Podcasts about neighborhood councils

On this episode of The Founder's Sandbox, Brenda speaks with Alexa Steinberg – a corporate and transactional attorney for middle-market companies and entrepreneurs. Acting as outside general counsel, Alexa represents privately held companies in a wide range of general corporate and transactional matters, including entity formation, structuring, and commercial transactions. With a focus on mergers and acquisitions, she offers clients guidance on structuring deals and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Brenda and Alexa discuss her journey from working at a small, all-female law firm to joining a full-service firm to better support her clients. Alexa shares how her parents—both deeply involved in business and community service—shaped her values around financial literacy, record-keeping, and the importance of building generational wealth. They speak about family-owned businesses and best practices in family governance, such as setting clear roles, regular meetings, and involving independent board members. Alexa also emphasizes the importance of building trust with clients and maintaining a purpose-driven, relational legal practice. Brenda and Alexa explore what "purpose-driven," "resilience," and "scalable" mean within the context of business and legal practice. You can find out more about Alexa at: https://www.greenbergglusker.com/alexa-steinberg/         episode transcript: 00:04 Hi, I'm pleased to announce something very special to me, a new subscription-based service through Next Act Advisors that allows members exclusive access to personal industry insights and bespoke 00:32 corporate governance knowledge. This comes in the form of blogs, personal book recommendations, and early access to the founder's sandbox podcast episodes before they released to the public. If you want more white glove information on building your startup with information like what was in today's episode, sign up with the link in the show notes to enjoy being a special member of Next Act Advisors. 01:01 As a thank you to Founders Sandbox listeners, you can use code SANDBOX25 at checkout to enjoy 25 % off your membership costs. Thank you. 01:18 Welcome back to the Founders Sandbox. I am Brenda McCabe, your host of this monthly podcast where I have guests that are either founders, professional service providers, corporate  board directors  that actually share a mission with me, which is bringing change to the world through great corporate governance, but building resilient, scalable and purpose-driven companies.  On a monthly basis,  my guests are going to tell their origin stories and kind of how I've met them. 01:48 through the work they do.  And I've recreated a fun sandbox environment in which we do storytelling. And ultimately we will touch upon resilience, purpose-driven  and  scalable or sustainable growth in the  businesses that they are  working in or owners of.  02:17 l I'm absolutely delighted to have as my guest today, Alexa Steinberg, Alexa is counsel  at Greenberg, Glasgow.  And before that, she was actually practicing in a smaller law firm and where her story today is going to kind of have some some 02:47 lessons learned on  why she chose to leave the firm and move into Greenberg, the Greenberg Lasker. But more importantly, you and I go back a couple years. are part of an informal group of women. We call ourselves Women and Wealth.  We meet periodically to really refer business to each other for those women business owners that 03:16 are seeking perhaps an exit in the next three to five years.  And through our skillset, some of us are CPAs, strategy advisors, yourself as counsel. A lot of these businesses are family owned. And so you and I and another, know, seven other ladies  get to meet each other over lunch and discuss these opportunities. And we're all very passionate about helping women business owners. Aren't we, 03:44 We are Brenda, thank you so much for having me on the Founder's Sandbox.  I am an avid listener, so I'm very excited that I get to be a guest. Thank you, thank you.  you know,  we've had many, conversations, obviously,  but I wanted for my listeners  to really dive into  what you do today, right? Which is really  purpose. 04:12 driven and it's preserving family wealth, right?  And I know that you actually come from a background where your father owned his business. So tell us  a bit, us down memory lane and that first story that you told me.  Well, you know, growing up, I watched both of my parents. My mother was a career woman.  My father, a financial planner. 04:38 running his  own book.  My mother,  a buyer and then in fashion and then into real estate.  I watched they were both very involved in the community. My mother sat on  the Studio City Council,  the Neighborhood Council. She was on many boards involved with the temple. My father as well  sat on many boards involved with the 05:07 Boys and Girls Club,  and  involved with the Jewish Federation. So I watched as my parents  really instilled the importance of being involved in  community, being involved in family, being involved  in the greater good and in purposeful and meaningful  organizations.  And I... 05:35 sort of learned a lot about that watching them both in their respective arenas being involved. And you know, they've, they've truly inspired me,  not only in my career path, but in  how I treat my clients  in the arenas that I've become involved in.  There's a specific story that I think I've shared with you, Brenda, about my father and how he sort of taught me 06:05 the value of wealth, the value of money, because as his career, that was what he did. He focused mainly on planning for retirement and financially setting yourself up and your family up to have generational wealth and what that looked like and how you could prepare for it when you were 10, 15, 20, 25 years old, preparing for family, preparing for children. 06:35 So when I turned 16, my father went into our QuickBooks. We had a family QuickBooks.  Oh, wow. That was before it was actually.  It was probably  a hard disk, right? Not even on the internet. Oh, yeah. It was like a hard disk. had a full set up, massive computers, the whole thing,  in our family office.  And he went into his QuickBooks. And he took. 07:03 what he spent on me in a year.  And he divided it by 12. And this  included insurance. Mind you, I just turned 16. So my car insurance, my car lease,  medical, entertainment,  my tennis lessons, all of these things that  were spent on me, what it cost  for me to function.  Children are expensive, you know. 07:32 I was very expensive because I will tell you that check was large  that he cut me every month.  And he laid out, these are the things that are monthly expenses for you that you need to pay with this money. And the rest you can use on entertainment,  gifts,  shopping, which I loved.  But I had to learn to balance my checkbook and balance 08:01 this amount of money, because I wasn't able to get any more until the next month.  And  that really taught me how that  money  was never something that was readily expendable to me. even if I went to Starbucks and I bought a drink with my father's credit card, he'd ask me for the receipt. He'd want to know where the receipt was, always. 08:28 I was very meticulous in his record keeping which I am now very much meticulous in my record keeping  and  I enforce with my clients and  make sure that record keeping is so important in your business as well.  You know and so when I when I graduated high school my father said to me okay the checks are done.  And you need to go get a job in college. 08:56 And what I will do is I will subsidize the paycheck that you bring home. So if you bring home $600, I will pay you 50 cents on the dollar for what you bring home, but only up to $300. So I could get a max of $300 every paycheck that he would subsidize. And then that was  how  I had money to live and to function. my parents,  I was lucky enough that my parents would pay for my college. 09:24 in my housing, in my dorms,  but  it was still really teaching me the value  of money.  And my father required that a certain portion of those funds get put away in savings and invested. And he would tell me how to do that.  And he would guide me.  because my father was a financial planner,  he would call me like a client and say, listen, 09:53 You're 70 % stocks, 30 % cash. I think you need to swap it. Let's talk about what that means. And of course, I'm like, you're my dad. Just do it. Why are we having this conversation? But it was so valuable because he wanted me to understand what he was doing and why he was doing it and how it really functioned. that I've also taken into how I guide and advise my clients. 10:22 I don't just do for them. understand, I want them to understand  how we're doing it, why we're doing it, what the alternatives  are and what it means if we do it this way or that way.  You know, a lot of my discussions with my clients are about strategy and about structure and  so they can make an informed decision.  You know, I think that that's extremely important, especially in a family business.  Working with your family is tough. So, 10:52 The way that you can make it that much easier is communication and understanding and knowledge. And I try to arm my clients with that. And that's something that my father really taught me.  my mother as well,  because my father managed our money and my mother  would bring it home and hand my father a check and be like, here, I don't know what you do with it, but do something with it. 11:21 She also  would, he would say, hold on a second. Like, I know you just sold a house and here's your commission check, but let me show you what we do with this and how we create generational wealth and how we invest it and what the best benefit for these funds are and how to use debt to our advantage.  Um, you know, and that's all of these things were such a value add that  I 11:51 I obtained understanding about and that I've now turned this value add to my clients  and how they run their business.  I'm not a financial advisor, I'm not a tax attorney. These are just really sort of  general  understandings and general guidance points for my clients to go out and  have knowledgeable conversations with the appropriate 12:21 guidance, appropriate people,  and the appropriate service providers that are going to help them accomplish those things. really,  this is very loaded, but I really like  the methods your father used. very, well, first of all, intentional  and bespoke. And that's really, and he did communicate to your mother, right? To instill also in her an understanding 12:52 of although she's bringing the check home because many, many women business owners today oftentimes do not own a majority of their companies. Right. And that is a shocking  statistic that I run into time and time again that women actually don't know how much  equity they have in their own business. Right. So just the informing and,  and you've translated that bespoke, you know, communicating 13:22 helping your clients understand,  pardon me, and  providing options as well as access to other professional service providers as  your own bespoke  offering to your clients. But it wasn't always like, yeah, go. That's sort of the benefit of the group that you and I met in and all of the networking opportunities that I've been involved in.  Of course,  networking is about building 13:51 um, your brand and your book and,  um, but a majority of it and the real value there  is  meeting and learning and understanding, um, and really coming to know people that can help your clients  where you can't,  um, and having  trustworthy referral sources to do that, because I'm not just going to tell my client, Oh, 14:18 this individual can help you with wealth management, call them without knowing how this person functions, without knowing  how they run their clientele,  how they do business. Those are really important things and to have trustworthy referral sources  is really important. And that's sort of what our group is  all about. That's right.  And it wasn't always like this. 14:46 Right, you graduated from law school  and started with a small, it was a, I think  a female-led law firm.  all female attorneys. Yeah, so what was your, this is right out of college, what were you doing  and what then informed your decision at a very tender age to leave?  So  right out of law school, 15:17 had worked my way through law school. I worked in family law for about five or six years. during the day, I was at a law firm. And in the evening, I took classes from 5 to 10 PM, four days a week for four years. took me four years to get through law school. And when I graduated, unfortunately, I wasn't afforded 15:47 All of the opportunities in law school  that most law students take advantage of, externships,  fellowships, things like that, because I was working my way through. I  had already been financially independent and I  wanted to stay that way. So I didn't want to quit my job  to go to school. I  wanted to be able to do it all. 16:15 So as a result, I really didn't have  the summer clerkships  that turn into job offers.  And I was a little lost because I had taken the bar exam and I was like, OK,  I'm not an attorney yet. But in three months, if I pass the bar exam, I could be.  Am I applying for law clerk positions? Am I applying for associate positions? Like, know, I was so lost.  And I went on Craigslist.  Oh my goodness. 16:44 And I found law firms that were hiring because I figured those people, you know, they're they're looking to hire somebody now, which is what I'm looking for. and hopefully those people, you know, will transition me into an associate role. If I pass the bar exam in a few months. And that was that was like my first sort of in. And I joined a very boutique law firm in West Hollywood. It was 17:13 By the time I left, we were three female attorneys. were  all female  for my entire tenure there. I was there for six and a half years.  And it was  in  late 2019,  early 2020 that I really decided I wanted more for my career and for my book of business. And I wanted to be able to  provide my clients  with a well-rounded 17:43 advice and guidance. I can't do it all, nor should I. I'm pretty sure my malpractice of insurance wouldn't like that. Not at all. But more and more, had clients that were asking me to help with litigation matters or employment matters. And those are arenas that I know just enough about to be dangerous. But I'm not going to run a full litigation. 18:13 I can't willfully and knowledgeably advise on employment matters.  You know, especially to  do justice by my client, do well by them.  I'd like to be able to  have somebody for them that they can speak to and trust and get the advice and counsel that they need.  And that really stemmed  my yearning to  branch out. 18:42 and go to a firm where I had all of those resources at my fingertips. I wanted more for my career, but my biggest drive was I wanted more for my clients.  I wanted really to be able to provide them with well-rounded, multidisciplinary  counsel.  And so I sought out  full-service law firms. 19:11 I found my home at Greenberg Gloucester, which  is a fantastic place to be.  I'm very happy there and everybody is so fantastic and  everybody is so good at what they do.  We've got employment and tax and  IP and litigation,  environmental, entertainment,  you name it.  And it's been such a benefit not only to my career, 19:41 to my clients, but I've learned  so much.  And is it true?  How would you characterize the typical clients without revealing, you know, confidential matters? Is it  also a firm that's  very oriented towards family owned businesses? Would you say that? Yeah, I would. You know, I'm  a counsel in the corporate and tax department. 20:08 And you we don't have a ton of institutional clients.  A lot of our clients are family owned businesses, mostly held entities,  you know, which I love on a daily basis. I am working with  two sisters that own a business together or a multi-generational company where, you know, senior is working with G2 and  G3  or 20:37 were actually this morning I was working on  assigning interests and reorganizing and restructuring a bunch of entities that own a bunch of real estate for clients.  And that's also  the kind of benefit that I get that I get to be pulled into  real estate matters with my corporate expertise to help a family office restructure their ownership. 21:04 You know, and I  love that stuff. We're extremely,  the way that Greenberg  provides advice and counsel  is on a very personal level. The way that  the firm  and myself, especially, we're a lifestyle firm.  You know, we understand that attorneys are people outside of 21:33 the walls of the office and that we all have lives.  And we, you know, I translate that to my clients. My clients have lives. My clients have other things going on than their business.  And especially when you deal with family offices and family businesses, there's a whole different dynamic  of  family interaction. Yes. You know, and, and I have now experienced that  not only with my clients  and sometimes I become 22:03 therapist in that regard, although I'm a very expensive therapist. I'm sure there people that are less per hour.  But  I'm experiencing it firsthand because my husband  has his own business with his brother  and I have  become  advice and counsel for them  as well. And so I'm  seeing it sort of from a different angle too, but I think that my clients truly appreciate 22:32 that when I talk to them, I talk to them as a person. It's not just as a business owner. It's not just as  I'm guiding you with this  legal advice.  It has to make sense.  And it has to  be actually applicable.  And sometimes what my advice and guidance would be  in sort of this like legal  box  is not the best. 23:00 for my client and how their business is operating.  And you've got to be  sort of fluid with that. And bespoke.  Yeah, so it's really beyond, it's not a transactional relationship. It is a trustworthy relationship based on the values of the family businesses that and their goals in preserving wealth  or continuing to generate family wealth. Yeah, absolutely. This is a great segue because you know, I also 23:29 passionate and have often guests that are sitting on corporate boards.  As counsel, have you observed any best practices and family governance structure? You talk about G1,  G2, G3, Have you observed any  best practices? We don't have to talk about bad practices, right? But any best practices that you would like to share here?  Yeah, you know,  I think that  I've observed that 23:59 Some of the most effective family governance structures prioritize clear communication,  well-defined roles,  professionalized decision-making.  I use this in a very loose  sense of the word, but you could establish a family constitution. Creating a board of advisors is always really important. 24:28 having independent members  in your board of advisors  is so incredibly valuable to have a knowledgeable, independent  person that can help through disputes. business disputes are one thing, but when you include a family dynamic in these disputes,  emotions can get high and heated. And so having  an independent third board 24:57 Third party board is extremely valuable. Somebody that can guide you, something that your family trusts. Those are some big things that I've seen as best practices. And I think that lastly, holding dedicated, regular meetings. 25:23 You'll talk about business, you know, at the dinner table or, you know, out and about you're at a kid, one of your niece's birthday parties and everyone's there and you're like, Hey, did you see that email from XYZ? We got to figure out how to handle that.  But  those are not the time and place and you're not going to have a productive conversation. And so you need to set aside and create boundaries between your family life and your business life  and set aside regular times. 25:53 weekly, bi-weekly, to have an hour conversation about what's going on, any disputes that need to be discussed, any decisions that need to be made.  And that's your time to solely be in your business mode.  Because having these conversation piece meals,  dinner on a Saturday night,  or  a family's birthday party, or  a holiday party, 26:22 It's not effective  for your business. And one of the biggest,  best practices  and the most, one of the most important goals  is to preserve your family relationships. Beautiful. You heard it here on the founder's sandbox to preserve family.  Absolutely.  Cause if you don't have family, do you have? That's right. 26:52 Family first. really important.  It's really important. And sometimes business can get in the middle of family relationships.  And it hurts to see that. It hurts to see  business  tear between  brothers,  tear between  father and son.  And I've seen those things in it.  There needs to be just a second to breathe. Yes. 27:21 and realize that there are bigger things than business  and that they need to be resolved, but they can only be resolved if you have a good relationship with your business partner slash your family.  They're your biggest support. 27:37 This has been immensely  actionable  in terms of  governance, the best practice you've seen in family offices. So thank you. Thank you for that. It's not often that I do have  a  lawyer  that works in this  arena.  Although family businesses just in the LA  ecosystem is 28:05 It's very predominant. very, very, you know, third, actually third and fourth generation now. So very relevant to your business and mine. Let's switch gears. You are, I believe, sitting on the board of directors or one of the committees of the Association of Corporate Growth. Yes. And tell us a bit what why what is the Association of Corporate Growth and what committees do you serve on? 28:35 And how do you further your business there? Thank you. The Association of Corporate Growth or ACG is a national organization  for professionals in the M &A sphere. So  you've got members that are  VCs, investment bankers,  M &A attorneys, wealth managers,  insurance specialists.  You sort of name it. Anybody that's 29:03 has some sort of involvement  in the purchase or sale of a business  or just surround sort of just general business governance that either prepare for an exit. You know,  those are the kind of people that are members of ACG.  And I got involved a few years ago.  And I think three years now, I've been sitting  on the Women's Committee,  which is a 29:31 Fantastic. We schedule and create women-focused programming within the confines of the ACG organization and really promote networking amongst women. More and more, I have had clients that have requested that they only work with women. 29:58 You know, and this sort of goes back to what I was talking about earlier about being able to provide  trustworthy referrals.  And I've met some incredible, incredible women in connection with ACJ. In fact, our group kind of came out of ACJ. This is how I met you, Brenda. And so  it's been a fantastic, fantastic  network to be a part of.  You know, I love planning the programming, our programming. 30:28 ranges everywhere from  talking about the state of the market  to  balancing family and career and what that looks like and  mental health. I think  I hate calling out a distinction that we are women in business  because I think a 30:57 A business person is a business person. I don't think it needs to be defined as such, but there is something to be said about the fact that  women have a different set of challenges in the workplace  than men do.  And a lot of those stem from  family life.  And that needs to be  balanced. And so there's a lot of programming  that the women's committee puts on that sort of 31:26 talks about that and  gears us in that direction  and gives us tools to be successful and to strive  in the face  of everything else that women just have to  deal with and take care of. That's for another episode here. Yes, very much so. Very much so, yes, as we all have balanced our careers and family priorities, right? 31:56 Let's switch gears. How do my  listeners contact you? How's the best way?  Well,  so I'm at again, I'm at Greenberg Gloucester. We're in Century City.  They can email me. It's  a Steinberg at gg firm.com.  And on our Greenberg Gloucester website, if you search people, I've got my whole bio and all of my contact information as well. Excellent. 32:25 Well, that will appear in the show notes. All right. So we're coming into the final  part of this podcast in which I actually  enjoy asking my guests  what the meaning is of certain terms that I actually practice with my clients. I'm working with purpose-driven companies, resilience. We work on resilience tactics  and  scalable business is sustainable. So I  always love the opportunity to hear 32:55 firsthand from my guess. What does purpose-driven mean to you, Purpose-driven means  a mission that goes beyond profit.  It taps into creating meaningful value for your customers,  for your employees,  for the community that  you operate in.  It's sort of about  building a company that 33:25 that stands for something.  And I'm very pleased to say that we have seen so many more companies  start out of a purpose-driven  goal.  There's a bunch of old companies and new companies. There's  a lot of companies that have this sort of one-for-one model. You buy one, we donate one. 33:52 There are socks companies, there are eyeglass companies, there are shoe companies, there are cleaning product companies  that sort of have  this  as their motto. And  then you see  additionally,  know, products and companies that are committed to the environment or sustainability and cleanup efforts. You know, that's really what  purpose-driven 34:21 means to me is that  these companies have a goal.  They want to accomplish something more than what they can show on their balance sheet. consumers of that product are helping them achieve that.  Excellent. Excellent. You've touched on even other aspects like  sustainable growth, right? Yeah. Right. What is resilience? You've been particularly resilient. 34:49 You having a father like your father,  building life skills early. would resilience,  what's the meaning to you? 35:00 Resilience is about  navigating challenges  with adaptability and with determination. It's about learning from your setbacks  instead of being defined by them, having them be a fire to your growth and having them  be the galvanization of your progress forward. 35:30 You know, and in business, it also can be about the ability to  pivot while staying aligned with your long-term goals, about the ability to,  you know, okay, there's a new regulatory,  new regulation that's gonna affect the way we operate. Okay, how are we gonna pivot to continue doing what we do,  but still can  stay in compliance?  You know,  that's really, 35:59 what it's all beyond your toes.  Excellent. And you're scalable. I'd like you to kind of share the meaning within the context of scaling the legal practice. What have you found to be  particularly  challenging or easy to do? Right. And scaling, right. Because it's a very bespoke practice. Is there any important, right? Scaling is absolutely important. Okay. 36:28 In my practice and in my business,  number one  goal  and  the biggest  galvanization point of scaling my practice  are my clients, my current clients. If you do a good job for them, they'll continue to come back. 36:59 and they'll continue to give you more business.  Creating a network. I watched my parents in their, both of their practices. All of our family friends  at this point have at one point or another been a client of my mother's or of my father's.  They've swapped clients,  referred to each other. And these individuals either started as friends and became clients. 37:29 or  became friends because they were clients.  And  that is the way that both of my parents have built their practice and their brands.  And that's how I want to do it too. It's a value add when,  attorneys are scary to begin with.  Nobody wants to talk to an attorney. It's expensive. Half the time you have no idea what they're talking about. It's language. 37:57 You know, but if you create this relationship of trust and of loyalty and friendship  and when you feel like your attorney  sees beyond just you as a dollar figure or you as a business,  it goes such a long way. And that's my main value add to my clients.  And in turn, they help me scale. 38:22 my business, clients continue to come back to me  and I'm able to continue to grow that because I can satisfy all of their needs with the network that I'm creating through places like ACG. You know, so that's, that's what I see is as scalable in my industry. It's extremely important.  And it goes to the heart of how I practice law and how, how I guide and advise my clients. Beautiful. 38:52 Thank you. heard it here on the Founder's Sandbox. Last question, Alexa.  Did you have fun in the sandbox today?  Oh, it was so fun.  Brenda, thank you so much for having me. This was fantastic. Thank you. So to my listeners, if you've enjoyed this monthly episode with Alexa Steinberg, counsel at Greenberg, Greenberg Gloucester, right? Greenberg Gloucester. Yep.  I encourage you to 39:22 sign up, subscribe either on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I'm on all main podcasts streaming services where my guests talk about how they felt resilient, scalable and purpose driven  practices informed by their origin stories. You can find it here on the founder sandbox. Thank you and signing off for this month.  Thank you, Alexa.  Thank you. This was fantastic.  

246 Navigating Community Activism and Local Politics with Fernanda Sanchez Episode Summary: In this compelling episode of What's My Thesis?, host Javier Proenza sits down with community activist and neighborhood council member Fernanda Sanchez for a deep dive into the world of grassroots activism, local politics, and the ongoing fight against gentrification in Los Angeles. Fernanda shares candid insights on the challenges of political engagement, the realities of navigating systemic barriers, and how communities can mobilize to protect their neighborhoods. The conversation covers the critical intersection of activism and art, the impact of corporate gentrification, and the complexities of working with people across the political spectrum. Fernanda also highlights the importance of documentation in activism, the role of artists in community movements, and the continuous struggle to hold local politicians accountable. Whether you're an aspiring activist, an artist looking to get involved, or just someone curious about the inner workings of grassroots political engagement, this episode is packed with thought-provoking discussions and actionable takeaways. Guest Introduction: Fernanda Sanchez is a dedicated community organizer and an elected neighborhood council member in Los Angeles. With years of experience in grassroots activism, Fernanda has been at the forefront of efforts to combat gentrification, advocate for housing justice, and challenge the systemic inequities impacting historically marginalized communities. Her work emphasizes direct action, coalition-building, and the power of local engagement in effecting real change. Topics Covered: The realities of unpaid political work and why true activism requires commitment beyond election cycles. How affluent liberals often dominate political discourse and decision-making while sidelining local voices. The ongoing struggle against gentrification in Los Angeles and its impact on communities of color. Avenue 34: A case study in community resistance against luxury developments built on toxic land. The evolving role of artists in political movements and how creative documentation can preserve community narratives. Why talking to your neighbors is one of the most radical things you can do. The dangers of co-opted political figures and how grassroots movements can remain independent. What newcomers to activism should know before jumping into political work. Notable Quotes: "Are you really radical if you're only working with white liberals? You're not. True activism means building alliances across different perspectives." "Gentrification evolves. The businesses that displaced us are now being displaced by corporations. This fight never stops." "The system will never allow a ‘good' politician to thrive. If you're looking for self-gratification in politics, you're in for a rude awakening." "The most important thing people can do right now? Talk to your neighbors. Organize locally. That's how we make real change." Resources & Actionable Steps: Follow Fernanda Sanchez on Instagram: [@fernandasanchez] for updates on local activism and ways to get involved. Support grassroots efforts in your community by contributing skills—whether you're an artist, writer, or videographer. Participate in local meetings and hold neighborhood councils accountable. Stay informed about developments like Avenue 34 and Boyle Heights Town Project by following community-led initiatives. Join local efforts to document and resist displacement, whether through art, media, or direct action. Call to Action: If you enjoyed this conversation, please rate and review What's My Thesis? on your favorite podcast platform! Subscribe for more in-depth discussions on activism, politics, and culture. If you want to support the podcast, consider joining our Patreon for early episode access and exclusive content. Stay engaged, stay informed, and most importantly—talk to your neighbors. #GrassrootsActivism #LocalPolitics #Gentrification #CommunityOrganizing #WhatsMyThesis #PoliticalEngagement #HousingJustice

Welcome to this week's Northeast Newscast where we sit down with outgoing Independence Plaza Neighborhood Council president Cynthia Herrington in a stream of consciousness and honest conversation about vulnerable issues in the neighborhood.The Independence Plaza neighborhood, part of Historic Northeast, exudes history and charm. Originally developed in 1876, it defied critics and thrived. Once home to industrial tycoons, it transitioned to a diverse, middle-class community, featuring Victorian and modern homes. Residents are engaged with the Independence Plaza Neighborhood Council, enjoying amenities like three city parks. Its proximity to downtown offers access to culture and entertainment. The council drives initiatives for art, sustainable development, and more. Explore further on their social media: https://www.facebook.com/ipnckc/This is the third installment of our neighborhood association series. 

Tara Perry is founder of The Black Pact. She has an academic foundation in sociology from St. John's University and specialized legal from UCLA. Ms. Perry is a former Neighborhood Council official. She has organized for housing rights with The Crenshaw Subway Coalition and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. She is a reparations activist who contributed to California's groundbreaking AB3121 Reparations legislation. www.TaraPerryforCA.Com

On this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Jillian Burgos, the treasurer of the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, which is known to issue more Community Impact Reports than any other Neighborhood Council! Burgos has called Los Angeles home since 2009 and is now running a people-powered campaign to replace Paul KrekorianContinue reading STRAIGHT OUTTA SAN FERNANDO VALLEY →

On this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Jillian Burgos, the treasurer of the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, which is known to issue more Community Impact Reports than any other Neighborhood Council! Burgos has called Los Angeles home since 2009 and is now running a people-powered campaign to replace Paul KrekorianContinue reading STRAIGHT OUTTA SAN FERNANDO VALLEY →

Recently a member of the Echo Park Neighborhood Council lynched a statue on his front porch upsetting both stakeholders and neighbors. He called it art and played the victim. Neighborhood council member Lauren Buisson joins the podcast to discuss this and other issues facing this historic neighborhood adjacent to downtown Los Angeles.

Nakeisha “Moma Boo” Scott is the Founder and CEO of Live Yo' Life nonprofit organization. She serves as Assistant Director of People for Community Improvement and sits on her Neighborhood Council as Chair of Bylaws, Vice Chair of Homeless issues, and Youth Issues. On this podcast Moma Boo shares her personal story of coming up in South Central L.A. and overcoming poverty, generational trauma and gangbanging to become a leader and a resource in her community without abandoning her ‘hood.

Old timey smells, a new tennis era, why Elizabeth can't join a council, codependent relationships, chaos with passion, how not to get sucked into a cult and more… this week on Nobody's Listening, Right? Support the show!  https://patreon.com/nobodyslisteningright Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nobodyslisteningright/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nobodyslisteningright Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nobodyslisteningright Shop with us! https://www.amazon.com/shop/nobodyslisteningright 00:00 Intro  00:57 People Know Lewis and Clark  06:28 Prison Love  08:13 Dirty Bits  09:35 Super Gonorrhea  11:32 Vaginas and Petticoats  15:27 A Mechanical Pencil Gesture  18:10 Tennis!  22:21 Caffeine Headache  25:14 Neighborhood Council  31:07 Thick Skin  35:23 Are We Codependent?  46:18 Death Nail or Knell  1:01:33 Everybody Likes A Scavenger Hunt

"This land is too valuable to let poor people park on it," said SF Redevelopment Agency head Justin Herman, about Asian and Black people living in Central San Francisco. Today many politicians are acting like it's the 1950s all over again. Niccolo Calderaro, professor of anthropology at SF State, speaks on resistance then and now. Niccolo Calderaro's article in Progressive City: "Community Mobilization against Eviction in 1970s San Francisco & the contribution of Chester Hartman": progressivecity.net/single-post/community-mobilization-against-eviction-in-1970s-san-francisco-the-contribution-of-chester-hartman  Niccolo's book, "An Ethnography of the Goodman Building: The Longest Rent Strike": link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-12285-0 John Fossum, California Law Review, "Rent withholding and the improvement of substandard housing": sci-hub.ru/10.2307/3479098 "Oakland-Based Government Finance Director Pleads Guilty To Embezzling Public Funds": justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/oakland-based-government-finance-director-pleads-guilty-embezzling-public-funds Curtis Choy's "Fall of the I-Hotel" (trailer): youtube.com/watch?v=lzrWwvI8JpI Chris Carlsson's essay "The Freeway Revolt," at FoundSF: foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Freeway_Revolt  Bay Area Tenant and Neighborhood Councils: baytanc.com patreon.com/sadfrancisco

#91: There's all sorts of things we probably want to change about our neighborhoods. Maybe it's a desire for speed humps or public trash cans ...or fewer parties at the Airbnb down the street. Whatever it is, those issues probably can be addressed with the help of your neighborhood council - it's a volunteer group made up, most likely, of your neighbors. There's roughly 99 of them in the city and the folks who serve on these councils can often be that direct link to your city councilmember and other L.A. government officials and organizations. Ideally, they can help get things done for your community. And with voting is underway for the people who will serve on your neighborhood council, we want to give you the 4-1-1 on what they are all about. Listen to this episode and, if you want to know even more about YOUR neighborhood council, check out this link at empowerLA.org. You can find out which neighborhood council represents you and what kind of work they've been up to lately. Guest: Brianna Lee, LAist engagement producer, Civics & Democracy. To learn more, check out Brianna's stories:  Neighborhood Councils Are As Local As LA Government Gets. Here's How They Work – And How To Join OneHow To Vote In Neighborhood Council Elections, Which Are Happening Right Now

TEXT EZWAY TO 55678 JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK EZWAYWALLOFFAME.COM HERE! Brought to you by DRFITNESSUSA.COM, EZWAYPROMOTIONS.COM PLEASE NOTE: You can connect with our guests you listen to at https://ezwaywalloffame.com Radio Boomers Live Like our FB Page Every Mon. 10 a.m. PST With Host: James Zuley, Eric Zuley, Carmelita Pittman Guest/s:  Bruce Habluzel: CEO of Starzz International, Actor, Director. Currenlty casted in Senior Entourage on TUBI Carmelita's Corner: Lalah Rowe: She is an author with 6 books available on Amazon.  Graphic designer, singer  songwriter, an incurable Romantic meet her description.   She believes the world is magic and seeks to assist others to find their own magic.  An active member of her community, she is an officer of her Toastmaster club and the 1st Vice President of her local Neighborhood Council. As a board member of Artists for a Better World International, she heads the LA  Chapter of this non-profit organization

Jeffery Bowen is a member of the Austin Neighborhood Association, and is very active in many part of Austin politics. I'd call him a watchdog, similar to Fred Lewis, Bill Aleshire, and many others. You may contact him by email below: jlbowen01@gmail.com ________________________ @bradswail austincitycouncilman.com Support the show on Patreon!

Got a weirdo bugging me and Neighborhood Council, thank goodness it's the end of the --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livelonganddad/support

Kristina Wong does some pretty incredible things with her life energy and creativity - damn! You can find Kristina Wong on:Facebook: @ilovekristinawongInsta: @mskristinawongTwitter: @mskristinawongVenmo: @givekristinawongmoneyIn this episode we talked about several bodies of work she has created including:The Auntie Sewing SquadThe massive mutual-aid network of volunteers across the United States, sewing homemade masks for vulnerable communities - like asylum seekers on the border,  which Kristina started. In early 2022 they are still sewing and involve hundreds of Aunties, shipping thousands of masks to vulnerable communities across the US. The Book = Auntie Sewing Squad: Mask Making, Radical Care, Racial Justice (released 2021) talks about America's pursuit of global empire at the cost of its citizens, the significance of women of color performing a historically gendered and racialized invisible labor…And was written with cool coauthor Rebecca SolnitKristina Wong, Sweatshop OverlordKristina Wong for Pubic OfficeShe's actually an elected official at her neighborhood council in LA's Korea TownLegit check out her hand sewn props and if you have time, her interview on Sew and So is great! (and literally a sewing podcast.)Big Bad Chinese Mama.com a performance piece, her fake harem of brides - a “sophomoric” project that is still up!She's been a guest on late night shows on NBC, Comedy Central, NFX…I watched ALL of these TV spots and you'll enjoy them too!Kristina references:Jose Luis Valenzuela and Teatro Campesino as well as Guillermo Gomez Pena as key artists of inspiration Art to Action, as the generous fiscal sponsor for The Auntie Sewing SquadWild Harvest Food Bank is an LA food bank, operates as a grocery store for all, and their CEO Glen Corrado, $50 p/month food challenge, where she survives on that budget every month!Upcoming Project? Kristina plans a concept called Food Bank Influencer working on perhaps a food bank performance space to benefit the Navajo Nation - a nation which she reports, has only 13 grocery stores spread across three states serving 300,000 tribal citizens.

Holly L. Wolcott is the City Clerk and has worked for the City of Los Angeles for almost 33 years. She lead the effort to develop the City Clerk's first Strategic 5-Year Plan, supervises the City's Municipal, Special, and Neighborhood Council elections, serves as clerk for all City Council proceedings, provides administrative, fiscal and personnel services to the Mayor and City Council, manages the City's Business Improvement District (BID) program, administers the Neighborhood Council finances and maintains the City's records management services and official archives.  In this podcast, she talks about:Why its important to provide information access to its multi-lingual residents?Challenges faced. How city over comes these challenges. LinkedIn: Holly Wolcott, City Clerk | City of Los Angeles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-wolcott-09773757/ 

Hello friends before the month is over I'm happy to bring on for the first time on this show someone who I was lucky to meet at the 2016 Mufon symposium and who we had on before on Skywatchers Radio the one and only Mr. Steve Hudgeons Jr Websites for more info! publicstreamingnetwork.com/psnradio publicstreamingnetwork.com/psntv psn-radio.blogspot.com SoFloRadio.com thajackalshead.blogspot.com He happens to be someone very important for those of us fans of MUFON and the good work they do... Let's talk about who he is for a second.. Born January 21, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Graduated 1968 at Diamond Hill Jarvis. Joined the US Navy 1969 and has 4 ½ years of honorable service and 3 ½ years of honorable service in the US Navy Reserve. Steve joined MUFON in 1991 and has conducted independent investigations on UFOs for the past 20 years. During this time, he has investigated over 200 cases for MUFON. In 1995 Steve was appointed as Texas Chief Investigator. He was part of the original Star Team conducting Star Team investigations in Texas. In 2008 he lead a group of Field Investigators to Stephenville / Dublin, Texas to investigate what is now known as “The Stephenville Lights.” In 2009 he became the MUFON State Director of Texas until 2012. Steve has 20 years of community service with many volunteer organizations, such as, Little League, Neighborhood Council, Community Policing with the Fort Worth Police Department, C.O.P Search Team, C.O.P. Base Radio Operator. Steve is an Estimator, Draftsman, OSHA Outreach Trainer, and Safety Director for a multi-million dollar construction company. He is also was at one point the host of The Texas UFO Radio Show. He's also the owner of a very life like Alien Gray sculpture who we got to check out in person over in 2016 when me and the Skywatchers Radio crew met him in person. Great guy, and I've wanted to have him on here for sometime... Look forward to having him on the show, and having a chat with him about where stand today as I do think we're coming closer than ever to disclosure. Steve he's an excellent person to talk to about disclosure, and what exactly is happening in the world of ufology! I'm so looking forward to having him on the show. Quick time shift on the show: The show airtime starts at 9pm Est. as usual our guest enters the call an hour into the show now at 10pm Est. and we go for an hour-long chat. The show moved up an hour due to work hour changes at my other job.

Jose Franco Garcia has over 15 years of experience with community organizing in the San Diego area. He currently focuses on environmental justice issues and working to ensure that his community is safe & healthy. After graduating from the University of California at San Diego with a B.A. in Political Science, he spent four years as the Community Building director at the Coalition of Neighborhood Councils in San Diego. In 2010, he began work with the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), where he now serves as organizing director. Listen to CHEJ's organizing director Gustavo Andrade interview Jose and share personal stories and insights behind what it is like to lead an environmental organization.

Lincoln Heights Intel (LHI), a group of residents and organizers, was spurred into action by Avenue 34, a five-acre, 468-unit apartment complex featuring lots of retail space. Residents were concerned about being displaced and inhaling toxic fumes potentially emitted by the complex’s construction.  LHI believed the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council didn’t do enough to fight the development, so they put together a slate of 11 progressive candidates to replace all members of the council. After voters cast ballots in April, all 11 candidates won.   A neighborhood council mostly advises its LA City Council member, but that influence can be powerful.  “They can make it [development] more likely to happen, or less likely to happen by their support or opposition. And that's why even without formal power over land use, [neighborhood councils] are potentially going to become players in some of the land-use politics in the city,” says Raphael Sonenshein, who directs the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA. 

Five LH Intel members stop by to talk their experiences running for Neighborhood Council. We talk about Los Angeles history, the brewery Arts Complex, gentrification, gerrymandering, voter suppression, homelessness, smear pieces, and Luxury apartments built on toxic superfund sight.

Bike Talk gives its Best Bike Advocate of 2020 Award to...Michael Schneider, founder of Streets For All. Last year, Michael and Streets for all spearheaded the designation of 'slow streets' across Los Angeles. Now, slow streets are becoming permanent. Michael was also able to get LA's slow streets listed on google maps, so cars can be away and bikes directed towards them. Schneider and Streets For All tirelessly advocate for safe streets measures and projects, while working to 'flip' Neighborhood Councils by supporting progressive council members. https://streetsforall.org/

Zoë Klar chats about Marilyn Manson, Kobe Bryant, Clubhouse, Neighborhood Councils, and clarifies definitions for Grant. Follow Zoë on Twitter and listen to her on the Bad Boys podcast. This episode contains some discussion of sexual abuse and grooming; if you or someone you know is in need of help, live people are available 24/7 on the National Domestic Violence Hotline here.

LIVE with Jeff Page; He's known as Mayor of Skid-Row, currently serving as Formation Committee Chairman for SRNC (Skid-row Neighborhood Council), Previously served on DLANC, he has been an activist in the streets of Los Angeles for 14+ years. Some examples of his work include "The Gladys Park Improvement Project". Ending the "Overnight Guest Fees" in all SRO housing units, he lead the efforts to keep the parks open in Skidrow, he fights for the rights of the homeless in Skidrow and throughout all of Los Angeles. General Jeff was also a pioneer in the beginnings of West coast Hip-Hop. Truly an amazing human to be celebrated for his efforts on this episode. There will be a part 2 of this interview coming soon! Idiotsdontlisten@gmail.com Check out the SKID ROW NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL on Facebook Follow General Jeff > @skidrowgeneraljeff --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/idiotsdontlisten/support

In our 39th episode, we chat with Brett Shears, the founder of Vote Allies, an advocacy organization working to grant voting rights to historically disenfranchised communities, and a recent staffer for the successful Prop 17 campaign during this year’s elections. Brett and I have an extensive conversation on L.A.’s Neighborhood Council (NC) system, which isContinue reading EPISODE 39 – TO JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, OR NOT →

In our 39th episode, we chat with Brett Shears, the founder of Vote Allies, an advocacy organization working to grant voting rights to historically disenfranchised communities, and a recent staffer for the successful Prop 17 campaign during this year’s elections. Brett and I have an extensive conversation on L.A.’s Neighborhood Council (NC) system, which isContinue reading EPISODE 39 – TO JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, OR NOT →

Ron presented on Municipal Broadband and fell short. Here's the mistakes he made, and how to avoid them. Krish Mohan is today's guest.

Wendy Goodman Thum is the Chairwoman of Beautification for the Neighborhood Council of Sun Valley, CA.

We're back from our summer break! We take a listener question about their apartment building getting sold. We tell billionaires to buy buildings and give them to the people who live there. We'll see how that works out. We also talk about Civil War II, propaganda, and sneakers.Congratulations Pine Tree says NO to war!Tenant and Neighborhood CouncilsCausa Justa :: Just CausePigeon PalaceACCE - Alliance of Californians for Community EmpowermentFlorida Rights Restoration ColationOctagon Breathing GifMindfulness Coach AppMind wars only.

Join this conversation with Kristina Wong as she shares her journey as an artist, mask-making with her Hello Kitty sewing machine, exploring trauma and developing care systems during a pandemic. Kristina Wong is a performance artist, comedian, writer and elected representative who has been presented internationally across North America, the UK, Hong Kong and Africa.  Her work has been awarded with grants from Creative Capital, The MAP Fund, Center for Cultural Innovation, National Performance Network, a COLA Master Artist Fellowship from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as eight Los Angeles Artist-in-Residence awards.  Center Theatre Group honored her with the 2019 Sherwood Award.  Her rap career in post-conflict Northern Uganda was the subject of The Wong Street Journal which toured the US, Canada and Lagos, Nigeria (presented by the US Consulate).  Her long running show Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest looked at the high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American women and is now a concert film.  Kristina currently serves as the elected representative of Wilshire Center Koreatown Sub-district 5 Neighborhood Council, the subject of her latest show “Kristina Wong for Public Office.” The national tour of that show has been postponed due to the pandemic.  She's pivoted to performing "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord" about how in ten days during the pandemic, she went from out of work artist to factory overlord of the Auntie Sewing Squad, leading hundreds of volunteers sewing for vulnerable communities.   www.kristinawong.comTaped on June, 10, 2020

Nate Postcyborg (@postcyborg), of #linegoesdown and TANC (Tenant and Neighborhood Councils), stops by to talk about the ongoing housing crisis and how it's being accelerated by Covid, and what tenants can do to fight back. Then the crew discuss the shadowy feds invading Portland, dropping fertility rates, the Mary Trump interview, and that fucking letter. Rest in power, Michael Brooks (1983-2020) Outro music: Cock Sparrer - Secret Army For bonus episodes like History is a Weapon, Proletkult, Vampire Castle, and access to our discord community, become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/theantifada

Recently a member of the Echo Park Neighborhood Council lynched a statue on his front porch upsetting both stakeholders and neighbors. He called it art and played the victim. I discuss this and other issues with this historic neighborhood adjacent to downtown Los Angeles with neighborhood council member Lauren Buisson. . See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus episode, Rev. Mike and Malayna continue the talk with Salaam Thompson and Rev. Nancy Woods about the New Paradigm we all envision and how to get Moving Forward with a world in which #Black Lives Matter. We cover a good amount of history, and you'll find informational links below for those. Here's some studying you can do!Part 1 with Salaam Thompson Salaam shares tales from growing up in Chicago's south sideGangster Disciples - Larry Hoover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangster_DisciplesBlack Disciples - David Barksdalehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_DisciplesEmmett Till - 14-year old lynched in 1955 for allegedly offending a white womanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_TillFred Hampton - Black Panther leaderhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hampton"Karens" - entitled white women https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_(slang)Salaaam's metaphor of trying to cash an old check as if the bank hadn't changed.Reconstruction & Civil Rights Amendmentshttps://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-Data/Constitutional-Amendments-and-Legislation/Amy Cooper weaponizes whiteness against Christian Cooperhttps://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/us/central-park-video-dog-video-african-american-trnd/index.htmlConfederate Statues removedhttps://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-06-16/confederate-statues-removedChokehold Lawhttps://www.npr.org/2020/06/16/877527974/how-decades-of-bans-on-police-chokeholds-have-fallen-shortPaul Butler, author of the book Chokeholdhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/11/chokehold-book-paul-butler-us-police-african-americansThe Ezra Klein Show on Paul Butlerhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-former-prosecutors-case-for-prison-abolition/id1081584611?i=1000477131355Mulford Act - CA Gov. Ronald Reagan v Black Panthershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_ActMartin Luther King and Malcolm X Only Met Oncehttps://www.biography.com/news/martin-luther-king-jr-malcolm-x-meetingFruit of Islamhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_of_Islam Rev. Nancy Woods joined for Part 2My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodiesby Resmaa MenakhemBook:https://smile.amazon.com/My-Grandmothers-Hands-Racialized-Pathway/dp/1942094477/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22ASBLU7YLWH6&dchild=1&keywords=my+grandmother%27s+hands&qid=1592455245&sprefix=My+grand%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1Resmaa Menakhem Video interviewhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl8NKF5to-0NFL and NBA internal strifehttps://sports.yahoo.com/the-nf-ls-black-lives-matter-statement-was-years-in-the-making-013616877.htmlhttps://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/2020/06/17/nba-players-union-issues-statement-vowing-to-support-social-justice/Michael Beckwith on Victim Consciousnesshttps://www.legends.report/video-michael-beckwith-oprah-winfrey-dont-be-a-victim/Creating a World that Works for All by Sharif Abdullahhttps://commonway.org/product/creating-a-world-that-works-for-all/Neighborhood Councils https://empowerla.org/Folding a Ceremonial Flaghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7yMakv5DwgJames Baldwinhttps://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2020/06/03/reading-james-baldwin-can-help-heal-wounds-racial-division"Hood Classics" Film List from SalaamMenace 2 Society JuiceNew Jack CityAbove the RimBellyFind more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hood_films#BlackLivesMatter heart art by Jenny Hahn of JennyHahnArt.com

Oh boy! looks like the council and the administration are not too collaborative yet as confusion and ideological differences may be influencing meetings and outcomes.

In this episode, Eden and William sit down with Rane and Nick from TANC (Tenant And Neighborhood Councils) to talk about organizing with neighbors and communities against the exploitation and otherwise shady practices of landlords. This episode's Solo Praxis segment talks about different ways that an isolated leftist can potentially unearth some comrades close by safely. Follow TANC on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TANCBay TANC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baytanc/ TANC on the web: https://baytanc.com/ TANC email: tenantorganizingeastbay@gmail.com TANC phone number: (510) 671-5747 Follow Frontline Praxis on Twitter:https://twitter.com/FrontlinePraxis Frontline Praxis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontlinePraxis/ Frontline Praxis on the web: https://frontlinepraxis.com/ Email us: frontlinepraxis@protonmail.com Support us:https://www.patreon.com/FrontlinePraxis

Grayce Liu, General Manager of Empower LA A Stratiscope project - stratiscope.com - Music Attribution: "Spektrum" by “Bluebridge Quartet” is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Summary:Our guest today is Evan White, Communications Officer for the Venice Neighborhood Council. Evan is a public relations professional who is applying his skills with one of the most engaged and active Neighborhood Councils in the City. In our conversation, Evan talks about Venice’s unique place in Los Angeles, his role in helping his Neighborhood Council thrive, and his hopes for the future of Neighborhood Council elections. We hope you enjoy! Show notes: http://empowerla.org/podcast-interview-with-evan-white/

Los Angeles has 99 neighborhood councils across the city that act as forums for the public and an advisory system for city government. Jon Deutsch, President of the Board of the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council joins me to talk about the NC system and how LFNC has leveraged their power. From building bridge housing to bringing needed traffic safety to Los Feliz we examine how neighborhoods are empowering themselves. To see the full calendar of Neighborhood Elections: https://clerk.lacity.org/electiondayinfo To learn more about the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council: https://losfeliznc.org/

Hollywood High's Lucas Schroeder joins Nick and Stephen Box prepare to begin the Bike Activist's journey. Over the next month, they'll visit Neighborhood Councils to get endorsement of the Mobility Bill of Rights.

Our guest for this episode of the EmpowerLA Podcast is Ken Draper, a founding Board Member from the Mid City West Community Council and Editor-Publisher for LA’s most notorious watchdog, CityWatch. Ken has been one of the most active and prominent voices in the neighborhood council community since its inception. In our conversation, Ken talks about the origins of the Neighborhood Council system, how Neighborhood Councils have evolved since their early days, and what he thinks they can (and deserve) to be. We hope you enjoy!

Erin Penner, is the founder of the an outdoor, exploration-based preschool, ILA — Inspired Little Activists. She is also an elected official on the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council and an advocate for the LGBT community and the unhoused population in Los Angeles. ----more---- Learn more about ILAAdventureSchool.org. Learn more about The Passionistas Project. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: [00:00:00] Hi and welcome to the Passionistas Project Podcast. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and if you enjoy listening to the show please consider becoming a patron. Just a small donation of one dollar a month can help us keep the project going. And you'll get rewards — like buttons, access to premium content and invites to Passionistas Project events. Today we're talking to Erin Penner — the founder of an outdoor, exploration-based school ILA, which stands for Inspired Little Activists. Erin is also an elected official on the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council and she's an advocate for the LGBT community and the unhoused population in Los Angeles. So please welcome to the show. Erin Penner. Passionistas: What are you most passionate about. Erin Penner: [00:00:40] I'm most passionate about giving a voice to people that aren't being heard. And giving them a platform to really say what they need and speak what's on their mind and whether it's working with the homeless or with children it's just giving them a voice. Passionistas: [00:00:55] So how does that translate into what you do for a living? Erin Penner: [00:00:59] I started my own nonprofit organization that teaches kids how to take ownership of L.A. So they clean Griffith Park and they clean the beach and they feed the homeless and they're on the metro twice a month and they go all over the city and they really are advocates for the city and for people in need and for themselves. So gives them quite a voice.  Passionistas: [00:01:21] Talk a little bit about your path to starting the preschool. Erin Penner: [00:01:24] When I came here 12 years ago I had my teaching degree from Wheelock College in Boston. And back then I mean you could get... You could work in TV without even thinking about it. The jobs were like a dime a dozen. So I jumped into TV but also nannied to because my passion was working with kids. So I was Nannying for quite some time. And one of the children's preschool teachers grabbed me and she had her own school out here in L.A. that she had started. And I was working one on one with her for years and she branched out and the school moved to Griffith Park and became entirely outside. But she had a child two years ago and I kind of took it over rebranded it and added my own little flair to it. And that's where I am now. Passionistas: [00:02:13] And what's the flair that you added? Erin Penner: [00:02:15] I made it very much an activism school and it's actually called Inspired Little Activists. And what she was doing is very nature driven and this still is. But nature's not necessarily my passion. I enjoy being outside very much but I'm not really put your hiking boots on every single day kind of person even though we do do that. But I added my own let's grab a backpack get on the metro and go meet Mayor Garcetti and stuff like that. So it's kind of both. Passionistas: [00:02:47] So give us examples of some other kinds of things you do. Erin Penner: [00:02:50] We constantly learn about leaders, world leaders, leaders in the community, whether it's just someone in town or Billie Jean King or stuff like that. But we also have... It's really important to me that they know their community and you can teach their own parents about their communities. So the fire department will stop by and police will stop by my friends and nurse. He'll stop by and it's just very much just being a part of the world they live in. So we do that. They constantly have visitors and then like this week it's Day the Dead, so we're going to an art gallery downtown — Self Help Graphics it's called. They'll learn Native American art and Mexican art and stuff like that. So it's really like any holiday, like LGBT rights is all this month. So they learn about that and just kind of really weave in everything that's going on. And not, not be so depressing about what's happening in the country but really not lying to them about anything and making them aware and just being positive how to change that. Passionistas: [00:03:50] Do you feel like kids that age are underestimated in what they're capable of grasping? Erin Penner: [00:03:55] 100 percent. And I talk about it all the time. I talk about it like a specific behavior like LGBT rights and stuff. We underestimate how much they can handle how much they want to learn. And we can put a stigma on stuff. So it's like you know you almost some people whisper when they say the word gay and it's like, no some of them have two moms and two dads and why is that something that we've been whispers. So we talk about that stuff and then they learn about Harvey Milk and they know that love is love. And it doesn't matter. And they teach their family about it. And the family is like oh my god it would have been so scared to even touch this topic. Which is crazy. So we definitely underestimate what kids can handle. Passionistas: [00:04:38] So what do the parents know going into it when they sign their kids up? What do they expect? Erin Penner: [00:04:43] It's not hard when you first need to know that I'm not someone that will kind of tiptoe around things but that to people like. Actually when I was a nannying one of the dads called me "nanny leather pants." Because it's kinda like... I will, I have a rule in school that we do a happy hour once a month with all the parents. So it has to be a tight knit community. But they'll also know my sailor mouth and what I'm passionate about outside of school and it's really important. So when I interviewed families for school I mean that's out in the open right away. And you know... I mean eventually I'll be covered in tattoos and I want to tell them because they'll know when they look at me and that's just how it goes. Passionistas: [00:05:26] What do you think the kids get from learning outside of a classroom? Why is it so important to be in the world? Erin Penner: [00:05:33] One thing that people are always shocked by especially when we go on our field trips says not only are they capable of taking on the world themselves I mean they're on the Metro at three years old just carrying all their stuff and they know the map and they know which line we go and everything. And what it teaches people just by watching them is you know how capable they are. So being outside of just four walls, I mean you're teaching them how to you even if there was an emergency. They know exactly who to go to what to do. One thing we do is they're exposed to like the homeless. And it's, that's a tricky part because you don't want them to think OK I can just talk to any stranger, which I have to talk to the parents about a lot but, they're human and so just being outside a classroom they learn so much in that regard. And they know the names of... they know Paul is one guy that sits at a park near us and we ask how his day is going and... I mean I think all of it teaches the adults just as much as. Passionistas: [00:06:39] How do they go to traditional schools after being with you? Erin Penner: [00:06:42] It's kind of a worry. I have and I did come up this year one of my girls who I mean I always said that they are my best friends and they are five. And it was hard. She had to adjust... It was like two months of adjusting. Where she was just like this is not where I want to be. So she, I would actually have a date with her every week to take her out. And we's go to the deli and eat prosciutto after school and stuff because she was just... It was impossible for her to be with 30 kids rather than seven and to be in this crowded classroom with a teacher that is just strictly a teacher and that's it. Because I'm more... I mean their family and they have a bad day they FaceTime me and we go out all the time and it is tricky. I worry about the adjustment but so far it's been pretty good. Passionistas: [00:07:30] So you talked a little bit about your work with the homeless. But tell us about that and why that's important to you and what you do for outreach. Erin Penner: [00:07:38] I grew up in my family's Italian restaurant on Cape Cod. And I was always the little kid that was just addicted to talking to people and especially if like you're sitting at a table alone I would just pull up a chair and hang out or what have you. But for some reason like my mission as a little kid was to make someone's day. And my dad always talks about it too. It's like I could make a note and just leave it with like a cookie or... Like when it was his birthday one year I just assembled a grill and had it in the front yard and he rolled up in his pickup truck and there was this grill and he was just so excited and crying. And it was just like instantly I realized just making someone's day is the best thing ever. [00:08:21] So when I turned 16 or 17, I got my license and I got a red Mustang. And I realized I could go to a homeless shelter and on Cape Cod. There's one homeless shelter. You don't even know what exists. And that waswhen I mean you had the Yellow Pages and I was digging and I was like I know there's some place around here. And I finally figured it out. It was only two towns away. And I called them they said can I bring you food. And they were like, yeah no one's really ever asked that before. So I went to a store and I made them to lasagnas. So here comes like this chick in a red car that pulls up at 17. And this whole... this linw of people just staring at me and I carried in two lasagna. Its was like this is the best thing anywhere I can help these people. [00:09:09] So from there I went to college in Boston and you can do an internship and I just wanted to be at a homeless shelter. So I worked at Rosie's Place, which is for women dealing with domestic abuse and stuff and I end up writing basically a thesis about this woman there and my passion for the homeless just really grew and giving a voice to them at that point. Because there is one day where we had to serve lunch. And it was Valentine's Day and I brought them a bunch of candies and stuff and they even took the plastic bag that the candies were. I said gosh why are they even taking a plastic bag? And it was just they needed anything. And we had a soda fountain and I would watch the women and they would take a few sips of soda and just dump. And I was like ow dare they? Like there in such a need. And we have so many people that are in such need. And the guy in charge that I would like listen to Van Halen with during lunch. He was like don't you see how spoiling yourself is something that we take for granted. And this is the one minute that they get to spoil themselves and be wasteful like we are every day. Wow that's crazy. And that has stuck with me forever. [00:10:23] So once I had left Boston and came here I didn't have a job for a while and all I did was volunteer in the homeless shelters. And from there I just started a nonprofit. Passionistas: [00:10:33] So what is your nonprofit do? Erin Penner: [00:10:35] It's called Vibe's 365. I started it with my partner Robin who is now my teaching partner with ILA. And that was to do this with kids. So essentially we started with summer camps and workshops and they went really well. But it was... Summer camps a lot of work and that's a lot of caring your whole life and all of this that you are teaching to the beach to do a beach cleanup and stuff. And it's great. And I love it. But I ended up scaling it down a tiny bit. So for instance right now I volunteer at the center in Hollywood and it's basically an art class that we do. It's a women's day. So I was teaching art for the past two years to homeless women. And so my kids, I was approved by the board at the center. They're pen pals are the women. So it's kind of like my nonprofit is me teaching a homeless woman art but it's also my school kids being pen pals. And I mean they make each other jewelry and make cards. And it's all I do is kind of intertwine everything. Passionistas: [00:11:37] Talk about that pen program and how that works and what people who participate get out of it. Erin Penner: [00:11:43] It's funny because so many things I already like have a preconceived notion of what, what people will get out of it. But it ends up being the opposite of what I think. So the whole time I'm thinking, wow it'll be amazing for these kids to be in touch with these women and kind of find out what their day is like. But what I learned on the first day is these women would just start crying when they got a letter because it's like when was the last time they got a card? And they could be estranged from their kids that they missed so badly. And it's like no one's ever asked them how they're doing and drawn them a picture. So it was, it was so sweet and innocent because these women would be like I have a dog and what's your dog's name? Or just something so simple like that and it sounds so elementary. But it was such a game changer. Was just like someone is reaching out to me whether I even know what they look like or not but it made them human again. Passionistas: [00:12:40] How can other people do what you do? Erin Penner: [00:12:43] I think people underestimate when it comes to kids what kids are noticing that you do. And say you're driving in your car and your kids in your backseat and you just kind of drive by some guy Hollywood and Highland desperately needs food or something. And you don't even give them the time of day. Just by showing them a hello and this is let's even find out what their name is. It really sticks in kids heads. But one thing I've learned... [00:13:16] I actually had a homeless couple that are very close friends of mine live with me here for a month because we met on Hollywood Boulevard two and a half, three years ago. I was on a date and walking back and this couple was on the sidewalk in sleeping bags. And I stopped and talked to them and gave them cookies that I had in my hand. And asked them if they would contact me because I really wanted to help them. And I begged them. Can you get to the library, get on a computer? Because people forget even just to... They might not have a phone. They might not have computer access, and what have you. And they did a few days later and he put in his e-mail Cookie Man. And I figured it was cause I had given them cookies. But what it was is, it was a couple that had their own cookie business that tanked. And so my girlfriend was like You know I know you hate Go Fund Me because it's kind of like my last resort. I don't like overusing crowd funding and stuff like that. She was like you need to just do it. And it was Thanksgiving week and this is three years ago actually next month. And we raised two thousand dollars in 24 hours. [00:14:21] So I find out that they lived outside of MacArthur Park. So for a week I was going to have dinner with them in a park and they would joke and say come into our living room. And it was just a box on the ground and it hit me one night I came home and I was... I'll never forget, I was sitting in bed and I was like How dare I? Because now these are my good friends. And I'm sitting in my bed knowing that they're sleeping on a box in MacArthur Park. So I grab the next day and put them in my car. And they lived here. [00:14:52] And what... Their story, they were fine with me making it public... Even within that week or two had taught so many people how to really treat people nicely and with an open heart and kindness that everyone was paying attention to our updates every day. So we got an iPad donated. We got their website back up and running. And then by Christmas time all my family on the East Coast and all my friends were ordering. This had turn into the cookie factory. And they even have a cookie box that they designed with my old logo, on my face on it and stuff. But I mean they had like 20 different flavors and the orders were just coming in. It was crazy. TV production companies my friends worked for it order all these cookies. So it is just like reviving them and giving them a voice and giving them a face. And they became family instantly. So it's like we spend all our holidays together and my family sends him Christmas presents. And it just that, taught people so much. And right now they're going through a lot. And the wife this week realized she has colon cancer but they... all of my friends are friends with them on social media. And they instantly had their back. And they were like oh my gosh, what can we do? And it's just, it's created a family. Just from that. Passionistas: [00:16:12] We're Amy and Nancy Harrington. And you're listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Erin Penner. To find out more about ILA visit. ILAAdventureSchool.org. Now here's more of our conversation with Erin. Passionistas: [00:16:26] So tell us about the award that you got from the center. Erin Penner: [00:16:28] The center is an amazing place. And it's... It's basically, it's not a homeless shelter, it's just a resource center and basically for Unhoused... we like to say not homeless, unhoused friends of ours. And they surprised me with an award for volunteering there. [00:16:46] I had this idea that I wanted to make the women's day and give them a makeover. So Robin being a hairstylist, she was like let's get this shit done and we are just changing their lives. So we had three or four hairstylists, four wardrobe people and some of them like professional wardrobe people. I hired a photographer to do their portraits. We have food and... It was hair and makeup, food. Yeah just a ton of clothes. We had hundreds of pounds of clothes donated. So this center let me use them as this just hub for all of this. So this one day we set up the whole downstairs as a clothing store. And really doted on the women. And it was just like coffee and breakfast and all this stuff. And then upstairs Robin had turned it into a buzzing hair salon and they got toiletry bags and jewelry and sunglasses donated and stuff like that. And then their portrait done. So they could see how beautiful they were. And we had 30 or 40 women that first, first one. And we did our second one this year. And I I'd like to do them way more often and eventually in my own office and hub to do this. But that's where I started the center and then we just made it this constant thing for the women. I never realized how underserved the women are in the community and the stuff they go through and the danger they are in every night in a sleeping bag or a tent. It's just that they have changed my life forever, for sure. Passionistas: [00:18:18] What do you think that people should know about those women? Because a lot of people don't take the time to stop. Erin Penner: [00:18:26] What we do at the center at all of the outreach stays. Friday is women's day. And we get them in there for breakfast and to do like... I do arts and crafts with them and stuff. But really it's kind of a way just to get them in. We hear how their week was. And you can let it kind of depress you or just let it motivate. Like oh my god I got to, I gotta fixed this. And thank god that neighborhood council it kind of helped me realize that's... How to give them a voice and go to City Hall. Like to know what these women have gone through this week? And I think what people don't realize is just... It's going to sound crazy but I mean just going to the bathroom when you wake up in the morning. [00:19:04] And I had one friend Sarah, we had the same birthday actually. And she has been going there for a while. She's so sweet and the pen pal with the kids like really affected her. Because she raised her sister from seven years old. Sarah was seven and took care of her sister. And she's had a crazy struggle. So there was one day where she woke up and she had to pee like we all do when we wake up. And she went to a restaurant and they instantly kicked her out. And she had gone into so many places and they kicked her out. Coffee shops kicked her out and she's... It's not like she's covered in dirt or anything like that which everyone thinks you're homeless really covered in mud or something. But no one would let her go the bathroom. And she peed her pants in the entryway in this restaurant. And she was there telling us this and it was humiliating for her. So like wow this is such an insane struggle I would never think about. If you were to pee outside then you're a sex offender. Because if you're even near a school or a park or whatever... And a lot of them are in parks, then they have to deal with that. So I think between the safety factor and sexual assault that they deal with a lot on the streets. Just even go to the bathroom is a crazy struggle. Passionistas: [00:20:15] You also are a member of Hollywood United Neighborhood Council. So talk about what other work you do with them. Erin Penner: [00:20:23] So actually Charles and Bridgett that lived here help me get elected. And they were throwing out flyers everywhere that day. And it was pretty amazing. So I've been on there for two years. And at the time I was the youngest person on the council. And now I'm the only female. I was part of the executive officers. I'm the secretary now. But it's, it's been a very funny situation because you realize some males just typically don't like females that are kind of getting shit done and doing stuff around the city. And it's, it's insane when I think about women in politics and what they're dealing with because I want such a ittle pian level but it's really affected me with crazy messages I get from people that are just like you know we're all going to have all the homeless pitch inside your apartment building because clearly you're not doing enough. And stuff like, crazy, crazy things but you can't let it get you discouraged. [00:21:20] So I'm on four committees now — the outreach committee, on public safety, and homelessness and social services, and renters, and nonprofit education. Five. I just resigned from renters last week. But it's taught me a lot. It's taught me about.. talk about giving a voice... it's like you have people in the Hollywood Hills who think they're... What I view is something so small that's they're big problem and that's a problem that has to be addressed right away. And I'm like Are you kidding me? Do you know what's happening down here? But you have to come together. And my job is to not just speak about what's concerning me. I have to be a voice for all the neighbors even if it's something that pisses me off because if that's what's bothering them then that's my job. So it's taught me a lot to just let people criticize you and to kind of be an advocate for something you don't necessarily want to be but that's what you're elected for. Erin Penner: [00:22:16] You're also an advocate for LGBT rights. So talk about your work in that area.  Erin Penner: [00:22:22] Robin McWilliams and Madonna Cacciatore, the best Italian name ever, have made the biggest impact in my life in the past couple of years. And Robin makes a point to just drag me along to all of the LGBT events. And in the beginning I was like oh god they're going to look at me like who is this straight chick walking in here? But that's why she's so powerful and such a force because she's like this is my friend Erin. This is what she's doing. Not even mentioning that I'm not part technically part of the LGBT community which we all are. But it's kind of... that's what we talk about. [00:23:02] I started going to all these events and it's just packed with powerful people that... it's just really mind blowing, the hurdles that they have on a daily basis that I don't have to think about that. And they're also getting so much done on top of that. So it is another way that I realized you know I need to be a voice for them as well. Because there's a lot of... there's so much stigma with that. People think you know if you're part of the LGBT community you're just at a bar in WeHo and you're in drag or whatever. Like there's so many things that they're visualizing and that's not the case. And especially the transgender community we have a lot at the homeless center. And just there it's another daily struggle of stuff you don't think about. Like to not feel comfortable in their own skin and to not be accepted for what they want to be. [00:23:51] It's taught me a lot. It's a big thing that I'm really appreciative of, but... I went to an event with Robin a month or two ago and one of her friends after talking to me for about an hour called me an impostor because she found out I was straight. And in a moment it was like jarring and I was pissed. But then it was like this is a moment I've been wanting because I want to know literally how I will respond in this situation. And it was pretty amazing because once I told her how we need each other's back and it doesn't matter who's on what team she completely changed her thinking. [00:24:30] And I had grabbed this friend of ours. She's another transgender friend that lives with Robin. Robin's been her big advocate to come out and be comfortable are scared. And this is the first night she was out at one of these events and I looked at her and was like can I talk to you for a second? And she was like, yeah. You're nervous here, right? Yet. I was just called an impostor. And I was like you see how similar it is where you feel like you're not in the right place and now I'm being told that I'm not in the right place but we all have to learn from situations like this so. That was a really important moment that I appreciate. Passionistas: [00:25:06] So looking back at your path so far, is there one moment that you can reflect on and think that was the most courageous thing I've done and it changed the journey that I'm taking. Erin Penner: [00:25:19] It really would just be running for the neighborhood council because the only reason why I did it I was realizing teaching or being out in the park with the kids. One of the bathrooms was neglected and almost burned down because someone who lit a fire in the paper towel dispenser. And it affected the plumbing. And because you know there was no funding or they just didn't really want to fix it, that broken bathroom just stood there in disrepair for months and months. And in order to not fix it they had to put porta potties in the park. I found out from the maintenance worker, because I always teach the kids, too, those are good friends. So we're very close to them because they've seen our trash cans and that's important. So we know that Julie is coming to clean the trash cans. And Julie and I were talking one day and she's like do you know how much it costs to clean those porta potties because here comes a toilet truck every day or so and I know I doing the math that was thousands of dollars that we were spending rather than just fixing a broken pipe in the bathroom. And it irked me so bad. [00:26:23] And at that time I saw a bus bench ads for Run for Neighborhood Council and I didn't even know we had one which is also part of my job is to get the word out for that because many people don't know. So I was so nervous but I put up flyers and I had like people had the signs in their yard with my name on it. I was like This is like so not me at all. But that was kind of the gutsiest thing. And then I end up winning by a landslide and it was just like oh my god, what we all could do and we underestimate what we can do. And it really just changed everything for me. Passionistas: [00:26:59] Do you have cultural heroines that have influenced you? Erin Penner: [00:27:02] It would be Lucille Ball and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Because I feel like it's so important to be a bad ass basically but to have humor in there. And I think people forget that and they think you have to be so stiff and dry. But I mean that's, that's those are generally my closest friends, who are not only can they handle my mouth but they're equally funny and just you know let it all slide and I feel like those two women were at the pinnacle like that and that picture of that. It's really important to me I can't stand when people censor me. I realized for years people di. My exboyfriend did. And it was always you know be quiet, you're too loud, and that's raunchy or whatever. And as you get older you're like that is the exact opposite of what I am or what I want or anything. And that's those are kind of the women that I loo up to. Passionistas: [00:27:57] Tell us about your grandmothers. Erin Penner: [00:27:58] Oh dod. They're the best. They're both crazy in their own way. My Italian grandmother Maggie... Like I said I was raised in my family's Italian restaurant. So as it can, I mean I was working at 5 years old. Because not only was it free childcare it's like good fill the jelly jars and make the salads and stuff like that. But she like my earliest memories with her as we sit in the foyer of our restaurant. And back then it had a smoking room and a non-smoking room, which is so ridiculous because it's not like there's a wall. It's just, it's nothing. So we would sit there and... Our restaurant was next to the Cape Playhouse which is an old play house, we we'd get a lot of theater people and families. But she was so, is so unfiltered which I love. I'm very grateful for. She would play a game where... at like eight years old, we had to say if the person was drunk, or if they were on drugs, or if the woman was "putana," which is not the best word. Or a "Stunad" which is an idiot. But she would have me judge these people as soon as they walked in the door. And I was like this we're doing and my dad would get so mad. But I loved it because it was just hilarious. And I could put it aside and differentiate between like how you treat people and how not to. But also to enjoy the fact that my grandmother was nuts. [00:29:26] She and that's how she is. And then my other grandmother there were both around the same age and she talks exactly the same and there's no filter. And I mean they're my sisters. And I actually... Like those Akashic Records that I did. I had why are my grandmothers like my sisters? And I'm... I know we literally don't see age. And this woman had said, it's really weird you say that because people always ask what their spirit animal is and yours didn't come up. What came up was a beach ball. And it's because you think, you look at everyone is ageless. And so to you, literally are grandmothers are not 80 years old. So you talk to them like they're 16. They do the same thing. And there's no age. That is literally how I felt my entire life. So yeah they're they're just my best friends.  Passionistas: [00:30:18] So you accomplish so many things is there one thing you're the most proud of? Erin Penner: [00:30:22] I'd have to say when Charles and Bridget were living here and just getting their message to so many people. It actually got us on the radio. We Were on an AM radio show during the Christmas time. Like a uplifting radio show. And that was another moment that actually pissed me off at the same time because after we had told the story and it was such a feel good story. And it was like we're all humans and we can all live under the same roof. And they were strangers living with me and we were family. [00:30:53] And at the end this interviewer, who is a very sweet guy, was like Erin is there anything we said that we haven't covered. And I said yeah this guy was in Iraq and he's in a sleeping bag and that's what this country does to people. And that's so much we don't appreciate people have fought and risked their lives to fight for his country. And they didn't air it because it wasn't feel good enough. On social media, he expressed the fight that he did. And he saved a police officer's life... That some guy on bath salts was going to kill this police officer and Charles jumped in and saved his life and he got a medal of valor and he's still sleeping in a sleeping bag. So we were able to tell those stories from them living here and it really taught so many people so many things about how we treat just our brothers and sisters out there. So I think just them living here and getting their message out was my proudest moment. Passionistas: [00:31:48] So what advice would you give to a young woman who wants to be an activist? Erin Penner: [00:31:52] Don't be discouraged by people that try to silence you. And to think my biggest hurdle, and I get it from my friends, good friends a lot, is they view your passion as anger. Now we say just because I'm pissed that our rights are being taken away, don't think that I'm sitting at home and I'm burning my bra and throwing crap across the house and then I hate life. And so I mean I'm laughing and smiling nonstop. And there is this misconception that if you're passionate and angry about something that you must be angry inside and it's not true. And I think that's something we need to teach girls a lot is to have a voice and be really loud and to not be mad, not to be mad at people that think you're just angry. They just don't get it. And you're allowed to just stomp your feet and try to fix stuff. [00:32:46] Robin's done that for me a lot because I'll still say like oh god I shouldn't I should get so mad and say that. Or not it's not very positive and she's like screw that. Like that was wrong and you have every right to yell at that person and stick up for them. And so god have to keep reminding myself that because we always apologize. We're just taught to apologize. I refuse to, refuse to do that anymore. My friend calls me "unapologetically angry" and it's like my favorite slogan because it's true. Like I'm not scared of being angry anymore. And I'll go have hine and laugh and watch stupid TV all day. Passionistas: [00:33:25] What's your definition of success? Erin Penner: [00:33:27] The success is just... Kind of like with your mantra and what you find the most rewarding, if you wake up and you're not dreading the day that's really success. And to go to bed knowing that the day was amazing and... It's crazy as much as you know the hardship that you see every day and the hard work that you do. I never, I never ever get tired of it. And there's I'm always thinking of the next thing that I want to fix. Even if it makes me so mad. I always, I just always say like having a fire under my ass. And people are like you're taking on too much. Like no I'm so glad this thing just pissed me off because now I'm going to fix it. And that's success if you can just keep doing that kind of stuff all the time. To me that's success. Passionistas: [00:34:12] What's your secret to a rewarding life? Erin Penner: [00:34:15] I realize that I am living the most rewarding life and it's helping people. And it's, to me it's selfish in a way because helping people makes me feel so good. And it's not, sometimes I'm like in my doing this other kindness in my heart or is it just because I literally I get off on their smile or just giving them a sweater or something like that. But I think if you wake up every day and you don't hate your job and you're making someone smile it's just the most rewarding thing ever. Passionistas: [00:34:47] Thanks for listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Erin Penner. To find out more about ILA visit ILAAdventureSchool.org. And be sure to subscribe to the Passionistas Project Podcast so you don't miss any of our upcoming inspiring guests.

with Stephen Box, Public Information Officer of Empower LA, Scott Epstein, Chair of the Mid City West Community Council, Leyna Lightman, recipient of a Vision Zero Artistic Intervention grant from the City of Los Angeles, and Luke Klipp, Budget Analyst for the Los Angeles Metro

Our guest for this episode is Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin. In addition to being the first person from the Neighborhood Council system to be elected to Citywide office, Ron is well known for being one of the system’s greatest advocates. In our conversation, we discuss Ron’s journey from being an active Neighborhood Council Board Member to City Controller, how you can use your passion to create your own opportunities for service, and how to build successful relationships with elected officials and their staffs. We hope you enjoy! Show notes: http://empowerla.org/podcast-interview-with-city-controller-ron-galperin/

Our guest for this episode of the EmpowerLA Podcast is Nazario Sauceda, outgoing Director of the Bureau of Street Services. Nazario has a long history with the City and as strong a relationship with the Neighborhood Councils as anyone. In our conversation, Nazario stresses the important role his agency plays in the everyday lives of Angelenos, how Street Services has changed its approach to maintaining our City’s streets, and how being active on your Neighborhood Council can help you improve your community. We hope you enjoy! Show notes: http://empowerla.org/podcast-interview-with-nazario-sauceda/

Our guest today is Claire Bartels, Director of the Office of Finance. Bartels is a veteran of City Hall who has spent over three decades working for various City departments and elected officials. In our conversation, Claire talks about the financial state of our City, what the Office of Finance is doing to create productive partnerships with Neighborhood Councils and other City entities, and how they are handling the brave new world of legal recreational cannabis. We hope you enjoy! Show notes: http://empowerla.org/podcast-office-of-finance-with-claire-bartels/

If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, subscribe on our Patreon page for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on iTunes. We can't do this show without your support!!! This week, Roqayah and Kumars discuss gentrification and organizing for tenants’ rights with Shanti Singh and Jen Snyder, both housing rights activists in San Francisco and leaders in DSA SF’s Housing Committee. Shanti, a returning guest and past guest host, is also with the statewide tenants rights organization Tenants Together. First-time guest Jen was the campaign manager for Proposition F, a San Francisco ballot measure that passed on June 5th that guarantees tenants a lawyer if they’re being evicted or otherwise forced out by their landlords. Shanti and Jen give a lay of the land when it comes to housing rights in SF, including defining the terms YIMBY, NIMBY and PHIMBY, before getting into the specifics of the “Yes on F” campaign. They discuss how DSA SF, in spearheading the effort, strategically linked up with coalition partners and picked their battles to reach sympathetic residents and bolster turnout on election day. They also respond to recent tenants’ rights victories in Oakland, like the activities of the Defend Auntie Frances campaign and the Tenant and Neighborhood Councils project of the East Bay DSA Communist Caucus. Shanti and Jen conclude by pointing to both ground-up tenants’ rights organizing and more radical policy measures as potential next steps for the struggle for housing justice in the Bay Area and beyond. Follow Shanti on Twitter @uhshanti, and Jen @ohjennyboy. A transcript for this episode will be provided upon request. Please send an email to deleteuracct @ gmail to get a copy sent to you when it is completed.

Steve Hudgeons Born January 21, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Joined the US Navy 1969 and has 4 ½ years of honorable service and 3 ½ years of honorable service in the US Navy Reserve. Steve joined MUFON in 1991 and has conducted independent investigations on UFOs for the past 19 years. During this time, he has investigated and cleared over 200 cases with MUFON.  In 1995 Steve was appointed as Texas Senior Field Investigator.  In 2008 he led a group of Field Investigators to Stephenville / Dublin, Texas to investigate what is now known as “The Stephenville Lights.” Steve has had numerous TV and radio interviews such as The Today Show, Fox News, Tex Files, and Texas Monthly, Popular Science, UFO Hunters and the list goes on.  He was part of the original Star Team conducting Star Team investigations in Texas. In 2009, he was appointed as Assistant State Director, by the Texas State Director, Ken Cherry.  Steve then devised a plan in Texas by dividing the State into Sections with Field Investigators located in strategic areas for rapid deployment of the Star Team.  In 2010 Steve became the State Director of Texas with 40 Certified MUFON Field Investigator's.  In 2012 Steve was appointed as the Director of Investigations for MUFON. Steve has 20 years of community service within many volunteer organizations, such as, Little League, Neighborhood Council, Community Policing with the Fort Worth Police Department, C.O.P Search Team, C.O.P. Base Radio Operator. Steve is a construction Estimator, Draftsman, and is owner of Infinity Industries. As well as an OSHA Outreach Trainer, and Safety Director for several multi-million-dollar construction companies. Steve is currently the MUFON Director of Investigations. P. O. Box 162526, Fort Worth, Texas, 76161 mike_mike_27@yahoo.com DOI@mufon.com

Join Angel, Crystal, Alan, Chris, and Danny as they welcome Steve Hudgeons Jr who's MUFON Director/UFO Investigator. Director of Investigations Born January 21, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Graduated 1968 at Diamond Hill Jarvis. Joined the US Navy 1969 and has 4 ½ years of honorable service and 3 ½ years of honorable service in the US Navy Reserve. Steve joined MUFON in 1991 and has conducted independent investigations on UFOs for the past 20 years. During this time, he has investigated over 200 cases for MUFON. In 1995 Steve was appointed as Texas Chief Investigator. He was part of the original Star Team conducting Star Team investigations in Texas. In 2008 he lead a group of Field Investigators to Stephenville / Dublin, Texas to investigate what is now known as “The Stephenville Lights.” In 2009 he became the MUFON State Director of Texas until 2012. Steve has 20 years of community service with many volunteer organizations, such as, Little League, Neighborhood Council, Community Policing with the Fort Worth Police Department, C.O.P Search Team, C.O.P. Base Radio Operator. Steve is an Estimator, Draftsman, OSHA Outreach Trainer, and Safety Director for a multi-million dollar construction company. He is also is owner of Infinity Industries, and owner / host of The Texas UFO Radio Show. Steve is currently the MUFON Director of Investigations and is the MUFON Radio Network Administrator. Website: http://www.mufon.com/functional-directors.html

Eric Garcia, Michael Eisman, and James Todd are candidates for the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council. We ask what the F a neighborhood council actually does. Get ready for rent control, homelessness solutions, and The Valley tries to leave LA.

Steve Hudgeons Jr. Director of Investigations Born January 21, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Graduated 1968 at Diamond Hill Jarvis. Joined the US Navy 1969 and has 4 ½ years of honorable service and 3 ½ years of honorable service in the US Navy Reserve. Steve joined MUFON in 1991 and has conducted independent investigations on UFOs for the past 20 years. During this time, he has investigated over 200 cases for MUFON. In 1995 Steve was appointed as Texas Chief Investigator. He was part of the original Star Team conducting Star Team investigations in Texas. In 2008 he lead a group of Field Investigators to Stephenville / Dublin, Texas to investigate what is now known as “The Stephenville Lights.” In 2009 he became the MUFON State Director of Texas until 2012. Steve has 20 years of community service with many volunteer organizations, such as, Little League,  Neighborhood Council, Community Policing with the Fort Worth Police Department, C.O.P Search Team, C.O.P. Base Radio Operator. Steve is an Estimator, Draftsman, OSHA Outreach Trainer, and Safety Director for a multi-million dollar construction company. He is also is owner of Infinity Industries, and owner / host of The Texas UFO Radio Show. Steve is currently the MUFON Director of Investigations and is the MUFON Radio Network Administrator.

        Hank Yuloff is a targeted marketing tactician with over 30 years experience keeping companies “top of mind” with their customers.        He began his career working for various media outlets before opening Promotionally Minded Marketing, in 1997.                 They specialize in targeted marketing plans (under the OurMarketingGuy.com brand), logo development, client retention and appreciation programs, and, promotional products.  Hank has been on the Board of Directors for several nonprofits, including a religious school, and his Neighborhood Council, and is a past president of his local Chamber as well as the Specialty Advertising Association of California.         He is the author of two marketing books, the first was “49 Stupid Things People Do With Business Cards... and How To Fix Them.”     And he his new book,  “The Marketing Checklist  - 80 Simple Ways to Master Your Marketing” which just launched as a best-seller on Amazon.com.  Hank also hosts a weekly radio show with the same name.         As his book title indicates, Hank will be discussing some simple ways you can market your business. OurMarketingGuy.com   www.ChristopherRausch.com

Join our guest Cincinnati City Councilwoman and Municipal Representative of the Police-Community Task Force Amy Murray, host Robert Jetter, Jr., panelists Activist Cindy Todd, Constitutional scholar Kelly Mordecai, and Dan Gray former columnist of the Washington Times. Call in and you stay on the show. You can Join our Round Table Discussion. Share the Link to the Live Show and Podcast. Bards Logic Welcomes Cincinnati City Councilwoman and Municipal Representative of the Police-Community Task Force Amy Murray. We will disuss her role and spreading these ideas across America. After the events across America including Florida, Missouri, and Ohio, police-community relations are almost stretched to its limits. Ohio Governor John Kasich , possible GOP 2016 Presidential Candidate, calls for a Task Force to address the widening schism between communities of color and law enforcement. In January 2015, Gov. Kasich asked Amy to be a part of his Task Force. Amy is joined on the Task Force by 17 others including: former Ohio Supreme Court justice Eva Stratton, Dr. Ronnie Dunn Cleveland State University associate professor, member of the NAACP Criminal Justice Committee, Rev. George Murry Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, and Chief Michael J. Navarre, member of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. Amy Murray has an extensive history of political involvement and a passion for diving into the issues when it comes to making her city a better place to live and work. As past President of her Neighborhood Council, she worked closely with residents, business and the city to bring about positive change. As member of city council Amy has been committed to more robust job creation and making  a more “business-friendly” city.  Fiscal responsibility, holding our leaders accountable and keeping our neighborhoods safe are her key focus areas. Bards Logic is the Grassroots, We the People Show.

  Steve Hudgeons, Jr. Born January 21, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. Graduated 1968 at Diamond Hill Jarvis. Joined the US Navy 1969 and has 4 ½ years of honorable service and 3 ½ years of honorable service in the US Navy Reserve. Steve joined MUFON in 1991. Steve was appointed as Texas Chief Investigator in 1995.. He was part of the original Star Team conducting Star Team investigations in Texas. In 2008 he lead a group of Field Investigators to Stephenville / Dublin, Texas to investigate what is now known as “The Stephenville Lights.” In 2009 he became the MUFON State Director of Texas until 2012 and was appointed as MUFON Director of Investigations. Steve has 20 years of community service with many volunteer organizations, such as, Little League, Neighborhood Council, Community Policing with the Fort Worth Police Department, C.O.P Search Team, C.O.P. Base Radio Operator. Steve is an Estimator, Draftsman, OSHA Outreach Trainer, and Safety Director for a multi-million dollar construction company. He is also is owner of Infinity Industries, and owner / host of The Texas UFO Radio Show and the MUFON Radio Show. Steve is currently the MUFON Director of Investigations. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Texas-UFO-Radio-Show/249261215177333?fref=ts

Callers and Chat Participation are Welcome. Bards Logic welcomes Republican City Council candidate Amy Murray and Xavier University Professor Dr. Timothy White. Amy Murray has an extensive history of political involvement and a passion for diving into the issues when it comes to making her city a better place to live and work.  Amy's business experience includes 14 years in Global Business Development with much of her focus on Asia.  She currently owns her own business and serves as a business consultant enabling companies to fully develop their Japanese business. As past President of her Neighborhood Council, she worked closely with residents, business and the city to bring about positive change.As member of city council and candidate, Amy has been committed to more robust job creation and making  a more “business-friendly” city.  She is an advocate for the taxpayer and believes the city should live within its means with a structurally balanced budget.  Fiscal responsibility, holding our leaders accountable and keeping our neighborhoods safe are her key focus areas. Timothy J. White is Professor of Political Science at Xavier University. He was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Moore Institute, National University of Ireland-Galway. Dr. White's more than 40 publications have focused primarily on politics in Ireland and have appeared in journals published in 11 different countries, and more than 25 of his nearly 70 conference papers have been presented at conferences outside of the United States. Some of Dr. White's most recent research has focused on analyzing the results of the 2011 Irish general election. He has taught courses covering the Politics of War and Peace.  White has won teacher of the year award on Xavier's campus and has been nominated for the Carnegie National Teacher of the Year and has won numerous grants.  

For 10 years, Hank Yuloff worked for a company which he described as having no human soul. It bothered him so much that when he opened his own promotional product company, Promotionally Minded, he set out to make sure his company was a good corporate citizen. Fourteen years later, Yuloff is proud that over 12% of his corporate sales and time go towards helping his large client roster of non-profits carry out their mission.   For many years, Yuloff volunteered as marketing advisor to the International Child Abuse Network (www.yesICAN.org), helping them eliminate child-abuse.  In 2010, he was chosen by the San Fernando Valley’s United Chambers of Commerce as the recipient of the Tami Ginsburg Celebration of Service Award.  He has also been awarded Member of the Year by two local Chambers of Commerce.         Yuloff has also actively served his neighborhood, serving on his local Neighborhood Council for 6 years and was cited as the one person most instrumental in getting the organization chartered by the City of Los Angeles. He is a past member of the Jewish Federation’s New Leaders Project and currently serves on the Encino Chamber of Commerce and the Saint Cyril School boards of directors.  He has also been trained as a City of Los Angeles CERT volunteer.           Within the promotional product industry, he is an acknowledged leader, serving on the board of the Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC) from 2001 to 2007 and as its president in 2005.  His client list has included such companies as Walt Disney, AFLAC, and Kaiser Permanente.         Hank says the reason most of his business clients call him is his ability to help them show appreciation to current clients while targeting acquiring new business.  

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas Mark Ridley-Thomas has represented the nearly 2.3 million people of the Second District on the Los Angeles County  Board of Supervisors since December 2008. During his first year in office, he shepherded through an agreement with the University of California to provide medical services at the new Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital, scheduled to open in late 2012. He also persuaded the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to fund a light rail system from Crenshaw Boulevard to Los Angeles International Airport and move up the opening from 2029 to as early as 2016. Together, the hospital and rail projects will generate more than $2 billion in spending and create over 16,000 jobs. Ridley-Thomas is the first African American man ever to serve on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. His district  includes Carson, Compton, Culver City, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lynwood, portions or all of 10 Los Angeles City Council Districts and the unincorporated communities of Alondra Park, Athens, Del Aire, Dominguez, East Compton, El Camino Village, Florence, Ladera Heights, Lennox, View Park, West Athens, West Carson, West Compton, Willowbrook and Wiseburn. Prior to his election to the Board, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas served the 26th District in the California State Senate where he chaired the Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development and its two subcommittees on Professional Sports and Entertainment, and The Economy, Workforce Preparation and Development. In addition to his chairmanship duties, Ridley-Thomas served on the Senate Appropriations, Energy, Utilities and  Communications; and Health and Public Safety committees. In January 2008, he became Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and led the Caucus in unprecedented levels of cooperation and collaboration with counterparts in the Latino, and Asian-Pacific Islander Legislative Caucuses. His legislative work addressed a broad range of issues with implications for economic and workforce development, health care, public safety, education, budget accountability, consumer protection and civic participation. Mark Ridley-Thomas was first elected to public office in 1991 and served with distinction on the Los Angeles City Council for nearly a dozen years and  departed as Council President pro Tempore. He later served two terms in the California State Assembly, where he chaired the Assembly Democratic Caucus. He is widely regarded as the foremost advocate of neighborhood participation in government decision-making. By virtue of his founding the Empowerment Congress, arguably the region’s most successful experiment in neighborhood-based civic engagement, he is considered the founder of the Neighborhood Council movement. Ridley-Thomas’ political career was preceded by a decade of service as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, which followed a brief but successful five-year stint as a high school teacher. He is a graduate of Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and earned a baccalaureate degree in Social Relations (minor in Government) and a master’s degree in Religious Studies (concentration in Christian  Ethics) from Immaculate Heart College. Mr. Ridley-Thomas went on to receive his Ph.D. in Social Ethics and Policy Analysis from the University of Southern California. He is married to Avis Ridley-Thomas, director of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office Dispute Resolution Center. They are the proud parents of twin sons, Sebastian and Sinclair, who graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta. Contact 866 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration 500 W. Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 974-2222 (213) 680-3283 Fax Send e-mail to: seconddistrict@bos.

Special guest Dr. Daniel Wiseman is featured, as "Community Matters" takes a look at the Neighborhood Council system in Los Angeles, and how LA City Hall works (or DOESN'T work). These NC's, meant to give residents a larger voice in City government, came into existence at about the same time as LACP, our non-profit organization, and we've consistently covered their growth. Sandy and Bill welcome community activists and volunteers to participate and learn what to try, or avoid trying, in their home towns.