The Measure

For Lyneir Richardson, seeing the value in people and places that others overlook has been the driving force of his career. He talks about revitalizing neighborhoods and wealth building through community-owned shopping centers. Lyneir is co-founder and CEO of The Chicago TREND Corporation.

In 2021, Dr. Dwayne Proctor became the president and CEO of Missouri Foundation for Health, following nearly two decades at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He talks about the transition from national to state work—plus his early days touring with Ray Charles—and how to continue standing up for health equity.

Dr. Carmen Rojas, president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, talks about philanthropy's crucial role in moving money to frontline organizations that are defending civil society.

Dominica McBride, founder of BECOME, talks about culturally responsive evaluation as social justice and four themes from her book, Becoming Change Makers: The Exquisite Path to Leadership and Liberation for Women of Color.

Katya Fels Smyth, founder and CEO of Full Frame Initiative, talks about well-being justice, the importance of shifting power in systems change, and the organization's closing after more than 15 years.

Jeff Fuhrer breaks down false narratives about the U.S. economy—and how to change them to create more opportunity for all. He is the author of The Myth That Made Us: How False Beliefs about Racism and Meritocracy Broke Our Economy (and How to Fix It). Jeff's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262552851/the-myth-that-made-us/ Jeff's recent article for the Brookings Institution, "The cost of being poor is rising. And it’s worse for poor families of color": https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-cost-of-being-poor-is-rising-and-its-worse-for-poor-families-of-color/

Marcus Walton, president and CEO of GEO, sits down with Equal Measure's Leon T. Andrews, Jr., to speak about the importance of culture and community in shifting philanthropic grantmaking.

Temi F. Bennett and Hanh Le from iF, A Foundation for Radical Possibility, talk about racial equity versus racial justice and disrupting norms in the philanthroptic sector.

Crystal Hayling, former executive director of the Libra Foundation, discusses her family’s roots in civil rights, the link between activism and democracy, and building intersectional movements for change. Learn more on The Measure.

Discover the power of hope and resilience in the pursuit of social justice with Amanda Navarro, Executive Director of the Convergence Partnership. In our latest episode of The Measure, Amanda shares insights on scaling deep for transformative impact in racial equity, the importance of finding joy in the journey and celebrating the courage of grassroots leaders who are driving change in their communities. Learn how the partnership's strategic shift to centering racial justice is reshaping philanthropy and empowering grassroots movements. 

adrienne maree brown grows healing ideas in public. Through her writing, music, and podcasts, adrienne has nurtured Emergent Strategy, Pleasure Activism, Radical Imagination and Transformative Justice as ideas and practices for transformation. Her work is informed by 25 years of social and environmental justice facilitation in support of Black liberation, her love of Octavia E. Butler and visionary fiction, and her work as a doula. She is the author and editor of several published texts.

Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA, is a board-certified infectious diseases physician and a medical epidemiologist. She began her public health career in 1998 as a member of the CDC’s elite Epidemic Intelligence Service. She has served as a foreign diplomat in the Caribbean, an academic researcher, and the former chief medical officer for the DC Medicaid program. Dr. Fitzpatrick is a member of the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Sciences Roundtable on Health Literacy and an Aspen Institute Health Innovator Fellow. She is the founder and CEO of Grapevine Health.

In this episode of The Measure, Chantel Rush Tebbe, Managing Director of the American Cities Program at the Kresge Foundation, shares insights on navigating power dynamics, the importance of community-driven solutions, and her personal journey shaped by familial experiences, illustrating the complex interplay between place, race, and systems change.

On today’s episode of The Measure, we learn from Gerri Spilka, Equal Measure’s founding director and past president. As we celebrate 40 years as an organization, Gerri takes us to the beginnings of the organization and a nascent evaluation field. 

Learn more about Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC), and how America's cities, towns, and villages continue to build toward equity-driven change.

In episode 4 of The Measure, we hear from Chike Aguh, former Chief Innovation Officer at the U.S. Department of Labor, about the future of jobs and how to create a more inclusive workforce.

Leon T. Andrews, Jr., president and CEO of Equal Measure, sits down with Erica Atwood from the City of Philadelphia's Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice and Public Safety. They talk about reducing gun violence in Philadelphia, the city's anti-violence Community Expansion Grant pilot program, and the necessity of Black joy.

In the second episode The Measure, Leon T. Andrews, Jr. sits down with Jara Dean-Coffey and Marcia Coné of the Equitable Evaluation Initiative. They discuss the origins of the Equitable Evaluation Framework™, the importance of context in philanthropic work, and the necessary evolution of evaluation and philanthropy in the United States.

Angela Glover Blackwell shares her background of growing up in segregated St. Louis, Missouri; the concept of transformative solidarity; and the importance of understanding history to move forward with social change. Welcome to the first episode of The Measure.