Stop & Talk

Sparkle Barnes is President and CEO of Health Center Partners of Southern California and its Family of Companies, where she leads a network supporting community health centers across the region. Since joining the organization, she has held a series of leadership roles, including Chief Strategy Officer and President of CNECT. Under her leadership, Health Center Partners launched Next50: A Legacy of Impact, a Future of Innovation, a strategic plan focused on strengthening and evolving its work for the years ahead. Her connection to the work is also personal: growing up in a working-class family, she experienced firsthand what it meant when a family could not afford health insurance.

In this episode:

Our health shapes what we’re able to do with our lives: pursue a dream, care for our families, build a career, or simply show up for the people and places that matter to us.

That belief is at the heart of Sparkle Barnes’ work as President and CEO of Health Center Partners, and it is why federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) matter so much.

You may not know what an FQHC is, but there’s a good chance you or someone you know depends on one. Through Health Center Partners’ members alone, community health centers serve roughly 580,000 people in San Diego County. Rooted in the communities they serve, they connect primary care with behavioral health, oral health, and other supports that help people overcome barriers to getting and staying healthy.

In this episode, Sparkle and Grant explore what makes that model so essential and what’s at stake as changes stemming from the H.R.1 bill could leave more people uninsured, and put health centers under immense financial strain. When access to primary care shrinks, the effects ripple outward: people delay care, get sicker, and put greater pressure on emergency rooms and the healthcare system we all rely on.

Sparkle also shares how Health Center Partners is responding through collaboration, innovation, and better data, while keeping the focus on the people behind the numbers. As policy changes unfold, she remains resolute in their mission to help people have the health they need to pursue the lives they imagine for themselves and their families.

Key Moments:

• [6:45] Why being rooted in community helps health centers meet people where they are in life
• [14:12] The surprising scale of federally qualified health centers nationally and in San Diego
• [22:07] What H.R. 1 and changes in health coverage could mean for patients and community health centers
• [27:19] Why investing in primary care is an investment in the entire healthcare system
• [36:20] How better data and patient stories can reveal the real impact of policy changes

Terms

• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) – Community-based health centers that provide comprehensive primary care and services such as behavioral and oral healthcare, including for patients who are uninsured.
• H.R. 1 – Federal legislation enacted in 2025 that made major changes to Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, along with other health and safety-net programs.
• Medi-Cal – California’s Medicaid program and an important source of health coverage for many Californians.
• Atlas – A Health Center Partners initiative, supported by Prebys, designed to track changes in healthcare access closer to real time while also capturing the experiences of patients behind the data.

Resources

• Health Center Partners of Southern California – A network supporting community health centers across San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties.
• H.R. 1 and Medi-Cal in California – A California Health Care Foundation guide to how federal H.R. 1 changes could affect Medi-Cal coverage, patients, and California’s healthcare system.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Mario Ordóñez-Calderón is a Maya Indigenous leader, U.S. Navy veteran, surfer, and Founding Executive Director of Un Mar de Colores, an Indigenous-led nonprofit advancing ocean access, youth wellbeing, and coastal resilience. His work sits at the intersection of coastlines and culture, using environmental education, eco-therapy, and youth leadership to position the ocean as both a learning environment and a place of collective care. Mario also serves on the Environmental Justice Advisory Board of the California Ocean Protection Council and has helped bring Un Mar de Colores’ work into regional and international conversations about ocean health, climate resilience, and equitable coastal access.

This Episode

San Diego County is shaped by the ocean. But living near the coast doesn’t necessarily mean feeling connected to it.

Mario Ordóñez-Calderón didn’t learn to surf until adulthood. Once he did, he recognized water as a throughline connecting his family’s roots in Yucatán, his own sense of identity, and a growing belief that young people deserve the opportunity to build their own relationship with the places around them.

That belief is at the heart of Un Mar de Colores, where surfing becomes an invitation into something deeper: connection with water, place, and community.

In this conversation, Mario and Grant explore what access really means when getting to the beach is only the beginning. Mario shares how his grandfather’s teachings shaped his understanding of reciprocity with nature; how young people and their families experience healing and confidence at the water’s edge; and why helping someone feel that “this is your shoreline too” can change their relationship with themselves and their community.

They also get into the systems behind that work. Mario recounts helping advance legislation that reduced barriers for outdoor equity programs, then discovering that passing a law was only the first step. His experience working with lifeguards and public officials in Oceanside offers another lesson from the episode: meaningful access often depends on persistence, partnership, and people willing to rethink how public spaces work.

Key Moments:

• [8:17] Why an invitation can change whether the shoreline feels accessible
• [9:42] Navigating the barriers that led to new outdoor access legislation
• [24:14] How Mario’s Indigenous Mayan heritage shapes his relationship with place
• [32:09] What healing through nature can look like for a child and their family
• [44:38] Why Mario is choosing depth, sustainability, and returning youth leaders over traditional ideas of scale

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Un Mar de Colores – Connecting youth with the ocean through surfing, environmental education, mentorship, and community
• AB 2939 – California legislation that reduced permitting barriers for qualifying outdoor equity programs using public parks and beaches
• Outdoor Outreach – a San Diego based nonprofit that utilizes the outdoors to inspire youth to see possibility and opportunity in their lives.
• Healing Through Arts and Nature – Supporting community-based approaches that use arts and nature to strengthen wellbeing

Take Action:

• Invite Someone In – Sometimes access begins with simply letting someone know, “This is your shoreline too.”
• Reconnect With Place – Spend time with the natural spaces and waterways that shape your community.
• Look Beyond Physical Access – Consider the financial, cultural, and institutional barriers that can make public spaces feel distant.
• Make Room for Connection – Support experiences that allow young people and families to build their own relationship with nature, at their own pace.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

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Alan Sorkin is a nonprofit leader, mentor-coach, entrepreneur, and member of the Prebys Foundation Board. He co-founded and served as volunteer CEO of San Diego Social Venture Partners, now Amplify Impact Partners, led the San Diego-Tijuana Bi-National Coalition to reduce substance abuse, and has advised more than 50 small businesses through Vistage Worldwide. Across his work, Alan helps leaders make better decisions, strengthen organizations, and achieve greater impact.

This Episode:

How do leaders turn hard-earned lessons into greater impact?

Grant and Alan trace the experiences that shaped Alan’s philosophy of service, from his first childhood fundraising effort to launching businesses, founding nonprofit organizations, coaching CEOs, and helping guide the Prebys Foundation.

They discuss why success can become a trap, how imposter syndrome affects even highly accomplished leaders, and why listening is one of the most important and overlooked leadership skills. Alan also reflects on the personal experience that drew him into the nonprofit sector and what he learned by bringing business and nonprofit leaders together.

The conversation explores the difference between directing people and helping them find a shared vision, why organizations must keep adapting, and how philanthropy can move beyond generosity toward meaningful, lasting impact.

Key Moments:

• [1:47] The childhood fundraising lesson that taught Alan about leverage
• [14:24] Imposter syndrome, anxiety, and the pressure leaders carry
• [24:40] Why effective leadership begins with listening
• [37:24] Helping the Prebys Foundation move from generosity toward impact
• [42:37] The shared foundations of businesses, nonprofits, and philanthropy

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Amplified Impact Partners – Formerly Social Venture Partners San Diego, Amplified connects experienced professionals with nonprofits seeking strategic guidance, capacity support, and stronger organizational sustainability.
• Vistage – A peer advisory and executive coaching organization where Alan has helped CEOs learn from one another, examine their blind spots, and become more effective leaders.

Take Action:

• Listen Before You Lead – Understand what people care about before trying to create the vision or direct the solution.
• Make New Mistakes – Learn from the experience of others rather than repeating problems that have already been solved.
• Examine Your Success – Ask whether a successful model is still serving its purpose or preventing necessary change.
• Use More Than Money – Consider how your time, knowledge, relationships, and experience can strengthen organizations and leaders.
• Build a Shared North Star – Bring people together around a clear vision shaped by the voices and perspectives needed to achieve it.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Dr. Novien Yarber is the Senior Learning Officer at Prebys Foundation, where he helps the foundation listen, reflect, and learn from its work with community partners. Known around the office as “Dr. Novi,” he brings a rare combination of rigor, warmth, and curiosity to the practice of evaluation. Before joining Prebys, Novi served as Director of Leadership, Philanthropy, and Social Impact at the University of San Diego’s Nonprofit Institute, where he led community-focused programs at the intersection of leadership and social change

This Episode:

What does it look like when a foundation takes a closer look at itself?

In this episode, Novi and Grant reflect on what Prebys heard from grantee partners through its most recent Grantee Perception Report. The conversation explores both the affirmations and the invitations for growth, including how grantees perceive Prebys’ leadership, impact, adaptability, transparency, and relationships across San Diego County.

This episode offers a candid look at how a foundation makes sense of feedback, wrestles with trade-offs, and thinks about its role in community. Novi and Grant discuss one of the central tensions in place-based philanthropy: how to keep learning and responding to changing conditions while also being clear and predictable for the organizations doing the work every day.

They explore what real transparency requires, why trust matters for shared learning, and how funders and grantees can build relationships strong enough to hold wins, losses, lessons, and setbacks.

Key Moments:

• [2:02] What the Center for Effective Philanthropy is and why the report matters
• [10:28] Why relationships are central to place-based philanthropy
• [23:55] How deeper trust can support shared learning between funders and grantees
• [30:39] Grant reflects on adaptive leadership, values, and predictability
• [38:08] Novi connects transparency with accountability

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Center for Effective Philanthropy – A national nonprofit that supports more effective philanthropy through research, data, and resources for foundations and donors.
• Prebys Foundation – A place-based foundation working to advance purpose, opportunity, and belonging across San Diego County.
• Healing Through Arts and Nature – A Prebys-supported approach that expands access to arts, culture, and nature as resources for youth mental health and well-being.

Take Action:

• Practice Transparency – Share not only what you decide, but what you are learning along the way. Being open about process can build trust, even when the answers are still evolving.
• Build Relationships That Can Hold Honesty – Invest in relationships where people can share what is working, what is hard, and what needs to change without fear of losing trust.
• Stay Open to Feedback – Treat feedback as an opportunity to grow, not as a final judgment. Listening, reflecting, and adjusting are part of building stronger organizations and communities.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Dana Toppel is CEO of Jewish Family Service of San Diego, one of the region’s most established human services organizations. Founded more than 100 years ago, JFS continues to be rooted in Jewish values while serving people across San Diego County, including older adults, immigrants, families, Holocaust survivors, and neighbors facing housing, food, and other basic needs. Dana has held multiple leadership roles at JFS since 2009 and brings more than two decades of direct service, clinical, and nonprofit leadership experience.

This Episode:

What does it take to meet urgent needs today while building a stronger safety net for tomorrow?

In this episode, Dana and Grant explore how Jewish Family Service is responding to this moment in San Diego. Dana shares how JFS serves more than 60,000 people each year, with a focus on helping people access safe and stable housing, culturally competent food, and the wraparound support they need to move toward greater stability and dignity.

The conversation also explores what it means to lead with both compassion and discipline. She and Grant discuss why nonprofits need to focus on what they do best, partner more deeply, reduce duplication, and look further upstream so the region can address challenges before they become emergencies.

Dana reminds us that hope is active. It comes from staying close to people’s stories, building relationships across differences, and continuing to show up for the work, even when outside forces push back.

Key Moments:

• [2:52] How Jewish Family Service serves the broader San Diego community
• [8:32] What courage looks like for a humanitarian service organization
• [17:21] Dana’s path from social worker to COO to CEO
• [26:29] How the nonprofit sector can reduce duplication and work further upstream
• [44:18] Why hope matters when working toward a different future

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Jewish Family Service of San Diego – Providing housing, food, immigration support, older adult services, and other human services across San Diego County
• Safe Parking Program – JFS’s program supporting people and families living in their vehicles as they work toward stable housing
• Nonprofits Create Bold, Replicable Solution to Housing Crisis – An op-ed from Dana Toppel, Prebys CFIO Gil Gil Alvarado, and partners on a new collaborative model for affordable housing in San Diego

Take Action:

• Learn About JFS – Explore how Jewish Family Service supports people across San Diego County through housing, food, immigration services, older adult support, and more.
• Support Basic Needs – Look for ways to help neighbors access stable housing, nutritious food, and trusted services.
• Think Upstream – Support approaches that prevent crises before they deepen, including stronger partnerships, reduced duplication, and early intervention.
• Stay Connected to People’s Stories – Volunteer, listen, and spend time with organizations serving the community directly. Seeing the work up close can change how we understand what is possible.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded in April 2026, before the City of San Diego released its initial FY27 budget proposal. That proposal has since raised urgent questions about the future of public arts funding in San Diego, making this conversation with Erin Harkey especially timely.

Erin Harkey is the President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing arts and culture. She helps shape the national conversation about public arts funding, creative workers, cultural policy, and the future of the arts ecosystem. Before joining Americans for the Arts, Erin held major arts and civic leadership roles in Chicago, including serving as Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Her career also includes work in Los Angeles and Long Beach, giving her a perspective that spans local practice, regional systems, and national advocacy.

This Episode:

How do arts and culture help build a healthy society?

Erin and Grant explore the arts as both a reflection of community health and a force that helps create it. Erin points to a striking statistic: 76% of Americans say the arts are personally important to them. That shared value matters, especially at a time when artists and cultural organizations are facing real pressure from shifting funding, policy uncertainty, and broader instability.

Erin reminds us that culture is everywhere: in museums and theaters, state fairs, classrooms, community centers, faith spaces, neighborhood traditions, and the things people do together every Saturday. Seeing the arts this way helps communities recognize the creative life already around them and understand why public funding matters.

They discuss how arts and culture are “both an indicator and facilitator” of a healthy society, shaping quality of life, economic vitality, mental health, civic dialogue, democracy, and the ways communities express who they are.

At a moment when San Diego is weighing the future of public arts investment, Erin’s national perspective brings the issue home. The work ahead, she argues, is local: protect creative expression, strengthen the conditions artists need, and recognize that when the arts flourish, communities do too.

Key Moments:

• [14:05] Why public arts funding reaches communities that other funding often misses
• [16:43] Why the arts remain a rare point of broad public agreement
• [19:15] How culture lives everywhere, from major institutions to everyday community life
• [24:00] Why arts and health may be one of the most resonant arguments for public support
• [40:09] Why the arts are essential to a healthy democracy

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Americans for the Arts – National organization advancing arts and culture through research, advocacy, policy, and field-building.
• Arts & Economic Prosperity Research – Americans for the Arts’ research on the economic and social impact of the nonprofit arts and culture sector.
• Springboard for the Arts – Artist-centered organization known for community development work and guaranteed income efforts for artists.
• Prebys Foundation’s Healing Through Art and Nature – Grant initiative focused on how arts and nature can support mental health, connection, and well-being.

Take Action:

• Support Public Arts Funding – Follow local budget conversations and speak up for arts and culture as essential civic infrastructure. Resources at https://sdartmatters.org/.
• Recognize Culture Everywhere – Notice the festivals, murals, performances, traditions, and community spaces that shape daily life.
• Support Artists and Cultural Workers – Attend events, buy work, share opportunities, and advocate for the space, funding, and conditions artists need to thrive.
• Connect Arts to Health and Belonging – Look for ways arts and culture can support young people, mental health, connection, and reduced isolation in your community.
• Protect Creative Expression – Treat the arts as part of a healthy democracy: a way people share stories, encounter different perspectives, and imagine what comes next.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com
Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team
If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share and subscribe.

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded in March 2026, before the City of San Diego released its initial FY27 budget proposal. That proposal has since raised urgent questions about the future of public arts funding in San Diego, making Jonathon and Grant’s conversation about arts, culture, and downtown’s future especially timely.

Jonathon Glus is the Prebys Senior Art & Design Fellow in Residence at the Downtown San Diego Partnership, working to help shape a bold vision for a more creative, vibrant, and connected downtown. A longtime arts leader, Jonathon brings national experience and a deep belief in the role artists, creative businesses, and cultural infrastructure can play in the life of a city. In San Diego, his work is focused on what it would take for downtown to become not only a place of business, but a civic and creative center worthy of the region’s talent, beauty, and binational identity.

This Episode:
What role do arts and culture play in helping a city thrive?

Jonathon and Grant explore why downtowns still matter, not just as business districts, but as civic centers where people gather, connect, experience beauty, and feel part of a shared life. Jonathon makes the case that arts and culture are essential to that work. They bring people into public spaces, support creative workers and small businesses, strengthen local identity, and help make a city feel alive.

Together, they look at what San Diego can learn from other cities that have used creativity to reimagine their urban cores, while also naming the ingredients this region already has, from Balboa Park and historic buildings to its border-region identity and creative talent.

At a moment when public arts funding is under serious threat, the conversation is a reminder that arts and culture are not extras. They are part of the civic infrastructure that helps communities build belonging, opportunity, and shared pride. If San Diego wants to be a global and inviting city, arts and culture need to be part of that story.

Key Moments:

• [4:40] The shift from focusing only on cultural institutions to centering artists and creatives
• [8:50] Why affordability, space, and invitation matter for San Diego’s creative workforce
• [22:15] How arts and culture can shape the next era of downtown
• [33:38] How imagination and grit can help San Diego move beyond a scarcity mindset
• [46:19] What a more creative downtown San Diego could look and feel like in five years

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• San Diego Downtown Partnership – Organization working to support, strengthen, and reimagine downtown San Diego
• Balboa Park – San Diego’s historic cultural park and one of the region’s most beloved civic assets
• Creative Enterprise Zones – Policy and planning models used in cities such as London to protect and grow creative districts
• Pacific Standard Time – Getty-led regional arts initiative that brings museums and cultural organizations together around shared themes

Take Action:

• Support Public Arts Funding – Pay attention to local budget decisions and speak up for arts and culture as essential civic infrastructure. Resources at https://sdartmatters.org/.
• Visit Downtown with Fresh Eyes – Notice the public spaces, storefronts, historic buildings, and creative possibilities already present in the urban core.
• Support Local Artists and Creative Businesses – Seek out San Diego artists, designers, performers, galleries, studios, and cultural events. Find San Diego art events here.
• Make Space for Creativity – Whether you own property, lead an organization, or shape policy, consider how artists and creatives can be invited into the future of your community.
• Help Tell San Diego’s Creative Story – Celebrate the artists and cultural voices that reflect the region’s unique identity, from its natural environment to its transborder connections.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page
Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Norma Chávez-Peterson is a longtime organizer and civil rights leader who serves as Executive Director of the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, one of the region’s leading voices on civil liberties and immigrant rights. Born in Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in San Diego, she brings lived experience and deep community roots to her work in the border region, where local realities often reflect broader national debates about democracy, belonging, and power.

This Episode:

What does courageous community leadership look like when civil liberties, immigrant rights, and democracy itself are under strain?

In this episode, Norma and Grant examine how immigration enforcement is unfolding in this moment. Norma argues that today’s tensions did not come out of nowhere, but grew from decades of failure to build a fair and humane immigration system. Together, they explore how federal overreach shows up locally, from high-profile enforcement actions to the quieter fear shaping daily life for families across the region.

Norma also points to how communities are responding: neighbors looking out for one another, churches and schools finding ways to keep families safe, and everyday people stepping up to protect their communities. She reminds us that attacks on immigrants do not stop with immigrants alone, and that fear cannot be what guides us. Instead, she calls on all of us to focus on where we can make a difference, stay connected to one another, and act with courage and solidarity.

Key Moments:

• [1:30] How the ACLU’s local affiliate model stays rooted in community needs
• [7:27] Why today’s immigration enforcement crisis has decades-deep roots
• [17:06] What increased ICE activity looks like in San Diego County
• [33:19] Why people and organizations need to focus where they can make a real difference
• [43:14] What courageous leadership looks like in this moment

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties – Defending and advancing civil rights and civil liberties in the border region
• Know Your Rights Red Cards – Practical tools to help immigrants assert their rights during encounters with immigration enforcement
• San Diego Organizing Project – Faith- and community-based organizing around justice and civic participation
• Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) – Organizing and training people, including white allies, to take action for racial justice
• CHIRLA – Immigrant rights organization providing advocacy, organizing, and legal services

Take Action:

• Know Your Rights – Learn what protections people have during encounters with immigration enforcement.
• Support Neighbors – Check in on people in your community and help connect them to trusted resources.
• Focus Where You Can Help – Choose one issue or action you can stay committed to rather than trying to do everything.
• Document and Bear Witness – Support efforts to observe, record, and report abuses when safe and appropriate.
• Lead with Courage, Not Fear – Whether you are an individual or an institution, act from your values and use the tools you have.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com
Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team
If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share and subscribe.

Jay Buys is the founder and CEO of Visceral, a B Corp-certified creative agency that builds brands and websites exclusively for social change organizations. Working with nonprofits, foundations, and other mission-driven partners, Jay has helped shape a business model that puts people, profit, and planet in conversation rather than opposition. In San Diego and beyond, he is part of a growing movement challenging the idea that business success has to come at the expense of workers, communities, or values.

This Episode:

What would it take to reimagine business as a force for shared good?

Jay and Grant dig into the growing movement to build companies that measure success by more than profit alone. Their conversation explores Certified B Corporations (B Corps), social enterprise, and the wider push for business models that invest in workers, communities, and the future. Jay sees business as a vital community asset—one that can actively contribute to shared prosperity and well-being. In his view, profit itself is not the problem; greed is. What matters most is how a business uses its resources and whether its values are reflected in wages, benefits, accountability, and community impact.

They examine the difference between authentic commitment and “purpose washing,” and what it means to run a company that tries to live its values, even when there are tradeoffs.

The conversation also looks to the future. Grant and Jay discuss why younger workers are asking different questions about work, what San Diego could become as a hub for business for good, and how emerging technologies like AI are raising fresh ethical challenges.

Key Moments:

• [2:44] What B Corp certification actually means and why Visceral chose that path
• [8:21] “Profit’s not the thing that we’re mad at — it’s greed.”
• [13:55] Why “being a good business is good for business”
• [15:41] What younger workers are demanding from employers and why that matters
• [28:54] Why Jay believes San Diego could become a leader in business for good

Key Terms:

• Certified B Corporation/B Corp – A certified business that meets standards for social and environmental impact, accountability, and transparency.
• Purpose-Driven Business – A company that aims to make money while also advancing social or environmental good.
• Social Enterprise – A revenue-generating business built to address a social issue.
• Purpose Washing – When a company talks about values or impact without the practices to support those claims.
• Public Benefit Corporation – A legal business structure that allows a company to pursue public good alongside profit; different from B Corp certification.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Business for Good San Diego – Local nonprofit advancing policies and practices that support a more inclusive, community-centered economy
• B Local San Diego – Regional B Corp community helping businesses connect and grow
• B Corp Certification – Framework and certification process for businesses committed to people, planet, and profit
Cause San Diego – Local network supporting socially conscious business leadership

Take Action:

• Support Businesses That Walk the Talk – Look for companies whose practices reflect the values they promote.
• Spend in Line with Your Values – When possible, choose local, ethical, and community-minded businesses.
• Ask What Success Should Mean – Consider how businesses might measure success through people and impact, not just profit.
• Encourage Better Workplaces – Champion cultures that offer fair pay, real support, and a sense of shared purpose.
• Stay Curious About New Models – Explore the growing movement around B Corps, social enterprise, co-ops, and employee ownership.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com
Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team
If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share and subscribe.

Laura Castañeda is a veteran journalist, educator, and community voice who has spent decades helping San Diego understand itself. Known for her work in television and print, including at the San Diego Union-Tribune, she has been a mentor to generations of reporters and a champion for more inclusive, community-centered journalism. As a leader in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Laura brings a binational perspective to the role media plays in shaping public understanding, especially in a region where borders, cultures, and stories intersect every day.

This Episode:

What does responsible journalism look like in a region as complex as San Diego and the U.S.-Mexico border?

In this candid conversation, Laura and Grant explore how journalism has shifted from well-resourced newsrooms to a faster, thinner, and more fragmented media landscape. Laura reflects on what’s been lost and what’s at stake when communities aren’t fully represented or heard. They also dig into community trust: how it’s built through real relationships, how quickly it can erode, and why it remains essential to meaningful reporting.

Looking ahead, they explore how younger audiences consume news and the growing risks of misinformation. They call out the importance of journalism that captures the full human story, especially around immigration and life in a border region. As Laura says, journalism isn’t dead; it’s changing. For her, the path forward is to meet people where they are and stay grounded in journalism’s core role of holding power accountable and reflecting the full complexity of communities.

Key Moments:

• [3:26] How the journalism landscape has shifted from full crews to one-person newsrooms
• [10:15] The responsibility of covering the border with nuance, not just crisis
• [15:44] Why newsrooms should reflect the populations where they report
• [32:06] How journalists can build trust by showing up in communities
• [34:26] What happens to the community when strong local journalism disappears
• [41:47] What journalism gets wrong about immigration and the missing human stories

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) – Supporting and advancing Hispanic students, professionals and educators in the field of journalism
• Documenters Program – Training community members to document public meetings and strengthen local accountability
• Indian Voices – Community publication amplifying Native perspectives in San Diego

Take Action:

• Support Local Journalism – Subscribe to outlets that reflect and serve your community.
• Engage Directly – Attend community meetings or follow reporting that impacts your neighborhood.
• Seek Full Stories – Look beyond headlines to understand the people and context behind the news.
• Build Trust – Talk with others about what you’re reading and where it comes from.
• Stay Curious – Ask questions, verify sources, and value facts in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.com

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share and subscribe.

Gil Alvarado is the Chief Financial and Investment Officer (CFIO) of the Prebys Foundation, where he helps steward a $1.2 billion portfolio with an eye toward both strong returns and strong community benefit. A national thought partner in mission-aligned investing, Gil brings an entrepreneurial mindset to philanthropy—designing funds, partnerships, and investment strategies that help fuel innovation, expand opportunity, and strengthen San Diego’s long-term resilience.

This Episode:

How can a foundation use the full breadth of its resources to support a thriving region?

Grant and Gil unpack how the foundation’s investment strategy works in tandem with its grantmaking to advance health, creativity, and economic opportunity in San Diego. Gil explains how the $50 million Prebys Venture Fund backs early-stage life science and tech companies; why investments in affordable housing, small-business lending, and civic revitalization expand what’s possible for the region; and how patient capital (long-term investment) lets a foundation take the long view on challenges like climate resilience and the blue economy.

This episode offers an accessible look at how financial strategy, mission, and community well-being intersect.

Key Moments

• [0:57] What impact investing means at Prebys
• [3:44] Inside the Prebys Venture Fund and its early investments
• [7:30] Using capital to expand affordable housing and small-business access
• [24:16] Why integrating impact into investing is still rare—and what’s changing
• [42:20] Why even a “small” portfolio can catalyze big change

Resources

• Prebys Impact Investing - Using all of our financial resources to advance an inclusive and equitable future for San Diego
• Prebys Ventures Impact Fund – Investing in life sciences and health innovation in San Diego
• Prebys Ventures First Investments – 5 startups advancing medical research and patient care
• Stop & Talk: Preeti Bhattacharji – Listen to our 2024 episode with Preeti Bhattacharji, Head of Sustainable Investing at J.P. Morgan Chase Private Bank, who talks about impact investing and social impact.

Take Action

Tips for organizations looking to expand their impact through investments:

• Leverage Full Portfolios – Consider how endowment investments, not just grant dollars, can advance mission and strengthen local ecosystems.
• Commit for the Long Term – Use patient, flexible capital to support solutions that require multi-year development.
• Grow Local Innovation – Back entrepreneurs, researchers, and community builders who are shaping the region’s future.
• Build Strategic Partnerships – Collaborate with public, private, and community partners to amplify impact and unlock larger opportunities.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod cast .org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Walking Shield has spent nearly four decades improving quality of life for Native communities across the United States—bridging sovereign tribal nations with philanthropy, federal agencies, and the U.S. military. Alongside the Walking Shield team, Executive Director, Dr. John Castillo, and Senior Fellow, Mariano Diaz help tribes build the capacity needed to secure federal funding, strengthen infrastructure, and advance true self-determination. Their work blends grassroots trust-building with systems-level strategy, supporting tribes on projects ranging from road repairs and water access to energy development, environmental co-management, and leadership planning.

This Episode:
What does true collaboration with tribal nations require?

Dr. John Castillo and Mariano Diaz highlight the deep assets that guide Native communities, including long-standing governance traditions, cultural and environmental knowledge, and a strong commitment to collective well-being. They share how Walking Shield helps tribes use these strengths to access federal resources, plan for long-term development, and steward land and water. They also discuss the systemic barriers tribes still face, such as underinvestment and complex federal requirements, and how capacity-building can make a meaningful difference.

Together with Grant, they explore San Diego’s uniquely rich tribal landscape, the growing promise of co-management of natural resources, and why trust, relationship-building, and listening first are essential for any partnership with Indian Country. At its heart, the conversation offers a long view of resilience and strategy, reminding us that when Native leadership is honored and communities have the tools to act on their priorities, progress becomes both possible and lasting.

Key Moments:

• [9:40] San Diego has the most tribes per capita and what that means for the region
• [14:02] The capacity gap: why many tribes can’t access federal funds designed for them
• [16:34] Everybody benefits: how the National Guard helped rebuild dangerous reservation roads
• [34:10] Co-management, water rights, and environmental stewardship
• [51:15] What partnership looks like when it works

Resources Mentioned:

• Walking Shield – Improving quality of life for Native communities since 1986
• Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association – Regional tribal leadership and coordination
• Prebys Foundation’s BRIDGE Initiative – Supporting organizations that expand community capacity

Take Action:

• Read and Learn More— Explore the history and present realities of San Diego’s tribal nations.
• Build Relationships — If you work in philanthropy, government, or community development, ask how you can learn directly from tribal leaders.
• Support Sovereignty — Advocate for funding systems that recognize tribal governments’ authority and needs.
• Visit and Listen — When invited, spend time on tribal lands to understand local priorities firsthand.
• Keep the Long View — Remember that partnership, persistence, and shared purpose can outlast political cycles.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Brandon Steppe left a corporate career to start a recording studio in his garage—never imagining that a few persistent neighborhood kids would change his life. Those early studio sessions grew into the David’s Harp Foundation, a nonprofit where justice-involved and opportunity youth in San Diego discover their voices and chart a path forward through music, media, and mentorship.

This Episode

Can rhythm and relationship change a young person’s life?

Brandon shares how vulnerability and honesty became cornerstones of his organization’s culture, starting with a simple practice he calls flashlight first: mentors shine the light on themselves before asking youth to open up. From those early lessons grew a creative community that helps youth connect to support, record songs behind detention walls, and build micro-enterprises that pay real wages and teach real skills.

Together with Grant, Brandon explores how art heals, how relationships transform justice, and how community-rooted workforce programs can help young people thrive.

Key Moments:

• [4:05] How one determined teenager changed Brandon’s path
• [8:28] “Flashlight first”—earning trust through vulnerability
• [22:54] The importance of relational support
• [32:52] Creating access and opportunity in the creative economy
• [43:35] Turning a $1M gift into transformational community-based housing

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• David’s Harp Foundation – Empowering youth through music, media, and mentorship
• Brandon Steppe TEDx Talk – On honesty and human connection
• Prebys Foundation Workforce Initiative – Supporting career pathways for youth

Take Action:

• Listen First – Practice “flashlight first” in your own conversations.
• Invest in Creativity – Support programs that give young people tools to tell their stories.
• See Youth as Talent – Hire, mentor, or collaborate with local young creators.
• Value Relationship – Support programs that center relational care, not control.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Richard Tate is the President and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, where he leads with clarity, courage, and hope. A communications strategist turned first-time CEO, Richard embraces the power of philanthropy not just to fund change, but to stand up for values. Under his leadership, Cal Wellness has become a bold voice for health and racial justice at a time when those commitments are under attack.

This Episode:

What does it mean for foundations to step out from behind the desk and lead with courage?

Grant and Richard explore why this moment calls for philanthropy to mobilize more than just dollars—to use its voice, influence, and resources in defense of equity and community well-being. Richard shares what it’s like to lead through fear, why Cal Wellness is “spending up” in response to urgent need, and how hope remains a discipline for leaders navigating turbulent times. Along the way, he reflects on lessons from his parents, the Civil Rights Movement, and peers who inspire him to push beyond comfort zones.

From navigating attacks on diversity and equity to reimagining healthcare in California, this conversation is a call to speak out, act boldly, and build a healthier, more just future together.

Key Moments:

• [5:18] Why leadership in philanthropy requires courage in polarized times
• [10:01] Using influence and access: how CEOs can open doors for community voices
• [24:36] Lessons from past movements that fuel courage today
• [42:08] Why civic engagement and democracy are health issues
• [47:38] What community organizations are teaching foundations about resilience and rebuilding

Resources Mentioned:

• California Wellness Foundation – Advancing health and racial justice for Californians
• #UniteInAdvance – A collaborative of foundations defending philanthropic freedom and equity
• Dr. Richard Besser – President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Take Action:

• Spend Up and Speak Out – Push beyond the minimum in both giving and voice
• Stand With Partners – Protect and amplify grantees when they are targeted
• Invest in Democracy – Support civic engagement and organizing as core to health
• Choose Courage – Step out from behind the desk when communities cannot hide

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPodcast.org

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe.

Scott Lewis is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Voice of San Diego, the pioneering nonprofit newsroom he helped build nearly two decades ago. What began as an experiment in funding professional journalism outside of the old newspaper model is now a national template, proving that communities can sustain independent, fact-driven reporting. Scott is known for his candid, conversational style and his conviction that journalism is about creating a shared story that helps communities face hard truths and imagine better futures.

This Episode:

What role does local journalism play in sustaining democracy and helping communities rise to their challenges?

In this thought-provoking conversation, Scott and Grant trace the story of Voice of San Diego from its early days as a bold experiment to its present role covering the region’s toughest issues—from homelessness and housing to infrastructure, schools, and civic leadership. They explore how journalism can cut through partisanship and apathy by telling stories that matter, how San Diego’s unique civic culture shapes progress (and stalls it), and why shared stories are essential to purpose and belonging.

Scott also reflects on the responsibility of local media in a time when national trust is fractured and public funding for journalism is under attack. For him, it comes down to optimism: believing that communities are strong enough to face their biggest problems when they have the facts and the courage to talk about them.

Key Moments:

• [4:28] How San Diego became a model for nonprofit local journalism
• [9:08] Why Voice chose a candid, conversational style over traditional news “voice”
• [13:00] The impact of federal cuts to public media and what it means for NPR, KPBS, and local outlets
• [23:00] The challenges San Diego faces—housing, schools, homelessness—and why naming problems is an act of optimism
• [38:18] Why journalism is a “tiny investment” with massive community returns

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Voice of San Diego – Nonprofit newsroom pioneering new models for community-supported journalism
• Politifest – Annual public affairs summit hosted by Voice of San Diego
• Prebys Foundation Nonprofit News Support – $2 Million to San Diego nonprofit news outlets to strengthen local journalism and civic engagement

Take Action:

• Support Local Journalism – Subscribe, donate, or become a member of a nonprofit news outlet near you.
• Join the Conversation – Attend events like Politifest to engage directly with civic leaders and ideas.
• Seek Shared Stories – Talk with neighbors, attend community forums, and stay curious about San Diego’s future.
• Believe in Solutions – Remember that naming problems is the first step toward solving them.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky

Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPodcast.org

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe.

Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski is the founder of Sew Loka, a community-driven textile art studio in San Diego’s Barrio Logan. A self-taught artist and entrepreneur, Claudia transforms reclaimed fabrics into vibrant, one-of-a-kind pieces that weave together personal history, cultural identity, and environmental consciousness. From collaborating with pro sports teams like the San Diego Wave and San Diego FC to teaching teens how to upcycle thrifted finds, her work proves that sewing is alive and thriving.

This Episode:

Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski grew up around sewing. Her father worked in denim, and as a kid she helped her family make and sell clothes. Years later, those early lessons in craft, entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency became the foundation for Sew Loka, her Barrio Logan studio and a home for her bold, playful approach to textile art.

In this conversation, Claudia and Grant explore her journey from learning to sew out of necessity to claiming her identity as an artist. Claudia shares how her DIY punk roots and Mexican American and Chicana identity shape her work, why she turns discarded clothing into one-of-one pieces, and how slow fashion can change the way we value what we own. She also reflects on being left out of traditional art spaces and how that pushed her to create opportunities for herself and others.

They also talk about what happens around the sewing machine. For Claudia, sewing is meditative, joyful, and deeply communal: a chance to slow down, make something with your hands, and connect with other people. That spirit has helped Sew Loka grow into a gathering place for creativity and connection, rooted in Claudia’s belief that art can be a source of resilience. As she puts it, the goal isn’t perfection. “Just start. Don’t overthink it. Just play.”

Plus, check out the extraordinary pieces Claudia shared in the video recording.

Key Moments:

[3:35] Why denim is both a family legacy and an environmental challenge
[12:25] Sewing as an art form for storytelling and expression
[18:58] Fast fashion vs. slow fashion, and the joy of customizing
[27:33] The meditative effects of sewing
[35:31] Art as resilience in challenging times

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Sew Loka – Community-based textile art studio in Barrio Logan
• Skills Pay Bills Podcast – Claudia’s podcast that focuses on local makers and creators
• Arts: A Reason to Survive – A nonprofit offering arts programs for youth, including Sew Loka sewing classes
• SDFC’s Playmakers Program – An initiative that seeks to identify and showcase the talent of San Diego creatives who are contributing to the culture, substance, and flow of our community

Take Action:

• Mend & Upcycle – Try repairing or customizing a piece you already own to extend its life.
• Support Slow Fashion – Seek out and invest in makers who prioritize sustainability and originality.
• Host a Creative Gathering – Build connection by making art with others, whether it’s sewing, crafting, or something else.
• Preserve Cultural Stories – Use your craft to honor and document the traditions that shaped you.
• Share Skills – Teach someone a “grandma craft” and help pass on sustainable, creative practices.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Afira Arrastia-DeVries is the President and CEO of the Monarch School Project, the only K–12 public institution in the U.S. solely dedicated to educating unhoused students. A 2025 Prebys Leadership Awardee, Afira brings a powerful combination of heart, strategy, and passion to her work. As a sociologist, advocate, and leader, she’s reshaping education around support, community, and the radical act of seeing children not for their struggles, but for their gifts.

This Episode:
What happens when you stop trying to “fix” kids and start believing in them?

In this meaningful conversation, Afira shares how Monarch School is redefining what education can look like for unhoused students. Through a strengths-based approach, the school offers not just academics but community, care, and dignity for students and their families. We explore the profound impact of trauma-informed teaching, why children thrive when given space to define themselves, and how systems must change to meet the moment.

Afira and Grant also go deep on leadership, advocacy, and why silence is no longer an option in the face of policies that harm the most vulnerable. This is a conversation about courage, truth-telling, and the belief that every child is worthy of joy, safety, and possibility.

Key Moments:
[5:45] How Afira’s childhood shaped her leadership
[16:29] Why a separate school for unhoused youth isn’t segregation, but safety
[24:14] What a strengths-based approach looks like in practice
[39:01] Why Afira believes advocacy is the job and what fuels her to speak out
[47:00] How students are affected by fear and family separation policies

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Monarch School – A unique public-private partnership in San Diego serving unhoused students
• Opinion: Unhoused youth deserve help and compassion, not cruelty - Afira’s op-ed in the San Diego Union-Tribune
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act – Federal legislation affecting educational access for homeless youth
• Prebys Leadership Awards – Honoring bold and visionary local leaders

Take Action:

• Honor Kids' Strengths – Ask a child what they’re proud of. Let them lead.
• Learn About Strength-Based Care – Shift from “What’s wrong?” to “What’s strong?”
• Support Monarch School – Donate, volunteer, or share their work with others.
• Speak Up – Challenge policies rooted in blame and scarcity. Lead with love.
• Be That One Adult – Stability starts with someone showing up. You can be that person.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Peter Ellsworth is a longtime San Diegan, civic leader, and founding force in modern philanthropy. From his early days in law and healthcare to his visionary role at the helm of the Legler Benbough Foundation, Peter has lived a life steeped in service, humility, and quiet transformation. A member of the Prebys Foundation Board, he remains a guiding voice for how philanthropy can—and must—listen first.

This Episode:
What happens when a foundation listens before it leads?

Grant and Peter explore the evolution of philanthropy in San Diego and how Peter helped pioneer a relationship-driven, trust-based approach to giving. They discuss the opportunities of working in hyperlocal neighborhoods, the importance of humility in leadership, and why building genuine partnerships with community leaders creates lasting impact. From Southeast San Diego to Balboa Park, Peter’s story is a reminder that the best ideas come from the ground up.

Along the way, Peter shares personal reflections, including his father’s lasting advice: It’s not about you.

Key Moments:
[11:22] Peter's start in Philanthropy and why he did things differently
[13:31] The four words that shaped Peter’s leadership: “It’s not about me”
[23:24]The radical idea of trust-based philanthropy
[30:35] The teen center that designed by what teens actually wanted
[5:50] What San Diego needs to realize its boldest ideas

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Legler Benbough Foundation – A now-spent-down foundation that helped reshape civic life in San Diego through trust-based, community-rooted philanthropy
• Outdoor Outreach – Empowering young people through outdoor experiences and leadership development
• Forever Balboa Park – Supporting the preservation and enhancement of Balboa Park

Take Action:

• Practice Trust-Based Philanthropy – Start by building authentic relationships, not just reviewing proposals
• Listen to Community First – Let the people closest to the work guide the solutions
• Rethink Power in Philanthropy – As Peter reminds us, “Every good idea we came up with...came from somebody I had a relationship with"
• Support Local Leadership – Invest in the people and organizations already making a difference

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at https://stopandtalkpodcast.org/

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

Mark Cafferty is the President and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC), where he leads with a mix of realism, resolve, and heart. In this conversation, he shares his experiences of how his values—shaped family, mentorship, and a belief in equity— continue to guide his leadership today. Under Mark’s direction, EDC has taken a bold stance: inclusive growth isn’t just good policy, it’s a business imperative for San Diego’s future.

This Episode:

What does it take to build an economy that works for everyone?

Mark and Grant dive deep into San Diego’s unique economic landscape, from its binational strengths to the increasing threats facing its innovation and research sectors. They explore how the EDC’s goals aim to create more skilled workers, quality jobs, and thriving households, especially for communities historically left behind. They also talk about the importance of values-driven leadership in a time of uncertainty. As diversity, equity and inclusion comes under fire nationally, Mark shares why staying the course is both a moral and economic necessity.

Through it all, Mark reminds us San Diego’s competitive advantage is in its people.

Note: Jennie Brooks is mentioned as the EDC Chair, which was accurate at the time of recording. The current EDC Chair is Tom Seidler.

Key Moments:

• [11:50] Who’s at the table at EDC and why that matters
• [21:35] The three 2030 goals: skilled workers, quality jobs, thriving households
• [29:32] Why diversity and equity are valuable to the economy
• [37:48] Why San Diego’s binational identity is a key strength
• [41:45] Resisting the “fire drills” and staying focused on long-term impact

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) – An economic development organization that mobilizes business, government, and civic leaders around an inclusive economic development strategy

Take Action:

• Learn More About EDC’s 2030 Goals – Explore how these targets aim to create a more just and prosperous regional economy.
• Support Small Businesses – Shop local, advocate for fair policies, and help strengthen San Diego’s economic backbone.
• Speak Up for Inclusion – Be a voice for equity in your workplace or community. As Mark says, “If you’re not for equity, what are you for?”
• Champion Regional Collaboration – We all have a role to play—business, government, philanthropy, and community alike.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Molly Puryear is the Executive Director of Malashock Dance and a lifelong believer in the healing, connective power of movement. With infectious joy and deep conviction, she champions dance not just as an art form but as a way to be more fully human. Under her leadership, Malashock is expanding the definition of what dance can do for the community. This is demonstrated through SD NeuroDance, a pioneering program blending movement, neuroscience, and care to support individuals living with ALS, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, and more.

This Episode:
How can the joy and vulnerability of dance bring us closer to ourselves and each other?

In this heartfelt conversation, Molly shares how Malashock Dance is helping SD NeuroDance participants and caregivers alike reconnect with joy, dignity, and embodiment through dance. The program shifts the focus from limitations to possibilities. Rooted in science and lived experience, SD NeuroDance creates a space where people can move, bond, and feel at home in their bodies. It’s also a story of listening: to staff, to community, and to the wisdom that healing can look like rhythm, music, and mirroring movement with a loved one.

Molly and Grant explore the deeper truth behind all of this—how dance, so often underfunded and undervalued, is core to who we are. From weddings to cultural traditions to spontaneous joy in the living room, dance is everywhere. And as Molly reminds us, in a world that teaches us to unlearn joy, movement can help us remember.

Key Moments:

[8:25] How dance can help people with different conditions connect with their body
[14:17] Bridging science and art: finding balance between therapy and dance
[18:45] How Malashock Dance evolved its mission through community feedback
[29:14] Why dance is essential to the human experience
[34:05] Federal arts funding cuts and their impact on dance's underrepresented artists and communities

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Malashock Dance – San Diego-based dance organization emphasizing community, education, and inclusive performance
• Dance for PD – A program using dance to support those living with Parkinson’s disease
• Prebys’ Healing Through Arts and Nature Initiative – Grants improving well-being through arts, culture, and nature

Take Action:

• Move Your Body – Try a dance class, stretch to music, or just let yourself move freely. Reconnect with what joy in motion feels like.
• Attend a Performance – Support local artists and discover the power of dance to inspire, challenge, and heal.
• Embrace Artful Living – As Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson reminds us, creativity is essential to well-being. Seek out everyday moments of artistic engagement.
• Stay Curious – Stay open and curious to trying new things, whether it's dance, healing, or new ways to connect and feel joy.
• Support Arts & Health Programs – Donate, volunteer, or spread the word about organizations using the arts to improve lives.