The Jacquelyn Social Exchange

Darcy Totten will tell you: we're only one grandmother removed from women not being able to open a bank account without a husband's signature. Darcy leads the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, one of the state's most important advocacy bodies, representing 20 million women and girls. She writes economic blueprints. She convenes rooms. She tells stories that turn d...

There's a version of Lisa Wrightsman that almost didn't make it. Division I athlete. Goal scorer. The kind of player who felt invincible on the field. And then, the day the structure stopped — no practice, no team, no room to belong to — it all unraveled fast. What pulled her back wasn't a program. It was a field. Lisa Wrightsman leads Street Soccer USA in Sacramento, helping individua...

Influence isn't loud. It doesn't announce itself. It works in rooms most people don't know exist — through relationships, presence, and unspoken rules. Cassandra Pye has been working those rooms for over 40 years. As president of Lucas Public Affairs and one of Sacramento's most trusted voices in communications and public affairs, she's advised governors, senators, and electeds...

If theater goes away, what does Sacramento lose? A lot more than the show. Lyndsay Burch, CEO of The Sofia and B Street Theatre, makes the case that the arts aren't just culture — they're infrastructure. They connect businesses, draw people to a city, and give a community a reason to be together when everything else is trying to pull it apart. In this episode, Lyndsay sits down with Mary t...

Kiera Anderson, Ed. D. is in the early days of leading one of Sacramento's oldest cultural institutions — the Sacramento Ballet. In that time, she's already navigated hiring new artistic leadership and making the call to scale the school. In this conversation with Mary Daffin, Kiera talks about how ballet's demand for discipline and real-time problem-solving shaped her as a leader, and...

The music is 300 years old. The CEO is 31. Giuliano Kornberg leads the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera as one of the youngest heads of a major U.S. orchestra-opera hybrid — and his job is to honor tradition while making sure classical music stays relevant to a generation that didn't grow up with it. In this conversation with Mary Daffin, Giuliano gets into the real tension of leading a legac...

How does a sleepy government town become a destination city? Ask Mike Testa. As President and CEO of Visit Sacramento, Mike has spent the last decade reshaping how the world sees Sacramento — from birthing the Farm to Fork Festival and Aftershock to landing Terra Madre on a ten-year deal. In this conversation with Mary Daffin, Mike gets into the real mechanics of city-building: how you convince el...

At the turn of the 20th century, there were hundreds of third places in every city. Those slowly disappeared. And now they're coming back. Drew Wahl has spent over a decade inside some of the world's most interesting clubs, and he sees a deeper shift happening. Third places are coming back. People want real rooms with real people where the phones go away and the conversations actually matt...

Success isn't really about the titles. It's about every chapter that builds toward them and the willingness to show up fully in each one. Tony Christ has spent 15 years reshaping Sacramento's nightlife — not by following a blueprint, but by building one in real time. From house parties during the housing crisis to producing events for thousands, from Vegas to LA and back again, Tony has always kno...

What would you do if you knew the truth and no one wanted to hear it? Dr. Bennet Omalu, Forensic Pathologist, Neuropathologist, Professor, and author, discovered CTE in professional football players. But he isn't defined by that discovery; he's defined by his conviction for truth. Born a refugee during the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War, Bennet came to America with nothing but faith, curiosity, and an...

How to keep reinvesting yourself? Not the polished way. The real, messy, seventeen-times-over kind that builds something extraordinary from nothing. Tina Reynolds is a Sacramento institution, but her real superpower is knowing that if it's not easy, fun, and popular, it won't succeed. As the founder and president of Uptown Studios, Tina has spent 30+ years transforming how businesses, nonprofits,...

What does leadership look like at the intersection of nonprofit work and elected office? Dr. Dawnté Early wears two demanding hats: CEO of United Way California Capital Region and West Sacramento City Council member. In this powerful conversation, she explains why your city council member matters more than you think, how to strike a balance when time seems impossible, and the difference between "n...

This is an episode about showing up. For your team, for other women, for your marriage, and most importantly—for yourself. Donna Lucas is a force in California politics, but her real superpower is knowing when to push and when to pull back. As the founder and CEO of Lucas Public Affairs, Donna has worked with governors, first ladies, and changemakers from both sides of the aisle. But this conversa...

What if resilience isn't about fighting—but about being willing? Bobbin Mulvaney, four-time cancer warrior and co-founder of Mulvaney's B&L, has learned that healing happens when you stop resisting and start allowing. This is a story about being willing to speak openly about mental health, to build community as medicine, and to keep showing up even when the world asks too much. In this episode...

What dreams keep circling back in your life? The ones you've been too afraid to chase, too busy to pursue, or too hurt to believe are possible? This conversation might be exactly what you need to finally realize them. Sharie Wilson went from a little girl in South Central LA, teased about her teeth, silenced by a speech impediment, watching her uncle call her sister "Money Banks" while never seein...

When was the last time you laughed so hard you couldn't breathe? Or felt completely present in a moment? If you can't remember, this conversation is for you. Dr. Carlin Reaume, occupational therapist and founder of Supported Mama, knows what it's like to feel stretched thin, stuck in the go-go-go of life while losing touch with what actually brings you joy. After struggling through postpartum anxi...

What does it take to make everyone in a room feel like they belong? Patrick Harbison, one of Sacramento's most connected public relations experts and a founding member of The Jacquelyn, reveals the intentional practice behind creating spaces where people feel truly seen and heard. From his experience as a closeted kid who vowed never to make anyone feel invisible, to building a thriving career as...