John Valverde

Hope you enjoyed listening to our first season of episodes as much as we enjoyed creating them. Have a great summer and please check back in the fall for a new season of Allies! 

For more excellent podcast listening:

A Guest in the House - hosted by rapper and journalist David Shanks (aka Traum Diggs) and professor and author Mickey Hess, A Guest int he House celebrates the best of what hip-hop has to offer and the lessons it can teach us about the ways we relate to each other across cultural, racial and social divides.

Altruism Unplugged - a podcast that raises awareness and promotes growth for charities, non profits, and business leaders that have found independent success and used their platform to give back. Hosted by Jerry Walsh.

The Story Forge - Host Lyle Smith started The Story Forge to explore, collect, and share the stories of people who make things. Those unique and special individuals who create things that matter to them and other people.

Writers Latitude - a podcast about writers, their work, and the things they care about. Hosted by novelist Joe Samuel Starnes. (This limited run, now archived podcast features some excellent interviews and discussion with contemporary American writers and others in the literary field.)

Those Hard Conversations -  dedicated to discussing solutions to the issues facing our most vulnerable & marginalized communities. (Coming soon!)

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

Steven Quigley, by age eight, was already an entrepreneur with his first business. He has traveled the world extensively, living in many countries, meeting people and collecting experiences that would later form his future. Before first having spent many years in South Asia, he eventually settled into a sales position on Wall Street. It was not long before he was back to business, eventually creating his own consumer finance firm, before his meeting with the express train – that changed everything. After a long journey inward, including recovery and healing from quadriplegia, he has re-emerged a new man, and is currently learning to walk again. He was enrolled as a graduate student at University of Pennsylvania until he withdrew to write his first book, Unbreakable Mind.  As a result of that life changing journey, though some would say a natural fit, he is now an author, international speaker and wellness coach.

Steven Quigley - Additional Resources:

Book:
Unbreakable Mind: Channeling your Survival Instincts after Catastrophic Injury

Websites and Blogs:

• Doing the Dirty Dishes
• Doing the Dirty Dishes - Spanish
• Travel Blog
• Spiritual Blog

Social and Media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube channel

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

SELWYN JONES BIO 

Born in 1966 to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South, Selwyn Miles Jones was the youngest of seventeen children. In the small town of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Selwyn, and his siblings toiled alongside their parents in the tobacco fields and endured the most desolate and harsh conditions imaginable. The poverty, disrespect, hatred and disenfranchisement Selwyn and his family experienced was unimaginable to most, yet commonplace for many Black farming families.

Selwyn realized early on that sharecropping was yet another version of enslavement. His mother made sure to show her children that there was a better life out there for them and encouraged Selwyn to dream big. Selwyn was determined to leave through any means necessary. His athletic prowess provided him with his ticket out. Through a short but intense arena football career he was able to find financial solvency and fulfilled a childhood desire to purchase a home for his mother. 

Though life continued to be filled with challenges (Selwyn lost three close family members tragically, including both his parents) he went on to become a successful salesman, hotel owner and father with his dynamic wife Jodie. 

Then on May 25, 2020 Selwyn’s life was forever changed. While watching the news, along with the rest of the world, he witnessed the unmerciful murder of his 46-year-old nephew, George Floyd. “It was the most horrific thing that I ever witnessed in my life.” 

As George Floyd’s murder ignited the largest civil rights protest in US history, Selwyn Jones became an activist. Every day Selwyn commits to ending police brutality and systemic racism and bringing justice to his nephew’s senseless and cruel murder. Known affectionately as Uncle Selwyn Jones he promised “I will not let his death be in vain. I do not want my sons or anyone else to go through what my nephew endured for that 8 minutes 46 seconds. I want to be a beacon of light for those who face racism or adversity in this life.” 

He continues his personal growth by positively enhancing the lives of others in his work as a community & civil rights leader.

Contact:
justice4george846@gmail.com

Additional Resources:
Visible Men: Black Fathers Talk About Losing Sons to Police Brutality | GQ

Social:
Facebook
Instagram

Media inquiries:
julia@coolbrandmedia.com

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

Vishal is putting his 20+ years of corporate business experience from the USA, and entrepreneurial experience from launching a business in Kenya, to now help some of the poorest communities in northern Kenya improve their livelihoods through socially and environmentally conscious business.

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Additional Resources:

• Northern Rangelands Trust
• Beadworks Kenya

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

LILI BERNARD is a Cuban-born, Los Angeles-based interdisciplinary artist of mixed African, Caribbean, European and Chinese descent. Her work examines issues of sexism, racism and trauma.  A mother of six whom she birthed in a ten-year span, Lili is an award-winning exhibiting fine artist, actor, published writer, independent curator, educator, community organizer, public speaker and founder of BAILA: Black Artists in Los Angeles. Raised predominantly in Princeton, Jct., New Jersey, and a  graduate of The American School in Japan where she spent 11th and 12th grade, Lili attended Cornell University and The City University of New York, earning a B.A. in German. She received her MFA in Visual Arts/Public Practice from Otis College of Art and Design.

In the fine arts, Lili’s numerous credits include a 2017 solo exhibition at Museum of African Diaspora and favorable reviews in a multitude of mainstream art periodicals, including ARTnews Magazine. As an actor who has performed extensively in NYC Off-Broadway theatre, on television Lili starred in the BBC film Murder in Oakland, co-starred in Stephen King’s Golden Years, and guest-starred on Seinfeld and The Cosby Show.

A Cosby survivor-turned public-figure antirape activist, Lili influenced the abolishment of the statute of limitations on rape prosecution in California with her #EndRapeSOL peers, as well as the gubernatorial signing of three #MeToo bills on employment sexual harassment and assault. Currently, she serves as co-chair of #ERAnow.

"My work exposes the post-colonial paradigm of suffering and resilience, through a collision of cruelty against compassion. The generational struggle of my Afro-Cuban immigrant family and Caribbean ancestors and my personal experiences as survivor of rape and domestic violence inform my exploration of the impact of trauma and the unconquerable nature of the human spirit." -- LILI BERNARD

Additional Media Resources:

"Lili Bernard: Fighting Trauma With Art" (KCET.org) :
https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/lili-bernard-fighting-trauma-with-art

Lili Bernard - Solo Museum Art Exhibition - MoAD 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLeiFy6PJHM&t=1s

"L.A. Habitat: Lili Bernard" (ARTnews Magazine):
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/l-a-habitat-lili-bernard-6617/

Ain't Funny by Lili Bernard 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjs9Kk37O3g&t=729s

"California Governor Gavin Newsom Signs 2 #MeToo Bills Against Sexual Harrassment" (The Wrap):
https://www.thewrap.com/california-gov-newsom-signs-2-metoo-bills-against-sexual-harrassment/

Lili Bernard interview on GDLA (Fox 11 Los Angeles):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-x0oINdaJI

"Op-Ed: I’m one of Bill Cosby’s accusers. His defense strategy is reprehensible."  (LA Times):
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-bernard-bill-cosby-racism-20170607-story.html

Lili Bernard on Michaela Pereira Show/HLN Comments on Camille Cosby's Post-Verdict Statement (HLN):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO0pnueTnd4

Bill Cosby Rape Survivor Says Black Women Face Disproportionate Pressure Not to Speak Out on Assault (Democracy Now!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk8I63nLclA

Cosby Accuser: “I’ve been waiting for this moment for 26 years” (MSNBC):
https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/cosby-accuser-i-ve-been-waiting-for-this-moment-for-26-years-1220872259860

Lili Bernard & Caroline Heldman talk Cosby, Dr Ford and more (Fox 11 Los Angeles):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ddgglD3lM

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

John Valverde is the President and CEO of YouthBuild USA. He joined YouthBuild in 2017 after decades of work as an advocate for creating access to opportunity and removing barriers for formerly incarcerated and low-income people.

John began working with imprisoned individuals in 1992 to ensure access to HIV/AIDS counseling, high school equivalency instruction, alternatives to violence programs, and college education. In 1995, responding to the gap created by the elimination of TAP and Pell funding for people in prison, he led an initiative to develop and deliver a college-level certificate program, the Certificate in Ministry and Human Services. Today called Rising Hope, this program continues in several New York State prisons. In 1998, he co-founded Hudson Link for Higher Education, the first privately funded accredited college program in New York’s prisons. More than 450 students in prison have graduated from Hudson Link, which has grown to serve five prisons with six college partners.

In 2009, John worked with a team at the Osborne Association to create New York City’s first green jobs training program exclusively for people with criminal records. As Osborne’s Executive Vice President, John launched, managed, and led programs including children, youth, and family services; substance abuse treatment; workforce development; community benefit projects; financial literacy; health and wellness services; housing; alternatives to incarceration; mentoring and leadership development; and social enterprises. John has led teams that offer multiple evidence-based interventions, with a trauma-informed approach, to distinct populations that range from very young children to the elderly.

As a steady and persistent advocate for creating access, John has worked with city, state, and federal agencies to develop and operate proven job readiness and placement programs. He forged Osborne's first relationships with labor unions and has served on the Board of Pathways to Apprenticeship that supports individuals from traditionally underserved communities gain access to apprenticeship programs.

John often serves as a keynote speaker at important and related events to share his personal story of transformation and second chances. As a young man who was incarcerated at 21, John’s work to accept responsibility for his actions and commit to making amends started him on a journey of redemption that allowed him to imagine and build a new future. Though he was incarcerated for almost 16 years, John is now recognized as a proven leader and example for people affected by the criminal justice system. John’s personal and professional life embodies the work of YouthBuild and is a powerful representation of its mission. He is the proud recipient of the 2018 Brian S. Fischer Achievement Award from Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. This award is presented annually to a formerly incarcerated leader who has made an impact by advocating for positive change in the world.

John is a graduate of Aspen Institute’s Sector Skills Academy and a 2018 Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow. John received his Master of Professional Studies in Urban Ministry from the New York Theological Seminary and holds a Bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Mercy College.

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Additional Resources:

• USA TODAY: Prison experience helps me lead my company through uncertainty of COVID-19
• WGBH’s Greater Boston: YouthBuild USA CEO John Valverde On Navigating The Unknown
• WCVB’s Chronicle: Local nonprofits giving individuals the ability to succeed in their futures
• Pursuit: The Series: An online video series that chronicles entrepreneurs, influencers and professionals in pursuit of fulfillment and inspiring others
• Skoll World Forum: John Valverde | Epiphanies in Proximity

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

Oluchi Nzimako is a human resources professional with 5+ years of experience in recruitment, payroll and benefits administration, HR compliance, and employee relations support. She has worked for various companies in real estate investment and development and the professional services sector. She has a strong interest in the HR space and is focused on building her skills portfolio in organizational development & design, strategic workforce planning, and talent management. She is also passionate about girl education, women’s health and economic empowerment. 

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and also a naturalized citizen of Toronto, Canada, Oluchi obtained her Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree in Human Resources Management and Leadership & Organizations from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and her Masters degree in Industrial and Labour Relations from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. 

An avid reader of fiction and non-fiction literature, a theme parks fanatic and a fitness and wellness enthusiast, Oluchi also loves visiting museums, attending food and music festivals, and watching endless YouTube videos of interesting cars. She is currently based in Philadelphia, USA and works as a Compensation Consultant for a global health services company. 

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. David is also founder of The People vs. The Anti-People, a website dedicated to promoting unity, love, self-determination and community empowerment. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .

Social:

traumdiggs.com 

IG:  @traumdiggs

Twitter:  @traumdiggs 

Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.

Social:

mickeyhess

Twitter:  @mickeyhess

Additional music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:
"Untold Stories" by Traum Diggs

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

Ted Birkhahn is President and Co-founder of Hot Paper Lantern (HPL). His firm, which won the 2020 PRovoke Media New Agency of the Year, helps global brands and business leaders protect, shape and grow their relevance and reputation.

Ted’s passion and expertise in reputation management is built on an approach that integrates strategy, content and technology to enable clients to respond to shifts in the market swiftly and purposefully. His expertise in crisis communications runs deep with more than two decades of experience counseling some of the world’s largest brands, including EY, PVH Corp. (NYSE:PVH), GE (NYSE:GE), Steelcase (NYSE: SCS), Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), and Saint-Gobain, to name a few.

Giving back to the profession and global community is also a big part of Ted’s life. He is a proud board member of several leading organizations – including College of Charleston’s Department of Communication Advisory Council, Hands Up for Haiti, and Shames JCC on the Hudson.

Learn more:
• Hands Up for Haiti
• YVote

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez

Ron Sim, CSC

Cinematographer. Filmmaker. Storyteller.  As a former combat photographer, James Beard nominee, and six-time winner of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award for excellence in branding and commercial cinematography, Ron is arguably one of the most respected, passionate, and acclaimed cinematographers in the world.  His work spans multiple genres—from commercials, television, documentaries, and web films to special assignments in hostile environments, remote geographies, and natural disasters.

Always reinventing himself, his passion for storytelling is fueled by his desire to bring viewers into different worlds, expanding their perspective, and gaining a better understanding of the people and places that make up our planet. With his camera, he has travelled to and worked in 83 countries.  His ability to connect with people from all walks of life—at every corner of the globe, allows him to tell stories unlike any other.  As a Director of Photography, his penchant for experimentation with technique and style allows him to always remain on the cutting edge of filmmaking.

His body of work is a reflection of his understanding of the human experience.  From working with celebrity chef Eric Ripert on the Emmy Award winning series Avec Eric--presented by SquareSpace, to interviewing NASCAR racing legend Richard Childress, to capturing the plight of survivors of genocide in Cambodia--his films have been shot and viewed around the world.  His work on commercials, web films, and corporate branding campaigns for such global clients as Dow Chemical, Toyota, Ford, Harley Davidson, McDonald's, and LG has garnered millions of online views and has helped to excel the reputation of their brands.  A portfolio this diverse and eclectic places him in a rare class of DP’s that can handle an array of projects for any type of media platform.

He and his wife, Linda, are owners of a tiny morkie named Milo who thinks he's a British pitbull.  He currently sits on the board of directors of various non-profits, and is Vice President of his local Cambodian Cultural Association.  He is founder and owner of Simmod Lens, an online company specializing in lens modifications and accessories. In his spare time he can be found on the RC race track dueling it out with kids half his age racing high powered remote controlled cars. 

Ron and Linda currently reside in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

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Photography by Syx Langemann

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Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez