Voices of the Community

"We really are coming alongside of those entrepreneurs and small business owners and helping them turn their passion to profit" - Tim Russell Today’s episode is part of our efforts to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the small businesses and entrepreneurs that make up the economic fabric of our neighborhoods. We wanted to feature the voices of the Renaissance Entrepreneursh...

“How do we pull all those resources and really make poverty something that is, solvable here in the Bay area” – Kelly Bathgate In this episode, we feature the voices of Kelly Bathgate the Chief Program Officer and Marisa Giller the Communications Director at Tipping Point Community. Tipping Point Community was founded by Daniel Lurie back in 2005 with a systemic approach to ending the cycle of pov...

“How can we  support these businesses that are still here, help new businesses emerge and keep our small business community thriving” - Julie Clowes In this episode, we feature the voice of Julie Clowes, the District Director of the Small Business. Administration's San Francisco District Office Over these ten plus months we have been sharing the voices of small businesses and COVID-19’s devastatin...

“It's that vision that's really the difficult thing and it's challenging in the environment that we're in” - Al Spector In this episode, we feature the voice of Al Spector, an advisor to non-profit and mission-driven organizations. Given the financial struggles of both our nonprofits and small business organizations we wanted to feature Al and ask him to share both his expertise and best practices...

“It sends a message that we believe as a society that we are all better when we take care of each other” - Wayne Hazzard In this episode our featured voice is  the CoFounder and Executive Director of Dancers' Group Wayne Hazzard. The Dancers Group was born in the middle of the AIDS crisis has evolved over the decades as a service organization providing wrap around fiscal sponsorship programs and s...

“We're learning a lot from our Community Hubs participation and seeing how really hands-on Arts Rich Learning for students in small environments has a huge impact on their wellbeing” - Julie Rulyak Steinberg In this episode our featured voice is the Executive Director of Community Music Center Julie Rulyak Steinberg. We wanted to feature the community Music Center because it is an anchor in our ar...

“We all know when you're hungry, you know, really nothing else matter”- George Gundry In this episode our featured voices are George Gundry, the Director of the Free Meals Program, Program and Kenneth Kim, Senior Director of Programs of GLIDE.   With all of the death and economic destruction that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought down upon our community one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods is the...

We still have a tremendous need and there's a lot of hungry people ”- Kristin Houk In this episode our featured voice is Kristin Houk the Owner of All Good Pizza, TATO and Café Alma. Kristin is part of the Bayview woman food entrepreneurs who are change makers and community leaders providing jobs, healthy food options and a hand up to their fellow community members. To find out more about Kristin’...

“ Two people came to us with actual instruments, from the holocaust that were played by their relatives.“ - Patricia Kristof Moy In this episode our featured voice is Patricia Kristof Moy, the Executive Director of Music at Kohl Mansion. Performing arts organizations generate a big percentage of their annual revenue through earned income in the form of ticket sales of live performances. Music at t...

We have to be hyper-aware of social justice and environmental justice”- Dan Flanagan In this episode our featured voice is that of long time Executive Director of Friends of the Urban Forest Dan Flanagan. This past summer and fall we experienced the triple threat of a global pandemic, economic meltdown, and catastrophic wildfires that blanketed the San Francisco Bay Area in deadly smoke and toxic...

“It's, provided a safe place for people of all backgrounds to gather and meet and actually become friends” - Barbara Gratta In this episode our featured voice is that of winemaker and food entrepreneur Barbara Gratta of Gratta Winery and Market in the Bayview district of San Francisco. We’ve been sharing stories about economic development and small business incubation in the Bayview Hunters Point...

"We're hoping that we can spread the wealth if you will, as far as possible” - Michelle Lynch Reynolds In this episode, our featured voices are Michelle Lynch Reynolds the Executive Director, and Joe Goode the founder and artistic director, of Joe Goode Performance Group. Over the last thirty-plus years, Joe Goode Performance Group has promoted understanding, compassion, and tolerance among people...

“All of us take these things for granted, that they're always there” - Mark Bailey In this episode our first featured voices are Mark Bailey the head of operations and Martha Martinez the head of production and training at Hayes Valley Bakeworks. We wanted to share the story of Hayes Valley Bakeworks because of its unique self-supporting social enterprise model to provide a workforce training prog...

"the people who are working in the cultural sector and everything, it's exposed even further our vulnerabilities, the fact that we're always working in the margins" - Randy Rollison In this episode our featured voices are Randy Rollison the Executive Director and Allison Snopek the Deputy Director of Intersection for the Arts. This week’s show with Randy and Allison is part of our end of year them...

“Simply put non-profits matter in communities and people depend on their services” - Anna Koob In this episode our featured voices are Jacob Harold the Executive Vice President and Anna Koob the Director of Data Standards of Candid. Back in April 2020 when we decided to create this series on Covid-19’s impact first on nonprofits and then on small businesses in the San Francisco Bay we like you had...

“We're in an existential threat of losing everything that makes this place great”- Jay Beaman In this episode, our featured voices are Brad Levy the owner, Haley Sausner the Chef, and Jay Beaman the Manager of Firefly restaurant. Firefly restaurant is another one of our local neighborhood gems known to serve up its beloved fried chicken along with some of the best vegetarian fare in San Francisco....

People have danced since, you know, the caveman days they gathered together and beat on their drums and they danced” - Christine Leslie In this episode, our featured voice is Christine Leslie the CEO and Executive Director of the Peninsula Ballet Theatre Our next featured voice is Christine Leslie the CEO and Executive Director of the Peninsula Ballet Theatre. Over its fifty years of operation, th...

“ I hope we never stop supporting people who might have to make a decision between paying their rent and eating ramen noodles.” - Susan Mernit In this episode, we are focused on our Making Community and our featured voices are Susan Mernit the Executive Director of The Crucible along with Janey Hayes a Glass Artists who is one of the Teaching Artists and Instructors at The Crucible.  The Crucible...

“ To teach them how to be wonderful musicians” - Andriana Marcial In this episode, our featured voice is Andriana Marcial the Interim Executive Director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus. One of the main goals of The San Francisco Girls Chorus is to teach young women to become wonderful musicians through their extensive music education program. Singing and live performances will be one of the last...

“ If you want to end homelessness, you give people homes.” - Demaree Miller In this episode, our featured voices are Charles Lerner the Executive Director and Demaree Miller the Program Manager of At the Crossroads. During the Covid-19 pandemic At the Crossroads staff continues to meet youth where they are - living on the streets of san francisco. At the Crossroads humanistic one on one approach i...

"Through difference, there is beauty” - Marc Brew, AXIS Dance Company In this episode, our featured voices are Marc Brew the Artistic Director and Choreographer along with Danae Rees the Managing Director of AXIS Dance Company. AXIS Dance Company’s mission is to bring together both disable and non-disabled artists to create a radically inclusive dance sector and world by removing barriers and show...

 "Dance , is just an amazing way of bringing people together” - Sherene Melania In this episode, our featured voice is Sherene Melania the Executive Director and Artistic Director of Presidio Dance Theatre of San Francisco. The Presidio Dance Theatre has a history of cultural and community engagement with a mission to use dance and the arts to educate, inspire, and forge connections between cultur...

We're really trying to combat this amnesiac culture that we live in by bringing people together in public space, doing participatory community history - LisaRuth Elliott In this episode, our featured voice is Lisa Ruth Elliot the Co-Director of Shaping San Francisco and we’re discuss Shaping San Francisco’s unique model of being a participatory community history project that documents and archives...

"So, it's, a very, quiet but large issue in our community, especially when you know, Bay area should be the tech capital of the world" - Seth Hubbert In this episode, our featured voice is Seth Hubbert the Executive Director of Tech Exchange and we are discussing how the digital divide is impacting low-income students and their families in Oakland the greater San Francisco bay area. In a 2018 US C...

Rome's Kitchen is actually the incubator for my family to help us get to the next level” - Rome Rogers In this episode, our featured voice is Rome Rogers the founder of Rome’s Kitchen in the bay view hunters point neighborhood of San Francisco. Rome like many food entrepreneurs decided to take his love of food and hard work and invest in himself to pursue his dream of starting his own restaurant....