you like this podcast, you don't have to send me money. You can actually just leave a review. Sharing this with other people, that's what does it right? These are things that podcast hosts think about. So way to go, Tami, you're amazing. Lesley Logan 6:37  Okay, so something I wanted to share that's, like, really exciting is I had this goal. So last summer, I heard about this book called Buy Back Your Time, and it's Dan Martell's book. And it's not something I was like, opposed to, like, oh, we always hire so it's not like a thing that we don't do. But he had a chapter about the inbox, about an email inbox, and I between my email inbox and all the Slacks that I'm in and the communities that I'm in, like, there's, I can't get to everything every day, and then I would get into my inbox, or I'd use my inbox to procrastinate, and it would derail the day, because there never would be something in there that wasn't time consuming. And so what his book suggested is that your assistant goes to your inbox and, like, organizes it, and then you only have to respond to the things you have to respond to, and then they can respond to things that they can respond to. I don't need to respond to someone that Tuesday at 1pm is great for a meeting. My assistant can see that 1pm is free. She can just book it for me, right? That's really cool. So anyways, I knew about this last summer, but I didn't have the time to implement it. There were so many things going on. So first of all, the first win is I did not force implementation of this during a time that we had too much going on, right? I set a goal that I wanted to implement this idea in Q1 of 2025, and guess what?, you guys, before mid March, we had, my assistant had, I read the chapter, she read the chapter, she implemented it, and we came up with systems at work before the end of March. So here we are, middle of May, almost end of May. And I can tell you right now I go into my inbox every day, and it can take under 15 minutes to respond to everything and then move on. And I don't feel like, oh my God, what's in there? What am I gonna see? Oh, I'm gonna get distracted by a pair of pants and procrastinate there. So anyways, that's my win. Really made me excited. Lesley Logan 8:14  So now, it's time for your mantra. Here we go. While the world praises big moves, I applaud the little acts of magic that can make it happen. So, while the world praises big moves, I applaud the little acts of magic that that make change happen. You are a badass. Thank you so much for listening until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 8:38  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 9:20  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 9:25  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 9:30  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 9:37  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 9:40  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Gates Foundation's Bold Plan and Legislative Challenges for Nonprofits In this week's episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, George and Nick dive into significant developments affecting the nonprofit sector. The discussion kicks off with Bill Gates' groundbreaking announcement regarding the Gates Foundation, the largest American foundation by asset volume. Gates revealed plans to dissolve the foundation by December 2045, aiming to spend down its entire endowment of over $200 billion. The foundation will focus on three key goals: reducing preventable maternal and childhood deaths, eradicating deadly infectious diseases, and alleviating poverty. This decision is driven by cuts in U.S. foreign aid and the pressing need for immediate action in health and human development. Gates' approach reflects a shift in philanthropy, emphasizing immediate impact over legacy preservation, reminiscent of Mackenzie Scott's philanthropic strategy. This move is seen as both radical and necessary, aligning with the current urgency in addressing global challenges. The episode also covers legislative developments that could impact nonprofits. A provision in the House budget bill, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," could grant the executive branch broad powers to revoke 501(c)(3) status from nonprofits without due process. This echoes past legislative attempts and raises concerns about potential executive overreach, particularly targeting organizations involved in immigration, gender rights, and other contentious areas. Additionally, the bill proposes taxing investment income from large endowments, affecting major foundations and universities. While intended to address equity issues, critics argue it could harm philanthropic efforts by redirecting funds away from charitable work.

Gates Foundation's Bold Plan and Legislative Challenges for Nonprofits In this week's episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, George and Nick dive into significant developments affecting the nonprofit sector. The discussion kicks off with Bill Gates' groundbreaking announcement regarding the Gates Foundation, the largest American foundation by asset volume. Gates revealed plans to dissolve the foundation by December 2045, aiming to spend down its entire endowment of over $200 billion. The foundation will focus on three key goals: reducing preventable maternal and childhood deaths, eradicating deadly infectious diseases, and alleviating poverty. This decision is driven by cuts in U.S. foreign aid and the pressing need for immediate action in health and human development. Gates' approach reflects a shift in philanthropy, emphasizing immediate impact over legacy preservation, reminiscent of Mackenzie Scott's philanthropic strategy. This move is seen as both radical and necessary, aligning with the current urgency in addressing global challenges. The episode also covers legislative developments that could impact nonprofits. A provision in the House budget bill, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," could grant the executive branch broad powers to revoke 501(c)(3) status from nonprofits without due process. This echoes past legislative attempts and raises concerns about potential executive overreach, particularly targeting organizations involved in immigration, gender rights, and other contentious areas. Additionally, the bill proposes taxing investment income from large endowments, affecting major foundations and universities. While intended to address equity issues, critics argue it could harm philanthropic efforts by redirecting funds away from charitable work.

In this week's Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Clark Moore (Love, Simon, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to discuss a particular scam involving the Ukrainian Marriage industry. Plus, we look into how scammers are taking advantage of billionaire MacKenzie Scott's pledge to donate half her fortune. Stay schemin'! (Originally Released 07/26/2021) CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show, Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu!Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here: Hachette Book Group Follow on Instagram:Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspodLaci Mosley: @divalaciClark Moore: @mrclarkmoore Research by Kaelyn Brandt SOURCES:​​https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57358241https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/british-man-duped-of-250000-on-pretext-of-marriage-to-a-ukrainian-3886691.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/24/business/mackenzie-scott-giving-scams.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepagehttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/business/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy.htmlhttps://nyfights.com/worldwide/no-i-didnt-pull-a-cancer-scam-says-podcaster-jonathan-leir-aka-jonny-straws/ Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

Beyoncé hat es getan, Post Malone hat es getan und Chappell Roan hat es kürzlich auch getan: Country Music ist aktuell einer der großen Trends im US-Pop. “Send A Prayer My Way” heißt das Country-Album von Julien Baker & Torres. Was am Album der beide queeren Singer-Songwriterinnen anders ist, was traditionell und was progressiv, klärt jetzt Christian Lehner im Gespräch mit Mackenzie Scott alias Torres.Sendungshinweis: FM4, Homebase,22.04.2025, 20 Uhr

Michael Randel makes his second recording with the SnapCast. This time we talk about how to determine if an organization is really prepared for growth. Among the things we cover: Insights from studying Mackenzie Scott grant recipients that led to the concept of "the prepared organization." Consequences for organizations that are not prepared for growth opportunities. The importance of Purpose and Identity as the foundation of the framework. The necessity of having a plan for growth. The impact of leadership alignment on successful growth strategies. We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

Heidi and Ellen (belatedly) welcome the Aries season. After a month where we all swam in lots of water, we entered a time of fire, birth, renewal and second chances. We are brave and bold. We dare ourselves into the new, next horizon. We act in the name of innovation. Heidi read the poem: Morning By Billy Collins They talk about the chart of Mackenzie Scott, the former wife of Jeff Bezos, who is using her substantial wealth in extraordinary ways. They mention the play FEAST. by Megan Gogerty playing in Los Angeles through April 6, 2025. Get tickets here. Do you have a question you'd like featured on the podcast? Send a 1-minute audio and your birth information (date of birth, time, and place) to assistant@heidirose.com. Chart Your Career Instagram: @chartyourcareerpodcast To connect with the hosts, visit: Heidi Rose Robbins, Astrologer & Poet: heidirose.com, IG: @heidiroserobbins Ellen Fondiler, Career & Business Strategist: ellenfondiler.com, IG: @elfondiler

It's time to set some SMART financial goals! I'm walking through 10 SMART financial goals that will help you build family wealth this year. Second, we're back with our Mortgage Free Family segment! This month we're featuring JJ Buckner from Missouri. He's going to share how he paid off his mortgage in his 30s and how it allowed him more family time and time to grow as a solopreneur. Last, we're sharing the Good Word once again. My son Calvin and I are sharing details on Mackenzie Scott's philanthropy mission, the Giving Pledge, and how Calvin likes to give back. EPISODE RESOURCES: Sponsors + Partners + Deals Monarch (free trial): https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/monarchmoney (affiliate) Empower (net worth tracker): https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/empower (affiliate) Trust & Will: https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/trustandwill (affiliate) Ethos (term life insurance): https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/ethos (affiliate) JJ Buckner: https://www.youtube.com/c/JJBuckner Good Word Story (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/20/mackenzie-scott-announced-another-2-billion-dollars-in-2024-donations.html MKM RESOURCES: MKM Coaching: Want 1-on-1 support with your family finance journey? Book a time with me today. Make My Kid a Millionaire Course: Want to build generational wealth and happiness for your kid? Learn more about my course! YouTube: Subscribe for free to watch videos of these episodes and interviews. Instagram: Follow our IG channel. SHOW INFORMATION:  Marriage Kids and Money is dedicated to helping young families build wealth and happiness. This award-winning platform helps couples and parents achieve financial independence and discover the true meaning of wealth.  To achieve these big goals, we answer questions and interview experts who uncover smart net worth building habits and tools that can help everyone find their own version of financial independence. Learn more at https://www.marriagekidsandmoney.com  HOST BIO:  Andy Hill, AFC® is the award-winning family finance coach behind Marriage Kids and Money - a platform dedicated to helping young families build wealth and happiness.  Andy's advice and personal finance experience have been featured in major media outlets like CNBC, Forbes, MarketWatch, Kiplinger's Personal Finance and NBC News. With millions of downloads and views, Andy's message of family financial empowerment has resonated with listeners, readers and viewers across the world.    When he's not "talking money", Andy enjoys being a soccer Dad, singing karaoke with his wife and relaxing in his hammock. HOW WE MAKE MONEY + DISCLAIMER: This show may contain affiliate links or links from our advertisers where we earn a commission, direct payment or products. Opinions are the creators alone. Information shared on this podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Marriage Kids and Money (www.marriagekidsandmoney.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. CREDITS: Podcast Artwork: Liz Theresa Editor: Podcast Doctors Podcast Support: Nev Maraj Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday's Daily Puck Drop with Jason “Puck” Puckett, features Danny Kelly from The Ringer and Tim Booth of the Seattle Times.  Puck chats about Luis Castillo not being traded this offseason, the U.S. vs. Canada round two Thursday, the NFL draft and why no NBA expansion buzz with Seattle, plus, it's a big day for the CEO of the Puckett family…his wife. (12:33) - Danny Kelly, The Ringer joins Puck to talk about his latest Mock Draft at The Ringer and who he has in his top ten and a surprise at number one. Also, who do the Seahawks take at #18?(39:39) - Tim Booth, Seattle Times stops by and pays a visit with Puck to recap the NBA All-Star weekend in which Tim went down to San Francisco to cover in hopes of asking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about expansion, however, the league limited questions and Tim never got to ask about the topic, nor did any national reporter ask.  Tim points out that the buzz around expansion has cooled, why?   Tim and Puck discuss that if the timeline continues to drag, at which point do fans start to swear off the league if they haven't done so already?  Also, Tim points out that in the recent months there has been rumors of another group wanting to bring a team to Seattle.  What about Chris Hansen?  Would Jeff Bezo's be a potential owner?  What about Bezo's ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott?  She was rumored last year to be interested in the Blazers. (1:14:27) - Puck gives a sneak preview of his podcast with NFL draft guru Dane Brugler from The Athletic.   The full podcast is available to Puck's Posse members and you can join by going to PuckSports.com.  On the first episode of a seven part series leading up to the draft, Puck and Dane discuss the overall depth and talent of the 2025 draft. (1:18:42) - “Hey, What the Puck!?” The NBA needs to stop screwing around with Seattle.  

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In this inspiring Fuck Yeah Friday episode, Lesley Logan dives into the importance of celebrating wins, handling setbacks with grace, and planning ahead for success. From an uplifting client story to lessons learned from unexpected challenges, this episode is your reminder that there is always a way to overcome obstacles.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:MacKenzie Scott's inspiring response to criticism.Celebrating Christine Bowen's story of transforming her client's outlook through Pilates.The power of re-prioritizing when unexpected challenges arise.How to adjust your planning process to accommodate unforeseen setbacks.The importance of grace and self-compassion in times of adversity. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!Check out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox Be in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipFREE Ditching Busy Webinar Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable Pilates Follow Us on Social Media:InstagramThe Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channelFacebookLinkedInThe OPC YouTube Channel Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  It's Fuck Yeah Friday. Lesley Logan 0:01  Fuck yeah. Lesley Logan 0:02  Get ready for some wins. Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 0:46  Hello, Be It babe. Hello, welcome to the FYF. Welcome to the Fuck Yeah Friday where we celebrate wins you had, wins you might have had, a mantra, we celebrate someone who's inspired us. So I came across this article about how Elon Musk said that the donations, the hundreds of millions of dollars that MacKenzie Scott, I hate this part, they say like Jeff Bezos' ex-wife. So MacKenzie Scott is her own person, and she has lots of money, and she has been donating hundreds of millions of dollars a year to charities that are devoted to women services and women's health. And he said that that hundreds of millions of dollars is destroying Western civilization. That's literally his quote. And her response was that she doubled her donations. And I just love that. I love that. I freaking love that she did that. I hate that she is getting attacked for the generosity that she has because, holy frickin molly, are we kidding? What are we doing here? Come on. I love that that was her clap back. And I think more and more, those of us who come across someone who's just trying to tear you down because you make them look bad, clap back in a really elegant freaking way like that. We should call that a MacKenzie Scott. So anyways, MacKenzie Scott, love you, obsessed with you. Someday I want to meet you, because I would love to learn your ways, but also you are inspiring me, and you just put a smile on my face on a really busy day. And I just so appreciate you for that. Lesley Logan 2:18  All right, now we do one of your wins. And this one is from Christine Bowen. She hasn't been an Agency member for many, many years, and she lives in Ireland, and she here's how it goes. So a lovely new client started with me this morning and just purchased a five-pack. He's had a lot to deal with the last year with multiple surgeries related to cancer. So he sent this message to me, and this is why I teach. So this is from him. Thank you for this morning sessions. It exceeded my expectations and gives me a real sense of excitement that physically things are going to improve myself in the not-too-distant future. So Christine goes on to say it makes the challenges of running your small business worthwhile when teaching people Pilates can help people feel that there is hope and they can help themselves to feel good in their body and get out of pain. Right, Christine, that is beautiful. What a great way to like start your day, but also what a wonderful human that you guys get to do this life together. It's so amazing what you teach him, but also that energy that's gonna come back to you. I mean, it's just so wonderful. So thank you for sharing that win, because it's your win, it's his win. We all get to win because of it. Lesley Logan 3:22  All right, a win of mine. So I'm recording this obviously from the past, from the very past before we went on tour. So one of the wins that I have had this week, just back in the past, is we are way behind on recording because I had a cough and I thought I should (inaudible) because, like, maybe I'll just push through and we'll just, like, stop recording whenever I cough. That just was not an option. Even on, like, in the beginning of the week, I couldn't get a sentence out without coughing, so we just bumped everything. And as I sit here with behind on filming a bunch of things for our YouTube channel, I decided I was like, I can't even stress about it, because, to be honest, what is the most important thing that has to get done this week, this week, this instant, what has to get done? Okay, this is what has to get done. If that gets done, yes, it is important for how our business goes, and how our YouTube video's released, and all those different things. But when it comes to priority number one, two and three, is it this? And to be honest, no, making sure people are, get all their stuff for the tour, making sure that the van is packed with everything that is, making sure that I am healthy to be on this tour is the best thing that I could do. Those are the top three priorities. And you can't have more than three because then you don't even know how to take actions. So, hopefully, there'll be YouTube videos for you all in January and February. And if there's not, it's not personal. It's not personal at all. I got a cold, and we had to make some changes and make some adjustments. And here's what I will tell you, that I like to do whenever something comes up that I can't control, and it causes something negative, in air quotes, to happen. I go, okay, how could we prevent this in the future? So in the future, I can't turn back time and not get this cough, right? So what could we have done? Well, honestly, maybe we should have actually been recording January and February's content in October and November, and not end of November. So what does that mean? It means my team will have to have the stuff ready for me to record early, so they'll have to work a little earlier on things. So how does that look? Well, that means making those adjustments today, because they're already working on the two months after that. So now they're going to have to start like not doubling up on their work, but like making some tweaks that they're even a little bit more in advance. And so what used to be good enough with two months in advance is no longer good enough. I think we have to be more like three months in advance and or on the end of Q2, early Q3, recording for Q1 already, so that we don't have this rush at the end. Now, some things can't be helped. We cannot batch more podcasts than we do, like we can't do that. So I recognize that this rule won't affect everything, but it can affect some things. And so I share that with you, because if you are sitting here listening to this, behind on stuff already and going, how am I already behind? It's the beginning of the year. It's only the first Friday of February. Stop, pause, get that thought out of your head. Ask yourself, what would I need to do so that I wouldn't be so rushed that I'm having this issue right now? Right? So that's the changes that I made, and I'm really proud of that, and I'm proud, I'm just like, I'm not gonna get mad about it. I'm not being harsh on myself. I'm not even gonna waste another minute thinking about, oh, maybe I should have done it on Saturday instead of doing x, y, z. No. No. Other things had to get done. And so this will get done. And obviously running a business can't be on like the whims of my cough, but there are things we can do to plan in advance so that there can be time if someone gets sick, and that is the most important thing. Lesley Logan 7:01  So y'all, I hope that this little, little bit of like, badassery, amazing win and musings on how to do your schedule so you're not rushing around if you have a cough, helps you with this Friday. Now, I must leave you with a mantra, how about that? Okay, well, get this wow, I just picked this one up. I did not plan this one in advance. And it says there is always a way. There is always a way. So at the time that I'm recording this, maybe we figured out a way to record those episodes, I don't know. But guess what? We're not going to stress about it, we're not gonna be mad at ourselves, because there is always a way. If there's something you want in this world, there's always a way. Always a way. And if you can just remind yourself of that, there's always a way, there's always a way, there's always a way. I bet you, I bet you my love that that way will reveal itself, and it might come from a place that you weren't even thinking about. So thank you so much. You are amazing. You are wonderful. You being a listener. Please share this with a friend who needs it, and until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 8:01  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 8:43  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 8:48  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 8:53  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 9:00  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 9:03  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome to season 8 of the LSQ podcast! I'm thrilled to kick off this season with an interview with Julien Baker & Torres, two artists whose music on their own I've admired for years: Julien, as a solo performer and member of boygenius, and Torres, which is the musical moniker of the singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott. Last year, they revealed that they had been working together on a country project and they shared a beautiful debut single, “Sugar in the Tank” that I fell in love with instantly. Now there's an album coming and it's so good! Send A Prayer My Way, a collection of gorgeous tunes that Julien and Mackenzie collaborated on during the past couple of years, arrives on April 17th via Matador. In the interview, we talk about the inspiration for the project, as well as their respective childhoods, growing up in the South, surrounded by country music and country music culture, and how their relationship with the genre evolved over the years and how it ended up informing the album. We also delve into the other music they loved as kids: Mackenzie talks about her early obsessions with Britney Spears and Broadway musicals like The Phantom of the Opera and eventually writing songs that were country songs with “a little bit of John Mayer”  flavor, and Julien shares how she went from loving Shania Twain to “being radicalized by Green Day” after seeing them on VH1 to discovering the metal bands like Underoath and Norma Jean that inspired her to start playing music herself. 

Democrats in the Minnesota House are attempting to block Republican control when the legislative session begins Tuesday. The DFLers took their oaths of office early. It's just one of the many unusual circumstances to the start of session. We broke down what it all means.It's been a year since the city of Minneapolis evicted hundreds of unhoused people from various encampments in South Minneapolis. Camp Nenookaasi organizers joined the show for an update.An organization supporting Asian American business leaders across Minnesota joins the program to talk about a $2.5 million grant they received from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. A Native American cultural teacher joined the show to talk about the importance of traditional seasonal storytelling.Our Minnesota Music Minute was “Bad Day” by Gully Boys and the Song of the Day was “See a Little Light” by Bob Mould.

A Minnesota organization supporting Asian American leaders across Minnesota just received $2.5 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. It's the Coalition for Asian American Leaders, or CAAL, and they're using the funding to launch a new initiative called CAAL Ignite. It's a grant program that provides $10,000-15,000 to Asian American entrepreneurs and small business owners in the state. Applications for the grant open Wednesday. ThaoMee Xiong is the executive director of CAAL. Laura Boller runs a hair and makeup business, “Laura B Beauty,” and is part of the CAAL community. Xiong and Boller joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the grant.

Live from an ESG-flavored 2025, it's an all-new Wacky Wednesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's Costco lovefest called January 8th 2025: Headlines We Missed since the end of December and the new comic book superhero named Costco!Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.DAMION1Shit We Missed (in no particular order):Tech BrosZuckDana White, UFC CEO and Trump ally, to join Meta's board of directorsZuckerberg Announces New Measures to Increase Hate Speech on FacebookMark Zuckerberg's Meta is moving moderators out of California to combat concerns about bias and censorship“Huge problems” with axing fact-checkers, Meta oversight board saysCo-chair Helle Thorning-Schmidt said she is "very concerned" about how parent company Meta's decision to ditch fact-checkers will affect minority groups: "We are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real-life harm, so we will be watching that space very carefully," she added.Meta Drops Rules Protecting LGBTQ Community as Part of Content Moderation OverhaulThe changes included allowing users to share “allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality.”Meta replaces policy chief Nick Clegg with former Republican staffer Joel Kaplan ahead of Trump inaugurationSamSam Altman Explodes at Board Members Who Fired Him"And all those people that I feel like really fucked me and fucked the company were gone, and now I had to clean up their mess," adding that he was "fucking depressed and tired.""And it felt so unfair," the billionaire told Bloomberg. "It was just a crazy thing to have to go through and then have no time to recover, because the house was on fire."The board's primary fiduciary duty was not to maintain shareholder value or profits, but rather to stay true to OpenAI's mission of creating safe artificial general intelligence (AGI) that benefits humanity.Helen Toner: the director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.Tasha McCauley: an adjunct senior management scientist at think tank RAND Corporation. McCauley was also on the advisory board of the Centre for Effective Altruism. In 2017 she signed the Asilomar AI Principles on ethical AI development alongside Altman, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, and former board member Elon MuskOpenAI CEO Sam Altman denies sexual abuse allegations made by his sister in lawsuitMuskMaga v Musk: Trump camp divided in bitter fight over immigration policyElon Musk Endorses Nazi-Linked German Party, Even Though It Opposed Tesla's GigafactoryTech Bro Wealth12 US billionaires gained almost $1 trillion in wealth in 2024 as the stock market delivered another year of massive returnsNYT Report Says Jensen Huang, The CEO Of Nvidia And The 10th-Richest Person In The U.S., Trying To Allegedly Avoid $8 Billion In TaxesMark Zuckerberg says he doesn't have a Hawaiian doomsday bunker, just a 'little shelter.' It's bigger than most houses.You could live next door to Jeff Bezos on 'Billionaire Bunker' island for $200 millionMusk urges Bezos to throw an ‘epic wedding' after Amazon founder blasts report of $600 million nuptials as ‘completely false'Elon Musk takes aim at MacKenzie Scott again for giving billions to liberal causes, calling the gifts 'concerning'How Jensen Huang and 3 Nvidia Board Members Became BillionairesMark Zuckerberg sported a $900,000 piece of wrist candy as he announced the end of fact-checking on MetaDEI/ESG Flip-FloppingWhen an anti-DEI activist took a swing at Costco, the board hit backA Costco shareholder proposal brought by conservative activist The National Center for Public Policy Research asked the company to probe its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, with an eye toward eliminating them.The thrust of the proposal is that certain DEI initiatives could open Costco up to financial risks over discrimination lawsuits from employees who are “white, Asian, male or straight.”The company's board of directors unanimously urged shareholders to reject the proposal and made the case that Costco's success depends on establishing a racially diverse, inclusive workplace: “We believe that our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are legally appropriate, and nothing in the (Center for Public Policy Research) proposal demonstrates otherwise,” the board's statement said.The statement went on to rebuke the Center for Public Policy Research, saying that they and others were the ones responsible for inflicting financial and legal burdens on companies. “The proponent's broader agenda is not reducing the risk for the Company but abolition of diversity programs,” the board said.Costco board member defends DEI practices, rebukes companies scrapping policiesJeff Raikes, co-founder of the Raikes Foundation and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who has served on Costco's board of directors since 2008: "Attacks on DEI aren't just bad for business—they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth. Let's focus on building a future where all talent thrives." He concluded his post on X with the hashtag, "InclusiveEconomy." While businesses began to announce their departures from DEI policies last year, Raikes urged companies to expand such practices at work, insisting that scaling down DEI in businesses would harm the economy.Robbie Starbuck: “I fully endorse cancelling memberships at this point.”McDonald's rolls back DEI programs, ending push for greater diversityFour years after launching a push for more diversity in its ranks,McDonald's said it will retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels. It also intends to end a program that encourages its suppliers to develop diversity training and to increase the number of minority group members represented within their own leadership ranks.Managers 'touch up' staff: McDonald's faces fresh abuse claimsFast-food chain McDonald's has been hit by fresh allegations of sexual and homophobic abuse as staff members allege they have been 'touched up' by managers and offered extra shifts for sex.The chain first faced bombshell claims of widespread sexual abuse and harassment at its stores in July 2023 and has since been reported more than 300 times for harassment to the UK's equality watchdog.Allegations have included racist abuse, sexual assault and harassment and bullying. BlackRock Cuts Back on Board Diversity Push in Proxy-Vote GuidelinesThe policy updates remove both (a) numerical diversity targets (i.e., boards should aspire to 30% diversity of membership and have at least 2 women directors and 1 director from an underrepresented group) and (b) the related disclosure-based voting policy (i.e., BlackRock previously would consider taking voting action if a company did not adequately explain its approach to board diversity) – but provides that BlackRock may consider taking voting action if an S&P 500 board is not sufficiently diverse (BlackRock includes a footnote in the policy update suggesting that 30% diversity may still be the expectation).BlackRock's investment stewardship team tweaked the language used to describe how it approaches votes for other companies' boards. It didn't explicitly recommend that boards should aspire to at least 30% diversity of their members, after having done so in previous years.The report noted, however, that all but 2% of the boards of companies in the S&P 500 have diverse representation of at least 30%—and that if companies were out of step with those norms, BlackRock may cast opposing votes on a case-by-case basis. JPMorgan Leaves Net Zero Banking Group, Completing Departure of Major U.S. Banks Stakeholder Anger (or Anger at Stakeholders)Poll finds many Americans pin partial blame on insurance companies in UHC CEO killingA recent survey from the University of Chicago, found that, while 8 out of 10 U.S. adults believe the person who killed Brian Thompson bears the responsibility for the murder, 7 in 10 shared the belief that healthcare companies are also to blame. Luigi Mangione mention on SNL met with applause, critics slam 'woke' audience: 'Wooing for justice?'New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate changeThe new law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects meant to repair or avoid future damage from climate change.Albania bans TikTok for a year after fatal stabbing of teenager last monthTeens in Vietnam will now be limited to one hour of gaming per sessionStarbucks baristas set to strike as new CEO makes $100 millionWashington Post Cartoonist Quits After Jeff Bezos Cartoon Is KilledNorway on track to be the first to ‘erase petrol and diesel engine cars'Fully electric vehicles accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold in 2024Exxon Sues California Official, Claiming He Defamed the CompanyExxon Mobil sued California's attorney general, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups on Monday, alleging that they conspired to defame the oil giant and kneecap its business prospects amid a debate over whether plastics can be recycled effectively.DystopiaMan Trying to Catch Flight Alarmed as His Driverless Waymo Gets Stuck Driving in Loop Around Parking LotAsked to Write a Screenplay, ChatGPT Started Procrastinating and Making ExcusesKlarna's CEO says AI is capable of doing his job and it makes him feel 'gloomy'Governance newsShari Redstone is saying goodbye to Paramount GlobalCharles Dolan, TV pioneer who founded HBO and Cablevision, dies at 98Richard Parsons, former Time Warner CEO, dies at age 76 Dye & Durham board resigns, activist nominees take control, interim CEO named The Fortune 500 has two new female CEOs—finally pushing that milestone above 11%And we end with a few classics:Boeing ends a troubled year with a jet-crash disaster in South KoreaMan who exploded Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel used ChatGPT to plan the attackNorovirus rates have skyrocketed by 340% this season. Here's where the ‘winter vomiting disease' is spreading and whyMATT1CostcoNational Center for Public Policy Research filed the proxy with CostcoTheir arguments include…US Supreme court decision at HarvardA $25m judgment in PA for white regional manager at Starbucks who was fired after two black patrons were arrested for being blackThis gem: “With 310,000 employees, Costco likely has at least 200,000 employees who are potentially victims of this type of illegal discrimination because they are white, Asian, male or straight.”This, perhaps, is the greatest ironic argument for “meritocracy” ever made in historyThey point out that the MAJORITY OF THE STAFF is white, Asian, male, or straight… but they don't even use Costco's data, they source census data and just guessThe real numbers:Non management is 44.2% white, management is 58% white - a 14% increase in meritocracyExecutives are 80.6% white - a whopping 36.4% more meritHispanics are 33.1% of non management, 23.3% of management - 9.8% less merit!Executives are 5.8% Hispanic, 26.3% less meritAsians are 8.5% and 7.1%, so 1.4% less merit7.9% executive - so even merit?US Exec management is 72.3% maleSo 80.6% of executives are white, and 72.3% are male - and the argument NCPPR is making is that BECAUSE there are a lot of white males, there is a lot of RISK that THE WHITE MALES WILL SUE YOU if they think they're discriminated againstThink of what they're saying - because you have so many non diverse people, you can't have diversity programs for risk of lawsuitThe response dropped the pretense that the proxy was anything except racismThe proponent professes concern about legal and financial risks to the Company and its shareholders associated with the diversity initiatives. The proponent's broader agenda is not reducing risk for the Company but abolition of diversity initiatives. A 2023 federal district court decision, in a case brought by the proponent, noted that the proponent had "published a document called 'Balancing the Boardroom 2022,' which describes its shareholder activism as 'fighting back' against 'the evils of woke politicized capital and companies.' [The proponent went] on to describe 'CEOs and other corporate executives who are most woke and most hard-left political in their management of their corporations' as 'inimical to the Republic and its blessings of liberty' and 'committed to critical race theory and the socialist foundations of woke' or 'shameless monsters who are willing to sacrifice our future for their comforts.'" National Center for Public Policy Research v. Schultz, E.D. WA. (Sept. 11, 2023). And the proponent's efforts to demonstrate retrenchment on the part of companies are misleading, at best. For example, the assertion that "Microsoft laid off an entirea[sic] DEI team" is simply wrong. It was later reported that Microsoft stated that the two positions eliminated were redundant roles on its events team and that Microsoft's diversity and inclusion commitments remain unchanged, according to Jeff Jones, a Microsoft spokesperson: “Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work.” Colvin, Caroline. Amid DEI cuts, Microsoft works to distinguish itself from those responding to ‘woke' backlash. HR Dive, July 24, 2024.Reason Costco might be pushing back?Racism is basically unveiledOf all the companies targeted by a proposal or Robbie Starbuck, Costco has the lowest deviation in board member influence - as in, nearly the entire board has equal power, it's highly democratic - women, men, diverse cohorts are more or less equally powerful to anyone else in the roomNo connections to any board member on another DEI flipper companyMeanwhile, the anti DEI, anti immigrant movement has begun to eat itself before Trump even takes officeIn defense of more HB1 visas and foreign workers, Vivek Ramaswamy says we venerate jocks over valedictorians on Twitter, and Americans aren't as good employeesThe rebuttal was MAGA Trumpers saying Vivek is fake MAGAAlso this: “His entire argument is a terrible proposition,” he adds. “Children raised to be good little robots might grow up to build robots of their own someday, and become rich. Asians are the highest-earning racial group in America, but are they happier for it? Suicide is the leading cause of death for Asians aged 15-24 … and the second-leading cause of death for those aged 25-34.” Page points to a Psychology Today post that blames tiger parenting for causing anxiety and depression and then asks, “Do we really want this country to be even more stressed-out?”Costco proxy says Asians are discriminated againstTwitch gamers are streaming about “meritocracy”

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a wealthy individual. I REPEAT: There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a wealthy individual. The more wealth we have, the more good we can do. I saw a post on social media that said the world needs more women billionaires – women like MacKenzie Scott, Melinda Gates and Taylor Swift – women using their financial resources for good. I couldn't agree more. In 2025, my focus is definitely on building my wealth, and hopefully yours is too!  But what is built must also be protected. That's why I'm so excited to talk with former financial advisor, now Certified Financial Planner Brittney Castro on the show today. Brittney and I are going to talk about how women can build and protect their wealth for the long haul.   Here's a glance at this episode: [02:52] Brittney breaks down her journey in the financial services industry, including the experience of selling her financial planning business. [11:51] Do you struggle with knowing your values? Brittney acknowledges that it can be a struggle to know your next steps when you're unsure. [17:10] Not sure if you should save or pay off debt? Brittney shares her advice for deciding whether to save or pay off your debt or do both! [32:49] Brittney walks through different investment vehicles, including life insurance and leveraging it for building wealth. [40:44] If you leverage your life insurance policy properly, you can access tax-free dollars and use how you'd like.   Rate, Review, & Follow: Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life! To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, please make sure you're subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!   Resources mentioned in this episode: Follow Brittney on Instagram Learn about Raya's Financial Focus Coaching Program Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!Today's guest, Michael Randel, has a passion for creating the conditions necessary to grow effective organizations that make a sustained impact. As the founder of Randel Consulting Associates which was established in 2010, Michael has supported over 150 organizations with this goal. We're having an insightful conversation today covering topics like building effective teams, the challenges that arise with culture change, and insights from teams that received the MacKenzie Scott grant.In this episode:[04:11] How to build an effective and aligned team[10:29] The role of diverse voices and upward feedback in organizational change[15:12] The challenges of culture change[23:36] The impact of high nonprofit turnover and how to reduce this  [31:26] Productive and effective hybrid work practices[35:01] Insights from teams that received the MacKenzie Scott grantCONNECT WITH MICHAELLinkedIn: Michael RandelWebsite: rcachangeadvisors.comMy book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies to help nonprofit leaders turn visions into reality, and create meaningful impact As the fundraising engine of choice for over 80,000 organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox's easy-to-use fundraising tools help you raise more money in more ways. Seamlessly embed a customizable donation form into your website that reduces donor drop-off with a 4x faster checkout, launch a crowdfunding or peer-to-peer campaign, sell event tickets, raise funds on the go with Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, and much more. Learn more at donorbox.org The EmC Masterclass by Dr. Lola Gershfeld will help you enhance your communication skills to raise more revenue for your mission. This groundbreaking Emotional Connection process has been integrated into top universities' curriculum and recognized by international organizations. Use code LEADWITHHEART to enjoy a -10%.CONNECT WITH HALEYHaley is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Certified Stress Management Coach, and Certified EmC train the trainer. She is the Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, a nonprofit consulting and coaching business. She has worked in both small and large nonprofit teams in the human services, homelessness, and youth sectors; and she specializes in the EmC process, nonprofit leadership, board development, and fundraising. Haley is a passionate, impact-driven, experienced nonprofit professional whose mission is to empower, elevate and engage nonprofit leaders to build healthy, thriving organizations.Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFREWebsite: thesavvyfundraiser.comProduced by Ideablossoms

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special Daily Special, River City Hash Mondays is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, GOP Representative Don Bacon pushed back on Bannon and Musk.Then, on the rest of the menu, Musk accused Mackenzie Scott of "destroying western civilization" by donating billions to charities for women, minorities, and marginalized groups, and she just keeps doing it; an Oregon sheriff has contacted the FBI about letters telling people to track possible immigrants; and, the Department of Justice alleged in a lawsuit that Louisiana's prison system routinely holds people weeks and months after they have completed their sentences.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where over a hundred thousand people streamed into a central square in Serbia's capital for a rally against far right populist President Aleksandar Vucic; and, German authorities received tipoffs last year about the AfD-affiliated suspect in the deadly Christmas market attack.stioning, as the Constitutional Court began its first meeting to determine his fate.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!"I was never a spy. I was with the OSS organization. We had a number of women, but we were all office help." -- Julia ChildBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

Exploring the Impact of a Four-Day Workweek on Nonprofits In this week's episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, George Weiner and Nick Azulay dive into the potential effects of a four-day workweek on the nonprofit sector. As digital strategists and nonprofit enthusiasts, they explore how this shift, gaining traction in places like Tokyo and parts of Europe, could influence volunteer availability and nonprofit operations. Nick highlights the growing trend towards shorter workweeks, noting that it could alleviate burnout among nonprofit staff, often overworked and underpaid. This change might also lead to an increase in volunteer hours, as people could have more free time to contribute to causes they care about. George adds that advances in AI and digital tools could streamline volunteer coordination, making it easier for nonprofits to manage their resources efficiently. The discussion also touches on the broader implications of a shorter workweek, such as a shift in how productivity is measured—focusing on outcomes rather than hours. This shift could open up new opportunities for nonprofits to fill the "purpose gap," engaging more people in meaningful work beyond traditional employment metrics like GDP. Legislative Update: Nonprofits Face Potential Threats The episode also covers the reintroduction of HR 9495 in the Senate, a bill that could allow the U.S. Treasury to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status if deemed to support terrorism. The hosts express concern over the lack of due process in this legislation, which could expose nonprofits to abuse and harassment. With Congress's session ending soon, the bill's fate remains uncertain, but advocacy efforts continue to highlight its potential dangers. Challenges in Nonprofit Funding Transparency Another topic discussed is the financial struggles of OpenSecrets, a nonprofit dedicated to government transparency and tracking money in politics. Recent layoffs at OpenSecrets reflect a broader trend of dwindling support for transparency-focused organizations, posing a risk to public understanding of political finance. Mackenzie Scott's Continued Philanthropic Impact Ending on a positive note, the hosts celebrate Mackenzie Scott's recent $65 million donation to Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing nonprofit. This gift underscores Scott's ongoing commitment to addressing critical societal issues through substantial philanthropic efforts.

Exploring the Impact of a Four-Day Workweek on Nonprofits In this week's episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, George Weiner and Nick Azulay dive into the potential effects of a four-day workweek on the nonprofit sector. As digital strategists and nonprofit enthusiasts, they explore how this shift, gaining traction in places like Tokyo and parts of Europe, could influence volunteer availability and nonprofit operations. Nick highlights the growing trend towards shorter workweeks, noting that it could alleviate burnout among nonprofit staff, often overworked and underpaid. This change might also lead to an increase in volunteer hours, as people could have more free time to contribute to causes they care about. George adds that advances in AI and digital tools could streamline volunteer coordination, making it easier for nonprofits to manage their resources efficiently. The discussion also touches on the broader implications of a shorter workweek, such as a shift in how productivity is measured—focusing on outcomes rather than hours. This shift could open up new opportunities for nonprofits to fill the "purpose gap," engaging more people in meaningful work beyond traditional employment metrics like GDP. Legislative Update: Nonprofits Face Potential Threats The episode also covers the reintroduction of HR 9495 in the Senate, a bill that could allow the U.S. Treasury to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status if deemed to support terrorism. The hosts express concern over the lack of due process in this legislation, which could expose nonprofits to abuse and harassment. With Congress's session ending soon, the bill's fate remains uncertain, but advocacy efforts continue to highlight its potential dangers. Challenges in Nonprofit Funding Transparency Another topic discussed is the financial struggles of OpenSecrets, a nonprofit dedicated to government transparency and tracking money in politics. Recent layoffs at OpenSecrets reflect a broader trend of dwindling support for transparency-focused organizations, posing a risk to public understanding of political finance. Mackenzie Scott's Continued Philanthropic Impact Ending on a positive note, the hosts celebrate Mackenzie Scott's recent $65 million donation to Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing nonprofit. This gift underscores Scott's ongoing commitment to addressing critical societal issues through substantial philanthropic efforts.

IntroductionLIVE from your ESG Hanukkah Jesus Bush, it's a Business Pants Friday Show here at December 20th Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today's YEARLY wrap up: Everything.Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.Story of the Year (DR):Exxon Sues Two ESG Investors [Follow This, Arjuna Capital] MMJudge voids Elon Musk's "unfathomable" $56 billion Tesla pay packageBoeingBoeing CEO says it was 100% his own decision to resignBoeing CEO's tearful apologyBoeing pleads guilty to fraud in fatal 737 Max crashes, fined $243.6 millionBoeing names Robert ‘Kelly' Ortberg as new president and CEOBoeing factory workers strike for first time since 2008 after overwhelmingly rejecting contractTrump's victory adds record $64bn to wealth of richest top 10The Murder of Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare C.E.O. DRGoodliest of the Year (MM/DR):DR: 2,000 senior women win “biggest victory possible” in landmark climate caseMore than 2,000 older Swiss women have won a landmark European case proving that government climate inaction violates human rights.The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Tuesday that Switzerland had not acted urgently to achieve climate targets, leading victims, who are mostly in their 70s, to suffer physically and emotionally while potentially placed at risk of dying.The women, part of a group called KlimaSeniorinnen (Senior Women for Climate Protection), filed the lawsuit nine years ago. DR: Minnesota capital St. Paul makes history as first large U.S. city with all-female councilDR: Delta paying $1.4 billion in profit sharing payments to employeesDR: 42% of shareholders vote against BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's payMM: Stakeholders rule: U.S. bans noncompete agreements for nearly all jobs: MM“30 million people, or one in five American workers are bound by noncompetes. It will take effect later this year, except for existing noncompetes that companies have with senior executives ‘on the grounds that these agreements are more likely to have been negotiated.'”MM: Women > men: First NCAA women's basketball championship surpasses men's viewership: DR“Iowa-South Carolina game averaged 19 million viewers, 24M in the final 15 minutes. Men's averaged 15 million. Year of renegotiating for women's basketball.”MM: Porn figures it out: A Pornhub Chatbot Stopped Millions From Searching for Child Abuse VideosMeanwhile… “Google's Search AI Recommends Changing Your Car's Blinker Fluid, Which Is a Made Up Thing That Does Not Exist.”Researchers Call for "Child-Safe AI" After Alexa Tells Little Girl to Stick Penny in Wall SocketGoogle's Gemini Chatbot Explodes at User, Calling Them "Stain on the Universe" and Begging Them To "Please Die"Meta's AI Refuses to Show Asian Men With White WomenMM: Study: Playing Dungeons & Dragons helps autistic players in social interactions Assholiest of the YEAR (MM):Sam AltmanSam Altman will return to OpenAI's board with three new directors“Our primary fiduciary duty is to humanity.” - So let's summarize - we have a board with Bret Taylor (ex Twitter chair, Salesforce founder, worked at Google, worked at Facebook and created the like button), Larry Summers (grumpy grandpa Harvard who thinks women are unable to compete with men and was master of Harvard when Zuck founded Facebook), Adam D'Angelo (founder of Quora, former CTO of Facebook), Sue DH (who was on board of Facebook), Fidji Simo (who lead monetization at Facebook), and the only NON FB alums Sam Altman (the master and founder) and Nicole Seligman (who oversaw one of the largest hacks in history and has a history on boards of CBS/Viacom under dictators)...Proxy voters DRDisney Shareholders Are Selling Their Proxy Votes Online - IndieWireA share of Disney is currently hovering at $118.Buying the vote is currently valued at $0.20.The current economic value to shareholder right value multiple is 590:1McDonald's CEO Kempczinski to assume role of board chairmanMiles White named Lead Independent DirectorDirector since 2009 (15 years)Connected to 58% of the CURRENT boardHas nearly 40 loops back to board members in the last 7 years aloneWas on the board for the disaster that was Steve EasterbrookMiles is part of the Boeing American Board Other board history:LIDsThere are 284 US large caps out of just over 600 with CEO/Chair combo, founder, or executive chair and a Lead Independent Director on the board - that's 47% of US large cap boardsAt 59% the LID has 10+ years of tenureAt 29% BOTH the executive AND the LID have more than 10 years of tenure - as in they worked together for a decadeAppointments, not electionsNumber of new directors appointed from 6/1/23 to 6/1/24: 1,875Average time between appointment and election: ~4 monthsThomas Gayner was added to the Coca Cola board and served 10 full months before he got a vote from investors - and they voted 39.1% AGAINST SEC charge hinges on director's lack of ‘social independence'20% of every US large cap board is connected inside two degrees JUST FROM OTHER BOARDSWe just covered Parker Hannifin on our show Proxy Countdown and found that 100% of the board worked within 250 miles of one another, and 40% of them were from Ohio!Boeing InvestorsLawsuit Against Boeing's Board Seeks Accountability for Safety FailuresBill AckmanAfter his wife is outed as having plagiarized (lightly?) in her dissertation, he posted on Wednesday a 4,200 word post defending his wife, detailing his personal trauma…And now, the part that only billionaires can do because the rest of us asshole poorsies don't rate…I reached out to a board member I knew at BI, and to its controlling shareholders, the co-ceos of KKR, and to Mathias Döpfner, the Chairman and CEO of Axel SpringerI reached out to Joe Bae because he is Co-CEO of KKRI reached out to Henry Kravis because he is KKR's representative on the board of Axel SpringerI called a board member of BI that I knew, but not well, on Saturday“After spending a lot of time over the past few weeks looking at and thinking about the definition of “plagiarism” (and some cited examples), I agree with you about it. Academia needs to narrow the definition.I made one request. I asked him to publicly disclose that Axel Springer had launched an investigation of the story, and he said he would have to get back to me on that request.Billionaire Bill Ackman Accuses The Walt Disney Company Of Leaking Shareholder Votes Amidst Nelson Peltz Proxy ... - That Park PlaceMeritocracyJ.M. Smucker's CEO says the family-run business is a 'meritocracy'Alex Edmans The anti-ESG, racist-veiled-as-meritocracy crowd noticed an ESG prof keeps saying “DEI” and “lies” in the same postsStrive puts him on a webinar called “DEI May Contain Lies” - Edmans seems to not know or acknowledge the fact that Strive votes explicitly against women on boards at a 2:1 rate versus average REGARDLESS OF PERFORMANCE (we have the data to show it)Elon Musk is lashing out at MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos' ex, for donating billions to charities for women and minorities“Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should filed be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died'”Texas is using Boeing's troubles to expand its war on DEI“Documents that Spirit relies on to substantiate its claim that a diverse workplace improves product quality.”“Produce all meeting minutes of Spirit's Global Diversity & Inclusion Council(s). Meeting minutes is defined to include any document that memorializes the agenda or discussion of any meetings held by these groups.Target to pull LGBTQ-themed items from some stores during Pride Month, Bloomberg News reportsMeta created an AI advisory council that's composed entirely of White menPat Collison, cofounder of StripeNat Friedman, ex GitHub CEOTobi Lutke, CEO of ShopifyCharlie Songhurst, angel investor and ex-MSFTTractor Supply's Customers Cheer as It Dumps ESG, Says Survey, Microsoft reportedly fires DEI team — becoming latest company to ditch ‘woke' policy, John Deere Cuts 'Woke' Programs, Moves Jobs to Mexico, Harley-Davidson Sparks Boycott Call for Going 'Totally Woke'Larry Ellison Will Control Paramount After Deal, Filing ShowsDavid Ellison looked like he was buying it, but filing shows Daddy Larry will actually control 77% of National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of Paramount, when the deal is completedTyson's finance chief is out of the job. The Tyson heir got the gig at 32, making him the youngest Fortune 500 CFOThe interim CFO Curt Calaway will now be the ACTUAL CFO, but I'm not sure he's the right fit because he only had 11 years experience as an auditor followed by 18 years experience in finance at Tyson.Matt Gaetz, Vivek, Elon, Tulsi Gabbard, cabinet appointmentsWhite menThe value of male influence on boards in the US:Small cap, a man's influence is worth 1.7x a woman (women occupy 28% boards)Mid cap, a man's influence is worth 1.7x a woman (women occupy 31% boards)Large cap, a man's influence is worth 1.6x a woman (women occupy 33% boards)Mega cap, a man's influence is worth 1.8x a woman (women occupy 36% boards)Bumble and Hinge Let Creeps See Your Exact Locationmen can now make the first move, and the company is now run by a man - men coming out on top at last!White men who are mistreated at work are more likely to notice and report harassment against coworkersAirline says it's testing a booking tool that lets women select seats away from menA Brief List of People Elon Musk Has Challenged to Combat and Then Chickened Out of Actually FightingWhy men get more credit than women for doing the same work, according to a business school professorAs a case in point, consider the experience of Joan Roughgarden. Joan transitioned from male to female during her tenure as a biology professor at Stanford University. When Roughgarden's colleagues perceived her as a man, they took her competence as a given. After her transition, though, Joan found she had “to establish competence to an extent that men never have to. [Men are] assumed to be competent until proven otherwise, whereas a woman is assumed to be incompetent until she proves otherwise,” she recalled. “I remember going on a drive with a man. He assumed I couldn't read a map.”Elon Musk Suggests That Government Should Be Replaced by Dudes With High TestosteroneProblems associated with artificially high testosterone levels in men include:low sperm counts, shrinking of the testicles and impotenceheart muscle damage and increased risk of heart attackprostate enlargement with difficulty urinatingliver diseaseacnefluid retention with swelling of the legs and feetweight gain, perhaps related in part to increased appetitehigh blood pressure and cholesterolinsomniaheadachesincreased muscle massincreased risk of blood clotsstunted growth in adolescentsuncharacteristically aggressive behavior (although not well studied or clearly proven)mood swings, euphoria, irritability, impaired judgment, delusions.MEN AS AN INVESTABLE ASSET CLASS?This isn't a joke - there are 69… yes, 69… US companies with zero women on the board and another 10 that have women with 0% influenceNathan's Famous hot dog board - 10 directors, 1 woman, 9 men… female influence on the board = 0% according to FFA dataZERO people of colorInsiders own 30% of the company (all white dudes), but the largest external manager GAMCO/Gabelli (14% of shares) PMs are all men that hold Nathan's - men holding men!Oglethorpe Power is my new favorite MANCOMPANY - the board:Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says women founders say they can't go 'founder mode' like men and that it needs to changeHeadliniest of the YearDR: Elon Musk's $46 billion payday is 'not about the money,' Tesla chair saysDR: Google Helpless to Stop Its AI From Recommending Glue on PizzaDR: Jamie Dimon saysDR: ESG is Coming For Your Toilet Paper DRDR: X global affairs head Nick Pickles resignsMM: Anti-woke: A definitive list of woke and non-woke foods - New Zealand HeraldBeans = wokeBaked Beans = not wokePotato chips (salted, salt and vinegar) = not wokePotato chips (any other flavor) = wokeSpaghetti = wokeCanned spaghetti = wokeQuinoa (pronounced keen-wah) = wokeQuinoa (pronounced quin-oh-ah) = slightly less woke but still wokeMM: Cybertruck: Maine Man Alarmed When Everybody Mocks His Cybertruck, Flips Him Off MMThe Cybertruck faces another setback as it recalls more than 11,000 vehicles over its giant wiperMM: MeritocracyNASA Praises Boeing's Stranded Starliner for Managing Not to Explode While Docked to Space StationMM: Awesome:Police Warn Residents to Lock Down Houses as Dozens of Monkeys Escape Research FacilityWho Won the Year?DR:Claudia Sheinbaum Elected as Mexico's First Female Presidente.l.f. BeautyThe Shareholder Primacy podcast with Mike Levin and Ann LiptonShitheads (re: Robby Starbuck, et al)Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, the first woman to lead Delaware's Court of ChanceryWOMEN'S BASKETBALL!!!!!!Anyone who wants free director data - we lifted the paywalls on freefloatanalytics.com, so you get 80,000 active directors globally, influence metrics, and four performance metrics for every single one. Suck it ISS.MM: Proxy votersFREE FLOAT ANALYTICS IS FREE for 80,000 current directors with some performance metricsOur clientsFrom the Gates' Foundation's asset manager to Fidelity, Free Float's clients get it ALL - historical data, knowledge maps, connectivity data that includes now non profit boards, we're working on lobbying data, diversity data, and all packaged with expert findings and ad hoc research directly from usDamionNever has he been more credibleCapitalismKnowing WHO runs the world is much more important than knowing WHAT runs the worldNon profits moving companiesWe worked with a half dozen non profits this year who needed data to influence companies - and we gave it to them, so much so we're starting a non profit of our own to donate data to and throughPredictionsWe'll start 2025 with a Predictions show and look back at lost year's predictions

MacKenzie Scott donated $65 million to Enterprise Community Partners, a Maryland-based nonprofit focused on affordable housing. This donation follows her previous $50 million contribution to the organization in 2020. The funding addresses challenges in the housing sector and represents one of the largest reported gifts to an affordable housing entity. Shaun Donovan, CEO of the nonprofit, acknowledged the recognition of housing affordability as a national issue and highlighted how Scott's support will strengthen their efforts in providing sustainable housing solutions. Scott, with a 1.3% stake in Amazon and an estimated net worth of $41.3 billion, has made multiple significant donations to various nonprofits in recent years.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest: Jeff Wilke, former CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer and chairman of Re:Build ManufacturingJeff Wilke worked more than 20 years at Amazon, overseeing the million-person team that speedily gets packages from warehouses to doorsteps. In hindsight, he observes that Amazon Prime's exponential growth was actually an incremental daily process.“I used to say things like, ‘If God was running this plant, whoever is your God ... they can't violate physical laws. How well would they do?' And then we know where we are,” Jeff says.“If we're perfect in it, compounding over all this time, we're going to get there. But when you're in the middle of it, it can feel almost impossible.” Chapters:(01:37) - Grit and longevity (02:24) - Flow state (07:29) - Refining mental models (12:29) - The ivory tower and the shop floor (16:49) - Gnarly holidays (20:41) - Identifying grit (24:28) - Reflecting and learning (27:36) - Christmas 2000 (31:06) - The duplicate bug (34:01) - Incremental progress (38:36) - Prime Video (43:05) - Organizing the day (46:42) - Amazon's leaders (49:55) - The Whole Foods acquisition (53:33) - Amazon Fashion (59:54) - The great Kindle battle (01:02:40) - How to work with Jeff Bezos (01:05:11) - Leaving Amazon (01:09:48) - Re:Build Manufacturing (01:14:35) - What “grit” means to Jeff Mentioned in this episode: Peloton, Andy Jassy, Daniel Kahneman, Zoom, Allied Signal, Toyota and the Gemba Walk, MacKenzie Scott, Bob Thomas and Crucibles of Leadership, David Risher, Toys “R” Us, Amazon Prime, Jeff Blackburn, Louis Pasteur, Netflix, Bill Carr, Steve Kessel, Larry Bossidy, Rick Dalzell, West Point, John Mackey, Liesl Wilke, Tony Hsieh, the Met Gala, Anna Wintour, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow, the New York Jets, Shopbob, Gucci, Zara, Cathy Beaudoin, Walmart, Dave Clark, John Doerr, Bill Baumol, and Bing Gordon.Links:Connect with JeffTwitterConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

It's the season for gratitude and reflection. But also, a day for taking stock. As we gather with loved ones, it's worth considering the subtle shifts happening beneath the surface of our communities. The connections that bind us, the acts of generosity that fuel positive change—these are the things that deserve our attention.Ten years ago, nonprofits, the tireless champions of our communities, began to sense a change in the air—a moment of pause, a desire to understand the evolving landscape before taking the next step, a perfectly reasonable response to a world in constant flux.This week, Stacy Palmer, CEO of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, sits down with Carrie to explore the evolution of this space. They explore the findings of the Generosity Commission, acknowledging the dip in traditional giving and volunteering while also recognizing the rise of new forms of engagement. The landscape of giving is changing, and that presents both challenges and opportunities.Amidst this evolution, inspiring figures like Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott emerge as trailblazers, reshaping the philanthropic landscape with their bold and transformative giving. They shine a light on the often-overlooked, demonstrating that philanthropy can be a powerful catalyst for positive change, especially when it embraces innovation and challenges traditional norms.How do we ensure that positive momentum continues? Stacy offers a balanced perspective. She celebrates the progress made while also encouraging us to remain vigilant and adaptable. The insights from 1989, when the Chronicle of Philanthropy first highlighted the need for philanthropy to embrace a multicultural America, still resonate today.Carrie and Stacy explore the delicate balance between thoughtful planning and decisive action. They discuss the All In By April campaign, a compelling example of how accelerating philanthropic giving can empower positive change, particularly in support of democracy. This story of proactive engagement is a testament to the power of foresight and collaboration.This week invites you to reflect on each of our own contributions to the story of generosity. Are we building meaningful connections or simply going through the motions? Are we embracing new approaches or clinging to outdated models? The answer, as Carrie and Stacy reveal, lies in the power of relationships, the courage to speak up, and the unwavering commitment to move missions forward together.Links & NotesThe Commons (from the Chronicle of Philanthropy)The Generosity Commission reportGiving TuesdaySolutions Journalism NetworkAll In By April campaign (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward (01:58) - Introducing Stacy Palmer (04:28) - Journey into Non-Profit (09:51) - The Generosity Crisis (18:04) - Is Philanthropy Ready for Multi-Cultural America?

Despite finance and staffing headaches, the new Cook County Health chief sees path for growth. Crain's healthcare reporter Katherine Davis discusses with host Amy Guth.Plus: True Value's $153 million sale to Do It Best clears bankruptcy court, Grant Thornton reportedly lays off about 150 workers in the U.S., large Hyde Park apartment portfolio up for sale and MacKenzie Scott strikes twice at housing nonprofit with record-breaking $15 million gift.

MacKenzie Scott, a famous novelist, philanthropist, and third wealthiest woman in the U.S., recently donated $10 million to United Way of the Midlands.

Phil and Grace invite their CEP colleagues Elisha Smith Arrillaga and Kevin Bolduc to the recording studio for a candid and lively conversation that covers nonprofit-donor relationships, big gifts, trust in philanthropy, and the challenges facing nonprofits right now. The four bring their considerable collective experience and CEP's data-based insights to bear on crucial questions like how donors can best support the causes they believe in, what everyday donors can learn from MacKenzie Scott's approach to giving, how to think about trust in donor-nonprofit relationships, how to be an effective nonprofit board member, and more. For donors looking to embrace nuance and up their giving ‘game,' this episode is a must-listen. Additional Resources State of Nonprofits 2024: What Funders Need to Know CEP's research on the impact of MacKenzie Scott's giving: “Giving Big: The Impacts of Large, Unrestricted Gifts on Nonprofits” and “Emerging Impacts: The Effects of MacKenzie Scott's Large, Unrestricted Gifts” More CEP research Trust-Based Philanthropy Project Candid's insights on nonprofit leadership demographics Resources on board effectiveness from BoardSource CEP's Grantee Perception Report and other assessments

What happens when you give cash to those in need? In this episode, Phil and Grace discuss direct cash transfers in conversation with Jesús Gerena, president and CEO of UpTogether. Jesús shares insight into how individuals who receive cash transfers invest in themselves, their families, and their communities. Jesús, Grace, and Phil consider attitudes of paternalism and mistrust of the poor among donors. They also discuss related concepts and ideas such as basic income movements and effective altruism. Additional Resources UpTogether The Urban Institute's evaluation of the Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania GiveDirectly CEP's research on the impact of MacKenzie Scott's giving

Welcome to The Business of Giving. I'm your host Denver Frederick. Today, we are delighted to welcome back Phil Buchanan, the President of the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). Phil is a passionate advocate for the nonprofit sector and a keen observer of philanthropy's role in strengthening democracy. We'll be exploring critical issues such as the nonprofit sector's evolving role, trust-based philanthropy, and the remarkable impact of MacKenzie Scott's giving model. We'll also talk about donor-advised funds and technology's role in reshaping philanthropy. Plus, exciting news—Phil has just kicked off Season 4 of his podcast *Giving Done Right*. If you're looking to deepen your understanding of philanthropy, this is a must-listen! There is a lot to explore, so let's get started.

In this dandy episode of Let's Hear It, Eric Brown sits down with Grace Nicolette from the Center for Effective Philanthropy to make sense of the phenomenon that is MacKenzie Scott's revolutionary approach to giving. Grace is the Vice President for Programming and External Relations at the Center for Effective Philanthropy and the co-host with Phil Buchanan of the really terrific (and we're not just saying that!), Giving Done Right Podcast, which kicked off its fourth season on September 19. Grace shares fascinating insights from CEP's multi-year study of Scott's "surprise philanthropy" - those headline-grabbing, unsolicited gifts that have sent shockwaves through the nonprofit world. We're talking transformative levels of funding that have left many organizations asking, "Is this for real?" But it's not just about the numbers. Grace dives into the meaty questions this approach raises: How are nonprofits handling this sudden influx of cash? Is this the end of strategic philanthropy as we know it? And what can other funders learn from Scott's bold experiment? As a recipient of Scott's generosity themselves, CEP offers a unique insider-outsider perspective. Grace candidly discusses how their own $10 million gift has shaped their work and thinking. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, a funder, or simply curious about how big money can create big change, this episode delivers. It's a thoughtful exploration of a philanthropic shake-up that's rewriting the rules of giving, delivered with CEP's signature blend of data-driven insights and real-world experience. Tune in for a conversation that's sure to challenge your assumptions and maybe, just maybe, make you rethink everything you thought you knew about effective philanthropy.    

In this dandy episode of Let's Hear It, Eric Brown sits down with Grace Nicolette from the Center for Effective Philanthropy to make sense of the phenomenon that is MacKenzie Scott's revolutionary approach to giving. Grace is the Vice President for Programming and External Relations at the Center for Effective Philanthropy and the co-host with Phil Buchanan of the really terrific (and we're not just saying that!), Giving Done Right Podcast, which kicked off its fourth season on September 19. Grace shares fascinating insights from CEP's multi-year study of Scott's "surprise philanthropy" - those headline-grabbing, unsolicited gifts that have sent shockwaves through the nonprofit world. We're talking transformative levels of funding that have left many organizations asking, "Is this for real?" But it's not just about the numbers. Grace dives into the meaty questions this approach raises: How are nonprofits handling this sudden influx of cash? Is this the end of strategic philanthropy as we know it? And what can other funders learn from Scott's bold experiment? As a recipient of Scott's generosity themselves, CEP offers a unique insider-outsider perspective. Grace candidly discusses how their own $10 million gift has shaped their work and thinking. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, a funder, or simply curious about how big money can create big change, this episode delivers. It's a thoughtful exploration of a philanthropic shake-up that's rewriting the rules of giving, delivered with CEP's signature blend of data-driven insights and real-world experience. Tune in for a conversation that's sure to challenge your assumptions and maybe, just maybe, make you rethink everything you thought you knew about effective philanthropy.    

What is our relationship to the land, to its other-than-human inhabitants, and to the rest of humanity? These are fundamental questions for thinking through how we can transform ourselves in ways that allow a multiplicity of ecologies and human communities to thrive alongside one another. And these questions are not just fundamental to us as individuals—they are essential to how we view our cultures, traditions, institutions, and ways of knowing.Layel Camargo lives at the vibrant intersection of ecological justice, queer liberation, and indigenous culture—a cultural space that offers a distinctive vantage point on how our societies work, while holding enormous potential to both see and reorient our relationships to the land and to one another.Layel Camargo is an organizer and artist who advocates for the better health of the planet and its people by restoring land, healing communities, and promoting low-waste and low-impact lifestyles. Layel is a transgender and gender non-conforming person who is an indigenous descendant of the Yaqui and Mayo tribes of the Sonoran Desert.I met Layel at a climate storytelling retreat in New York City in 2019, where I became a huge fan of their work and of their way of being in the world.Layel is a founder of the Shelterwood Collective, a Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ-led community forest and retreat center, healing people and ecosystems through active stewardship and community engagement.Our conversation explores the idea of culture as strategy in confronting the climate crisis, diving into Layel's work in video, podcasting, and poetry and the origins of their approach to this work of healing people and planet.You can listen on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms.Please rate, review, and share to help us spread the word!Layel CamargoLayel Camargo is a cultural strategist, land steward, filmmaker, artist, and a descendant of the Yaqui tribe and Mayo tribes of the Sonoran Desert. Layel is also transgender and non-binary. They graduated from UC Santa Cruz with dual degrees in Feminist Studies and Legal Studies. Layel was the Impact Producer for “The North Pole Show” Season Two. They currently produce and host ‘Did We Go Too Far' in conjunction with Movement Generation. Alongside Favianna Rodriguez and at the Center for Cultural Power, they created ‘Climate Woke,' a national campaign to center BIPOC voices in climate justice. Wanting to shape a new world, they co-founded ‘Shelterwood Collective'. The collective is a land-based organization that teaches land stewardship, fosters inventive ideation, and encourages healing for long-term survival. Layel was a Transformative Justice practitioner for 6 years and still looks to achieve change to the carceral system in all of their work. Most recently, Layel was named on the Grist 2020 Fixers List, and named in the 2019 Yerba Buena Center of the Arts list of ‘People to Watch Out For.'Quotation Read by Layel Camargo“You wanna fly, you got to give up the s**t that weighs you down.” - Toni Morrison, Song of SolomonRecommended Readings & MediaTranscriptIntroJohn Fiege  What is our relationship to the land, to its other-than-human inhabitants, and to the rest of humanity? These are fundamental questions for thinking through how we can transform ourselves in ways that allow a multiplicity of ecologies and human communities to thrive alongside one another. And these questions are not just fundamental to us as individuals—they are essential to how we view our cultures, traditions, institutions, and ways of knowing.Layel Camargo lives at the vibrant intersection of ecological justice, queer liberation, and indigenous culture—a cultural space that offers a distinctive vantage point on how our societies work while holding enormous potential to both see and reorient our relationships to the land and to one another.And besides that, Layel is hilarious.Layel Camargo My passion for humor has come from has been maintained by a lot of data and information that I've gotten around just the importance of people being able to process things through laughter. And that the climate crisis is nothing to make mockery and or to laugh, there's this is very serious. The ways in which our species is kind of being at threat of extinction, and right before our eyes. But I think that as humans, we're so complex and layered, and we're so beautiful in the sense that we get to feel so intensely, and feeling is what motivates us to take action. And laughter helps you process so much data quicker, it helps you be able to take something in, embrace it, release, and then have it make an impression.John Fiege  I'm John Fiege, and this is Chrysalis.Layel Camargo is an organizer and artist who advocates for the better health of the planet and its people by restoring land, healing communities, and promoting low-waste, low-impact lifestyles. Layel is a transgender and gender non-conforming person who is an indigenous descendant of the Yaqui and Mayo tribes of the Sonoran Desert.I met Layel at a climate storytelling retreat in New York City in 2019, where I became a huge fan of their work and of their way of being in the world.Layel is a founder of the Shelterwood Collective, a Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ-led community forest and retreat center, healing people and ecosystems through active stewardship and community engagement.Our conversation explores the idea of culture as strategy in confronting the climate crisis, diving into Layel's work in video, podcasting, and poetry and the origins of their approach to this work of healing people and planet.Here is Layel Camargo.ConversationJohn FiegeHow you doing?Layel Camargo I'm doing pretty good. How are you doing?John Fiege I'm doing well. I've got this thing in my throat. I, so I'm going to be drinking a lot of tea. And I might have to have a bathroom break. Know, I have forgotten to take my allergy medicine. And here we are. Great. Yeah. So can you start out by telling me where you grew up? And how you viewed your relationship to the rest of nature when you were a kid?Layel Camargo Yeah. Um, I can start off by Yeah. talking a little bit about where I grew up. Yeah, so I grew up on the Mexican border between Tijuana and San Diego. And my upbringing was in this very highly dense migrant community from Latinx to Philippines, because of the proximity to the military base. It was very military towns, pretty much the professions. They're like you're either work for Homeland Security, the military or police. And I didn't really notice what my upbringing was like till I left. But I grew up crossing the border back and forth. My grandmother migrated from the Sonoran Desert, to Tijuana. And that's basically where my mother was born. And she grew. She went to high school in San Diego, which is why I can say I'm an American citizen, but I'm a descendant of the Maya or the uremic tribes, my grandmother said, and then my grandfather said, The yucky tribes of the Sonoran Desert so I think for me, my connection ecologically was like the ocean Because I grew up in a beach city, and then it was also the desert, because of all the stories and my grandmother's connection to sanada. So high, I never felt like I was at home because as a queer person paid never really fit into the conservative nature of San Diego due to how militarized it is, and all this stuff. But it was through a drive, which I took from Northern California, down to Sonora, where my grandmother's family lives, when I drove through the saguaros and Arizona that I remember seeing the Saguaro forests and just like needing to pull over and just like, take them in. And I had this a visceral feeling that I don't think I've ever had before of just like being home. And I think this, this experience was like in 2016 2017. And that's when I realized that, in theory, I was a climate activist, I cared about the planet. But it wasn't until that moment that I was like, oh, what I'm actually doing is like actually fighting for us to return to be in better relationship with the planet. And this is where I belong, this is my source of my route, these trees and this desert. So because of that, and growing up in proximity to the beach, water conservation has always been an area of like passion for me and caring about the ocean, which pushed me to a practice of lowering my plastic consumption and being more mindful of oil consumption. And the desert has always been a source of like grounding in regards to like place and knowing that I come from the earth. So it's kind of like I was gonna say, it's kind of like, I'm from a lot of places, I moved to Northern California in 2006. So I love the forest. But nothing speaks to my heart, like the beach in the desert.John Fiege Well, they have sand in common. Is there? Is there a tension between the ocean pulling you in the desert pulling you or is it? Is it a beautiful harmony?Layel Camargo It's a bit of a tension. But I would say that in my body, it feels the same. They both dehydrate me and over, over like it's just a lot of heat, typically. So yeah, that it's different for Northern California beaches, because they're a little bit more Rocky and more cold. You have to wear more layers. Right? definitely like to where I grew up, it's it is warm, the sandy ness. That's a great connection, I definitely need to make that a little bit more concrete.TotallyJohn Fiege cool. Well, can you tell me more about the path you took from the neighborhood where you grew up in San Diego, to studying at UC Santa Cruz and what that experience was like for you?Layel Camargo Yeah, I, I went. So I grew up in a home where there was a lot of violence, which is very common in a lot of migrant-specific and indigenous communities. And I kind of came into my teenage years, like really realizing that I was different, but I didn't know how when it kind of got summarized in college around my queerness my sexuality and my gender, but just feeling this need of like needing to leave. It just didn't make sense for me to be there. And with that being said, I had a wonderful community. I still have quite a few friends in San Diego that I keep in touch with my sisters live there. And I was actually just started last weekend. So I, when I was in San Diego, I think a lot of my trauma responses of like, just ignore what doesn't make sense and just keep moving forward was how I kind of functioned. And that race. And I loved it, I succeeded at it. I've actually realized that I'm a performance artist because of that upbringing. Like I, you know, was captain of the water polo team. I was president of my senior class, I was featured in newspapers for my swimming. I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years. I I did, I did a you know, a good job. I had advanced placement classes and honors classes and I was well rounded but in the inside, I just didn't feel like I belonged. So I picked UC Santa Cruz to go to college because it was the farthest University and the University of California system that had accepted me. And they went and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I visited the campus like two to three weeks before I had to actually be there to live on campus. Bass. And when my dad drove me, drove me up with my whole family drove me up and they left me they were like, are you sure you want to say I'm like, I got this, like, it was all redwoods. So it was definitely like, we went down to the local store. And it was like all these like hippie dreadlock, folks. And I was like, I don't even know what I got myself into. But I'm getting this degree, so we're good. And it was a big culture shock, I think for a lot of black and brown and indigenous youth when they have to leave their communities to attend. What is like better economic opportunities outside of them it is it's, it's more than just having to adjust, it's having to really like, Oh, I had to let go of everything I knew. And in order for me to take the most out of college, and I was fortunate enough that I had a container a university is like a container for young folks that I wasn't having to leave for work or opportunities. And so I fully immersed myself, and it allowed me to be able to identify myself sexually and through my gender, and a gave me solace, when you know, my family rejected me for coming out. And I think that I'm so fortunate that I had that experience. And then I also was able to gain double bachelor's when feminist studies and legal studies which allowed me to have some upward mobility that my family hadn't had, traditionally I was, I am the first person in my whole family to attend a four year university after high school. So I'm definitely very grateful that that path took me there. And at this point, I feel like it was not only good for me, but it was good for my whole family for me to have taken that journey.John Fiege And did you come out to them? In college or before college?Layel Camargo in college? Yeah, I was my second year, I had my first girlfriend. And I was a Resident Advisor, always I'm always trying to be the overachiever. So I was like Resident Advisor of my college, I was like, involved in every club, I was part of the dance team. And, you know, my mom called me, I just decided to actually move in with my girlfriend the following quarter. And she was like, What are you doing? I was like, Oh, my girlfriend's house. And she was like, why do you have to tell me those things. And I'm just like, because I'm not gonna lie to you. And she was like, I know, you're gay, but I just don't need you to rub it in my face. And I was like, then I guess we can't talk. And so we didn't talk for three months. And then she called me It's, it's, it's hard, you know, like, going to college is hard, especially when I went to very marginalized public schools before that. So I was struggling academically. And my solace was, like, being involved on campus, like to meet some social needs. And I was in, I was in a retention program for black and brown youth from urban communities. So that helped a lot. But I, I, my mom kind of rupturing that, really. I didn't realize what the impact was until probably a quarter the quarter into after that. And she called me three months later, and was like, so are you not gonna talk to me? And I was like, you're the one that doesn't talk to me. And she was like, well, let's just let's just try to make this work. And so we, you know, it took probably five to six years for my family to kind of fully integrate my, you know, my, my lifestyle as they, as they call it. The magic word of magic word. Yeah.John Fiege Yeah, wow. Well, you know, that's just what you need, right in the middle of college trying to adapt to, you know, crazy new culture and world is for your family to reject you.Layel Camargo Yeah, yeah. It's definitely one of those things that like a lot of queer LGBTQ folks. I, I feel like it's so normalized to us, right? And it's just like, well, when you come up, just expect to lose everything. And I think it is it now until I'm like, in my 30s, that I realized how painful that is, and how, like, it's just like, you know, one of the core things I think, as a human species is to know that you belong somewhere. And if you don't belong at home, then where do you belong? And I think for many of us, we've had to go through that unconsciously, without really thinking through that we're seeking to belong. And this theme of belonging has been something that's been coming up as I'm I navigate like, my professional career now is that like, I really do want people to feel like they belong somewhere. And the only thing I feel like makes sense as we all belong to the planet. We all belong to the same descendants and how we got here as a species and that I think that's being rejected from my family allowed me to be like weird do I belong? And so I fortunate that I had a best friend who was also queer. I had my queer community I had student governments and students social organizing. And then when I graduated, I was like, wait, like, Where else do I belong? So I went to my natural habitats like to the beach, and I picked up surfing again and scuba diving. And then it was like, Oh, I actually like I belong to the earth. Like, that's where I belong.John Fiege That's beautiful. Yeah. I love that. Oh, I am hearing some background noise.Layel Camargo Is it audio? Or is it just like,John Fiege people laughing?Layel Camargo It's my partner's on an Akai here, I'm going to shoot her a quick text. She like gets really loud because she gets so excited. Just going to share a quick text.John Fiege So before coming to climate justice work, you worked as an organizer with the Bay Area transformative justice collective. Can you tell me how your work in transformative justice informed your understanding of the climate crisis and how you approach ecological concerns?Layel Camargo Yeah, so I I organized with transformative justice for about six years. And then I you know, for folks who don't know, transformative justice is an alternative response model to violence, harm and hurt. And so similar to restorative justice, which works with the carceral system, so police, judicial systems, etc. to reform in order to help alleviate some of the biases that exists in the systems, transformative justice, as there's those systems actually don't serve certain communities like migrants, folks like that are trans, just the way that those systems just inherently violate certain people who are not included in our society fairly, was like, transparent justice exists to serve folks who cannot access or choose not to access or use the carceral system. So if you will, if you believe in defunding the police, and let's say you're sexually assaulted, you're probably not going to call the police for a rape kit, because there's probably ways that you've experienced those systems as harmful or violent. So when I started organizing were transferred to justice the spoke to me as somebody who had just come out as trans, somebody who grew up in a mixed status family, have relatives who have been deported. And I realized, like, Oh, it's actually worth investing in alternative models, besides the police. In order for us to get our needs met when crisises do happen, because they happen to all of us. And I was in it for six years, you know, we had built up, I had built a great capacity to work with people who had caused harm people who are caused domestic violence, sexual assaults and transforming their behavior and working towards reparation of relationships and or just like helping victims be able to move on after something like that happens. And it's it wasn't an easy task. And what we would come back to is we would spend like the first front of the months, trying to make sure that people's basic needs were met in order for them to slow down enough to process what had just happened. And basic needs included food included shelter, if they lived near, you know, a toxic site, what was infringing on their health, making sure that they had access to health coverage or health benefits. And that was about 60% of what we're doing was making sure that we could get the basics kind of stable so that they could jump into really honoring what it was a justice look like for them. And in doing this a handful of times, not too many, I will say I didn't think thankfully, we had a team. And so I did wasn't always having to handle everything. And we, the experiences that I did have, I was like, man, if people just had, like, a healthy environment where having to fight for housing wasn't a thing. Like we could just actually say, this is where I was born, this is where I belong, and I'm in relationship with the land. And that's how I feed myself, I clothe myself, like all these things that are kind of like indigenous traditional ways, then people could actually solve a lot of their crisis. He's in the moment without having it to be delayed years or having to rely on for it to get outsourced through the carceral system in order for them to feel like they get a minuscule amount of justice. And so I started to just be more cognizant of the way that we interact with the planet and how are everything from our legal structures to our economic structures are just completely devastating. Our environment that have led for us not to have good air quality for us not to have good clean water for us not to feel like we've belong to the earth that is right beneath us that we like, are in relationship with, with the rest of you know, most of our lives. And I, at the time I was living in West Oakland and I had just looked into the air quality report in the area I lived in, and I had the worst air quality in the whole Bay Area. And I started noticing my dog started developing like little spots on her skin, I started having like a lot of chronic coughing. And I was looking at how much money I was making. And so at the time, I was doing a lot of our pop ups, I was really passionate about zero waste, I cared about veganism, a lot of it was through the planet, and it just slowly started shifting away from Yes, I care about how we respond to violence and harm and all of that. And I want us to have alternatives that meet the needs of folks who fall through the waistline of certain systems. And at the same time, we don't even have clean water to come home to to drink when something violent happens, like we have to go buy it from, you know, a grocery store. Most of us don't even test our tap water anymore, because it's just consistently, we just grew up thinking that it doesn't, it's dirty, it's gross, it's non potable, so Right, right. I think at that moment, my heart just completely was like, I want to dive into this work 100% I want to fight for people to have clean air, like if you can't breathe, then you can't, you can't even do a lot, a lot of things. And so many black and brown people who grew up in rural communities have high rates of asthma have like low life expectancy because of air pollution, to you know, the logistics industry etc. And I just kind of fell in with all my heart in like, if I'm, if I'm against plastic put which at the time I was, like vegan for the planet and vegan for my health. And I was also really passionate about reducing plastic use. And I was like, if these are two things that I care about, I want to do it at a larger scale. So it meant that I had to really make those connections of if I want to end gender based violence, if I want to end large forms of violence, I have to start with the one common thing we have that we're constantly extracting and violating, which is the earth. And I think that that led me towards climate justice, because that is the most critical environmental crisis that we're in at this moment.John Fiege So what is the climate crisis? What what what causes is how do you how do you think about culture as a source of power and strategy for climate crisis?Layel Camargo Yeah, I mean, I this is this is really, you know, this, that this is what I do for my life is I spent the last 7 to 8 years really strategizing around what are the cultural shifts that are needed in order for us to be able to be in right relationship with the planet where things like the climate crisis are not happening, so that we can have an economic system and a political system that is serves the planet and the needs of our of us living and thriving, not surviving, which is I think, what we're stuck in as a global society now. And the, we have like quite a few things to kind of look at historically. And I think that there is a dominance of, which is we now know, it is like white supremacy, which is the idea that one group of human is like better than another group of human, and that because of that, everybody else needs to conform to the languages, the culture, the food, the clothes, the housing structures, that are pervasive, and that in, you know, the Euro centric way of living, and that has created a monoculture that is now spread at a global scale. And it's even because it's an economic sister in their economic system. Now we have global stock markets. Now we have the extraction at a global scale, for the sourcing of consumer goods that are all homogenous, and there. There's just one kind of how we do things. And I think the crisis that we're in is the ways that human have removed ourselves from our natural biodiversity relationships with our ecological systems. And then as removing ourselves we have are allowed for the rupture of a relationship that is very needed, which is if we're not integrated into the trees that are natural in our environment into trimming certain invasive species and supporting other biodiverse relationships around us, then we're crippling the ability of the soil to be healthy of the air to have the most amount of oxygen Have you Now we know that we need to be trapping carbon at such high rates. And I think that with a crisis that we're in is that we've allowed and have fallen victims to white supremacy, which was facilitated by colonization, that I, you know, that dominance of one group of people in the way of existing, and I think that's where we're at. I mean, if you look at the kelp forests, the kelp forest needs the otters, they need the, the sea urchins. But when you remove the otters and the sea urchins, you know, are not being preyed upon at a normal scale. And that's, you know, we're connecting it to white supremacy, let's assume that the sea urchins are like the dominant and because they're, they're the ones that ruled the kelp species are starting to be eradicated, and some of them are becoming a threat of extinction. And without a healthy kelp forests, you don't have healthy oxygen and maintenance of the acidification in the ocean, which, you know, couple that with global warming, and you basically have the rapid eradication of so many other natural ecosystems in the ocean that we need to survive. And so when you have one species dominating over another, it leads towards a crisis. So I think we're in a imbalance of relationships because of, of white supremacy. And that's what's causing the climate crisis we have. We have a monoculture. And so just as you look at mono cropping, as you look at anything that eradicates the health of the soil, because it doesn't have the reciprocal relationships that it needs from other crops, and are the resting in order for the soil to be healthy. This might not be speaking to everybody who's listening. But it makes sense that like, Yeah, definitely. The environment crisis is a symptom of Yes. Oh, the climate crisis is a symptom of a larger systemic problem.John Fiege Yeah. And in so many ways, white supremacy was created by colonialism, like, white supremacy is the cultural system that in some ways had to emerge to justify the political and economic brutality of colonialism. You know, it was a it was it was a way of organizing and understanding the world that justified these terrible things that were happening. And they're so it goes so much hand in hand.Layel Camargo Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I mean, I feel like I could talk about this for hours, because there's just so many ways in which we can break it down to the minute level. And then there's so many ways that we can think about solutions. And a lot of my my work and my passion is really bringing as much power as I can to black, indigenous and people of color. Because the retention of culture, language, and different ways of engaging with the world, everything from how we grow our food to how we dress and what we celebrate. And where we honor is what's going to help us be more resilient towards the impending and the realism of what the climate crisis means to a lot of our communities.John Fiege Yeah, totally. Yeah. And you're you're living and working at this really interesting intersection between ecological justice, queer liberation and indigenous culture. Can Can you talk a bit about the intersections of your identity and cultural background and their importance to you and how you orient yourself to this work?Layel Camargo Yeah, definitely. So as I mentioned, I'm a descendant of the Yaki and the Mio tribes in the Sonoran Desert. And I didn't really realize how much this matter to me, I think till about like five to six years ago, because I grew up because of the borders. Technically, I'm Mexican descent, and Mexican American salesperson in this country. But the Mexican government is similar to what we're talking about white supremacy was created by European settlers and, and a hybrid of mixture of stealing of indigenous cultures. And there are so many subgroups of different indigenous cultures. And my heritage is that both my grandfather and my grandmother's tribe as they were nomadic, and they used to migrate up and down the Sonoran Desert, before the border was there from seasonally for survival. And there's so many ways that like food that we eat, how we dress, how we talk that I didn't realize like, Oh, that makes me so much more than just Mexican American. It makes me more than just Latinx. And I think my background and being in such close proximity to immigration and the necessity of immigration or to survive because my grandmother came to Tijuana because it was industrialized and she needed work. And so when they migrated, they like left everything behind. And they never went back. Like, I think so many people leave their home, thinking that they're going to go back and they don't, their children are born in different places. And eventually, that led me to be born in a different country. And so because of that background, I am so keen to issues around native sovereignty and land back here in the United States is like the retention of keeping people in the place of their origin is a climate solution. It's a way of keeping that ancestral knowledge in the place that is needed. I mean, here in Northern California, we look at the wildfire crisis, and it's due to climate change. And it's also due to the lack of forest management, that our indigenous relatives that are native to that area have been robbed of the opportunity to maintain those forests at the scale, which is needed in order to adapt and prepare for wildfires. Yeah,John Fiege yeah, with with the prescribed burning, and all that maintenance that used to happen. That was invisible in so many ways to the European colonists, they didn't even understand that that was going on, or how it worked.Layel Camargo Yeah, and I feel like, you know, it goes back to the monoculture. And I think, because I have indigenous ancestry, because I understand the nature of needing to migrate. And the realities of migrant experience, I think I feel so passionate about keeping people in their place of origin as much as possible, and allowing for people to move freely when they have to. And I think as as the climate crisis gets worse, I started to realize just what a disservice we have made by instilling borders by having governments that have been so gatekeeping and operating off of scarcity, that we've kind of mandated a world where people can move freely people, and people have to leave their place of origin. And that these two paradox that we exist in, is creating the dehumanization of a group of people that if you cannot sustain yourself in your place of origin, because of global extraction, by the way, because of environmental degradation and the economic viability of your area, and how that creates wars and mass extraction, that that is why people migrate. But yet those same people who are creating those systems that make it difficult for you to stay in your place of origin have also created borders to not let you move freely. That paradox to me is also part of this climate crisis as because many of us are going to have to leave john, at some point, there's going to be floods, there's going to be hot water, we're experiencing a drought prices in California, I'm actually living between northern California and Southern California already. And a lot of it is because of the wildfires and my family's down here. And my family's at threat of sea level rise by living in San Diego, which San Diego filed a lawsuit against Exxon and Chevron. And I think one or two other oil companies is we're all we're all existing now in this global climate crisis, that it's not quite in our face every day, but we feel it seasonally now, so we're gonna have to be able to move. Right? So yeah, and last to say is like similar to my cultures I have I lived with an end an endocrine illness. And so air pollution is something that could severely impede my ability to reproduce my ability to function. At this point, I spend about four to five days a month in bed, working from bed, and I'm fortunate enough that I get to work remotely. But for a lot of people, we're going to see more and more ways in which the mass destruction of the planet which has led to the climate crisis is how we become to adopt ways of having different abilities or not being able to live our day to day function. So yeah, the intersecting points are just, they're overwhelming. And I think a lot of us are starting to feel that more as things start to kind of get a little worse.John Fiege Right, right. Yeah, I was talking to, to my partner the other day, she was she was talking to a fellow activist about this idea of ableism. And how, you know, so much of the discourse around it is you know, what are your abilities and, and this, this person was talking about how it it's how unstable that is. Like you can be able bodied today and tomorrow, you can be not able bodied in the same way. Because of, you know, like you say the changing air quality or something happens, or you just you're getting old, or you get sick. And it's one of those things that we've so ignored as a culture of what, what ableism really means about our assumptions about the world.Layel Camargo And like the economic viability and how our economic system is just so dependent on us being fully productive 24 seven, which I made a video on this called The Big Sea, which talks about the intersecting points of labor and how the labor crisis is actually the root of our climate crisis. Because if we can have people have a bigger imagination around how they can use their bodies, to serve their own needs, instead of serving the needs of corporate interests, how that would actually alleviate a lot of pressure on the planet. And that that would potentially lead to our most successful outcomes in regards to the climate crisis.John Fiege Yeah, totally, totally. Well, can you tell me about decolonizing conservation in the environmental movement and what that looks like to you?Layel Camargo Yeah, so I, I started during the beginning of the pandemic, I started a nonprofit called shelterwood collective, which is black and brown and indigenous queer folks who are aiming to steward land at the time, I was aiming to sort of land a month ago, we acquired a 900 acre camp in cassada, California, and Northern California and our team is about conservation efforts, specifically with forest resiliency against wildfires. Taking Western Western practices of conservation, mixing them with indigenous practices that are similarly to conservation. And I feel like when we think about conservation efforts, a lot of them have been dictated by European ways of thinking through conserving natural environments, which a lot of it is like humans are bad, nature must be left uncared for. And this does such a disservice because our indigenous ancestors knew that in order for a forest to be thriving, we needed to be in relationship with it, we needed to monitor monitor it, if there was a fun guy or a virus that was spreading their disease, that we could actually help it, he'll help trees, he'll help it spread less, if there was fires that were coming that we could trim, and tend and do controlled burns, if there was, you know, sucks anything happening where a species was struggling, that we could help support its growth and its population by you know, hunting its predators. And so I think that, that is the challenge between indigenous conservation efforts are traditional ways of just being in relationship with the natural environment and conservation is the western conservation is that we have been so removed from what it means to protect water systems, what it means to protect forests, that now we have a crisis of mismanagement we have and that more and more countries are adopting European Western perspectives because of the dominance that white supremacy has instilled that there are certain group of people that know more than we do. And that's just that's created, at least for me feels very heavy on when it comes to wildfires. There is certain areas in Northern California where there have been residential communities that have been built on wildfire lines that we know now, indigenous people knew that like every 30 years, for every 50 years, there would be a wildfire that would run through that area. And now that we're not that it's getting hotter, the gap of that time is getting shortened. And also that we're realizing that the years, hundreds of years of mismanagement, and lack of tending has led to also these extreme wildfires, that's now causing casualties outside of wildlife. And I feel like conservation needs to evolve. I think that there needs to be more understanding around the harm that Western conservation has done to not only the ecosystems but to the people who have traditionally been keeping those ecosystems. And I do feel like it's like it's evolving. I just think that it's not evolving as fast as we need. And unfortunately, with the climate climate crisis, we're gonna have to really come to recognize what do we need to move really fast on on what can wait because it just feels like Everything's urgent, we need to save the oceans as much as we need to save the forest as much as we need to Save the Redwoods as much as we need to take the rain forests and it just feels like and and that is like the natural environment, then we have like the growing list of extinction, threats of extinction for certain animals. And I think that I don't know why just came to my head. And then you have people like Bill Gates who want to eradicate a whole mosquito species. So it just feels like we're gonna have to pick and choose our battles here. And I do feel like coming to reckoning around the harm that this pervasiveness in western conservation, which isn't the idea that sometimes we are harmful to, you know, our natural ecosystems isn't a bad one. Yeah, we are. But how we got here was by completely removing ourselves and not knowing how to take care of those ecosystems, had we been in a relationship with them for the last 100 years, maybe we wouldn't be so wasteful, maybe we would have caught air pollution sooner than then our body is telling us, hey, we don't like this, this is bad, we're gonna die sooner if you keep doing this. And I think that that is a disservice. So it's beautiful to see more forest schools popping up for young people. It's beautiful to see more conservation groups trying to bring in indigenous leaders into the conversations. But I do feel like that overall idea needs to shift. And I also think that the land back movement, which is returning national parks back to indigenous hands, is going to help alleviate some of those major tensions that do not honor that certain people have been doing this for hundreds of years. And if we don't return it in this generation, we just run the risk of losing more language, more culture and more practices that we need at a larger scale.John Fiege Yeah, in protecting ecosystems is just not a complete picture of everything that's needed. Like as you say, it's important on some level, but it's it's not it's not a whole, it's not a whole understanding of of the problem or how to address it. There reminds me I was I was just reading or rereading a bit of Robin wall kimmerer book braiding sweetgrass, and she talks, she talks about this very issue a bunch about, you know, sweet grass in particulars is something where there's this, this back and forth relationship between humans and nature. And she talks about teaching one of her University classes up here in New York, and asking them at the beginning of the semester, you know, whether people are bad for the environment, and almost everybody says yes. And we alsoLayel Camargo have this this perception of we are bad. Right?John Fiege Yeah. Yeah, this Western guilt is pervasive in that as well. Which is,Layel Camargo which is facilitated by religion? Yes, religion has a very good job of making us feel like we are horrible for everything that we have sent us that we need to repent for our whole existence as like, going from embryo to sperm is actually a sin itself. So we're born with so much already on our shoulders.John Fiege I was gonna say Catholic guilt, but I feel like at this point, it's so much broader than that. Yeah, it is. So you work with the Center for cultural power. And, and one of the main projects you've done with them is climate woke. And I'd like to start by saying how much i'd love the artwork of the logo. It says climate woke. And it's in, in the style of this fabulous flashback 1980s airbrushed t shirts, with, you know, rainbow colors and sparkles. And it feels like there's so much meaning embedded in the artwork. And I wondered if you could tell me about climate woke, how the project emerge, but also like how this logo artwork reflects what this project is.Layel Camargo Yeah, so we when we started thinking about what climate woke would be, we didn't know what's going to be called climate woke it was through several meetings with different community partners, different funders and other stakeholders, where we kind of discussed that we wanted a unifying symbol for all the communities that we had been meeting and we kind of landed that we wanted something to look good to represent black Dan Brown young people between the ages of 16 to 25, something that was appealing that somebody would wear with pride. And, you know, at the time, there was a lot of like, different stuff coming up around the importance of wokeness. The it wasn't used as how we use it now, which is like political correctness. It's, it's, it's not where it is now. And so we decided to kind of ride on the, the term itself climate woke, which talks about uses black vernacular very intentionally that this is a racialized issue. And we spoke with several leaders in the black community, and at the time, it felt like it made sense. And, and so we kind of quickly were like, this makes sense kind of work. We want people to wake up to a climate crisis, but also be like down and enjoy it. And that it's different than this doom and gloom narrative that we constantly see when it comes to the environment. As it is kind of depressing when you think about it. But so we wanted it to feel like inviting. And at the time, which I think was like 2017 2018. All these like 90s was like coming back. So we sat with like two or three potential designers, and we didn't really like what we saw. And then it was heavy and agile that he Guess who is kind of a co creator of this. Also, like a globally recognized artist who was like, hold on, I got this and just like hopped on her computer through some colors, did some and we were like, We love it. Like we just love it. We wanted it to be bright. We wanted it to be inviting. And I feel like we've been successful just two weeks ago actually got a text from my executive producer who works on the planet. Well, content, it was like to send a photo of like, I believe it was a young male of color about 21 or 22 years old wearing a climate woke t shirt. And she was like, do you know where that's from? And he was like, No, I have no idea. And I was like, that's how, you know, we succeeded. Because we popularize something, we made it look so good. People don't necessarily need to make the connections, but they'll be promoting our work. And I'm sure and I get so many compliments when I wear t shirts and sweaters. And so she she told him to look up the videos. And you know, she sent me the photo. And she's like, we've I think we've succeeded. And I was like, I think we succeeded, I think we have you know. But at this moment, we are considering evolving the terminology because it doesn't feel as honoring. And we definitely are very sensitive to the fact that we use black vernacular intentionally. And it's time to kind of give it back and think through like what other ways can we popularize other terms to kind of help. It's about it's about to help kind of build the community because it was about building a group of people kind of drawing in a certain community that wouldn't necessarily be about it. And I feel like that to me was like a, we did it. We did it.John Fiege Yeah, it's it's it's definitely one of those terms that the the right has co opted and really done a number on they. Yeah, they're they're good at stealing those terms and turning them on their head. And usually, honestly, as a as a weapon back the other direction. Can you turn down your volume just to hear again, just noticing when you get excited? I get excited so much. Alright, how's that? Right? Great. Yes. So in a couple of your videos, you talk about what being climate milk means to you. And you say it means one, standing up for communities of color and communities most impacted by climate change, to complicating the conversations on climate in the environment. And three, doing something about it. Can you take me through each of these and break them down a bit?Layel Camargo Yeah, so the first one is, can you repeat it again, that's the firstJohn Fiege standing up for communities of color and communities most impacted by climate change,Layel Camargo right? That's right. Yeah, I've said it so much. And we actually haven't even recorded anything because of the pandemic. So I'm like, I haven't said it in a while. Yeah, standing up for communities of color. I think that that one to me specifically spoke to that. We need black, brown and indigenous people to feel protected and seen when it comes to the climate and environmental crisis. And that's everything from activating people in positions of power to empowering the people who come from those communities to know that this is an intersectional issue. I think that the climate crisis traditionally was like a lot of visuals of melting ice caps, a lot of visuals of the polar bears and you It's interesting because as we're getting more people narrative, I feel like the, we need to get a little bit more people narrative. And we need to return those images a little bit back, because the IPCC report has just been highlighting the rapid rates in which we were losing ice. And I think that when I initially thought of this at the time, there wasn't highlights of how indigenous people were protecting the large scale biodiversity that we have on the planet. There wasn't stories of, you know, urban, black or brown youth trying to make a difference around solutions towards climate change. And so I kind of made it my purpose that climate woke represent those demographics that we that I was important for me that black, brown and indigenous people of color were at the center of the solutions. And the complicated conversations and do something about it was that I actually feel like we have a crisis of binary versus complexity in our society. And I think that how we've gotten into this climate crisis is because everything's been painted. So black and white for us, that if you want a job, you have to be harming the planet, if you want to be unemployed, then. And then like all these hippies that are fighting to save the trees, they're taking away your job, you know. So I feel like there's so many ways in which our trauma responses just look for the patterns have been used against us. And it just felt really important for me, that people feel comfortable to complicate as much as possible, where we're gonna need different angles and different ways of looking at solutions that we need to embrace experimentation, where we need to embrace failures, and we need to really let go of these ideas that technology is going to come in and save us technology is a big reason why we got into this mess. And so I think that complicating the conversation to me was about this is like, if you are black, brown, indigenous, and you want to be a part of the climate crisis, but you have no way of integrating yourself besides talking about gender oppression, go for it, look at look at the leaders in this movement, and look at how many women are fighting and protecting, you know, at a larger global scale that don't get the visibility that they deserve. So I feel like that was my aim is to really invite that complexity. And then let's do something about it is that I don't want things to get stuck on the dialog. One of the biggest failures of the United Nations when addressing these crisises is that they don't have global jurisdiction. So they cannot actually mandate and or enforce a lot of these, it's usually done through economic influence, or like if one if we can get a first world to sign on to a certain agreement, then hopefully, they'll all do it. But then who ends up in implementing it, usually it's not the United States and Europe is not the first one to do it. And yet, we are the biggest global polluters on almost every sector you can think of. And I think that the do something about it is, for me a call to action, that we can talk about this, we can try to understand carbon emissions, methane emissions, global greenhouse, carbon markets, carbon, sequestering drawdown methods, we can talk about it. But if we're not doing it, putting it to practice while integrating these other two points, which is centering communities of color, and embracing the complexity of that, then it's nothing, it's pointless. We're just we're just allowing corporations to keep exploiting the planet and governments can keep, you know, sitting back and saying that they're doing something because they're convening people without actually regulating and putting down their foot for us. So, yeah, I think it was trying to summarize just my general feelings of this movement and the ways that there's been just lack of opportunities by not centering certain other people or allowing there to be more complexity.John Fiege Yeah, there's, I find, watching how those un meetings go down. So frustrating. Yes, just, you know, Time after time. It's just maddening. I'd have a hard time working in that space.Layel Camargo Yeah, I think I was fortunate enough to take I voluntarily took like a law class at pace, Pace University, pace law University, and one of the classes was United Nations policy, and so I got to witness the sub All meetings before that big meeting where Leonardo DiCaprio came out and said that we had a climate crisis, which everybody googled what the climate crisis was, I think it was called climate change. It was like the most time climate change was googled in the history of mankind. And I was sitting in those meetings and just seeing how it really is just a lot of countries just try not to step on each other's toes, because relationships translate into the economic sector, that I'm like, wow, y'all, like legit, don't care about the people you're representing?John Fiege Yeah. Yep. Yeah, it's crazy. Well, I wanted to talk a bit about what environmental justice means to you. And I thought we could start with your video called a power to rely on. And in your crudest, you include a statistic in the video that says in the US 75% of all houses without electricity, are on Navajo land. And, and then one of the people you interview in the video with Leah, John's with a group called native renewables, says, whoever controls your water and your power controls your destiny. And that's really powerful statement. Can Can you talk a bit about your experience working on this video, and how it impacted your thinking about environmental justice?Layel Camargo Yeah, so I, I realized that I'm really passionate about renewable energy and alternatives to energy capturing, probably through working on this video. And when we were first thinking about what themes we were going to cover, that's usually how I approached most of the climate world videos as I tried to talk to a few community partners. But mostly, I just do a lot of like, cultural observation, just like what are some of the themes that feel that are kind of resonating for people outside of the sector. So what's resonating for folks outside of the environmental justice world, and, you know, land back native sovereignty is something that's been popularized, especially after the Standing Rock camp, the no dapple camp, and I was noticing that it was kind of dwindling down. But a lot of data was coming up around the fact that a lot of indigenous communities are either sitting around and or holding and protecting 80% of the global biodiversity. And so something that how I approached this video was I wanted to show the native sovereignty piece with the land back as well as my passion for alternatives to our current energy use. And what Haley Johns is somebody who was recommended to me by Jade bug guy who's also featured in the videos, a dear close, like cultural strategist, filmmaker, co conspire in the sector. And she would I had initially approached her and said, I want ndn collective, which is what she works to kind of help us think through the script. And she said, Yeah, we're down and like, we trust you, like, we know you're gonna get the story, right, but we're down. And so it was, it was very easy for us to start with that. And then when I was like, Who do I talk to? They're like, you need to talk to a hayleigh. And I was like, Alright, let's talk to a healer. And so I flew out to Arizona, just to have a scout meeting with her, which I felt like I was chasing her down, because we didn't know she was going to be in Flagstaff, or if she was going to be near Phoenix, like we didn't know. So we were flying in. And we were like, Where are you today? She's like, I'm at my mom's house. I'm with my mom at this hotel. And we're like, Alright, we're coming through. So it felt very, like family off the bat, which now she has been nominated for I forget the position, but it's the internal affairs of Indian energy, energy efforts and some sort. So she's she's doing it at a federal level now. And when I was when I was working on this video, and I had talked to her and I interviewed her as she was giving me a lot of these numbers, and I just realized that, you know, the irony of this country is just beyond what we could imagine. You have a lot of these coal mines that help fuel some of the larger energy consuming cities and in the United States, like Vegas, like la that just consume energy at such high rates that are being powered by coal mines in Navajo or near Navajo Denae reservations. And yet, I was hearing about what halos program and her efforts were just trying to get funding and or subsidies from the government in order to put solar panels on folks his house because the infrastructure doesn't exist. And she was running she's letting me know about that. cost, she's like at $75,000 per house. And then we in order to like run the lines, and that's not even including the solar panel infrastructure. And then if they can't, we can't run the lines, and we're talking about batteries. And she was breaking this all down, I'm like, that is a lot of money. We need to get you that money. And then she started just educating us more through that. So I think I went into this video just knowing that I was going to try to make those connections. But what I realized was that I was actually going in to learn myself, just how much I need to humble myself with the realities that communities who have had less to nothing in certain things, everything from food, to energy to water, have made alternatives that they are, they've already created the solutions like we found one of the elders who had put up one of the first solar panels and Hopi reservation, which I highlighted in my video, she got it 30 years ago, like I, I was flabbergasted that she had the foresight, and the way that she articulated was everything from comfort to entertainment. But at the end of the was she knew she needed power. And she runs a business, the local business won a very few on the reservation that she was passionate enough to keep alive. And so this video just showed me that like, wherever you go, where there has been disenfranchisement, that's where you will find solutions. Because a lot of people have just making do for a long time, it just hasn't been seen, it hasn't been highlighted. Those are the people that like the UN should be talking to the you know, our federal government should be listening to.John Fiege Yeah, and I actually wanted to talk to you about Janice de who's the Hopi elder that you mentioned. And, you know, in particular, how it relates to how depth and skillful you are communicating with people from a wide range of backgrounds. in you, you you use humor a lot. And in this power to rely on video, you're sitting down with Janice day. And talking about how she's one of the first people to get solar power 30 years ago. And you asked her whether the first thing she charged with solar power would be a vibrator. And that was that was that was really funny. And all of a sudden, I'm watching with anticipation, asking myself, how is this woman going to react to that question? And you seem to have such a good read on the people you're speaking with. And I was hoping you could talk a bit more about how you communicate so many, so well and so many in so many different spaces and how you consciously or unconsciously lubricate the relationships with humor.Layel Camargo Yeah, I've been I I think a lot of it is my passion for humor has come from has been maintained by a lot of data and information that I've gotten around just the importance of people being able to process things through laughter. And that the climate crisis is nothing to make mockery and or to laugh, there's this is very serious. The ways in which our species is kind of being at threat of extinction, and right before our eyes. But I think that as humans, we're so complex and layered, and we're so beautiful in the sense that we get to feel so intensely and feeling is what motivates us to take action. And laughter helps you process so much data quicker, it helps you be able to take something in, embrace it, release, and then have it make an impression that is the one line that everybody brings up with that video. So I made the impression. And I hope that people watched it and then wanted to show it to other people. And so I think that, that that knowledge has retained my passion for humor. And then like I said, You know, I grew up in an abusive home where we had to process things fairly quickly in order to be able to function in the world to go to school to go to work. And growing up in a home where there was a lot of violence. I learned how to read people very keenly everything from anticipating when something was going to happen tonight, and I speak about that pretty like nonchalantly because I think a lot of us have a lot of strategies and skills that we've developed because of our traumas and our negative experiences that we've had in the world. And I think they don't often get seen as that we'll just say like, Well, I was just really I'm just really good at reading people and we'll leave it at that and it's like, but what is your learn that from like, there have been many chronic situations where you had to be really good at reading people in order for you to like practice it so clearly in it skillfully. And so I think I honor my experience in that in order for me to do that. And then I think cultural relativity and cultural content petencies is another thing like, Janice de actually reminds me a lot of my grandmother and my grandmother was somebody who was very religious. And at the same time, I always loved pushing her buttons. I would just like try to say things to get her activated. And I knew at the end of the day, she loved me. And that was about it. I didn't have to question whether she loved me because she was upset that I asked her something and appropriately. So I think it's a combination of that. And I'm grateful that I can embody that and be able to offer it to people who are curious about climate change and and feel more invited through laughter than they would about doom and gloom or heavy statistic videos and our ways of gathering information.John Fiege Awesome. Well, another kind of video you made is called consumerism, cancelled prime. And the first shot is you waiting while the camera crew sets up the shot and you're putting items in your Amazon cart on your phone. And then the quote unquote real video begins. And and you say 80% of California's cargo goes through the Inland Empire. And then you yell along expletive that's beeped out. And you ask emphatically his climate, wrote, his climate woke about to ruin amazon prime for me. And and I love how rather than just saying Amazon, or Amazon customers are bad. You're starting by implicating yourself in this system that leads to serious environmental justice issues. And again, it's really funny. Can you talk more about the situation with Amazon and other real retailers? And and how you went about positioning yourself in this story, and using humor again, and self criticism to connect to the audience?Layel Camargo Yeah, I mean, when we first started working on this video, we explore different avenues of that opening scene, when we wanted to highlight community members, I kind of at this point, have a pretty good like tempo of what it is that I want. I want a community member I want somebody who's like academic or scientifically based, and then somebody else who kind of comes in allows her to be more of a creative flow. So we have a pretty good structure at this point of the voices that we seek, we just didn't know how we wanted to hook the audience. And we went back and forth quite a bit on this, the thing that kept coming up was amazon prime memberships are very common. Most people have them most people buy on e commerce and this is pre COVID. And I was keenly aware of that I also knew that Amazon was growing as a franchise to now own Whole Foods that were just like expanding in regards to what it is that they offer people online. And as I mentioned, I, through my passion for reduction of plastic usage and plastic consumption, and plastic waste, I understand the ways that ecommerce has really hurt the planet. So I myself am not an Amazon Prime member, I I don't actually buy online and I allow myself when needed one Amazon thing a purchase a year. And it's like kind of more of a values align thing. So in order for me to reach connecting with somebody who's kind of a little bit more normal in regards to needing to rely on buying online, is I just had to exaggerate what I think happens when you're shopping, which is you look at a lot of stuff, you add them to cart, you get really excited, and then you kind of mindlessly click Buy without knowing what's going to happen. But you're excited when it arrives, surprisingly, because maybe you bought it in the middle of the night while drinking some wine and watching some Hulu. So that's like what I was trying to embody. And then what I was really trying to highlight in this video was I wanted to invite audiences to not feel shame about what they do, like we are we've all been indoctrinated by the system through what our education has taught us. Like we have values of individualism and patriotism and all these things, because that's what we were taught in schools. And that's been used and co opted by corporations in order for us to continue exploiting other humans and the planet. And that's by no fault of our own. That's a design that's an economic model that was designed since the Great Depression. It's just the way that it's been exaggerated and has scaled so quickly is beyond our control where our governments don't even regulate it anymore at the ways in which they should be. And I think that I wanted this to feel like it's not just on you as an individual, but it's specifically if you live in Europe or in the United States. You need to know that we are The biggest consumers on the planet, we have the most economic resources. We actually, if even a fraction of the United States decided to stop shopping at Amazon, we could significantly bring that Empire down. I say Empire pretty intentionally. And we could I mean, I feel like you. And that's and how I understand economics is that all you need to do is impact 10 to 20%. of supply and demand chain in order for a whole corporation to collapse. The problem is, is that our governments always come in to aid these large corporations that are hurting us on the planet by saying that they want to maintain jobs and maintain a GDP are going stock market, which they're reliant on. So this video was meant for audiences. And for people to feel like this is not just on you. But if you live

In this episode of "The First Day from the Fund Raising School," host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. discusses the key findings of the 2024 Giving USA report with Josh Birkholz, CEO of BWF and Board Chair of the Giving USA Foundation. The conversation kicks off with the staggering headline figure—$557 billion in charitable donations, the highest ever. Adjusted for inflation, however, most donation sources show a decline, except for bequests. Birkholz clarifies that, unlike the stock market, these donations are "new gifts" each year, underscoring the sector's continued resilience despite economic pressures like inflation. Inflation plays a big role in the analysis of charitable giving, affecting both donor behavior and the perceived value of contributions. While everyday donors may feel the pinch, high-net-worth individuals continue to contribute significantly, often through structured vehicles like foundations and donor-advised funds (DAFs). Birkholz also emphasizes that giving has remained around 2% of the U.S. GDP, a consistent trend through economic highs and lows, signaling the cultural value Americans place on philanthropy. A key topic of discussion is how charitable giving has evolved, especially with the rise of DAFs and other structured mechanisms that may distort perceptions of individual giving. Birkholz highlights that while mega-donors like Mackenzie Scott and Michael Bloomberg continue to make headlines, the ultra-high net worth segment saw fewer mega-gifts this year. However, he stresses that generosity remains robust, even if the methods of giving are changing, with more people opting for innovative ways to contribute. The episode closes on a thoughtful note about the broader definition of generosity. Beyond the Giving USA data, Birkholz reminds us that acts of kindness, such as tipping generously or supporting GoFundMe campaigns, also reflect the American spirit of giving. Stanczykiewicz encourages nonprofits to adjust their fundraising strategies by factoring inflation into their goals, while continuing to connect with donors at all levels, reinforcing the joy and purpose behind charitable giving.

(0:00) Intro.(1:03) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(1:50) Start of interview. *Reference to E137 with Coco Brown (CEO of Athena Alliance).(2:47) Yvonne's origin story.(5:49) Her executive career starting with Accenture, and later with VMware, New Relic, and CEO of Airware and Puppet.(9:03) On her board journey. Distinctions between private and public company service. Plus non-profits.(17:43) Explaining board composition and dynamics in VC-backed companies.(23:23) Explaining board composition and dynamics in PE-backed companies. "It's much more straightforward, structured, and contained."(27:39) On the 'Stay Private vs Go Public' debate and other considerations on private markets.(34:29) On the AI boom and how to think about it from a board's perspective: "how do you experiment and lean in without committing?"(39:06) On the increasing relevance of cybersecurity in the age of digitization. "Cyber attacks are like earthquakes in California. They're going to happen."(42:33) On geopolitics and the boardroom. "How you think about it really depends on what type of company you're in, how big it is, and what you're trying to achieve."(45:40) How to think about the ESG landscape.(49:56) Podcasts that she regularly listens to: Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein :)The Economist PodcastsGrit Podcast with Joubin MirzadeganAcquired Podcast(52:03) Her mentors and sponsors. Carl Eschenbach John Chambers(54:44) Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by: "Be the change you want to see in the world" by Mahatma Gandhi,(55:15) An unusual habit or absurd thing that she loves: misting plants.(56:35) The living person she most admires: MacKenzie Scott.Yvonne Wassenaar is a seasoned Silicon Valley C-level executive and board member with experience across public, private equity-backed, and venture-backed companies. She currently serves on the boards of Forrester, Rubrik, Arista Networks, JFrog, Alation, Braze, and InfoBlox. She also serves on the boards of Harvey Mudd College and UCLA Anderson's Easton Technology Management Center. You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__You can join as a Patron of the Boardroom Governance Podcast at:Patreon: patreon.com/BoardroomGovernancePod__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

What does it mean to sit in the gray areas of change? How can philanthropy better support nonprofit leaders and staff in these challenging times?In today's episode of Embodying Change, host Melissa Pitotti speaks with Elisha Smith Arrillaga, a thought leader in philanthropy and the leader of the research team at the Center for Effective Philanthropy. Elisha shares her journey from a childhood deeply influenced by civil rights activism to her role in shaping effective philanthropic practices. The conversation covers critical topics, including the findings from the 2024 State of Nonprofits report, which highlights the ongoing burnout crisis among nonprofit leaders, and the transformative impact of large, unrestricted gifts as seen in Mackenzie Scott's philanthropy.Elisha also provides a sneak peek into their upcoming research, exploring the differences in grantee experiences when receiving funds directly from foundations versus intermediaries. This episode is packed with insights for anyone passionate about the future of philanthropy and nonprofit well-being.Today's GuestElisha Smith Arrillaga is the Director of Research at the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). She has dedicated her career to ensuring that philanthropic practices are grounded in research and focused on maximizing their positive impact on nonprofits and the communities they serve.Website: Center for Effective PhilanthropySocial Media: LinkedInYou'll  hear:What embodying change means in the context of philanthropyElisha's journey from a childhood rooted in social justice to leading research at CEPInsights from the 2024 State of Nonprofits report on burnout and staff well-beingThe impact of Mackenzie Scott's large, unrestricted gifts on nonprofit organizationsHow funders perceive nonprofits' capacity to manage large gifts and what this says about the systemResources mentionedThe Big Gifts Report: The Impact of Large, Unsrestricted GiftsState of Nonprofits 2024: What Funders Need to KnowTrust-Based Philanthropy: Trust-Based Philanthropy ProjectHaas Fund Case Study: SSIR article on operationalizing trustWellbeing Project: The Wellbeing ProjectQuotes“Embodying change means being able to sit in the gray areas and take the best of all kinds of solutions.” – Elisha Smith Arrillaga“Supporting nonprofit leaders and staff is crucial to achieving their missions—burnout can't be ignored.” – Elisha Smith Arrillaga“Receiving large, unrestricted gifts boosts leadership confidence and allows for greater innovation and impact.” – Elisha Smith Arrillaga“Flexibility in funding allows organizations to plan effectively and respond creatively to challenges.” – Elisha Smith Arrillaga“There are assumptions about nonprofits' ability to manage large gifts, but our research shows they can, and they do amazing things with those funds.” – Elisha Smith ArrillagaCall to ActionSubscribe to the Embodying Change podcast for more inspiring conversations.Visit cep.org to learn more about the Center for Effective Philanthropy and their research.Join or listen to the replay of the CEP's webinar on October 15th to dive deeper into their latest report on intermediaries in philanthropy.

In this episode of "All About Capital Campaigns," hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into the transformative power of women in philanthropy with their special guest, Kathleen Loehr. Kathleen, a leading expert on women's giving and author of "Gender Matters: A Guide to Growing Women's Philanthropy," shares her deep insights on the unique ways women approach charitable giving and why they are often the unseen yet significant donors in capital campaigns. Kathleen discusses the rising wealth among women and how they are becoming key decision-makers in philanthropy, often giving more and in different ways compared to their male counterparts. She highlights the importance of curiosity in fundraising, encouraging organizations to ask insightful questions and truly understand the motivations and values of women donors. Kathleen also challenges the traditional fundraising practices that were established with male donors in mind, emphasizing the need to adapt these strategies to better resonate with women and other unseen donors. Throughout the episode, Kathleen offers practical advice on how to engage women donors effectively, from data mining and asking the right questions to understanding the complexities of women's relationships with money. She also touches on the growing trend of collective giving among women and how role models like MacKenzie Scott and Melinda Gates are inspiring more women to make significant contributions. Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or new to the world of capital campaigns, this episode is packed with valuable insights that will help you better engage with women donors and unlock their full philanthropic potential. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that could transform your approach to fundraising. Tune in to learn how you can start seeing and valuing the unseen donors in your campaigns! For more free capital campaign resources, visit https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources.

Il a fait fortune en vendant des livres sur Internet. Il n'est pas grand, il est chauve, il possède un yacht de 127 mètres de long et un rire à faire trembler les murs : oui, on veut parler de Jeff Bezos, fondateur d'Amazon, 1,70m, 151 milliards de dollars. Longtemps, on a vu qu'en lui le géant de la tech, le patron ambitieux, stéréotype de la Silicon Valley. Mais c'était avant qu'il divorce de sa première femme, et qu'il commence à porter des caleçons de bain imprimé poulpes à Saint-Tropez. Depuis quelques années, la star des GAFA cherche à être une star tout court.   Dans cet épisode consacré au 2e homme le plus riche du monde, on vous propose de plonger dans l'enfance, marginale, de Jeff Bezos au Nouveau-Mexique; mais aussi dans les coulisses de son divorce d'avec Mackenzie Scott, la mère de ses 4 enfants. A quoi ressemble aujourd'hui la nouvelle vie exubérante de Jeff Bezos ? D'où vient son envie désormais irrépressible de prendre la lumière ? Qu'appelle-t-on d'ailleurs, le “Jeff Bezos Effect” ?    Dans cet épisode de Scandales, la journaliste Marion Galy-Ramounot vous propose de découvrir qui est l'homme derrière le milliardaire de la Silicon Valley. À son micro se succèdent :  - Brad Stone, rédacteur en chef chez Bloomberg et auteur du best-seller Jeff Bezos : la folle ascension du fondateur de l'empire Amazon  - Darla Murray, reporter people pour la chaîne Entertainment Tonight  - Pauline Castellani, journaliste auteure d'une enquête sur le boom du fitness intensif et de la chirurgie esthétique chez les patrons de la tech - Maren Costa, ancienne employée d'Amazon aux USA.Scandales est un podcast de Madame Figaro, écrit et présenté par Marion Galy-Ramounot, et produit par Lucile Rousseau-Garcia. Chloé Berry a participé à la production de cet épisode. Jean Thévenin en a fait la réalisation, le mix, et a composé la musique. Océane Ciuni est la responsable éditoriale de Scandales, un podcast produit par Louie Créative, l'agence de contenus audios de Louie Média.  Un épisode de Scandales à retrouver sur toutes vos plateformes : Apple Podcasts,  Spotify, Deezer et Amazon Music.  Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

What if you could wear "racial battle armor" to better navigate societal challenges? Join us for an enlightening episode with Dr. Langston Clark as we explore the powerful role Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play in shaping resilient, successful individuals. Dr. Clark shares the inspiring story behind the From A&T to PhD Endowed Scholarship at North Carolina A&T State University and discusses the increased financial commitment to the scholarship in June and July. We'll hear from alumni and authors, capturing the essence of HBCUs' impact through personal testimonials and in-depth conversations.We dive into the nurturing environments of HBCUs like Florida A&M University and North Carolina A&T State University, where students gain invaluable mentorship and develop critical skills in research, statistics, and data analysis. Drs. Marybeth Gassman and Levon T. Esters join us to discuss her journey in supporting HBCUs through the MSI Elevate program and her pivotal role as a mentor and advocate for minority-serving institutions. Together, we explore the generational legacy of HBCU attendance and the profound impact of these institutions on personal and professional growth.We also highlight the broader community impacts of HBCUs as anchor institutions, focusing on their roles in economic development, community support, and educational outreach. From agriculture and extension systems to the vital philanthropy efforts led by figures like Mackenzie Scott, HBCUs are making a lasting difference. Finally, we turn our attention to the future, emphasizing the rise of Black women in leadership roles within HBCUs and the importance of continued support and equity-driven initiatives. Tune in for an inspiring exploration of the lasting influence of HBCUs and the collective efforts needed to sustain their legacy.Support The From A&T to PhD Endowed Scholarship Support the Show.

In episode 101 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Michael Randel discuss Michael's research into nonprofit organizations that received significant funding from Mackenzie Scott's trust-based philanthropy initiative.  The impact of these transformative gifts on nonprofits,  Six key areas of organizational preparedness and grant readiness  Good practices for handling substantial donations.    Episode highlights: [00:09:30] Mackenzie Scott's Trust-Based Philanthropy Philanthropy Approach - Mackenzie Scott's “quiet giving” process. - Discussion on how Scott's approach differs from traditional philanthropy with no application process and minimal reporting requirements. - The concept of trust-based philanthropy and its implications for recipient organizations. [00:13:30] Research on organization's receiving Scott gifts - Michael's initial hypothesis and surprising positive research findings  - Insights from interviewing CEOs of recipient organizations about managing large gifts.   [00:15:30] Patterns in Recipient Organizations - the characteristics and sectors of organizations that received funding. - The importance of organizational preparedness and strategic clarity.   [00:18:30] Organizational Preparedness - Key elements that made organizations ready for large donations:   - Clarity of purpose and identity.   - Strategic priorities.   - Proven approaches and evidence-based strategies.   - Aligned leadership and governance.   - Strengthened capacity and systems.   - Learning and adaptation capabilities.   [00:27:30] Organizational Development Lessons - Michael's observations on the sustainability of organizations not centered around a charismatic leader. - Importance of multiple levels of system attention within an organization.   [00:30:30] Holistic Organizational Approach - Carol and Michael discuss the benefits of a holistic view in organizational development. - The shift in the consulting field towards addressing multiple aspects of organizational life.   [00:32:30] Taking a comprehensive approach - Emphasizing a comprehensive look at all organizational components, not just programmatic aspects. - The role of communication and visibility in securing funding.   [00:35:30] Practical Advice for Handling Large Gifts Five good practices for organizations receiving large donations:   - Advisor for the CEO.   - Thoughtful sharing of news about the gift.   - Strategic investment planning.   - Establishing a working group for decision-making.   - Effective communication with stakeholders.   Guest Bio: Michael Randel Michael Randel helps leaders and their teams move through Change and Growth with Calm and Confidence. He developed the RCA Seasons of GrowthTM framework to help people understand and move through the three common phases of change. This allows leaders to navigate the challenges of change and bring about transformational results.  With 30 years of experience, Michael works with philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and public sector agencies to help them navigate change with success and poise with his expertise in organizational change. The influence and impact of Michael's work has been recognized with multiple global awards, and his clients include Amnesty International, AstraZeneca, NASA, United Nations, and the World Bank. Important Links and Resources: Yield Giving: https://yieldgiving.com/ Michael Randel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrandel/ https://rcachangeadvisors.com/ Gestalt approach to organization development https://www.gestaltosd.org/   Related Episodes: Episode 15 The Nonprofit executive director-board chair relationship Episode 17 Program evaluation Episode 67: Get that money honey Episode 69: Designing for strategy Episode 70: Values based strategic planning Episode 76: You don't have to go it alone   Be in Touch: ✉️ Subscribe to Carol's newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting

Nonprofit organizations can play a very important role in building healthy communities by providing services that contribute to community stability, social mobility, public policy, and decision-making. Today we're speaking with Kathy Higgins, CEO of the Alliance for Healthier Generation. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization, a well-known one at that, that promotes healthy environments so that young people can achieve lifelong good health. Interview Summary   Kathy, it's really wonderful to reconnect that you and I interacted some when you were in North Carolina and head of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, and then you got called upon to be the CEO of the Alliance, a really interesting position. It's really wonderful to be able to talk to you again. Let's start maybe with a little bit of the history of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Can you tell us a bit about how it got started and over the years, how it's evolved? We've existed for almost 19 years now. We celebrate our 20-year anniversary next year. And we were started by two vital public health forces: the Clinton Foundation and President Clinton and also the American Heart Association. They came together 20 years ago and began discussing childhood obesity and what could a leading public health organization do to really work in systems change across the country at a local level. It is those two organizations that we look to as our founders and who helped us advance our work. It's a time flies story because it seems like just yesterday that the Alliance was created. There was a lot of excitement at the time for it, and over the work. It's done some really interesting things. So, in today's iteration of the Alliance, what are some of the main areas of focus? As I mentioned, we are a systems change organization. What we do is take a continuous improvement approach to advancing children's health. So, we are working typically in schools or after school time and certainly in communities to work on policy and practice change that are about promoting physical activity and healthy eating. And then addressing critical child health and adolescent health issues, which as we know, were exacerbated with the pandemic. Things like food access and social connectedness are just so important. Quality sleep, which our children are not getting enough of, or other things like vaping and tobacco sensation and on time vaccinations. Another thing that we know is that the pandemic had a dramatic impact on families and children on time vaccinations. So, this is the work that we do and working with the policy and practice change so that there there can be opportunity for healthy environments for the children. I think most everybody would probably agree that the targets that you're working on, healthy diet, physical activity, smoking, vaping habits and things like that are really important. But people might be a little less familiar with what you mean by addressing systems. Could you give some examples of what you mean by that? Right. What we know is that in United States, in fact, every public school must have a wellness policy and areas that need to be addressed. But what we'll do is work with the school in making sure that those policies are best suited for the families, the community, and the school, and what they want to do to support the health of children from a collaborative and supportive role. What we know is that we can create great change when that occurs. We work with more than 56,000 schools across the United States, and one of the things that we know is that our approach is really reflected in the America's Healthiest Schools recognition program each year. It's interesting to hear you talk about schools as an example of system change. And boy, working with 56,000 schools is pretty darn impressive. And it allows for out-sized influence of an organization like yours because if you can affect things like these school wellness policies and that gets multiplied across a ton of schools, it can really affect a lot of children. Exactly. We will work school to school, but we also work in districts and that allows us then to make even a bigger impact in the number of schools that we're reaching with these changes. It also brings the community together because then they're all operating under the same principles or the same focus areas of the work that they're committed to doing. What we do see is that we're able to assist them in implementing what are typically best practices in all sorts of topic areas. Whether it's strengthening the social emotional health and learning environment for the children, but also focusing on staff wellness. The whole notion, Kelly, of putting your oxygen mask on first before assisting others is something that has been incredibly important to us. We've certainly been very supported to do that work from a variety of funders. The other area that we've been able to make great strides in is this increasing of family and community engagement, which has been really significant for us. We've been honored to have Kohl's as a major supporter of our work. Their investment and then reinvestment and then once again, another reinvestment, really helped us engage with strategies that focused on increasing family wellbeing. So really then our three-legged stool becomes the school environment, the family environment, and the community environment, which we find is just really effective. So can we talk a little bit more about the community engagement and why is it important and how do you go about making it happen and what sort of impacts do you see it having? I think I may have mentioned already that we do use a continuous improvement model that we find is just really effective for when we're working in the school or school district level. It allows us to serve in a role of being a convener and bringing people together. What we know now is certainly after COVID that schools are no longer for walls of learning. They have a central role to the health of the community because of the services that they're providing or the services that families need them to provide. So, when we're working with a school, we're able to convene the right people that are in their community. They may be in the same zip code, they may be down the street, they may be across town. But they haven't come together around the same table to start to address issues that they may have prioritized that are impacting a host of things. It could be impacting attendance rates, it could be impacting academic achievement. And we're really able to work with them to dismantle the barriers to what would lead to success. To give a couple examples in North Carolina, in fact, we work in both Bertie and Roberson County and on vaccination adherence, and also making sure that the children that may have deferred their well-child visits or their age-appropriate vaccinations during COVID that we've worked with convening just as mentioned, the right players, the right people in the community to come together. And in both those counties we've been able to have nearly 250 students that are healthy back to school and fully vaccinated as they should be and that they deserve to be and as their families wanted them to be, but the time the resources just wasn't there or convenient enough to do. And so, this really has allowed the community to have a great win. It's a great example of just the importance of sitting down together, looking at the data and thinking about how we can all make a difference. Kathy, what you've reminded me of as you've been talking about this is that there's sort of a sweet spot that you've attained. If all you paid attention to were best practices, you'd say, well, okay, everything that works in these other places is going to work in your place, which of course might only be partially true. But if you only work locally, then you'd miss the opportunity to be learning what's happening elsewhere that might help you. And you're kind of at the intersection of these things, aren't you? Thank you for saying that. That's exactly where we sit - at that intersection. Sometimes we feel in a continuous improvement model that there's a no wrong door, so to speak. And so, when we're engaging with a school, school community, a community, or even a school district, that we're able to sit with them in proximity and talk through what are the issues that they're facing, where their children are most at risk, and what is it that they are working to prioritize. Because we also know that if we can move them through a process and achieve success and really answer the question, is anyone better off? So to really be outcomes focused. Then, what we know is that there are other opportunities for improvement that we can continue that work. Part of the success here is just pausing and celebrating what good work this community is doing together. This school is doing together. Tell us if you will, a little bit about how the work of the Alliance is funded, because I know you draw support from a number of quarters. You mentioned Kohl's, but overall how is the work funded? Thanks for asking. You know, one of the things I did mention to start with is the Clinton Foundation and President Clinton, specifically with his leadership supporting the health of children and families and the Heart Association. But the significant financial supporter and strategic supporter at the time was the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They really put significant resources behind the creation of Healthier Generation. But the other thing that they did is put their brightest minds and public health leadership behind the creation of why we would exist and what would be the pillars of our organization that would serve well to make a difference. So having a technology backbone, which allows us to have an action center. Meaning that any school, any teacher, any administrator, any parent can access our training and our tools for free. Through our website, we have marketing and communication that follow best practices for how to create change and how to communicate change to the audiences that we're reaching out to our subject matter expertise and then measurement and evaluation. And it's this ability that really attracted funders like Kaiser Permanente. While schools have been central to our work, this digital platform really allowed our action center to help and support this access of no cost assessment tools, trainings, resources. Kaiser Permanente has been a key supporter of our work since 2013. I mentioned Kohl's as well, as such a significant supporter allowing us to reach 10 million families since the inception of our work together with them. Del Monte Foods is another significant supportive of ours. They allow us to implement the America's Healthiest School Awards program. I would be lost if I didn't mention Mackenzie Scott. She wanted to invest in whole child health equity and we were identified as an organization that was worthy of her funding and definitely was the largest single gift from a philanthropist that we've ever received. So, we were so grateful for that, that call called. That's wonderful affirmation. No question. It's nice to hear you have such a broad base of funding because that's a sign that people are thinking you're doing things right. I'm not sure I'm in a the best position to be completely objective about this because over the years I've received funding from through Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a number of projects. But it's amazing how often their imprint comes up when you talk about organizations that are doing creative work and you go back to the beginnings and Robert Wood Johnson was often there doing these things when nobody else was. And it's really wonderful to see the long-term consequence of that investment that they made. Well, let's talk about some new work you're doing in the schools. I know that a relatively new effort of the Alliance involves the expansion of resources in terms of a playbook in the schools. Can you explain what that's all about? Oh yes. This was really born out of the pandemic environment and our need and the schools need to know better guidance on the work that we can do to create healthier environments when so many demands are being put on us. We all know what happened to the food service staff of any school. They became the food service staff of the community during the COVID years. Kohl's wanted us to partner with selected communities across the country to implement what would be really a new family engagement strategy to support children's health and developing. What we call and refer to as our Healthy at Home playbook for schools to forge stronger relationships with families. We know that when schools and the families are working together and schools are understanding what families need, and families are able to be in a position to be heard and communicate what their needs are, that together they can really make a difference. We've been pretty excited the collection of resources. They're both in English and in Spanish on topics such as nutrition, staying active, mental wellbeing, social emotional health and stress and we've been pretty excited to have that implemented. I could see how you'd be excited about that. So, let me ask a final question. The word policy has come up several times. Is it part of the purview of the alliance to argue for policy changes? You mentioned schools. So, for example, would the Alliance be in a position to argue for tighter nutrition standards in schools or even something beyond the schools, like something dealing with food marketing directed at kids or front of package labeling or really anything like that? We stay out of the advocacy and lobbying lane, but we do focus on the small P policy change in schools so that we're helping schools manage their policies. But the area where we've had success is in creating a difference. We had a great partnership many years ago with McDonald's and worked with them on changes that they were committed to making in their healthy meals. And what we know is when McDonald's makes a big shift, so goes the market. Our body of work was the removing of sugary sodas from the menu board so that you would have to opt for that versus low fat milk or water and adding the sliced apples. I think that might be one of our hallmarks of the work that we've done over the years: sliced apples, carrot sticks, the GO-GURT that was being offered. And then removing either the higher sodium or higher fat items from the leaderboards so that they have to ask for them in order to have them as part of the Happy Meal. That was some significant work that we were able to do. And the other work we did in our early years was getting the three soda manufacturers, whether Pepsi and Coke and Dr. Pepper to agree to come together and remove sugar sodas from our public schools and replace it with a better price point of water. And it's something I know President Clinton is very proud of because I think a 90% of schools were on board with that work after about a three-year period. I think it really made a difference. Bio Kathy Higgins, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, is a national expert on health care and philanthropy, having previously served as the president and CEO of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. Higgins leads Healthier Generation's team of nearly 100 professional staff across the nation working to make the healthy choice the easy choice for all children. Prior to taking on the role of Healthier Generation CEO in January 2019, Higgins spent more than 30 years at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, where her roles span leading public health engagement, corporate communications, community relations, and corporate affairs. In 2000, Higgins led the launch of the Blue Cross NC Foundation. As president and CEO of the Blue Cross NC Foundation, Higgins led unprecedented growth, including the strategic investment of more than $150 million into North Carolina communities through more than 1,000 grants to improve the health of vulnerable populations, support physical activity and nutrition programs, and help nonprofit groups improve their organizational capacity. Higgins was also a significant advocate in Blue Cross NC's early adoption of Healthier Generation's decade-long innovative insurance benefit program, designed to encourage clinicians to extend weight management and obesity prevention services to kids and families. Higgins holds a bachelor's degree in education from West Virginia Wesleyan College and completed her master's work in community health education from Virginia Tech. She currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina and is the mother to twin boys.

Do you donate money or volunteer your time for charitable causes? If so, you're engaging in philanthropic activities. But would you actually call yourself a "philanthropist"?According to a recent report from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, there's a major disconnect between the public's understanding of philanthropy and how people view themselves in relation to it.While 60% of Americans donated to charity and 30% volunteered in the past year, only 20% considered themselves philanthropists. Even those actively giving of their time, talents and treasure don't seem to self-identify with that label.In this thought-provoking episode, we'll dive into unpacking this philanthropic identity paradox. Why is there such a divide between our charitable actions and how we perceive ourselves? What's holding people back from embracing the "philanthropist" title?And what might be the advantages of identifying as a philanthropist?Links from today's episode:"What Americans Think About Philanthropy and Nonprofits"https://scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/b5904a8a-5081-42cd-bd44-56740b98fb67/content ICYMI another episode you might enjoy:Episode#116 MacKenzie Scott's Giving Strategy and What We Can Learn From ItConnect With Genet “GG” Gimja:Website https://www.progressivepockets.comTwitter https://twitter.com/prgrssvpckts Work With Me:Email progressivepockets@gmail.com for brand partnerships, business inquiries, and speaking engagements.Support the Show.

**Embracing the Seasons of Change: A Fresh Perspective on Nonprofit Growth with Michael Randall** In an enlightening episode of our nonprofit-focused podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Randall, the visionary founder and director of Randall Consulting Associates. Michael, a distinguished member of the nonprofit ISD network, shared his innovative framework known as the "Seasons of Change," offering a fresh lens through which nonprofits can view growth and development.  **Seasons of Growth: A Gardener's Approach to Nonprofit Expansion** Michael introduced a compelling metaphor likening nonprofit growth to the cyclical process of gardening. This approach breaks down into three key phases: Preparing, Cultivating, and Harvesting. Each stage demands specific actions and considerations, mirroring the thoughtful stewardship of a gardener tending to their land with an eye towards both present vitality and future sustainability.  **Preparing Phase: Setting the Stage for Growth** In the preparing phase, organizations are encouraged to assess their current resources and readiness for expansion, much like a gardener evaluates their land before planting. This involves identifying and addressing potential obstacles and ensuring the necessary infrastructure and support systems are in place. **Cultivating Phase: Nurturing Development** During cultivation, the focus shifts to actively supporting and nurturing growth. This means not only expanding services and outreach but also strengthening internal processes, staff capabilities, and organizational culture to sustain increased scale and complexity. **Harvesting Phase: Reaping and Reflecting on Success** The final phase emphasizes consolidating gains and integrating new developments into the organization's ongoing operations. It's a time for reflection, celebration of achievements, and strategic planning for the next cycle of growth. **Challenges and Insights: Beyond Quick Fixes in Fundraising** Michael critically addressed the common pitfalls of rapid expansion, particularly the dangers of scaling up too quickly in response to sudden influxes of funding, such as those from generous donors like Mackenzie Scott. He stressed the importance of holistic growth that enhances the quality and comprehensiveness of services, rather than merely expanding for expansion's sake. **A Call to Action: Embracing a Holistic View of Growth** The conversation with Michael Randall serves as a call to action for nonprofit leaders to adopt a more nuanced and strategic approach to growth. By embracing the "Seasons of Change" framework, organizations can ensure they are not only expanding their reach but also deepening their impact and securing their sustainability for the future. **Conclusion: Nurturing Sustainable Growth in the Nonprofit Sector** Michael Randall's insights into the "Seasons of Change" offer invaluable guidance for nonprofits navigating the complexities of growth and development. By adopting a gardener's mindset, organizations can cultivate a thriving future that honors their mission and serves their communities effectively.  

We're finally diving into alpha submissive romance novels during this deep dive of Heather Guerre's Preferential Treatment, one of Sarah's best books of 2022. We're talking about the way some romances do such immense work today—this one really digging into something that romance usually steers clear of…money. We know money and power are inexorably intertwined, but what does that really mean when relationships are budding, and when sex is on the line? How do power dynamics shift and move, how does money impact our ability to be honest in a relationship, and most importantly, should billionaires exist? All that and we finally get to the bottom of the Alpha submissive kink, why Sarah thinks it's great, and why it just doesn't move Jen.Oh, and for those of you who've been asking for years, Sarah's doing a mini interstitial in here about books that feature alpha submissives — enjoy! Read Preferential Treatment at Amazon, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Show NotesPreferential Treatment was on our Best of 2022 list.Preferential treatment is a word used to describe unfair labor practices.Here are some of the most common financial problems in relationships and marriages. Mackenzie Scott's strategy for getting rid of money through her foundation, Yield Giving.

When you see MacKenzie Scott donate $16 billion, she is not giving it to the needy. She is giving it to the regime. She is pledging her support to the total state. Follow on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-auron-macintyre-show/id1657770114 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3S6z4LBs8Fi7COupy7YYuM?si=4d9662cb34d148af Substack: https://auronmacintyre.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuronMacintyre Gab: https://gab.com/AuronMacIntyre YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/AuronMacIntyre Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-390155 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@AuronMacIntyre:f Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auronmacintyre/ Today's sponsors:  Head to https://magicspoon.com/AURON and use the code AURON to save $5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Three nonprofits in Oregon and one nonprofit in Southwest Washington will receive funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The Pacific Northwest organizations were recently selected along with hundreds of other nonprofits across the country and are sharing a pot of about $640 million in unrestricted grant money.  Jackson Street Youth Services works with young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The organization provides housing and other supportive programs in Linn and Benton Counties. It received $1 million in funds.    Familias en Acción offers culturally specific health services to Latino communities in the Portland metro area and was granted $2 million. It’s working on partnerships and service expansion to more rural parts of the state.   Kendra Phillips and Margarita Gutierrez Lemus are the executive directors of Jackson Street Youth Services and Familias en Acción, respectively. They join us with more about the work that they’re doing and how the grant money will further the missions of their organizations.  

My book Reframe Your Brain, available now on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/3bwr9fm8 Find my "extra" content on Locals: https://ScottAdams.Locals.com Content: Politics, Seth McFarland, Ireland Free Speech, Batshit Crazy Women Stories, MacKenzie Scott, California Math Standards, Stanford Jo Boaler, Julian Assange Plea Offer, Kari Lake SCOTUS, Maricopa Voting Machines, President Trump, Leticia James, 8th Amendment, Black Swan Ops, George Floyd, Google Bloodbath Definition, Tony Bobulinski Testimony, AOC Liar Eyes, Turd Caucus, Israel Hamas War, Scott Adams ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topics to build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-adams00/support