Staying Lit for Chicago Youth – Village Talks Ep. 40 with Dr. Carol Collum
https://youtu.be/iIIDFkqajd0 Dr. Carol Collum Is Building the Village Chicago’s Young People Deserve When you ask Dr. Carol Collum what she does, she doesn’t start with titles. She starts with responsibility. As founder and executive director of True Believers Community Connections and its youth initiative Stay Lit, Dr. Collum has planted herself on the corner of […]
Making Mentoring a Statewide Movement in Minnesota – Village Talks Ep.39
https://youtu.be/4F2-OC92a8c How Sarah Schaefer Is Making Mentoring a Statewide Movement in Minnesota When Sarah Schaefer talks about mentoring, she isn’t speaking in theory. She’s describing her life. Today, Sarah serves as Executive Director of Mentor Minnesota, supporting around 200 mentoring programs that collectively reach an estimated 130,000 young people across the state. But her commitment […]
Village Talks Ep. 25 — Mark Hudson with 100 Black Men on “Growing Boys into Whole People”
https://youtu.be/DQVaJZJUGQs Mark Hudson on Growing Boys into Whole People with 100 Black Men When Mark Hudson talks about young people, he doesn’t start with careers, college, or test scores. He starts with this: “The important part for our young people, especially in this highly politicized, highly socialized, highly digital society, is that they become complete […]
Village Talks Ep. 20 — Christopher Santos with BBBS on “Be In Their Corner”
https://youtu.be/gNqSANGrCt0 Village Talks Episode: Why Every Young Person Needs Someone in Their Corner with Christopher Santos In this episode of Village Talks, Damien Howard sits down with Christopher Santos of Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County to explore a truth that is both simple and urgent: Every young person needs someone in their corner. Christopher’s journey […]
Village Talks Ep. 4 — Cliff Goins on Wealth, Nonprofits, and Building a Real Village
https://youtu.be/VrzFyR9tDZs Village Talks Ep. 4 — Cliff Goins on Wealth, Nonprofits, and Building a Real Village What’s up, fam—Damien here. Today’s conversation hit me in the gut (in the best way). My brother Cliff Goins IV—South Side native, Whitney Young alum, investor, and author—joins Village Talks to get real about economic agency, nonprofit clarity, and how the village […]
Village Talks Ep. 2: Building Bridges Between Nonprofit & For-Profit with Vince Edwards
https://youtu.be/1LhixbvlFp4 “It takes a village to raise a child.” That African proverb shaped this week’s conversation on Village Talks, where we explored what it means to mobilize the power of community—not just in words, but through strategic partnerships and innovative ideas. I sat down with Vincent Edwards, a seasoned entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of the Empire Builders Foundation, to […]