Power Station

Janis Bowdler's road to the JPMorgan Chase Foundation started with a recognition. Not all neighborhoods, including her own, provide equal opportunities, but they should. As Policy Director at National Council of La Raza, now UnidosUS, Janis worked with member organizations across the country whose zip codes were considered pre-determinants for a lack of access to quality housing, education and jobs. They were champions of their communities, on the front lines with the families they serve in the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis. She brought those groups to meet with their elected leaders on Capital Hill where they explained the problems those families  face and the need for both resources and policy change. As Janis says, their advocacy potential was incredible. They had the data, the stories, the evidence in the thick of the crisis. Now, as President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Janis applies her insights, experience and deep knowledge about community economic development to global philanthropy. Janis is the right person, in the right seat. Learn why that matters on Power Station.

Glenn Cantave, founder of Movers and Shakers NYC, uses virtual reality, augmented reality and performance art to reframe and reclaim the narratives of marginalized communities. His use of technology to inform and provoke conversation is more than innovation; it is revolutionizing how the nonprofit sector engages communities and advocates for policy change. Glenn and his creative cohort at Movers and Shakers are working on several fronts, collaborating with NYC schools on curriculum development, creating a system of corporate accountability for community harms and re-envisioning the leaders we choose to champion.

Learn more:https://www.moversandshakersnyc.com

Glenn Cantave, founder of Movers and Shakers NYC, uses virtual reality, augmented reality and performance art to reframe and reclaim the narratives of marginalized communities. His use of technology to inform and provoke conversation is more than innovation; it is revolutionizing how the nonprofit sector engages communities and advocates for policy change. Glenn and his creative cohort at Movers and Shakers are working on several fronts, collaborating with NYC schools on curriculum development, creating a system of corporate accountability for community harms and re-envisioning the leaders we choose to champion.

Learn more:https://www.moversandshakersnyc.com

Jeremie Greer, VP, Policy and Research, at Prosperity Now, is clear and uncompromising about the state of our nation. He underscores that poverty cannot be overcome by individual will alone. Poverty alleviation requires systemic change, which Prosperity Now's Network of Champions is advancing. These are community-based nonprofits that advocate for reform using original research, data and on-the-ground experience to build their case. Jeremie talk about Catalyst Miami, which is organizing to address our nation's racial wealth gap, the promise of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Trump Administration's unbridled efforts to dismantle the agency. And he invites us to register for the upcoming Prosperity Summit, which brings together over 1,000 advocates for wealth building and a more equitable future. Learn more at https://prosperitynow.org

Jeremie Greer, VP, Policy and Research, at Prosperity Now, gets real  from the onset of our conversation at Podcast Village. Poverty cannot be overcome by personal discipline alone. It requires systemic change, which Prosperity Now, and its Network of Champions, community-based nonprofits, advocate for using research, data and on-the-ground experience. We discuss Prosperity Now's champions, including Catalyst Miami, the necessity to grapple with and address the Racial Wealth Gap, the promise of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Trump Administration's unbridled efforts to dismantle the agency. Jeremie talks about the power of the constituent voice and the responsibility of national nonprofits to mobilize and harness that voice on Capitol Hill. Jeremie invites us to register for the upcoming Prosperity Summit, which brings together over 1,000 advocates for wealth building. Learn more at https://prosperitynow.org

Haley Griffin guides nonprofit staff and boards of directors through the always challenging process of strategic planning. A Principal in The Raben Group, a leading DC-based national public affairs and strategic communications firm, Haley brings deep experience in organizational development to each interaction with her nonprofit clients. Luckily for them, she also brings rigor, humor and patience. As Haley explains, she frames the experience with her clients by asking what success looks like to them. That question invariably galvanizes an important conversation. And she expands on Robert Raben's most reliably surprising question about a client's nonprofit competitors. Listen, learn and check out The Raben Group and its podcast, The Beat DC.

Haley Griffin guides nonprofit staff and boards of directors through the always challenging process of strategic planning. A Principal in The Raben Group, a leading DC-based national public affairs and strategic communications firm, Haley brings deep experience in organizational development to each interaction with her nonprofit clients. Luckily for them, she also brings rigor, humor and patience. As Haley explains, she frames the experience with her clients by asking what success looks like. And she expands on Robert Raben's most reliably surprising question about a clients nonprofit competitors. Listen, learn and check out The Raben Group and its podcast, The Beat DC. 

When Hurricane Maria landed, it wreaked havoc on an already economically unstable Puerto Rico. Since then, nonprofit groups have worked tirelessly to recover homes, rebuild "resilient housing" and move Congress to enact needed policy reform, including operationalizing FEMA's Disaster Housing Assistance Program. Marion McFadden, Enterprise Community Partners, and Sarah Mickelson, National Low Income Housing Coalition, talk to Power Station about the challenge and opportunity of helping people rebuild homes and lives. An expert on disaster recovery, Marion brings years of experience at HUD and with FEMA to push for policies that will embed best practices and accountability measures into these public-serving agencies. Sarah, NLIHC's highly effective public policy director advocates for equitable reforms to systems in need of change. Their breakdown of NLIHC's Disaster Recovery Coalition is both urgent and hopeful.

When Hurricane Maria landed, it wreaked havoc on an already economically unstable Puerto Rico. Since then, nonprofit groups on the ground and on the mainland have worked tirelessly to recover homes, rebuild "resilient housing" and move Congress to enact needed policy reform, including operationalizing FEMA's Disaster Housing Assistance Program. Marion McFadden, Enterprise Community Partners, and Sarah Mickelson, National Low Income Housing Coalition, talk to Power Station about the challenge and opportunity of helping people rebuild homes and lives. An expert on disaster recovery, Marion brings years of engagement with HUD and FEMA to her push for policies that will embed best practices and accountability measures into these public-serving agencies. Sarah, with CEO Diane Yentel, advocates for policy reform with Marion and members of NLIHC's Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition, members with lived experience in disaster recovery. Stayed tuned for a Part 2! 

Renata Soto is the dynamic executive director of Conexion Americas, an immigrant serving nonprofit in Nashville, Tennessee. She spoke to Power Station, at the 2018 UnidosUS Conference, about how she balances the provision of programs and services for Latino families with their engagement in policy advocacy. The Escalera Program, a UnidosUS initiative, helps immigrant children succeed educationally and teaches their parents how to hold schools accountable for their children's educational and social experience. The Culinary Incubator is a resource for parents with entrepreneurial aspirations. And Casa Azafran is a consortia of progressive and immigrant serving organizations that provide a welcoming community in Nashville. Renata provides a lesson in how to grow, empower and elevate an inclusive immigrant powered organization. Listen, learn and be inspired.