 We did something a little different this time. We’re giving you an almost completely unedited podcast recording because you need to hear every single word Chris said, including those before and after the official "podcast" part of the podcast. This episode is everything to us. Chris has a profound ability to convey meaning and heart through story. We literally cried through half the interview. We learned. We grieved. We grew. We are better humans for listening to his story. And we want to share every moment of it with you. Chris is a gift to this world and we are so grateful he took the time to tell us his story and for the person he is. We hope you’ll take a moment when you’re done listening to share your learnings too.   

Unleashing Social Change

Episode 41: Chris Lubbe - On Activism, Grief, and What He Learned from Nelson Mandela

40: Dr. Christine Ortiz, “Equity is a Verb, not a Noun.”   Listen in on this episode for an insightful and deeply personal conversation about why equity is a verb with our friend, Dr. Christine Ortiz, Founder of Equity Meets Design. Christine invites us to get curious about the ways philanthropy and the nonprofit sector can be overly focused on spreading solutions at the expense of actually solving problems. We at the Billions Institute are proud to be partnering with her and Equity Meets Design on a new course called Solutions Worth Scaling.    Show Highlights: Racism and equity are products of design and thus can be redesigned The difference between Capital D Designers and lower case d designers and why the little d counts! Why process is everything Christine’s adventures as a serial entrepreneur and how the most important thing she learned at Harvard was not in the classroom   The pros and cons of working with the philanthropic sector The problem with jumping to solutions What it means to embody equity   Resources: equitymeetsdesign.com The Problem with Problems Course: https://courses.equitymeetsdesign.com/p/the-problem-with-problems  Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva 

40: Dr. Christine Ortiz, “Equity is a Verb, not a Noun.”

39: Dr. Julia Colwell, “Shifting from Reactive Brain to Creative Brain”   In this episode, we talk with our friend, the brilliant and insightful psychologist Dr. Julia Colwell, about the physiological experience of shame and why it’s so important that we learn how to shift out of our reactive brains - and the hierarchy that comes with it - back into our creative brains where collaboration, connection, and creativity are possible. Join us for this fascinating conversation about how our brains work and how we can use our brains - and our bodies - to advance love and justice in our world. You’ll want to download the handout you can find on our Unleashing Social Change website to follow along with the show.  Show Highlights: The evolutionary purpose of shame is to dominate another person into submission How, as Tema Okun says, “Shame is a place to visit but not to stay.” The difference between power versus force  How the energy of shame is close to death  How pride and contempt can lead to violence The difference between blaming and non-blaming anger The two problems with staying in reactive brain The importance of realizing when you are in fear and a persona so you can minimize any harm you might do from that place  Reactivity is useful for survival, but not for thriving Getting unstuck from the “I’m not bad, you’re bad” narrative and shifting to appreciation Moving from “It shouldn’t be this way” to the neutrality of “this is what is” Anchoring yourself in ways that generate energy Repairing relationships by engaging above the line Implications for scarcity versus abundance from your brain state   Connecting the dot with reparations and creating the world we want to live in Fuel, rest, move - getting out of the stress mode and taking care of our bodies Resources: Evolutionarypower.org https://juliacolwell.com/inner-map Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory Dr. David Hawkins, “Power vs. Force” Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Fear Melters - Gay and Katie Hendricks john powell - Linked Fate The Open Focus Brain by Les Fehmi and Jim Robbins

Episode 39: Dr. Julia Colwell, “Shifting from Reactive Brain to Creative Brain”

Episode 38: Nancy Stubbs, Kolbe Certified™ Consultant, Big Leap Coach and Founder of Hire Resonance - “Aligning Team Talent to Maximize Impact” In this episode we interview Nancy Stubbs who helps the Billions Institute make fantastic hiring decisions and optimize our genius as a team. We love her so much that we also bring her in to work with all of our Fellows. Bottom line: we think Nancy is genius at helping teams optimize genius! While most companies look for experience and education for hiring decisions, Nancy emphasizes the importance of motivation, intrinsic interests and how people actually get things done. These are the factors that drive job satisfaction and these are the key ingredients for creating a team that thrives. Tune in to see how you can build a team that maximizes impact by aligning the talent.   Show Highlights: Don’t work on weaknesses; maximize joy and productivity instead  Why it is essential that everyone on your team knows not only their genius, but also their “not genius”  The gift underneath those aspects of yourself that you’ve been told are “too much” or “not enough”  Why we’ll never hire again without the help of Nancy and the Kolbe A Assessment   The Billions Institute is partnering with Nancy to offer a new course called Unapologetic Genius. Enrollment is open and the course will include your very own Kolbe assessment, an individual coaching session with Nancy, and a six-week deep dive into uncovering and fully expressing your genius in the world.    You can learn more about Unapologetic Genius here: https://billions-institute.mykajabi.com/unapologetic-genius

Episode 38: Nancy Stubbs, “Aligning Team Talent to Maximize Impact”

Episode 37: Mike Thompson, Billions Institute Faculty, “Finding Common Ground in Community”   We kick off Season 4 with a candid discussion between Becky and her dear friend, Mike Thompson. Mike has been a nonprofit Executive Director several times over, and seven people who have worked for him have gone on to become exective directors themselves. In this candid conversation between two old friends, Mike shares his secrets for bringing out the best in each person he works with and each organization he leads. Mike is especially passionate about creating a context where people feel safe and supported to bring their whole selves to the work, and creating impeccably clear agreements with his colleagues, especially his board members! Anyone who serves on a board (or answers to a board) will want to listen to this one. Becky and Mike reflect on the importance of community because this work can be lonely and exhausting. Magic and inspiration naturally flow when leaders come together to form authentic community, something both Becky and Mike are passionate about doing.    Show Highlights: The ways your identity and experiences of privilege and marginalization shape how you lead Creating safe spaces so that your people can bring their authentically whole selves to the work The importance of clear agreements between Executive Directors and their Boards Why we need to slow down and make time for deeper relationships The difference between consulting and coaching to support professional growth The antidote to the loneliness that can come with leadership   Sign up for our newsletter: billions institute.com/awesome

Episode 37: Mike Thompson, Billions Institute Faculty, “Finding Common Ground in Community”

Season 4 Teaser

36: Meredith Shockley-Smith and Elizabeth Kelly, “Reducing Infant Mortality by Following the Lead of Black Women”   Over the past several years, Hamilton County has moved from having one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the United States to being in the lower 25 percentile. While there is still so much work to be done, this staggering improvement deserves our attention. In this episode we check in with Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith and Dr. Elizabeth Kelly with Cradle Cincinnati who attribute their stunning progress on this progress to deliberately following the lead of Black women in the community. In too many sectors, racial equity is given lip service. We can learn so much from these two powerful women who didn’t just redistribute resources, they also redistributed power.    Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith, Director of Community Strategies and Dr. Elizabeth Kelly,  co- founder and Director of Systems Strategies, Cradle Cincinnati   Show Highlights: Why humility is a “must-have” quality for any social change leader  The initiative to hear, see and celebrate Black women How a recurring potluck dinner became the basis for powerful community organizing The importance of building bridges and forging authentic relationships across difference Leading large scale change is really about letting go, but letting go is easier said than done What happened when Cradle Cincinnati recognized that it wasn’t just a health care problem, it was a justice problem    Links: Cradle Cincinnati: http://www.cradlecincinnati.org/   Articles: SSIR Collective Impact model https://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact   Start Strong Avondale https://www.cradlecincinnati.org/2018/04/12/the-neighborhood-of-avondale-develops-a-promising-model-to-save-lives-as-hamilton-county-infant-mortality-improvement-levels-out/

Episode 36: Meredith Shockley-Smith and Elizabeth Kelly, “Reducing Infant Mortality by Following the Lead of Black Women”

35: Melissa Rodgers, “Community Always Trumps Cruelty: Inside the New Americans Campaign to help 500,000 Green Card holders become US citizens.”   The goal of the New Americans Campaign is to help 500,000 - out of the 9 million Green Card holders who are eligible - become citizens by 2021, the Campaign’s 10th anniversary. There are many barriers and obstacles to meeting this ambitious aim, but Melissa Rodgers and her colleagues at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, together with the Campaign’s non-profit partners across the country, are forging ahead with courage, empathy, and wicked smarts! Join us for a conversation about the current state of immigration in the US and why it’s so important that we reform this broken system.    Melissa Rodgers, Director of Programs, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and Director of the New Americans Campaign   Show Highlights: How difficult it is to become a naturalized citizen of the US, even when you’re eligible The ways the Trump Administration is making it even more difficult  The systemic cruelty of our immigration system How community is a protective factor when facing such cruelty Law as a collaborative profession and co-creation The New American Campaign’s  5 principles for doing this difficult work How the New Americans Campaign quadrupled their network of local non-profit partners across the country  The profound benefits of equality under the law What can happen when we believe something is really doable Why, for many people, immigration is literally a matter of life and death Links:   New Americans Campaign  https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/   https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/about/   Stories From New Americans: https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/from-new-americans/    Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/ 

35: Melissa Rodgers, “Community Always Trumps Cruelty: Inside the New Americans Campaign to help 500,000 Green Card holders become US citizens.”

35: Melissa Rodgers, “Community Always Trumps Cruelty: Inside the New Americans Campaign to help 500,000 Green Card holders become US citizens.”   The goal of the New Americans Campaign is to help 500,000 - out of the 9 million Green Card holders who are eligible - become citizens by 2021, the Campaign’s 10th anniversary. There are many barriers and obstacles to meeting this ambitious aim, but Melissa Rodgers and her colleagues at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, together with the Campaign’s non-profit partners across the country, are forging ahead with courage, empathy, and wicked smarts! Join us for a conversation about the current state of immigration in the US and why it’s so important that we reform this broken system.    Melissa Rodgers, Director of Programs, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and Director of the New Americans Campaign   Show Highlights: How difficult it is to become a naturalized citizen of the US, even when you’re eligible The ways the Trump Administration is making it even more difficult  The systemic cruelty of our immigration system How community is a protective factor when facing such cruelty Law as a collaborative profession and co-creation The New American Campaign’s  5 principles for doing this difficult work How the New Americans Campaign quadrupled their network of local non-profit partners across the country  The profound benefits of equality under the law What can happen when we believe something is really doable Why, for many people, immigration is literally a matter of life and death Links:   New Americans Campaign  https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/   https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/about/   Stories From New Americans: https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/from-new-americans/    Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/   

 34: Peter Fitzgerald, “Honoring Our Elders: Providing Voice & Choice So People Can Grow Old at Home.” As we grow older and our ability to live independently diminishes, we may find ourselves contemplating an assisted living facility or a nursing home. The thought of giving up your home, where all your memories live, can be heartbreaking. What if we could make it easier for people to grow old in their homes? Enter PACE (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). PACE currently helps almost 55,000 older Americans stay in their homes by bringing the care to them. They have ambitions to grow to 200,000 clients by 2028 and their services couldn’t be more timely as during COVID their mortality rates are half those of nursing homes. Listen in on Becky’s conversation with Peter Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President of Police and Strategy for PACE, as they discuss the challenges of expanding something that’s already working pretty good.    Peter Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy, National PACE Association Show Highlights: What’s the “just right” amount of expansion so that you don’t overwhelm people?  How PACE originated their program model with the Chinese community in San Francisco How the UK’s adult day care model also informed PACE’s development The importance of interdisciplinary teams in delivering care Links: https://www.npaonline.org/  

34: Peter Fitzgerald, “Honoring Our Elders: Providing Voice & Choice So People Can Grow Old at Home.”

LaShawn Routé Chatmon and Kathleen Osta, Executive Director and Managing Director of the National Equity Project, are unapologetic about advancing equity from a place of love. Join us for this inspiring and thought-provoking conversation as they discuss a unique form of leadership that is called for in these times, what Francesca Gino calls “Rebel Leadership.” This kind of leadership invites us to stand firmly in the midst of persistent injustice and racial reckoning without giving up on our collective humanity. This kind of leadership requires us to be courageous and humble at the same time. Becky has witnessed LaShawn and Kathleen demonstrate this kind of leadership many times over the years they’ve known one another, and we are so delighted to hear them speak about it here. We need more of this kind of leadership in the world.   LaShawn Routé Chatmon and Kathleen Osta, National Equity Project Highlights: What is the National Equity Project? Three questions you should yourself before you say something you might regret Why it takes training and preparation to not restrain your humanity as a leader Why they say, “The soft stuff is the hard stuff.” Why we need to dissolve the boundaries between community and school Standing in the “not knowing” instead of jumping to “we have this under control” A glimpse into the 20 year and going strong friendship between LaShawn & Kathleen Links: National Equity Project Twitter: @equityproject Nationalequityproject.org Books: Francesca Gino - Rebel Talent Video: Mo Cheeks video:  

Episode 33: LaShawn Routé Chatmon and Kathleen Osta, “Rebel Leadership”

Episode 32: Kas Guillozet, “The Complexity of Living in Right Relationship with People and the Earth”  The wildfires that are devastating the West Coast are all the evidence we need that we cannot continue as we have been. Ecosystems cannot recover on their own without human beings seriously changing course. Listen in as Kas Guillozet, Program Director of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, shares her inner thoughts and her life’s work with Becky and together they explore how complex it can be to strive to live in ‘right relationship’ with people and the earth. Highlights: The intersection of trauma and harm to the environment The history of racism and sexism within the environmental field Being in right relationship When do you need to be willing to fight? Beyond the Green New Deal, the many ways we can support initiatives Avoiding overly simplistic solutions and virtue signaling by embracing complexity How “Promise the Pod” just might save Southern Resident Orca Whales from extinction   Links: www.promisethepod.org http://www.b-e-f.org/ Documentary: The Biggest Little Farm

Episode 32: Kas Guillozet

In this episode, we sit down with Katie Hong for a candid conversation about money, power and identity. Having worked in philanthropy for over 15 years, Katie knows the sector can be a significant catalyst for social change. She reflects on how essential it is for those working on the grant-making side of things to face into their own relationship to power and money. Katie and Becky also discuss what people working in philanthropy can do to be most helpful to non-profits in these times. Listen in to learn how those working to give away other people’s money can more effectively show up and partner with others in advancing a more just and equitable world.   Katie Hong, Raikes Foundation, Director of Special Initiatives   Show Highlights: Katie’s honest reflections on what she’s learned as a White House Fellow and working for the Gates and Raikes Foundations What it’s like to have a job that is about giving away other people’s money How being an immigrant and a woman of color has shaped her and her world-view Challenging paternalistic assumptions that sometimes arise in her field  Philanthropy as risk capital that can either help or harm Getting over solution-itis and looking at what happens after “We don’t have a knowledge problem, we have a power problem.” The difference between positional power and personal power   Links: katie.hong@raikesfoundation.org   Forbes article, “What is Power, Really?” https://www.forbes.com/sites/rickmiller/2018/10/25/what-is-power-really/#357362ef42a7   Books: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How it Can Do Better by Rob Reich Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance by Edgar Villanueva

Episode 31: Katie Hong, “Re-Thinking Philanthropy”

Join us for an important and eye-opening conversation with Vera Institute Executive Vice President and Special Counsel, Kevin Keenan, as we peel the onion of mass incarceration - and learn what Vera is doing about it.  Highlights: The extraordinary harm caused by our system of mass incarceration Facing into brutality and racism of our criminal justice system The importance of treating everybody with dignity  The importance of proximity for really being able to tackle complex social problems What Vera Institute is doing to create a more just society Links: https://www.vera.org/ Twitter: @verainstitute @kevinkeenan Justin’s Story:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PUPQrF5Qlk Bar Chart from PPI:  https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2018.html JustLeadership USA/ Glenn Martin Quote, “Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, but furthest from resources and power.”:  https://jlusa.org/our-goal/ On Movement Ecology, AYNI Institute:  https://ayni.institute/movementecology/    

Episode 30: Kevin Keenan, "Dismantling Mass Incarceration"

Recorded shortly after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Michelle Molitor, Founder of the Equity Lab, joins Becky for a vulnerable and raw conversation about the double whammy of racism and the COVID-19 pandemic.    Little did we know that soon after we recorded this interview, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd’s murders at the hands of police would spark one of the largest social movements in US history. Michelle reminds us that even through our grief - if we are brave enough - now is the time for us to transform the world forever. How we show up in this moment matters.    Show highlights:   Michelle Molitor - Executive Director, The Equity Lab   Why we must seed disruption The link between personal and organizational and societal transformation The importance of decolonizing our spaces and creating equity of voice in every space We need to slow down and create space to grieve How allowing ourselves to grieve creates the possibility for connection with others   Links:   The Nexus Fellowship: https://www.theequitylab.org/nexus The Equity Lab blog: https://www.theequitylab.org/blog Why Everyone Loses When We Don’t Talk About Race and Equity: Q&A with Michelle Molitor https://www.educationpioneers.org/blog/why-everyone-loses-when-we-dont-talk-about-race-and-equity-qa-michelle-molitor

Episode 29: Michelle Molitor, “Facing into our Collective Grief”

Each episode we interview a badass social change leader and learn the ins and outs of what they're doing to make the world a better place. This podcast will help you feel optimistic that we can make a difference and give you practical tips about how to go about doing so in a big way.

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Unleashing Social Change

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