Last Presidents Day, about 20 people gathered at Groundfloor Oakland for a potluck and a conversation. We ate together, introduced ourselves across the table, and then spent an hour wrestling with a question that has been on a lot of people’s minds lately: How do we cultivate emotional resilience in hard times? By the time…

For 30 years, Joe’s Movement Emporium has been a creative anchor in Maryland’s Mount Rainier and Suitland communities—a place where arts, environmental stewardship, and civic engagement intersect. As the organization approached its milestone anniversary and prepared for strategic planning, leadership knew they needed to listen deeply to the voices that matter most: their community members…

In June 2024, something remarkable happened in New Hampshire. Fifty-five citizens from across the Granite State—representing different political perspectives, ages, and regions—gathered at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics for an unprecedented three-day Citizens Assembly. Their mission: to tackle some of the state’s most pressing challenges around elections, political responsiveness, and polarization, and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on society, disrupting economies, straining healthcare systems, and altering daily life. Additionally, the emergence of Long COVID has further compounded the societal impact, as individuals experiencing persistent symptoms face ongoing challenges to their health, workforce participation, and overall quality of life. “Long COVID” is the condition whereby…

On June 14-15 2023, A Black Education Network (ABEN) held their 18th Summer Institute at Stanford University.  Called “Pedagogies and Practices for Successfully Reaching African American Students,” the 2-day institute inspired participants to adopt more soul-centered education practices for Black and Brown students in our K-12 schools.  Speakers and over 130 participants spoke of the…

Oakmont Village is an active, 55+ community in the beautiful Valley of the Moon in Sonoma County, California.  Established in 1963 as an un-gated community within the city of Santa Rosa CA, Oakmont has grown to over 4,500 residents.  In June of 2022, the Oakmont Village Association (OVA) Board of Directors unanimously adopted the Oakmont…

In Spring 2020, Jackson County Missouri set out on an ambitious process to establish a strategic plan for arts and culture in the community. The process was designed to engage the diversity of the county – from race and ethnicity to socioeconomic differences and age to the urban core and unincorporated areas to artists and…

For the past 3+ years, I’ve been honored to facilitate and nurture a dedicated group of early learning collaboration leaders from across the state of Illinois.  What started as an open space for exploration and support led to leadership growth, strengthened early learning collaborations, and ongoing influencing of state policies that will impact the lives of…

Starting in 2020, The City of West Palm Beach (WPB) began an effort to help address issues of racial and ethnic inequality that exists in their community.  The mayor formed the Task Force for Racial and Ethnic Equality and hired Justice and Sustainability Associates (JSA) to manage the process.  A critical component of the effort was to engage the…