Two Broads Talking Politics

Rebecca, Sophy and Kelly come together for this special edition of the #VoteHerIn podcast to discuss what’s next for women activists, candidates, and electeds as we are now just one year out from the 2022 elections when so much will be at stake. They will be sharing their lessons learned/conclusions reached from the vantage point of over 75 episodes of the #VoteHerIn podcast, taking into account both the positive (so many women of so many different kinds were elected in November 2021) and the negative (the likely anti-choice actions of the US Supreme Court in the coming month). And they will also take a look forward with high hopes for the amazing work tens of thousands of women will do in 2022 and subsequent years. In that context, they will preview Rebecca’s new book, Make Herstory Your Story: Your Guided Journal to Justice Every Day for Every Woman, now available for presale; another tool for women activists changing the world for the better.

In conversation with Judge LaDoris Cordell, about her new book, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It.

On the 77th episode of the #VoteHerIn series, Rebecca and Kelly speak with with Abbie Hodgson, Director of The Ascend Fund. Abbie brings more than two decades of experience in politics to her role as the director of The Ascend Fund. She has worked on more than 100 campaigns at all levels across the country, and has even run for office herself. Abbie earned a PhD from the University of Kansas, where her dissertation focused on increasing the number of women in politics by improving the ways organizations recruit, train, and support women in the process of running for office.

In conversation with historian Kathleen Belew about the new book she co-edited with fellow UChicago historian Ramón A. Gutiérrez, called A Field Guide to White Supremacy.

In conversation with Grace Lynch, Senior Producer for Wonder Media and host of the new podcast As She Rises, which centers native voices and women of color to personalize the elusive magnitude of climate change.

In conversation with Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream and United We Dream Action.

Special #MakeHerstory edition of #VoteHerIn, a collaboration of Two Broads Talking Politics & author Rebecca Sive

With Illinois Deputy Gov Sol A. Flores and strategist Alex Sims.

Sol Flores serves as deputy governor in Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s administration overseeing Health and Human Services since February 2019. As Deputy Governor, she helped oversee the administration’s response to COVID-19, including housing relief and vaccination efforts. Additionally, Flores spearheads the administration’s efforts around poverty alleviation, hunger relief, expanding healthcare access to all, and strengthening the state’s safety nets for its most vulnerable residents. She was the founding executive director of La Casa Norte, a non-profit organization established in 2002 that has served more than 30,000 youth and families confronting homelessness. Flores built La Casa Norte from two employees to a multi-million-dollar organization delivering inspiration, hope, and critical services. She is a tireless advocate, having served on numerous working groups, commissions, and nonprofit boards. Flores was raised by a single mother who came to Chicago from Puerto Rico, who was recognized as a national Champion of Change by President Barack Obama.

Alexandra (Alex) P. Sims believes that one's birthplace and economic status shouldn't negatively affect one's life journey, and her career has taught her that real change is brought about when there is synergy, empathy, and aligned purposes among all public affairs sectors: business, government, philanthropy, and grassroots organizing. Alex came to Chicago from metro Detroit to attend Northwestern University. Awarded the prestigious CORO Fellowship, Alex was assigned by the CORO program to serve in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Motivated by President Barack Obama’s education and social policies, Alex was appointed to head his 2012 Presidential campaign for the St. Louis region. Following Obama’s victory, Alex continued as a State Coordinator with Organizing for Action (OFA), relocating to Chicago. It was in Chicago there that she founded Every Vote Counts, where she directed the registration of over 120,000 voters in 4 four months - the largest voter registration campaign in the country that year. While Senior Advisor to the City of Chicago Treasurer, she launched an aggressive and strategic agenda of financial equity and access. Now, founder and CEO of APS and Associates, she counsels numerous clients, including The Obama Foundation and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Both Sol and Alex are graduates of the women in public leadership initiative created by Rebecca Sive for the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

In conversation with Michael Holzman, author of Spies and Traitors: Kim Philby, James Angleton and the Friendship and Betrayal that Would Shape MI6, the CIA and the Cold War.

As we approach National Voter Registration Day, Sarah Audelo, the Executive Director of Alliance for Youth Action, joins Kelly to discuss voting rights and ensuring our nation's newest voters have access to the ballot box.

#VoteHerIn, a collaboration of Two Broads Talking Politics & Rebecca Sive.

Julie Castro Abrams is an expert in board governance and building diverse boards that are a strategic advantage. She is an experienced non profit CEO and entrepreneur and through her consulting practice she supports leaders to build high-performance boards, break through performance for the leaders and high performing multicultural teams. She is Chair and CEO of How Women Lead, a network of over 13,000 women dedicated to promoting diverse women’s voices and propelling women’s leadership forward as well as the Managing Partner of BoardLeaders.com where she actively places leaders on corporate boards and supports them to build inclusive and high-performance boards.

An active investor and advisor to start-ups, Julie also sits on the advisory boards of the fin-tech start-up LENDonate, The New Search Collaborative and is the Governance Chair for the Women’s Funding Network, a network of women’s foundations across the globe. She has previously led the board of multiple nonprofit organizations located throughout the country, including Board Director for the National Council of La Raza, Governance Chair for the Association for Enterprise Opportunity and Board Chair of Cypress String Quartet.

The recipient of many accolades, Julie has won the More Jobs Genius Award, the Morgan Stanley Innovation Award, Cisco’s Innovation in Technology Award, the League of Women Voters’ Women Who Could Be President Award, the Stevie Award for Best Non-Profit Executive, and the Commission on the Status of Women’s Human Rights Award, and is a member of the Women of Color Action Network, Leadership California, and the Marin Women's Hall of Fame. She has also been featured in four books, including “Scrappy Women in Business,” “Women of Courage,” and “The Missing Mentor,” and Fast Company’s video series “30 Second MBA.”