Turahn Dorsey joins the Cultivating Connections podcast to discuss his extensive work in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors to promote economic mobility and equity. He outlines the Eastern Bank Foundation’s mission to bridge gaps in prosperity by investing in small business ecosystems, early childhood development, affordable housing, and workforce development. Rahn notes their long term investments in areas where sustained commitment is necessary to address deep-rooted inequities. Rahn also discusses Eastern Bank’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) despite the changing climate.

The conversation also touches on Rahn’s previous roles, including his time as Boston’s education chief under Mayor Marty Walsh, where he helped launch the Boston pre-K initiative. He reflects on the importance of collaboration and strong relationships in achieving lasting policy change. Additionally, Rahn shares insights from his research at ABT Associates on social capital, recounting a project in rural South Dakota where community bonds and local agency led to innovative economic development. He connects these lessons to his current work in Boston’s Nubian Square, underscoring the power of community-driven efforts and the importance of investing in places such as Roxbury with deep cultural and historical significance.

Rahn will be recognized on May 7th as one of the 2025 SCI Idealist Award recipients. Join SCI on May 7th to celebrate Rahn!

Marinell Rousmaniere, CEO of EdVestors, discusses the work of this Boston-based nonprofit focused on systemic improvements in public education. EdVestors works on arts education, math education, and career pathways for secondary school students. The organization emphasizes racial equity and highlights success stories through initiatives like the "School on the Move Prize," which recognizes Boston public schools demonstrating significant improvement. Throughout the conversation, Marinell underscores the importance of collective efforts in tackling challenges within public education systems, particularly in large urban districts like Boston.

The conversation also delves into EdVestors’ career pathways initiative, launched during the pandemic to provide equitable access to work-based learning and early college opportunities. Marinelle emphasizes the critical role of social capital in helping young people transition from high school to sustainable careers. She highlights how relationships and networks can significantly impact students' outcomes, particularly for students of color who often face systemic barriers in the labor market. By fostering connections and leveraging community assets, EdVestors aims to equip students with the tools they need to succeed. The episode concludes with a discussion of the "School on the Move Prize," which not only celebrates successful schools but also provides a blueprint for improvement through collaborative leadership, instructional focus, and strong community partnerships.

Marinell will be recognized on May 7th as one of the 2025 SCI Idealist Award recipients. Join SCI May 7th to celebrate Marinell!

ServeNatick is a new initiative to inspire meaningful service and community engagement, turning neighbors into changemakers. Kabir Anand, ServeNatick’s co-founder and president, joins the Cultivating Connections podcast to share how the initiative started and how it has evolved. The project began as part of a competition hosted by their school, as the co-founders worked to build a website to inspire youth involvement in the community. After initial feedback, the team spent the summer refining their concept and officially launched in August 2023. ServeNatick's primary goal is to connect volunteers with organizations that need them, fostering community engagement across various sectors including environmental projects, literacy programs, and health initiatives.

The conversation then shifts to discuss the upcoming Natick Impact Collaborative (NIC) event, scheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Natick High School auditorium. This inaugural event aims to inspire attendees to take action in their communities, featuring four speakers from diverse backgrounds in community engagement. The event will also include a panel discussion with five panelists and an audience Q&A session, designed to explore various community-based topics and ways for people to get involved in community service beyond traditional methods.

SCI is seeking nominations for the 2025 SCI Rising Idealist Award! 

With the nomination deadline approaching, Cultivating Connections podcast host, SCI President David Crowley, reminds listeners of the deadline. That announcement is followed by a rebroadcast of the conversation with the 2024 SCI Rising Idealist Recipient, Jean Dolin.

Jean is the Founder & President of the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum of History, Art, and Culture, and an SCI AmeriCorps alumni. Jean shares about his project and his passion for building community and making a difference through the arts.

In this episode, guest Justin Pasquariello shares about why he puts community joy at the center of his work. Justin talks about the importance of social connection as one of the five pillars of joy, and how this framework for promoting joy is woven throughout the work of the East Boston Social Centers. He also shares about how his career, including starting Silver Line Mentoring in 2001, is informed by his personal experiences growing up.  

Justin talks about the innovative approaches to service delivery and community building at the 100 year old social service organization. This includes creative ways of measuring and increasing joy among staff and program participants, and engaging the diverse cultural populations in East Boston. Justin also highlights the Every Child Shines community collaboration.  He also shares about future plans that include developing a community joy ambassador program and creating design nudges to encourage community connections.

In this episode, guests Katrina Shaw and Lindsay Mason engage in a thoughtful discussion about the community-focused initiatives of Liberty Mutual. They begin by sharing personal stories that shaped their commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism. 

The conversation then transitions to the mission of the Liberty Mutual Foundation, which aims to advance security and resilience for vulnerable communities. Katrina elaborates on the foundation's focus areas, including workforce development, youth homelessness, and climate change initiatives. She highlights a recent project called Impact Driven Collaborations, which funded 16 collaboratives with a total of $4.5 million to address complex social problems through collective efforts among various organizations.

Lindsay also discusses Liberty Mutual's employee engagement program, Liberty Torchbearers, which empowers employees to volunteer in their communities based on their interests. Together, they emphasize the importance of community involvement and the need for adaptable volunteer programs in a post-pandemic world, showcasing how Liberty Mutual integrates social responsibility into its corporate identity.

This Cultivating Connections podcast episode features a rich conversation with George “Chip” Greenidge, Jr., a veteran in philanthropy, education and nonprofit leadership. He shares his insights on the importance of mentoring, his passion for higher education access and promoting racial justice.

The discussion with host David Crowley begins with a reflection on their long-standing relationship, spanning over two decades, and the early days of George’s career at the Boston Foundation. George shares his thoughts on the evolution of philanthropy, emphasizing the importance of personal engagement through site visits. He highlights how these interactions foster genuine connections and demonstrate a commitment to understanding the needs of communities, contrasting this with the more transactional nature of modern philanthropic practices.

George also delves into his motivations for pursuing a career in nonprofit work. He attributes his passion to his upbringing in the Greater Boston area, where he had wonderful mentors and access to prestigious educational institutions like Harvard and MIT. These experiences not only provided him with exceptional role models but also inspired him to advocate for college access and mentorship for young people, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. He discusses his founding of Greatest Minds, an organization designed to connect youth with mentors at various stages of their lives, reinforcing the idea that inspiration can come from peers as well as established figures.

The conversation also touches on George’s current role at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University. He reflects on how this position allows him to engage with global scholars and contribute to discussions around civic participation and democratic values. Throughout the episode, he emphasizes the significance of building relationships within philanthropy and the necessity of nurturing connections over time to cultivate trust and support. His insights into the changing landscape of philanthropy, coupled with his personal anecdotes, provide listeners with a profound understanding of the intersection between education, mentorship, and community engagement.

This episode of the Cultivating Connections podcast features Pedro Cruz, the Executive Director of the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA) for the City of Boston. Pedro shares his inspiring journey into youth work, rooted in his experiences growing up in the Boston’s Villa Victoria community. He emphasizes the importance of relationships and community spaces that shaped his path, reflecting on how early jobs at local community centers ignited his passion for youth development. Pedro highlights the significance of mentorship in his own journey, and the importance of providing Boston youth with mentors today.

Pedro provides an overview of OYEA’s pioneering efforts to engage Boston's youth aged 14 to 25 which focuses a great deal on creating partnerships with a wide range of youth serving organizations. He explains their mission to amplify young voices in local decision-making and connect them with resources and opportunities often inaccessible to them. 

He also shares successes such as building a network of over 1,100 individuals from nearly 400 organizations and reviving the Mayor’s Youth Summit after a 20 year hiatus, demonstrating the demand for dedicated spaces and programs for young people. The episode concludes with Pedro discussing the upcoming Youth Needs Assessment survey, aimed at understanding what young people require during their non-school and non-work hours, further underscoring the office's commitment to serving Boston's youth effectively.

In the latest episode of the Cultivating Connections podcast, guests Jennifer Leshnower and Tony Lucero engage in an informative discussion about "bridging work” intended to bring people of diverse views and backgrounds together. The conversation centers on how national service programs like AmeriCorps can serve as platforms for building connections across diverse communities. Tony articulates that bridging involves coming together across divides to foster understanding, collaboration, and dialogue. He emphasizes that national service provides a unique opportunity to cultivate these skills, particularly in a society increasingly characterized by polarization.

Both guests share their personal journeys into national service, highlighting the transformative power of these experiences. Jen recounts her introduction to AmeriCorps during college, where she discovered the importance of service in fostering relationships among individuals from varying backgrounds. Tony shares his path from being a first-generation college graduate to becoming actively involved in community service, illustrating how mentorship and shared goals can bridge significant divides. The episode underscores the critical role of intentionality in bridging efforts and positions national service as a vital mechanism for addressing societal challenges through meaningful dialogue and connection.

Tony and Jen highlight important work being done by their organizations and others in the Bridging Divides group to bring this issue to the forefront. They also cover studies of bridging outcomes being created by national service organizations, and curriculum and other tools available for those interested in furthering this work.

This podcast episode features a deep dive into the Connective Tissue framework for increasing social connection, with its author Sam Pressler. The framework includes recommendations as to what policymakers and others can do at federal, state and local levels to increase social connections. The Connective Tissue site is organized into four major categories: 1) Foundational Changes; 2) Community Institutions; 3) Life Transitions and 4) Enabling Conditions. 

During the conversation, Sam addresses the broader societal trends contributing to social disconnection. He identifies several key factors, including the decline of traditional institutions like religious organizations, civic groups, and unions, which historically provided stability and a sense of belonging. He notes that these changes disproportionately affect individuals without college degrees, who face higher barriers to civic engagement and social support. The data presented reveals alarming statistics about friendship and social networks, illustrating a growing divide in social capital based on educational attainment.

Sam explores potential policy interventions aimed at strengthening social connections. He argues that while policy alone cannot solve these issues, it can play an important role in addressing the structural challenges that lead to disconnection. He advocates for a multi-faceted approach that considers local solutions tailored to community needs, rather than relying solely on top-down policies. Throughout the conversation, host David Crowley incorporates various ways the Connective Tissue framework relates to the work of Social Capital Inc. 

This episode serves as both an insightful exploration of the challenges surrounding social connection and a call to action for listeners to engage in fostering community ties in their own lives.

Guest Bio: Sam Pressler is a Practitioner Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy, a Research Affiliate at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, and the author of Connective Tissue, a policy framework for the role of government in regenerating connection in American communities. In his past life, he founded and led the Armed Services Arts Partnership, America’s largest community arts organization serving veterans and their families.

Resource links:

Connective Tissue Framework: https://theconnectivetissue.us/framework  Subscribe to the Connective Tissue Newsletter: https://theconnectivetissue.us/newsletter Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/disconnected-places-and-spaces/