ALF's The Dialogue Podcast

On November 16, ALF Silicon Valley and ALF National hosted a virtual dialogue with the award-winning author of the bestselling book Decolonizing Wealth, Edgar Villanueva! In this episode, we're sharing our conversation with Edgar, where he and ALF-SV CEO/ALF National Board Chair Suzanne St. John-Crane discuss the role of wealth and philanthropy in moving the needle towards equity.

ALF-SV CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane sat down in June (via Zoom) with key players in the emergence of a cross-sector systems change over the last decade in the approach to housing and homelessness in Santa Clara County. Joining Suzanne in this episode are: Jen Loving, ALF Class XXV, Destination: Home CEO Ky Ly, ALF Class XXXV, Santa Clara County Deputy County Executive, Jacky Morales-Ferrand, ALF Cla...

In 2016 a group of non-profit CEOs came together to explore how to put equity at the center of their organizations and how to navigate the sometimes challenging conversations that accompany significant cultural change. ALF was invited in to facilitate this CEO Diversity Inclusion Equity Liberation affinity group, whose journey has been transformative for the members and their organizations. Joinin...

In the past few years, Silicon Valley’s economy has reached new levels of employment, income, innovation, and investments as major companies are fundamentally altering the character and evolution of innovation in the region. While there are certainly many positives attributed to this boom, we cannot ignore its attributed problems and the disparity it has created. Established in 1993, Joint Venture...

From an early age, ALF Senior Fellow Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins (Class XVI) has taken on leadership roles that catapulted her to the center of creating a more just, equitable and inclusive world. Her eclectic career path has lead her to running the South Bay Labor Council - representing more than 110,000 union members, to expanding universal healthcare for kids, engaging negatively impacted communities...

In November of 2018, ALF Silicon Valley hosted Leading with Purpose, a live event featuring Ellen Grace O’Brian, Author and Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, and Ela Gandhi, Founder of the Gandhi Development Trust in South Africa. Ellen and Ela were joined by surprise special guest Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers Movement and renowned nonviolence le...

In November of 2016, Santa Clara County voters approved a $950 Million affordable housing bond projected to fund 120 new affordable housing developments over ten years, including 4800 new units for extremely low income and very low income individuals. In October of 2018, Supervisor Cindy Chavez (Class XII) – an architect of Measure A - and San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez (Class XXXI) spoke w...

In April of 2018, SCC Supervisor Dave Cortese’s office hosted a firearms and safety summit where over 300 community members came together to talk about – guns. He enlisted ALF’s help in facilitating a participatory dialogue. In the liberal bubble of Northern California, the right conditions for dialogue brought together a surprisingly diverse cross section of gun enthusiasts, NRA supporters, as we...

In 2016, a report on philanthropy in Silicon Valley revealed a major disconnect between donors and the local community. The report found that 90% of philanthropic dollars leave the region and of the dollars that stay, the vast majority are given to hospitals and universities. The good news, and the opportunity, is that the report revealed that our booming Silicon Valley community houses more than...

Four unlikely partners were brought together through ALFSV's Urban Innovation Network. What happened as a result changed the conversation - and policy - around the City of San Jose's event permitting process. Guests: Blage Zelalich, Downtown Manager, City of San Jose Ryan Sebastian, Principal, Movable Feast Demone Carter, Program Manager, School of Arts & Culture Jim Reber, Executive Director, San...

Through a series of intersections and dialogues brought about by American Leadership Forum’s Education Innovation Network, ALF Senior Fellows Chris Funk, Superintendent of East Side Union High School District and Siobhan Kenney of Applied Materials are joined by Katey Kennedy of the 1440 Foundation to talk about their journey of seeding, and scaling, a mindfulness program in schools.

Senior Fellow Dr. Robbie Pearl (Class XVII), recent CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, discusses his second book, Mistreated: Why We Think We're Getting Good Healthcare (and Why We're Usually Wrong) which hit #7 on the bestseller list. Dr. Pearl adamantly stresses that while fixing health insurance is critical, we need to focus as much on the way that medical care is technologically enabled, org...

These ALF Faith Leader Affinity Group members talk at a very personal level about race, bigotry and the power of listening. These unlikely allies came together to support one another, and in the process, envisioned a stategy to heal the fracture of perceived difference in our community.

Why are Silicon Valley community-based organizations struggling to meet demand in one of the wealthiest and most sophisticated regions in the world? Why aren’t more Silicon Valley philanthropists directing their dollars toward local organizations and issues, in addition to national or global causes? Senior Fellows Alexa Cortés Culwell and Heather McLeod Grant, co founders of Open Impact, set out...

Consultant/Coach and ALF Senior Fellow Amari Romero-Thomas (Class XVI)guides you to let go of what no longer serves you and turn your focus to the ONE thing. A perfect follow up to ALF's Taking Stock retreat.

ALF Faculty Member Jane Wei-Skillern discusses her research of nonprofit networks, examining how leaders that focus less on building their own institutions and instead invest to build strategic networks beyond their organizational boundaries can achieve dramatic gains in mission impact with the same or fewer resources.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez (Class XII) and Destination Home Executive Director Jennifer Loving (Class XXV) share their story of bringing public, private and non-profit stakeholders to the table to courageously and creatively address homelessness in Santa Clara County.

Senior Fellow Ann Ravel (Class XI) talks about the very deliberate choice she made to go public about the Federal Election Commission's dysfunction.