J shares his journey from growing up in a multiracial housing project to becoming a first-generation college student, a gay man learning to embrace his identity, and an HIV-positive activist who found power in love and resistance. His core values—opportunity, compassion, equity, and integrity—have guided his work to transform philanthropy into a practice of belonging.

Lisa and Laurie Lynn discuss the inspiration behind the launch of We're the Leaders We're Looking For podcast.

The concept behind the podcast We’re the Leaders We’re Looking For is rooted in the belief that leadership is not reserved for the few—it lives in all of us. This podcast is a storytelling platform and community dialogue space created by United Way of the Wine Country to uplift the voices of everyday changemakers across Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties.

At its heart, this podcast explores how individuals—especially those from historically marginalized communities—are stepping into leadership by showing up for and with their neighbors, challenging systems of inequity, and building a future rooted in belonging, resilience, and justice.

In a time of disconnection and division, this podcast is a call to action—and a call to belonging. It invites listeners to see themselves as part of a collective movement to transform our region, not through heroics, but through everyday acts of leadership and care.