Village Talks Ep. 35 — Dr. Nate Landis with Urban Youth Collaborative on”Activating The Village”
https://youtu.be/kMq6xZLXrb4 How Nate Landis Is Activating the Village to Reach Every Student, Everywhere When Damien Howard sat down with Nate Landis for this Village Talks conversation, one thing became immediately clear: This work isn’t just about mentoring.It’s about mobilizing an entire village—across schools, churches, and communities—to reach young people where they are. And not just locally… […]
Village Talks Ep. 34 — Kelvin Riddle of Military Mentors on “Beyond The Uniform”
https://youtu.be/_QuPBSRL14I Beyond the Uniform: How Mentorship is Transforming Military Communities Featuring Dr. Kelvin Riddle, Military Mentors There are some conversations that introduce you to a new idea. And then there are conversations that make you realize…we’ve been overlooking something that’s been right in front of us the whole time. That’s what this conversation with Dr. […]
Village Talks Ep. 33 — Marcus Strother with MENTOR California on”Building a Mentoring Ecosystem That Actually Works”
https://youtu.be/s1DAHwvZ5a4 Building a Mentoring Ecosystem That Actually Works Featuring Marcus Strother, Executive Director of MENTOR California There’s something powerful about hearing someone say, “I’m just a kid from Kankakee.” Not because it sounds humble.But because it reminds you that the people leading national movements… often started in the same places as the young people they’re trying […]
Village Talks Ep. 32 — Velez Childress on”From ‘Grandma’ to Movement Builder”
https://youtu.be/mz6vLMhlk4I From “Grandma” to Movement Builder: How Velez Childress Is Reimagining Mentorship There’s a moment in every mentoring journey where young people stop showing up just because they have to… …and start showing up because they want to. For Velez Childress, that moment looked like a group of high school students walking into a room […]
Village Talks Ep. 31 — Isaiah Marshall on “Multiplying Mentorship Through Discipleship”
https://youtu.be/RvTl9dge6iw How Isaiah Marshall Is Multiplying Mentorship Through Discipleship and the Village When Damien Howard sat down with Isaiah Marshall on Village Talks, the conversation didn’t just center on mentoring young people. It went deeper. This was about multiplying impact—not just showing up for youth, but equipping the people who show up for youth every day. Isaiah, Director of Ministry […]
Village Talks Ep. 30 — Julianne Lang on “Rural Roots. Real Leadership.”
https://youtu.be/WOnjEklJoRY 🌱 Rural Roots. Real Leadership. What Julianne Lang is Building—and Why It Matters Big things are happening in places most people overlook. Not in major cities.Not in headline districts. But in a rural community in South Carolina—where leadership isn’t just taught… it’s lived. On this episode of #VillageTalks, I had the opportunity to sit […]
Village Talks Ep. 29 — Jose Santiago on “Building Systems Where Students Feel Seen”
https://youtu.be/8eu9Weqq_0U #VillageTalks: Jose Santiago — Building Systems Where Students Feel Seen Some leaders do more than manage systems. They transform them. That is exactly what stood out in this powerful #VillageTalks conversation with Jose Santiago. Jose currently serves as an assistant principal in Chicago, leads work around culture, belonging, attendance, discipline, and student services, and […]
Village Talks Ep. 28 — Tony and Juliana with Youth Mentoring Connection on “Healing Through Connection”
https://youtu.be/lL1Vgv4OBaE #VillageTalks: Tony LoRe & Juliana Wells — Healing Through Connection in South Central LA Sometimes the most powerful work in youth development is not found in curriculum. It is found in connection. That was the heartbeat of this powerful #VillageTalks conversation with Tony LoRe and Juliana Wells of Youth Mentoring Connection. From the very beginning, […]
Village Talks Ep. 27 — Amanda Schneider with Right Moves on “Building Belonging, Access, and Opportunity”
https://youtu.be/8BdhhIHfMso #VillageTalks: Amanda Schneider — Building Belonging, Access, and Opportunity with Right Moves for Youth Sometimes the most powerful work in youth development doesn’t begin after school. It begins during the school day, right where young people already are. That was one of the most powerful takeaways from this #VillageTalks conversation with Amanda Schneider, Director of […]
Village Talks Ep. 26 — Toni Nelson with SAGE on “Protecting Black Girlhood”
https://youtu.be/ElDsZy39GMo # Protecting Black Girlhood: How Toni Nelson and SAGE Are Building a Village in Southeast Raleigh When Toni Nelson talks about her girls, her whole energy shifts. Her voice gets firm. Her pace slows down. Every word is intentional. You can feel that, for Tony, the room where SAGE meets each week is sacred […]