07 January 2026
Encore: 2025 Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change: An Inspirational Year in Review
InflexionPoint Podcast: Cultivating Change from the Inside Out
About
2025 Theme: “Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change.” Throughout the year we have explored stories, strategies, and successes of community-driven movements making a difference. In our last show for 2025 we recap the year with our most inspiring episodes and introduce the theme for 2026. Throughout 2025 we have stimulating discussions between Anita, Mavis, and Gail. We have also had an awe-inspiring group of guests, handpicked to reflect the theme of community engagement and the grassroots of change. We honor our guests and the works they have done and continue to do in the name of transformation, empowerment, engagement across the multiple sectors of our society.
Is It Possible to Build Trust in Community-Police Relations? Conversation with Shadae McDaniel Senior Vice President/Programs and Strategic Initiatives/Director, All Stars Project (ASP) of New Jersey.
Beginning in February we hosted an in-depth exploration of the All Stars-Project and its signature program "Operation Conversation Cops and Kids." Among many accolades, Shadae was ranked among the ROI-NJ “2023 Influencers: People of Color." NJUrbanNews.com Article: “Shadae McDaniel Builds Bridges, Provides Opportunities for Youth Through the Power of Performance.” Founded in 1981, All Stars Project (ASP) is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that uses a performance-based approach to help tens of thousands of inner-city youths and their families create success in their lives. Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids (OCCK) is an innovative police–community relations model program run by ASP in partnership with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Newark Police Division (NPD). This award-winning program uses performance, improvisation, and conversation to help inner-city teenagers and police officers build trust and improve their relationship.
Until We Are All Free Movement, a human rights organization led by formerly incarcerated criminal justice experts. In March our case study focused on the Until We Are All Free Movement with guest Kevin Reese, Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of UWAAF and Co-Founder/CEO of Until We Are All Free Consulting Group.
Question: God, what is it that you’re working on in my life? What do you do when the answer is build a bridge of people and be a bridge through and with people? Kevin is the answer. Kevin grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He spent 14 years incarcerated inside of the criminal justice system. During that time, he founded the BRIDGE, a grassroots group of directly impacted criminal justice experts whose mission is to abolish mass incarceration and to find a path to true transformative criminal justice. Kevin says,“My idea was to create a program that builds a bridge between people like me, mostly men in prison but women, too, and the community. That bridge and this work is actually revolutionary. Because I’m not supposed to be able to make a connection to people on the outside. Prison is all about preventing that. But the BRIDGE partnership we’ve been working on gives light to an entire caste of people who are incarcerated.”
Youth Empowerment Services, of Pittsburgh PA: “Ahead of its time and punching above its weight, Youth Enrichment Services (YES) formed in 1994...The heart of YES is a spirit of mentorship...By leveraging their unique skills and abilities and centering their voices, YES has created a formula for success that influences community growth, economic prosperity, and student-driven leadership."
In our case study of the YES organization we invited Denise Jones, Educational Consultant at Youth Enrichment Services into the studio. Denise Jones is the daughter of two passion-driven educators. She attended Allegheny College, majored in Economics and minored in Black Studies. Later Denise applied for Teach for America and came to understand the joys and limitations of teaching, particularly in bureaucratic systems. Eventually she agreed to work at her father’s community-based non-profit organization, Youth Enrichment Services (YES), to help young people become their own best resource. She is now pursuing a PhD in education and psychology from the University of Michigan.
Ujamaa Collective, Pittsburgh PA: A Unique Cultural Enriching Experience! Ujamaa Collective is a 501(c)3 non-profit artisan boutique. We (Anita is a member!) serve Africana women providing cultural, artistic, and entrepreneurial exchange in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh. Our passion for cooperatives is rooted in our values of Fair Trade, meaningful work, creativity, community, and wellness. Two Sisters from the Ujamaa Collective shared their wisdom, community engagement practice, and the cooperation with our audiences — Lakeisha Wolf, Executive Director, and Alana Griffin, Ambassador.
LaKeisha is a cultural worker, creative entrepreneur, and teaching artist with an emphasis on identity, racial justice, community connection, and whole-body wellness. She is a founding member of the Ujamaa Collective and has served as Executive Director since 2013. Alana lives out the organization’s mission to empower Africana women through cooperative economics, cultural expression, and community healing.
Economic Sovereignty in Burkina Faso: From Thomas Sankara to Ibrahim Traoré | Guest: Leontine Osuagwu. In this episode we dig into the role of sovereign psyche in leadership, particularly in the African nation of Burkina Faso under the past leadership of Thomas Sankara (1949-1987) and current leader, President Ibrahim Traoré.
The home country of our guest, Leontine Osuagwu, is Burkina Faso. With over 20 years of leadership experience across corporate, nonprofit, for-profit sectors, she helps leaders cultivate the mindset, strategy, and emotional intelligence to lead with excellence in creating sustainable impact. She's brings honor and soulful insight into the events unfolding in her home country.
Mental Health, NAEP and Coach Bradley: A Unique Blend of Mentorship, Empathy, and Strategic Insight In His Work as a Transitional Life Coach. Coach Bradley specializes in guiding adolescents through the transition from high school to adulthood while also supporting adults navigating career changes and life pivots. Ed integrates emotional intelligence, active listening, and values-based goal setting to create a safe, supportive coaching environment. Whether preparing students for life’s next step or helping adults embrace new opportunities, Ed equips people to create lasting, meaningful change.
In a second episode featuring Coach Bradley he provided an understanding of NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), explaining its purpose and how it differs from state tests, and the role it plays in systemic racism, accountability, and test-based reforms in education.
Case Study ShiftWorks Community+Public Works | Guest: Sallyanne Kluz, Executive Director. Sallyann Kluz is a Pittsburgh-based arts administrator, architect, and urban designer whose practice is situated at the intersection of art and community development. Her practice includes public art programs and strategies, community engagement, design education, public space design, and neighborhood development strategies. In her leadership role, Sallyann is focused on providing technical assistance to artists and clients, and expanding the role of artists in community development, civic design, and community engagement.
Why Community and Public Arts? Sally led us into a meaningful discussion pondering this question. The short answer is this: "Shiftworks Community+Public Arts envisions a region in which the creative practices of artists are fully engaged to collaboratively shape the public realm and catalyze community-led change." The work is designed to expand the range of possibilities for artists to engage communities.
We applaud our guests who have made this year meaningful, insightful, and engaging!
Is It Possible to Build Trust in Community-Police Relations? Conversation with Shadae McDaniel Senior Vice President/Programs and Strategic Initiatives/Director, All Stars Project (ASP) of New Jersey.
Beginning in February we hosted an in-depth exploration of the All Stars-Project and its signature program "Operation Conversation Cops and Kids." Among many accolades, Shadae was ranked among the ROI-NJ “2023 Influencers: People of Color." NJUrbanNews.com Article: “Shadae McDaniel Builds Bridges, Provides Opportunities for Youth Through the Power of Performance.” Founded in 1981, All Stars Project (ASP) is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that uses a performance-based approach to help tens of thousands of inner-city youths and their families create success in their lives. Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids (OCCK) is an innovative police–community relations model program run by ASP in partnership with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Newark Police Division (NPD). This award-winning program uses performance, improvisation, and conversation to help inner-city teenagers and police officers build trust and improve their relationship.
Until We Are All Free Movement, a human rights organization led by formerly incarcerated criminal justice experts. In March our case study focused on the Until We Are All Free Movement with guest Kevin Reese, Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of UWAAF and Co-Founder/CEO of Until We Are All Free Consulting Group.
Question: God, what is it that you’re working on in my life? What do you do when the answer is build a bridge of people and be a bridge through and with people? Kevin is the answer. Kevin grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He spent 14 years incarcerated inside of the criminal justice system. During that time, he founded the BRIDGE, a grassroots group of directly impacted criminal justice experts whose mission is to abolish mass incarceration and to find a path to true transformative criminal justice. Kevin says,“My idea was to create a program that builds a bridge between people like me, mostly men in prison but women, too, and the community. That bridge and this work is actually revolutionary. Because I’m not supposed to be able to make a connection to people on the outside. Prison is all about preventing that. But the BRIDGE partnership we’ve been working on gives light to an entire caste of people who are incarcerated.”
Youth Empowerment Services, of Pittsburgh PA: “Ahead of its time and punching above its weight, Youth Enrichment Services (YES) formed in 1994...The heart of YES is a spirit of mentorship...By leveraging their unique skills and abilities and centering their voices, YES has created a formula for success that influences community growth, economic prosperity, and student-driven leadership."
In our case study of the YES organization we invited Denise Jones, Educational Consultant at Youth Enrichment Services into the studio. Denise Jones is the daughter of two passion-driven educators. She attended Allegheny College, majored in Economics and minored in Black Studies. Later Denise applied for Teach for America and came to understand the joys and limitations of teaching, particularly in bureaucratic systems. Eventually she agreed to work at her father’s community-based non-profit organization, Youth Enrichment Services (YES), to help young people become their own best resource. She is now pursuing a PhD in education and psychology from the University of Michigan.
Ujamaa Collective, Pittsburgh PA: A Unique Cultural Enriching Experience! Ujamaa Collective is a 501(c)3 non-profit artisan boutique. We (Anita is a member!) serve Africana women providing cultural, artistic, and entrepreneurial exchange in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh. Our passion for cooperatives is rooted in our values of Fair Trade, meaningful work, creativity, community, and wellness. Two Sisters from the Ujamaa Collective shared their wisdom, community engagement practice, and the cooperation with our audiences — Lakeisha Wolf, Executive Director, and Alana Griffin, Ambassador.
LaKeisha is a cultural worker, creative entrepreneur, and teaching artist with an emphasis on identity, racial justice, community connection, and whole-body wellness. She is a founding member of the Ujamaa Collective and has served as Executive Director since 2013. Alana lives out the organization’s mission to empower Africana women through cooperative economics, cultural expression, and community healing.
Economic Sovereignty in Burkina Faso: From Thomas Sankara to Ibrahim Traoré | Guest: Leontine Osuagwu. In this episode we dig into the role of sovereign psyche in leadership, particularly in the African nation of Burkina Faso under the past leadership of Thomas Sankara (1949-1987) and current leader, President Ibrahim Traoré.
The home country of our guest, Leontine Osuagwu, is Burkina Faso. With over 20 years of leadership experience across corporate, nonprofit, for-profit sectors, she helps leaders cultivate the mindset, strategy, and emotional intelligence to lead with excellence in creating sustainable impact. She's brings honor and soulful insight into the events unfolding in her home country.
Mental Health, NAEP and Coach Bradley: A Unique Blend of Mentorship, Empathy, and Strategic Insight In His Work as a Transitional Life Coach. Coach Bradley specializes in guiding adolescents through the transition from high school to adulthood while also supporting adults navigating career changes and life pivots. Ed integrates emotional intelligence, active listening, and values-based goal setting to create a safe, supportive coaching environment. Whether preparing students for life’s next step or helping adults embrace new opportunities, Ed equips people to create lasting, meaningful change.
In a second episode featuring Coach Bradley he provided an understanding of NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), explaining its purpose and how it differs from state tests, and the role it plays in systemic racism, accountability, and test-based reforms in education.
Case Study ShiftWorks Community+Public Works | Guest: Sallyanne Kluz, Executive Director. Sallyann Kluz is a Pittsburgh-based arts administrator, architect, and urban designer whose practice is situated at the intersection of art and community development. Her practice includes public art programs and strategies, community engagement, design education, public space design, and neighborhood development strategies. In her leadership role, Sallyann is focused on providing technical assistance to artists and clients, and expanding the role of artists in community development, civic design, and community engagement.
Why Community and Public Arts? Sally led us into a meaningful discussion pondering this question. The short answer is this: "Shiftworks Community+Public Arts envisions a region in which the creative practices of artists are fully engaged to collaboratively shape the public realm and catalyze community-led change." The work is designed to expand the range of possibilities for artists to engage communities.
We applaud our guests who have made this year meaningful, insightful, and engaging!