Engaging Austin

Recorded on March 2nd, Meme Styles, President and founder of MEASURE, joined Engaging Austin to discuss the crucial role of data in addressing societal disparities. MEASURE's Innocence Initiative addresses the adultification of Black Girls and the school to prison pipeline. 

For more information, please visit https://www.measureaustin.org/ and www.engagingaustinpodcast.com. 

Mike Herschenfeld is running for Austin School Board, District 8, on a platform of systemic change including flexibility in enrollment and funding, and community input in school design. 

Education is a crucial component of economic development, civic engagement, and quality of life for any city, and even if you don't have kids, Mike explains why understanding the educational system and implementing equitable changes is so important for every citizen. 

For more information please visit mikeforaustin.com and engagingaustinpodcast.com

John Gorman, Austin-based essayist on culture, futurism and public affairs, joins Engaging Austin to discuss the Constitutional possibilities that would arise if the President is incapacitated by COVID-19, a deep dive into the Electoral College, and I make a really bad WAP joke. 

For more information please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com and please vote!

On June 16, Pooja spoke joined Engaging Austin to discuss defunding the police, her vision for 10-1 Community Centers, and why if it ain't Austin, it ain't shit. 

Throughout her career, Pooja Sethi has advocated and spoken out for others. She brings a voice of equality, innovative thinking, and passion to the Austin community. As a mother, attorney, local business owner, and a nonprofit founder fighting for survivors of abuse and assault and their children, she exemplifies these values every day. Sethi serves on city committees and task forces to champion the rights of first responders, advocate for education for all and supports environmental initiatives because she strongly believes in an Austin that is safe, healthy, and green for everyone.

For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com.

Recorded on June 12, Executive Director of Austin's The New Philanthropists joins Engaging Austin to discuss the importance of diversity in nonprofit Boards of Directors. 

With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Paulina is a driven and self-directed Creative Thinker that has focused her career on delivering solutions for multicultural communities, as well as helping clients connect with audiences in relevant and meaningful ways.

As a seasoned Creative, she has led above the line, below the line and experiential and cause marketing campaigns for a variety of clients including Bacardi REI, James R. Jordan Foundation, Nike and Capital IDEA. Most recently, Paulina has taken on a role as a Design Thinking Coach in the tech industry and is currently the Executive Director for The New Philanthropists. She's a scholar at life and is passionate about mentoring and philanthropy.

For more information about Engaging Austin, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.org, and https://www.tnpaustin.org/ to learn more about The New Philanthropists. 

On April 10, I spoke with Austin City District 1 Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison to discuss the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Natasha Harper-Madison is a native Austinite who has dedicated her life to serving East Austin. She is a mother of 4 ranging in age from 8 to 23, and married to Austin Fire Department Lieutenant Thomas Madison. 

Growing up in poverty, she gained a deep and personal understanding of how important it is for Austin to prioritize affordability and offer pathways to economic mobility. 

After attending Arizona State University, Natasha returned to Austin to work in her community as an entrepreneur. She served as board president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association and also founded East Austin Advocates. In both roles, she deployed her skills for leadership and collaboration to advocate for small businesses and to help connect under-represented people with the resources they need to succeed.

Natasha is also passionate about government that serves the people and is active with Take5toVote, an organization that helps constituents engage with their government by providing training and breaking down barriers like identification issues and transportation needs. This community-level activism sparked Natasha’s interest in seeking public office, a mission she fulfilled with her successful campaign for Austin City Council’s District 1 seat in 2018.

For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

In response to the protests following the police murders of George Floyd, Mike Ramos, and thousands of other black men and women, Bri Jenkins and Megan Sappenfield join Engaging Austin for a candid conversation about racism and white supremacy. Recorded on May 31, 2020, this episode includes profanity and some sensitive subject material. 

For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Recorded at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I share my thoughts about the effect of the crisis on my community. 

For more information, please go to www.engagingaustinpodcast.com

Saatvik Aluwahlia is a Digital Strategist with Progress Texas, and he dialed in to Engaging Austin to discuss resiliency during the pandemic, manifesting your visions, and what he knows, not believes. 

For more information, please visit www.engagingaustinpodcast.com