The Zag

2017 NLC Los Angeles Fellow Alex Serna returns to The Zag to share an encouraging story about a successful virtual summer program for students he oversees. Plus, with four school-aged kids, Alex talks about what he's prioritizing as a parent as school is trying to reopen.

Lyndsey Schlax, 2016 NLC SF Fellow, joins The Zag to share her perspective on reopening schools as a longtime educator. She also talks about her working organizing around the ideas of schools not bars in order to highlight importance of prioritizing measures to get kids back in class, not people back drinking cocktails.

2020 NLC South TX Frontera Fellow Clarissa Riojas is an 8th grade ELA teacher wading through the challenging river of information involved w/ reopening schools. We catch up with her to learn more about how she's adapting curriculum and how her union is prioritizing safety as well as learning for students.

NLC SWO Director Jocelyn Rhynard is a Dayton School Board Member and mom of four students in the district. She shares her unique perspective on re-opening schools and what should be prioritized once the year starts.

2020 NLC DC Fellow Anika Manzoor kicks off our new mini-series of episodes talking about the challenge of reopening schools next month. Anika works with Move Schools Forward, a collective of youth-driven organizations with outlined key principles to drive student-centric change. Learn more at: https://www.moveschoolforward.org/

2017 NLC Omaha Fellow Wendy Hamilton previews her upcoming Spark! Talk for NLC Convention at Home on this episode of The Zag. Tune in to learn more about how her topic hits close to home and what she' hoping to accomplish with her 5 minutes.

2019 NLC Houston Fellow Chris Hollins joins The Zag to talk about his role as a County Clerk in a state that has progressives always fighting for right to expand the vote. We also talk about misperceptions about Houston and whether the best 2020 ticket would have been the Rockets' backcourt. Check it out.

We're talking with 2020 NLC NYC Fellow Alex Bores to hear a sneak preview of his Spark Talk next month at NLC Convention (at home). Worried about getting hacked while working on a campaign? Tune in.

2018 NLC Chicago Fellow Ali Ammoura joins The Zag to talk about the gathering of neighbors in his city and watching them build power and community during COVID-19.

2020 NLC South TX Frontera Fellow Alyson Martinez joins The Zag to discuss her Institute experience over the past 6 months. From in-person meetings to virtual bonding, she shares how their chapter is building a progressive network along the border that will harness the power of progressives for years to come.

Emergency room doctor and 2016 NLC NJ Fellow Aakash Shah shares stories from early COVID days and what he sees systematically needs to change to provide real health care to all Americans.

2017 NLC LA Fellow Wade Dean returns to The Zag to talk Covid coast to coast and what how fleeting or not this moment of protest is or isn't.

2010 NLC Chicago Fellow Karlo Marcelo joins The Zag to talk about his new podcast called Make America Better Now. Plus, why it's important to write often.

We're talking content creation during and after COVID-19 w/ 2012 NLC Boston Fellow Jared Milrad. Learn more about what impact entertainment is and how Jared combines his love of storytelling with his progressive values. Don't miss it.

2018 NLC Twin Cities Fellow Hoang Murphy shares his thoughts on all that's happening in his city these days. He talks what's inspiring him and what to watch for next.

We catch up with 2020 NLC Twin Cities Fellow Janiru Herath to hear more about protest and progress since murder of George Floyd. He reminds us of the long history of police violence in the state and also how his role as a teacher impacts his view on what should happen next.

2019 NLC LA Fellow Elizabeth Cabrera joins The Zag to talk a full house during quarantine, onboarding in a new job via Zoom, and taking the plunge into seeking elected office. Don't miss it.

We need scientists more than ever these days and The Zag found one for latest episode. Don't miss 2020 NLC NYC Fellow Sloka Iyengar as she shares her journey to neuroscience, how she is leveraging science for public good, and what being a NLC Fellow this year meant to her. Don't miss it.

2020 NLC LA Fellows Michelle Sanchez and Michael Deegan-McCree join The Zag to discuss being the importance of being anti-racist and resources to leverage to do that. Plus, they share details on how to invest in NLC LA’s Legacy Campaign to ensure future progressive leaders can access the program. Support them here: https://www.newleaderscouncil.org/SupportLosAngeles

Pandemic or not, the 2020 Census is vital for how our communities will receive much needed resources and representation in the next decade. 2015 NLC Chicago Fellow Jourdan Sorell returns to The Zag to update us on progress with Census count. Plus, he shares his thoughts as a black man about the systemic violence hurting his community and our country.

2020 NLC Pittsburgh Fellow Leah Jakaitis has used her NLC Capstone Project to focus on how companies are responding to COVID-19, especially how they're treating employees. Her goal is to create a dataset to 'score' employers across all industries, and provide a resource for workers to make informed decisions about where they work. Check out this episode to learn more.

Our most sought after guest, 2014 NLC LA Fellow Tamika Butler, joins The Zag to talk everything from parenting to Hawaiian shirts to much needed equity and inclusion in mobility initiatives like Slow Streets to building community via Zoom. She's one of our favorites. No wonder we wanted her to come on so badly. Don't miss it.

Our first 4 person pod! Tune in to hear how these three NLC LA alums ran our NLC LA Engaged program during COVID times. They also touch on the building community in virtual spaces, what policy areas are most set up for progressive reimagining, and why sourdough baking was so last month.

Christopher Lo-Records, 2014 NLC LA Fellow, is soon to be a published author. Released by an indie press in Riverside, called Inlandia, his book called Care: Stories is comprised of 14 stories about queer characters living in the Inland Empire, CA in a realistically dystopic near future. The stories are diverse in focus and perspective: an elderly lesbian couple raising their two agoraphobic adult...

Alexis Bromley, NLC Omaha 2017, along with her nonprofit One Omaha recognized a gap that needed to be filled by neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic. One Omaha teamed up with a technology platform in Seattle called "GroopIt" for neighbors to support one another. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/2Zdp9h2