Alf's The Dialogue

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, we hear from ALF Senior Fellow and Chief Growth Officer at Launch Your First, Tony Lam, of Class XLII. Tony tells the story of his family's arrival in the US after the fall of Saigon, talks about his experience bridging his life as an entrepreneur, and shares his drive to bring change and opportunity to the autistic community with the launch of Andy's Cafe. Tony also shares his reaction to being approached by a colleague who encouraged him to consider joining the Fellows Program.

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, we're revisiting our interview with American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, of Class XVI. Suzanne St. John-Crane, ALF Silicon Valley CEO and The Dialogue Podcast Executive Producer, sat down with Phaedra in 2019 to discuss the leadership roles that catapulted her to the work of creating a more just, equitable, and inclusive world. Phaedra's eclectic career path included leading the South Bay Labor Council, representing more than 110,000 union members, working to expand universal healthcare for children, to working with Prince in reclaiming ownership of his music catalog. Her latest venture, Promise, is a "decarceration startup" that uses technology to reduce recidivism, minimize costs and promote public safety.

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, we're featuring American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow Cynthia Bright. Cynthia is a member of Class XLIII and serves as the Deputy General Counsel and Global Head of Litigation Ethics and Compliance at HP Inc. Cynthia shares the story of what led her to accept the invitation to the fellows program, and how the experience evolved her view of her own leadership. She also gives us insight into how the bond between classmates fueled a strong spirit of collaboration that has led to countless joint efforts since even before the group completed their year-long journey.

In this episode of the dialogue podcast, we're featuring ALF Senior Fellow Usha Srinivasan of Class XLII. Usha shares a reading of her contribution to Making Waves—AAPI Voices, a project of ALF Silicon Valley's AAPI Caucus. Through this project, the group hopes to share the experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with the ALF network and broader community. Usha Srinivasan is the Founding CEO and President of Mosaic America, a nonprofit organization that aims to strengthen diverse communities through collaborative multicultural arts. Usha is a trained Bharatanatyam (Classical Indian) dancer who is passionate about using the arts to strengthen the community. She is a Knight Foundation Creative Community Fellow (2016-17) and a member of the Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) Cohort (2015-16) in San Jose. She has served on the boards of World Arts West, Wildlife Rescue Palo Alto, and the City of Santa Clara's Cultural Commission. Usha holds a master's degree in Electrical Engineering

In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, ALF Silicon Valley CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane sits down with author, activist, and faith leader Rev. Ben McBride for a one-on-one, in-depth conversation about his new book, Troubling the Water: The Urgent Work of Radical Belonging, the division that seems to permeate every sector of society, and the work of widening the circle of inclusion and belonging. Ben posits that radical belonging means looking at our implicit biases, faulty understandings of power, and how we "other"—or "same"—people. Sometimes, it even means troubling the waters—speaking hard truths in situations that appear calm but that cloak injustice. Rev. Ben McBride is an internationally recognized faith leader, activist, and sought-after speaker who has spoken to large audiences in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. McBride is the founder of the Empower Initiative and the Bring the HEAT campaign, and he served as director of PICO California. McBride was featured in the Sundance

For Senior Fellow Vandana Kumar (Class XXXIX), storytelling is integral to life. From the stories told to her by her maternal grandmother about protecting their property under the British Raj to her mother’s telling of the non-violent resistance formed in her grandfather’s house, inspiration came early. With the confidence and valuable life lessons sparked by these two women, Vandana came to the U.S. to embark on her own journey of storytelling. Today, Vandana Kumar is a publishing executive with a 35-year track record in the industry. She leads the India Currents Foundation as President and CEO. As a new immigrant, she co-founded India Currents magazine in 1987 and published an award-winning print magazine from April 1987 to Dec 2017. Fully digital today, India Currents has the largest following among Indians in the United States and recently won the California News Publishers Association award for General Excellence in Digital Publishing. In this episode of The Dialogue Podcast, Vandana shares a reading o

In this episode of ALF's The Dialogue Podcast, host and ALF Silicon Valley CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane is joined by Carin Taylor and Eureka Daye. Carin and Eureka are members of Class XLII, the current Fellows Program class, now in the final months of their yearlong Fellows Program journey. Carin and Eureka discuss their experience going into the Fellows Program, reflecting on their fears, apprehensions, and ultimate takeaways from their weeklong wilderness trip, a central part of the annual Fellows Program experience. Carin is the Chief Diversity Officer at Workday and has global responsibility for the development and execution of Workday's inclusion and diversity strategy. Eureka is the Director of Custody Health & Custody Behavioral Healthcare for the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System. About The Dialogue Podcast ALF's The Dialogue Podcast was made possible by the ALF Silicon Valley Network, with special thanks to our Leadership Circle members and the 2023 Exemplary Leadership Celebration pre

Our guest in this episode of The Dialogue is author, entrepreneur, public servant, retired executive, and ALF Class XVIII Senior Fellow, Eddie García. Eddie's new book, Summer in the Waiting Room: Faith, Hope, Love, tells the incredible story of his journey to overcome his fear of failure, his drive to succeed, and the sudden heart attack that left him clinging to life in the ICU. Eddie joins ALF Marketing & Communications Director Richard Ángel Vega via Zoom to give a first-hand account of his health crisis and describes how the love of his family and a journey of faith led him to share his story. Eddie García is the former Vice President of Local Government Affairs for Comcast of California, Founder of the Latino Leadership Alliance Leadership Academy, past Board Trustee for the East Side Union High School District, and Founder of García Strategies Leadership Development. Summer In The Waiting Room - Faith, Hope, Love: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZFC5HFX?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 About The Dialogue

We're working on all-new episodes of ALF's The Dialogue Podcast, including new installments of our popular Senior Fellow Spotlight series, where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of our most remarkable Senior Fellows. To get us ready for the upcoming season, we're taking you back to April 2020 and our first-ever Senior Fellow Spotlight episode with Silicon Valley pioneer Ken Coleman of ALF Class III! Ken talks about his early life in a small town in southern Illinois, lessons learned from serving as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force, and his eventual move to the Bay Area, where he began a storied career starting with HP in 1972. In 1999, Ken was named one of the ten most influential African Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2001, he was named one of the top 25 Black executives in technology by Black Enterprise magazine. He is also the recipient of numerous honors, including our very own Exemplary Leader Award; the Ohio State University Distinguished Servi

On June 24, 2022, ALF Senior Fellows and Fellows from our national network joined together to learn and share about our roles and opportunities to think and act in new ways to make and keep our communities safe. This ALF National event featured local and national leaders in law enforcement and civil rights from California, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington. The panel was moderated by ALF Silicon Valley Fellows Program Co-Facilitator, Rick Williams (Class XXXIII). Panelists: -Louis Cooper, Sr. Director of Security & Corporate Social Responsibility, Port of Tacoma, and member, Tacoma Police Advisory Committee (ALF Tacoma, Class XX) -Officer James Gonzales, San Jose Police Department and co-leader, ALF Justice & Safety Learning Community (ALF Silicon Valley, Class XXVII) -Darcie Green, Executive Director, Latinas Contra Cancer, and co-leader, ALF Justice & Safety Learning Community (ALF Silicon Valley, Class XXVIII) -Chief Jeffrey Ledford, Shelby Police Department (ALF Charlotte Region, Class XV) -Chi

In this episode, we are joined by Senior Fellow Jessica Paz-Cedillos (ALF Class XLI) and Vanessa Shieh, Co-Executive Directors at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San José. During the pandemic, the Mexican Heritage Plaza became a community hub for essential resources and information, feeding over 50,000 residents, testing 15,000 individuals, and vaccinating 25,000 people. We talk to Jessica and Vanessa about their work at the Mexican Heritage Plaza over the last several years, their ability to pivot during the pandemic, and their unique journeys to their current leadership roles. We also learn about the Fellows Program dialogue exercise that had a significant impact on Jessica during a critical time in her life. About Jessica Paz-Cedillos Jessica is the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador. She was born and raised in East Oakland and knows firsthand the impact that arts and culture can have to build pride, preserve our heritage, and fuel community an

In this episode, we're bringing you another Senior Fellows Spotlight where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of the most remarkable leaders in the ALF network. Listen as we hear from veteran business leader and ALF Senior Fellow Linda C. Lawrence (Class XIII) about her work in the early days of global technology firms like Netscape and Apple. She offers us insight into how she navigated being the only woman at the table and how she worked to establish her place in the male-dominated international executive space. She also shares how she learned the value of service at an early age and how those values have shaped her personal and professional trajectory. Linda Lawrence, is a successful global business leader & advisor -- both for profit (Trustworthy AI, Owl Eye Media, Netscape/AOL, Apple Computer, and Dogfight LLC, producers of the award-winning film Speed & Angels);  and for impact (Truhoma, Let It Ripple, Zero1, Open Media Network, American Leadership Forum, Friends o

Recorded live during our Jan. 13 event featuring Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, ALF Senior Fellow (Class VIII) and author of Her Honor: My Life on the Bench… What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change It.

Recorded live during our October 19, 2021 event: A Conversation with Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. ALF Senior Fellows, Fellows, and guests heard from Darren Walker in dialogue with ALF CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane. The two discussed reparations and what we, as leaders in our community, can do to repair and heal our communities and democracy. ALF Board Chair and Senior Fellow Jon Hicks (Class XXXI) opened the session, followed by ALF Senior Fellow Carol Larson (Class XV), who introduced Mr. Walker. Darren Walker has been included on numerous leadership lists, including Time’s annual 100 Most Influential People, Rolling Stone’s 25 People Shaping the Future, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Ebony’s Power 100, Out magazine’s Power 50, and the Wall Street Journal’s 2020 Philanthropy Innovator.

ALF Silicon Valley CEO and host of The Dialogue Podcast, Suzanne St. John-Crane, is joined in this episode by Senior Fellows Jayne Battey (Class XXIV) and Mark Bahaus (Class XX) to discuss what we can all do in the face of a changing climate. Jayne and Mark each give insights into their personal and professional conservation and climate action journeys and discuss how others can help reduce the footprint we leave on the planet. Our guests are both members of ALF's Climate Action and Sustainability Affinity Group, which aims to bring together a diverse group of leaders to consider cross-sector solutions to accelerate carbon reduction locally. About our guests: Jayne Battey is the founder and owner of Miramar Farms, a leadership development center north of Half Moon Bay. Jayne provides senior leadership coaching and facilitation for organizations working primarily on environmental, health, housing, and education work. She is vice-chair the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and previ

Extraordinary people. Transformative year. It's a phrase we often use here at ALF to describe the Fellows Program, and it's a description that takes on added meaning for ALF Class XXXIX. When Toni Vanwinkle, Senior Director of Digital Workplace Experience at Adobe, and Miguel Marquez, Chief Operating Officer for the County of Santa Clara, accepted the invitation to participate in Class XXXIX, they had no idea just how transformative - and challenging - the experience would be. Toni and Miguel chat with CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane about embarking on their 2020 Fellows journey amid a pandemic and other crises while simultaneously building a support system for each other in an extraordinary year of upheaval and uncertainty. Listen to Toni and Miguel discuss how the container was set virtually for intense conversations, bonding, and reimagining a new normal.

Recorded live during our June 11 event, Why Equality Is The Future of Work: Preparing For The Post Pandemic Workplace, the ALF network joined author Michelle King and host Jon Hicks to discuss being a leader for gender equality and equity in the workplace. Participants also gained insights into moving from goal to action to create more equitable policies, practices, and cultures that support our people, organizations, and businesses. Featuring Michelle King, globally recognized expert on gender equality and organizational culture, author of THE FIX: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work, and founder and managing director of Equality Forward, a global consultancy that specializes in building cultures of Equality. Hosted by ALF Senior Fellow and Board Vice-Chair, Jon Hicks (Class XXXI).

In celebration of Pride Month, we've turned The Dialogue podcast microphone over to three Senior Fellows who join us to discuss a brief history of the LGBTQ+ community in Santa Clara County. Our guest host for this special episode is Dr. Amor Santiago (Class XV), Vice President of Development and Community Affairs at Project Open Hand. Joining Amor is Terry Christensen (Class XIV), Professor Emeritus, SJSU; Host and Executive Producer of Valley Politics for CreaTV; and Ken Yeager (Class VI), Former SCC Supervisor; Executive Director, BAYMEC Community Foundation; Creator of QueerSiliconValley.org. Our three guests delve into key milestones in the LGBTQ+ rights movement locally and beyond, reflect on the road ahead, and preview the culmination of decades of experiences in the new exhibit titled Coming Out: 50 Years of Queer Resistance & Resilience in Silicon Valley, opening June 25th, 2021. Learn more about Queer Silicon Valley and the exhibit at History San Jose at queersiliconvalley.org.

In this episode, we continue with our Senior Fellows Spotlight series, where we offer a glimpse into the personal and professional journeys of some of the most remarkable Senior Fellows in the ALF network. In today's show, we're pleased to feature a truly inspiring individual, San José Fire Chief Robert Sapien of ALF Class XXV. Robert talks to us about early memories of growing up near King and Story in East San José and reflects on his mother's impact on his sense of community and his commitment to the common good. We also hear Chief Sapien discuss his career trajectory, key lessons he's learned along the way, and his view of seeing our way through what currently divides us. Robert attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San José and joined the San Jose Fire Department as a firefighter in 1989. He rose through the ranks as a fire engineer, fire captain, battalion chief, and Deputy Chief of Bureau of Field Operations. In 2016, Robert was appointed Assistant Fire Chief, then Acting Fire Chief in 2017.

Recorded live during our April 22nd event, Stop AAPI Hate: A Conversation with Dr. Russell Jeung. Featuring Dr. Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Chair, Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. Listen to Dr. Jeung and members of ALF's AAPI Caucus discuss the experiences of the AAPI community in this time of resurging anti-Asian violence and what we can do to stand united against all forms of racism.