SoCal Voices

Community development is essential to how all the elements of where we live fit together and impact how we experience our communities. Eric Nelson is a 20-year community development expert who has impacted the lives of thousands of Southern Californians through his work in residential and commercial developments. He is Vice Chair of the Planning Commission at the City of Dana Point, a past Preside...

For more than 30 years, Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles has been helping former prisoners and ex-gang members redirect their lives to become productive, contributing members of the community. A human services agency offering legal, mental health, and education services and more, Homeboy Industries makes second chances possible by combining practical services and hope with an unconventional appro...

When she was 17 years old, San Diego author Jennifer Gasner was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia or FA, a rare progressive neuromuscular disease. The impact of FA varies from person to person, but generally causes difficulty walking, a loss of coordination and impaired speech. Initially, Jennifer was shocked and in denial about her diagnosis and, at times, used alcohol as a way to cope, but ulti...

Born in China and raised in Los Angeles, certified life coach, podcaster, speaker and author Lucy Liu is a self-described ex-overachiever and recovering perfectionist who is thriving in Irvine. On this episode of SoCal Voices, she shares how she mastered the art of slowing down and how she helps women business owners, creatives, coaches and influencers transform their lives, boost their income, ha...

Long before podcasting and FM radio, AM radio ruled. And in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the biggest dog on the porch was THE MIGHTY 690. The 50,000-watt station was heard throughout SoCal. And its top-40 format was popular with teenagers and young adults. The story of the station — and a real-life contest it ran in the summer of 1981 — has been fictionalized in a fun new novel, The Mighty 690...

Tamaira “Miss Tee” Sandifer is having a strong impact on young people from SoCal and beyond as she helps youth develop critical life skills through exposure to the arts. She has developed some of Hollywood’s most sought-after young dancers, including the 2016 winner of “So You Think You Can Dance,” the 2018 “World of Dance” stars, and more. Her graduates have worked with artists like Justin Bieber...

Studies and surveys have shown that children start life with similar levels of confidence and self-esteem, but as girls become pre-teens, their confidence and self-esteem decline. LaTina McGhee-Simmons, a teacher at Virginia Primrose Elementary School in Fontana, aims to change that dynamic. She facilitates a mentoring program — the 20/20 Club  —  for upper elementary school girls to boost their c...

If you have struggled with anxiety, you may find some inspiration in this episode featuring San Diego author Jessica Keith. Her debut memoir, Saying Inshallah with Chutzpah , is a humorous and poignant coming-of-age story about her unorthodox path navigating an inter-faith/cross-cultural landscape in her professional and personal life, and finding the resilience to persevere. In this episode of So...

The mother-daughter relationship has been described as many things - special, complicated, loving, perplexing and more. For many people, it can be one of the most rewarding relationships in their lives. For others, the bond may be broken, especially if mother or daughter feels unseen and unheard. In this episode of SoCal Voices, therapist Hilary Mae shares how she helps mothers and daughters acros...

Do you have the pink “donor dot” on your driver’s license? Do you know why you should? April is Donate Life Month and there’s an organization in southern California that’s dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. That organization, OneLegacy , serves more than 200 hospitals, 10 transplant centers, a diverse population of 20 million donors and families across SoCal  and wai...

Schelo Doirin Collier is all about helping Black women become strong investors. Her organization, Black Women Invest , started as a small social media group and has grown into a national community of more than 14,000, including chapters in Southern California. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Schelo talks about Black Women Invest’s holistic approach to financial wellness, and how the organization...

Her Sisters Keeper Foundation provides a safe space for women in SoCal’s Inland Empire to recover from major setbacks or simply reset from the daily stress in their lives. In this episode of SoCal Voices, founder and executive director Kimberly Wallen shares the experiences that led her to create her organization and how she helps empower women to live their best lives. Like the episode? Share it...

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of police focused the world’s attention on the problem of police abuse and misconduct in ways that few other cases have. In the US, the murder of Floyd renewed calls for police reform and led to calls to abolish policing as we know it. Maintain the status quo, some said, and policing will continue to cause more harm than good. Others worry that dismantling...

The 2024 Presidential Primary is underway in California and voters are navigating a range of issues as they make decisions on candidates and propositions. From debates about the age of the likely presidential candidates to the war in Gaza, voters have a lot to consider. How will they vote?  In this episode of SoCal Voices, Keri Then, Area 5 Trustee for the Riverside Community College District, ret...

The second episode in our series on Black History and Music spotlights T he Center for African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians at California State University, Dominguez Hills. The Center is known as the preeminent site for the study and preservation of music of the African Diaspora. In this episode of SoCal Voices the center’s director, ethnomusicologist Oghenevwarho Gabriel Ojakovo, shares wh...

As Black History Month 2024 gets under way in Southern California, the Riverside Philharmonic will present two special pieces in a performance on February 24: Negro Folk Symphony, by the late African American composer William Dawson, and Concerto Cinematique, by Los Angeles composer and violinist Chris Woods. In this episode of SoCalVoices, Chris shares his perspective on a range of topics includi...

Conventional wisdom says that your personal wealth often has to come at the cost of your personal values — that you have to sell out. Financial advisor Marie Thomasson of Modern Assets says it is possible for your investments to align with your personal values, even if you identify as a political progressive. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Marie shares how she landed in the world of financial ad...

In a marked change from the racial reckoning that occurred in 2020, some have declared that DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is dead. Is it?  Where exactly are we with DEI initiatives? In this episode of SoCal Voices, Jonathan Dumas, an organizational psychologist, leadership and career coach, and host of the podcast Highly Visible & A Little Misunderstood , pushes back on the notion that...

Jackie Gutierrez is Founder of Women Kick Balls — an independent, one-woman multi-media company aiming to elevate the standard of soccer media. She’s living her dream as a journalist and content creator, interviewing professional players from the National Women’s Soccer League and the US Women’s National Team. Somehow, she also finds time to provide media and marketing services to soccer organizat...

The California Festival is a two-week state-wide celebration of new music from across the globe. Music directors of the LA Philharmonic, San Diego Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony envisioned this event featuring compositions from compelling and forward-looking composers. On November 19, the Inland Empire will be represented at one of the festival’s concerts by none other than the Riverside...

Susan Partovi’s colleagues call her “The Skid Row Doctor.” She’s a leading expert on street medicine who has treated hundreds of the most underserved patients in Los Angeles — substance users, and people experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness. On this episode of SoCal Voices, Dr. Partovi opens up about her unique approach to providing healthcare to some of southern California’s most v...

Terrance Stone is a Southern Californian committed to steering young people away from the life that cost him much of his precious youth. He spends his time helping students discover their personal worth and true-life purpose as Founder and CEO of Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, an organization the state of California recognized as Non-Profit of the Year in 2022. In this episode of SoCa...

Mary Vensel White is President of the Orange County branch of the California Writer’s Club, an English and writing professor, an editor, and author. In this edition of SoCal Voices, Mary shares insights about her latest novel, Things to See in Arizona, a teen coming-of-age story about the adventures of Tuesday and Cristian as they make their way through this unique teen coming-of-age story. Suppor...

In her book, The Struggle for the People’s King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement, Hajar Yazdiha, an assistant professor of  sociology at USC, outlines how decades-long efforts to sanitize the civil rights movement perpetuate injustice and threaten America’s multicultural democracy. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Professor Yazdiha discusses her book, and the life e...

Actor, director and show creator Jeneen Robinson has been recognized as Best Woman Filmmaker at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival for her TV series, “I’m 13 Yo!” — a hip-hop coming-of-age comedy about the adventures of a 13-year-old boy who constantly tests the patience of his mother. In this edition of SoCal Voices, Jeneen shares inspiring insights about her artistic journey. Support the...