Village Talks Ep. 15 – Shawn Mintz of Mentor City with “Mentorship Beyond Borders”
https://youtu.be/2M_qpJJBrsE Village Talks Episode 15: Mentorship Beyond Borders Featuring Shawn Mintz, Founder of MentorCity What happens when you believe in an idea so deeply… that you max out every credit card, cold call 500 companies, get rejected daily—and still refuse to quit? That’s the heart of Episode 15 of Village Talks. This conversation with Shawn Mintz, Founder […]
Village Talks Ep. 14 – Robin Koelsch of CIS with The Village Is a Verb
https://youtu.be/YF6IUDntETw Episode 14: The Village Is a Verb (with Robin Koelsch, CIS Chicago) What is up, Village? You already know what it is — it’s your friend Damien Howard with another episode of Village Talks. And I’m not even going to pretend I’m “calm” about this one. Because sometimes the podcast isn’t about meeting a new person. Sometimes […]
Village Talks Ep. 13 — Seeing Yourself Fully — Debra Giunta on SEL, Second Chances, and the Power of Being Re-Seen
https://youtu.be/YSE5Pwx_dDY Episode 13: Seeing Yourself Fully — Debra Giunta on SEL, Second Chances, and the Power of Being Re-Seen Short Page Description A powerful Village Talks conversation with Debra Giunta on social-emotional learning, identity, second chances, and why real growth happens when someone chooses to see you differently. Village Talks Episode 13 Seeing Yourself Fully […]
Village Talks Ep. 12 — Delores Druilhet Morton with The Power of Being Proximate
https://youtu.be/R3shJhzOhfI Flash Mentoring, Real-Time Support, and the Power of Being Proximate(Village Talks • Season 1, Episode 12 with Delores Druilhet Morton, CEO of Step Up) When mentorship is urgent, not “nice-to-have” Some episodes feel like a normal interview. This one felt like a strategy session for the village. In Season 1, Episode 12 of Village Talks, I […]
Village Talks Ep. 11 — Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan on The Freedom to Dream
https://youtu.be/8Bng0SvCg6g Freedom to Dream: Rethinking Mentorship, Eldership, and What Our Kids Truly Need There are conversations that inform you.And then there are conversations that reframe you. Episode 11 of Village Talks was the latter. In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan, Chief Visionary Officer and Co-Founder of the Youth Mentoring Action Network in Southern California. From the moment we […]
Village Talks Ep. 10 — Alicia D. Crudup on Kinship, Calling, and Community
https://youtu.be/1ZuogunX7xw Village Talks Ep. 10 – Alicia D. Crudup on Kinship, Calling, and Community Hitting double digits feels like a milestone. Episode 10 of Village Talks isn’t just another conversation—it’s a reminder that when you follow calling instead of comfort, the work has a way of finding you exactly where you’re needed. In this episode, I sat […]
Village Talks Ep. 9 — Devord Allen on Awakening the Dreamer Within Our Communities
https://youtu.be/Cmw9WDAPMdE Got it 👍 — here is the corrected blog post, with the guest’s name updated everywhere to Devord. Village Talks Ep. 9: Awakening the Dreamer Within Our Communities Some conversations don’t start with credentials or titles.They start with real talk. When I first met Devord, we didn’t exchange résumés. We didn’t lead with organizations or accolades. What we […]
Village Talks Ep. 8 — Mark Chassman on Building Places, People, and Pathways
https://youtu.be/h5aF5FrnYPM Village Talks — Mark Chassman on Building Places, People, and Pathways in North Chicago What’s up, Village – Damien here! Episode 8 felt like a beginning. I’m talking new-start energy — and there’s no one I’d rather have on this conversation than my friend Mark Chassman. We’ve known each other for 13 years; he’s […]
Village Talks Ep. 6 – Pam Schilling on Preparing Young People for What’s Next
https://youtu.be/DaGZIQ9ejyM Village Talks — Pam Schilling on Mentorship, Nonlinear Careers, and Preparing Young People for What’s Next What is up, Village—Damien here. You know I come into these conversations easily excitable, but this one really hit home. I got to sit down with my friend Pam Schilling, someone I met through the edtech/entrepreneurship space here in […]
Village Talks Ep. 5 — Karen Van Ausdal on A Chicago Built to Thrive
https://youtu.be/_rBSAuZ3ugs Village Talks Ep. 5 — Karen Van Ausdal on SEL, Ecosystems, and a Chicago Built to Thrive What’s up, Village—Damien here. You know I get excited about every conversation, but today hits different. I sat down with Karen Van Ausdal—teacher turned system-builder, former head of CPS’s Office of Social Emotional Learning, longtime national leader with CASEL, […]