Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community

Clifford Brown graduated with honors from Whitman in Economics in 1972, having started in late 1967 but also having taken one year off between his sophomore and junior years. During that year, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railway, as a deckhand on a tugboat on the Columbia river, and as a clerk/typist on an USG oceanographic ship (of the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA), NOAA’s predecessor agency) that travelled from Seattle to Tahiti and various ports in South America. The latter experience prompted a lifelong interest in both international affairs and foreign languages. During his senior year, he thus applied for and won a Thomas Watson Fellowship. That allowed him to spend a full year in Latin America, in Central America and in Chile during the time leading up to the 1973 coup which overthrew Salvador Allende. He also learned Spanish well during that year, and would later become professionally fluent in Russian and French.

He attended law school at UCLA from 1973 to 1976, and he was the Managing Editor of the Law Review in 1975/1976. He eventually also became a partner of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup in Beverly Hills, California. He had practiced corporate law for over a decade when his involvement in a large Chapter 11 bankruptcy case ended in 1986. He applied for a job with the U.S. Agency for International Development and literally took a 2/3 pay-cut to go into the public sector and start a career in foreign aid. The next 28 years allowed him to live in 11 countries. His last career position was that of a Senior Foreign Service Officer, serving as Mission Director for Guinea and Sierra Leone. He then was offered a [plum] position with USAID, teaching economics at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 2009. Partly because even Nobel Prize winning economists disagreed as to what had caused the Great Financial Crisis, he opted instead to retire from USAID and practice law in Richland, Washington. His major achievement in Richland, and his proudest moment, was helping to establish My Friends Place, a licensed shelter for homeless teenagers which is still thriving to this day.

Small town law was not what he expected, so he rejoined USAID as a contractor in Peru in 2013. He served in a variety of positions in the Peru Mission for over three years, happily saw two twin daughters born in Lima in 2014, and returned to Maryland in late 2016 where he continues to consult periodically with contractors interested in USAID work. He also took a job for one year with the Rule of Law Initiative of the American Bar Association, covering programs in West Africa. It got his French back in shape. [His Kyrgyz wife does that for his Russian.]

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf is the Senior Minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston and Co-Associate Regional Minister for the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago. A pastor, scholar, and activist, he works at the intersection of faith, justice, and interreligious solidarity. His forthcoming book, Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice (Judson Press, 2026), co-authored with Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, equips Christians to resist anti-Muslim prejudice as an expression of discipleship. Through his ministry and writing, Woolf calls faith communities to embody courage, humility, and compassion in building a more just and pluralistic society.

You can purchase the book by clicking here.  

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Empowering artists to create theatre that sparks social change—one performance, one audience, one ripple effect at a time.

For 16 years, Jessie Fahay has been proving that theatre isn’t just entertainment—it’s a catalyst for justice. As Founder and Executive Director of Ripple Effect Artists, she has produced dozens of original productions addressing LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, gender-based violence, and climate action, reaching thousands of audience members and providing FREE performances to NYC students.

Her approach is simple but powerful: every show ends with a talk-back that moves audiences from passive viewing to active engagement. Ripple Effect Artists partners with grassroots organizations, donates proceeds to social justice causes, and challenges every audience with one question: WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN YOU MAKE?

She shared this philosophy in her TEDx talk at NC State University, “We Are Missing Out! The Arts Are Our Superpower!”—where she explored how theatre uniquely creates empathy, dialogue, and meaningful action.

Her background blends art and business:

• MFA in Acting from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (UK)

• MBA from Capella University

• SAG-AFTRA & Actors’ Equity member

• Published author and playwright

• Professional actor, singer, and public speaker who has addressed 200+ drama educators nationwide

Beyond theatre, she works as an NYC Destination Manager, sharing her passion for the city with visitors from around the world and training guides to do the same.

She specializes in: Social justice theatre production • Acting & voice coaching • Business strategy for artists • Public speaking • Philanthropic partnerships • Teaching artist programs • Corporate workshops using theatre techniques

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Steven Cong is a queer Chinese American emcee and a West Coast native. He found a love for rap as someone who was an "outsider" in every way during his teenage years. Music became a safe haven to share his truths and center his voice. By extension, his songs center the voices of those who are often pushed to the margins, even though our experiences and perspectives can be just as universal. Steven has performed at events across the Bay Area from San Jose to San Francisco, including the A&PI Stage at San Francisco Pride.

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

David Homan is the founder and CEO of Orchestrated Connecting, a global community of connectors; Orchestrated Opportunities, an impact-focused advisory firm; and SOAR CONNECT, a start-up focused on the strength of authentic relationships. He hosts a podcast called Orchestrated Relationships focused on developing relationship value, is an active classical composer, and is a proud father of two. From middle-class beginnings as the son of a college professor father and nonprofit-focused mother, he has built a network reaching into the most private and incredible circles globally while maintaining a code of purposeful community building called Orchestrated Connecting.

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

David Beckemeyer is a retired tech executive and founding CTO of EarthLink who now hosts the Outrage Overload podcast. He blends tech insight, social science, and real-world experience to help people understand polarization and find healthier ways to connect, communicate, and stay grounded in a noisy world.

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Shivani Malik was born and raised in India. She immigrated to the US to pursue her PhD and completed her training at Stanford University and University of California San Francisco. As a mirror of her own journey, she has authored The Sky is Different Here (February 17, 2026), a poignant exploration of grief, identity, and belonging that will resonate with anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world. This is her debut novel. She currently leads a group of researchers in an oncology focused biotech in San Diego where she resides with her husband and their dog.

You can learn more about Shivani and her work at the following websites:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivamalik/https://substack.com/@shivanimalikhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sky-is-Different-Here/Shivani-Malik-PhD/9798896360742

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Diana Colleen is a Canadian, Seattle-based psychedelic facilitator and writer whose work blends consciousness, healing, and social change. After profound transformation through psychedelic-assisted therapy, she developed a deep commitment to storytelling as a tool for challenging entrenched systems of power. Her work explores what humanity could become if empathy, contribution, and accountability replaced ego and competition. Through fiction, she examines the climate crisis, billionaire accountability, and the inner work required for meaningful change.

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Jenna Udenberg is a lifelong resident from the Northshore of Minnesota and is a former music educator of 19 years. She has used a manual wheelchair since the age of 8 due to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Jenna is a 2017 Blandin Foundation Community Leader, a 2020 Bush Fellow, and a 2025 Shannon Leadership Institute Fellow. Writing for the Lake County Press in her column, Local View from 4 foot 2, inspires vulnerability and the sharing of lived experiences from the seated perspective. Within My Spokes: A Tapestry of Pain, Growth & Freedom is Jenna’s published memoir which you can find on the A&BWU website, on Amazon or wherever you find your books. In her free time, you can find Jenna outdoors on paved trails or fishing with friends, playing board and card games, as well as coaching the Robo Dweebs, a LEGO robotics team. Jenna is the founder of the non-profit, Above & Beyond With U, which works to increase accessibility and inclusion in Minnesota and beyond.

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e

Roz Thomas (they/them) is a gender-queer, non-binary, bisexual Black activist and disability advocate whose work is grounded in lived experience, deep reflection, and a lifelong commitment to justice. As an autistic and neurodivergent person navigating chronic illness, Roz brings nuance and honesty to conversations about access, self-compassion, and what it truly means to move through the world in disabled and marginalized bodies.

Their journey into community work began in childhood, shaped by growing up in a multiracial Texas community and witnessing the real-time impacts of racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and poverty on their friends and neighbors. With roots in sociology and leadership through Public Allies, Roz centers asset-based, community-driven approaches and believes deeply in the collective power everyday people hold to build a more just, hopeful world.

Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e