Becoming The Vision

In this episode, Chera and Trinel explore the role of confirmation in the work of transformation: those moments, relationships, encounters, and insights that remind us we are on the right path, especially when the road ahead is uncertain. Drawing on stories from their own journeys, from first meeting more than a decade ago to unexpected encounters with fellow travelers in the work of justice and l...

The work of Freedom Dreams in Philanthropy is, in many ways, a gesture of faith: faith in the capacity of aligned leaders and lovers of justice in the philanthropic sector, faith in ourselves and our questions, and faith in the sector’s ability to answer back. In this episode, Chera and Trinel explore faith not as religious doctrine, but as belief in what is unseen: the trust that transformation i...

The future we long for is possible. Not because it arrives, or even will in our lifetimes, but because we learn to live into it now. In this conversation with ⁠Mia Birdsong⁠ , we explore what it means to practice the future: in our organizations, our rituals, and in the ways we move through and make meaning of time. Mia shares how ⁠Next River⁠ is creating room for the world it seeks to build, from...

In this special episode, Chera takes us back to the time she met Nikki Giovanni , as a twenty year-old undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. This is a story about putting yourself out there a little more than you thought you could and what happens when people in positions of power reach back. Chera offers us a glimpse into one of the roots of her freedom dreaming. --- TRANSCRIPT

Autumn Brown is an artist, facilitator, mother, and theologian. The front woman of the eponymously named soul-pop band, AUTUMN , she is a queer, mixed-race Black woman, a gifted facilitator and orator, and a freedom worker who grounds her approach to building movements for liberation in her belief in the innate capacity for healing that emanates from the human heart. With her sister, adrienne mare...

Happy New Year!   In this episode we’re joined by Angelique Power , President & CEO @ The Skillman Foundation for a conversation about seeding change and embracing the power of people. Power for a conversation about seeding change and embracing the power of people. Angelique reflects on her Chicago roots, ancestry, and the importance of owning what makes you unique—learning to hold being both...

In this episode of Becoming the Vision, we sat down with Chung-Wha Hong and Sara Mersha , co-executive directors  of Grassroots International , for a timely conversation on what it means to be in solidarity with social movements. Drawing on decades of experience supporting collective efforts to transform systems in service to justice, they offer the concept of “Solidarity Philanthropy” to reimagin...

In the midst of injustice and a culture that glorifies hustle, what does it mean to slow down? And how might slowing down be necessary to make justice possible? In this episode, Chera and Trinel are joined by Repa Mekha , founder and CEO of Nexus Community Partners , for a deep and timely conversion about rest as a radical act of care, resistance, and transformation. Together, they illustrate how...

Becoming the Vision is back! This season, we’re Dreaming Forward—reflecting on our lineages and transforming them into legacies of freedom and justice for all. In this episode, the show’s producer, Zak Rosen, turns the mic on our hosts, asking the same question they’ve posed to so many others: What are you meditating on in this work of collective liberation? In our conversation, Chera channels the...

Season Three of Becoming the Vision is here! This season, we’re Dreaming Forward—turning lineage to legacy and purpose into practice.  In the first episode, we sit down with Joanna Jackson , President & CEO of the Weingart Foundation . A New Yorker by way of the famed High School of Performing Arts, Joanna shares how her early training in drama shaped a leadership rooted in vulnerability, voic...

As we work on our new season of Becoming the Vision, we're thrilled to feature an episode from the new podcast, Nonprofits Now: Leading Today from the good folks at The Chronicle of Philanthropy. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! -- As nonprofit leaders grapple with increasingly dire threats to their funding and missions, it’s more important than ever to understand what it takes to lead resilient organizations. Fo...

The Freedom Dreamers are thrilled to welcome Dimple Abichandani —philanthropic leader, lawyer, and author of  A New Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth Into a More Just and Sustainable Future . Dimple also serves on the Board of Directors at Solidaire Network. In this conversation, Dimple reflects on “community”—for her, it’s where doubt lifts, purpose returns, and change begins—not on...

In this episode, we discuss resiliency—both individual and organizational—during times of profound change with Jim Canales , President and Trustee at Barr Foundation. Jim reflects on resiliency in the context of his upcoming transition from President to Board Chair at Barr, noting that it’s not just about weathering the winds of change, but about learning from past experiences, mistakes, and chall...

The Freedom Dreamers welcome Gabriela Alcade , Executive Director of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation , and author of What Your Comfort Costs Us: How Women of Color Reimagine Leadership to Transform Workplace Culture .   In this episode, Gabriela reflects on “tension”—reminding us of the critical role discomfort and conflict play in personal and social transformation. Drawing from her lived experie...

In this episode, we reflect on joy—not only as a feeling, but as a pathway to greater freedom and a deeper sense of possibility—and one that Alesha Washington , President and CEO of Seattle Foundation , has walked throughout her work transforming communities, from her hometown of Cleveland all the way to the Pacific Northwest. Alesha speaks about joy in the context of community philanthropy, shari...

In episode thirteen of Becoming The Vision, we welcome June Wilson , executive director of the Compton Foundation! In this episode, we reflect on “faith”-- as a belief in something yet unseen, a force that can feel unsteady or slow, and one that needs communion with others to build, strengthen, and sustain. We explored faith in the context of work on “relational repair”—an approach that expands th...

The Freedom Dreamers welcome  Temi F. Bennett, Esq.  and  Hanh Le , Co-CEOs of iF , A Foundation for Radical Possibility. They reflect on "blackness" and "ease," and how iF is staying true to its vision of a world where black people and people of the global majority can live abundant, self-determined lives, free of harm. In the conversation, Temi and Hahn illustrate for us the...

In the eleventh episode of season 2 of Becoming The Vision, we welcome Michelle Morales , President of the Woods Fund Chicago . In this episode, Michelle shares how hope—grounded in a belief in the promise of America, pride in the next generation of activists rising to meet the moment, and the knowing that comes from witnessing change in real time—has sustained and fueled her lifelong commitment t...

Chera and Efrain engage in a profound conversation with Nwamaka Agbo , CEO of the Kataly Foundation . They explore themes of freedom dreaming, self-determination, and the dualities of life, particularly in the context of parenthood and philanthropy. Nwamaka shares her insights on navigating joy and grief, the importance of land-stewardship, and the need for a transformative approach to philanthrop...

In the ninth episode of season 2 of Becoming The Vision, we welcome Sade Dozan, CFRE— Vice President of Advancement at Borealis Philanthropy and Founder and Lead Explorer at Melanate . In this episode, we discuss Sade's unique "touch" on the work of transforming resource building and wealth movement in philanthropy— how it is shaped by her intersecting identities, personal and professional experie...

In the eighth episode of our second season, we welcome Shawn Ginwright —Jerome T. Murphy  Professor of Practice at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, author of the The Four Pivots , and President and CEO of Flourish Agenda . In our conversation, we reflected on being lovers of justice, the pull toward despair, and our dual mission to be well in the pursuit of change. Shawn reminds us to pause...

In this episode, Chera, Efraín, and Trinel explore the complexities of social responsibility in the midst of crisis - environmental, political, and cultural. They delve into the pressures on organizations, particularly those with a social justice mission, to speak on current events and the risks of both speaking out and remaining silent. The discussion addresses the challenge of knowing when and h...

In the sixth episode of Becoming The Vision, we welcome Don Chen , President of The Surdna Foundation . In this episode, Don frames commitment to racial and social justice as an “oath”— a long-term pledge to stay grounded in vision, focused on root causes, and sustain a shared identity and purpose despite our differences and disagreements. Don shares how this oath guides his leadership at Surdna,...

The Freedom Dreamers welcome Daniel Lee , Director of Philanthropic Transformation at Solidaire . The discussion delves into Daniel's exploration of lineage and its various dimensions, from his family's immigrant journey to his professional path in philanthropy. Daniel's reflections offer a deep dive into the responsibilities of being an 'ancestor in training' and the transformative power of embra...

Chera, Efrain and Trinel welcome Lulete Mola , Co-Founder and President of the Black Collective Foundation MN . The discussion centers on the foundation's mission to foster Black-led change and build holistic well-being within Black communities. Lulete shares insights on the broader social fatigue permeating our work and world right now. The dialogue offers a powerful reflection on the roadmaps ou...