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, […]
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. 3 — “Be who you’re here to be.” A Conversation with Youth Strategist Patricia Wicks
https://youtu.be/v281cHqhPo0 Village Talks Ep. 3 — “Be who you’re here to be.” A Conversation with Youth Strategist Patricia Wicks What’s up, fam—Damien here. If you’ve been rocking with Village Talks, you already know the heart: bring the village together so our young people don’t just survive—they thrive. The more we connect, share tools, and tell […]
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 […]
AI, Equity, and the Urgency to Personalize K–12 Learning
Hi, I’m Damien Howard—educator, community builder, and founder of SELvie.I’ve spent the last two decades working alongside students and mentors, especially in under-resourced schools. And let me tell you plainly: our current system is not built to personalize learning at scale. The ProblemStudents are falling through the cracks.✅ 40% of Black students in Illinois are chronically […]