Dreaming in Color The Bridgespan Group x StudioPod Media

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from  The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. 
In this episode, Christian interviews Robert Rooks, CEO of REFORM Alliance, founded after the unjust re-imprisonment of recording artist Meek Mill. Robert is one of the nation’s premier criminal justice reformers with over two decades of experience as a grassroots organizer, strategist, and movement leader. 
Under Robert’s leadership, REFORM has won major legislative reforms to transform probation and parole systems in California, Georgia, and Mississippi and has lifted up the experiences of people on supervision to educate the public and build support for broader change. 

Robert co-founded the Alliance for Safety and Justice before joining REFORM, expanding it to eight states with high incarceration rates and leading advocacy efforts for criminal justice reform nationwide, resulting in legislative wins like the Neighborhood Safety Act in Illinois. He directed successful campaigns such as Yes on Proposition 47 and Yes on Proposition 57 in California, which reduced incarceration rates and increased parole eligibility. Additionally, Robert played a key role in fundraising for Florida's Amendment 4, restoring voting rights for over one million individuals with past convictions.

Join this conversation as Robert paints a picture of what our society can look like if we “educate not incarcerate.” 

This is Dreaming in Color. 

Jump straight into: 
(0:32) Introduction of Robert Rooks: CEO of REFORM Alliance.
(2:22) Robert shares how his upbringing inspired his passion for prison reform.
(7:26) Robert discusses how reform legislation in the last 20 years has made strides toward a better justice system and dreams about what the next 20 years will bring. 
(9:03) We visit the story of Meek Mill’s unjust incarceration and how that spurred the beginnings of REFORM Alliance.
(13:53) Robert illustrates a picture of society with true reform. 
(20:38) Abolition vs. reform
(22:10) We need everybody and how investing in community organizers is the pathway to change. 
Episode Resources
Connect with Robert Rooks on LinkedIn and InstagramLearn more about the REFORM Alliance through their websiteFollow the REFORM Alliance on X, LinkedIn and InstragramRead about Robert’s work in Bridgespan’s report on philanthropy and the criminal legal system Learn more about Alliance for Safety and Justice through their website
Read Robert’s interview with

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from  The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. 
In this episode, Anum sits down with Rebecca Dixon, President and CEO of the National Employment Law Project. Before taking the helm in 2020, Rebecca served on NELP’s Executive Management team as Chief of Programs. Since joining NELP in 2010, she’s advanced NELP’s growth and impact while serving in several positions, including policy analyst and senior staff attorney. During the Great Recession and its aftermath, Rebecca was a leader in winning unprecedented unemployment insurance coverage expansions in 20 states and multiple extensions of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits for long-term unemployed workers.  

In 2012, Rebecca was selected by the State of New York for its Empire State Leadership Fellows program and served in the Office of the Governor in its Labor and Civil Rights Division. She is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association; a board member of The American Prospect, Americans for  Financial Reform, the Coalition on Human Needs, the Hope Enterprise  Corporation, and the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation; and a member of the  Economic Analysis and Research Network in the South, the 2020 Aspen Institute SOAR Leadership Fellowship, and the 2021 National Academy of  Social Insurance’s Unemployment Insurance Reform Working Group and  COVID-19 Task Force.
Join us as Rebecca shares how her commitment to advancing workers’ rights is inspired by her lived experience growing up in rural Mississippi at the intersection of race, class, and gender. 

This is Dreaming in Color. 

Jump straight into: 
(0:32) Introduction of Rebecca Dixon: President and CEO of the National Employment Law Project
(3:24) Rebecca illustrates how being a descendant of sharecroppers and her upbringing in rural Mississippi shaped her views on labor and fueled her passion for creating a standard of dignified work for all. 
(12:39) Rebecca defines an equitable labor market. 
(16:40) We explore how interest-based problem-solving is a great solution for creating a balanced workplace democracy. 
(22:40) The importance of multi-generational support in the workplace. 
(24:41) The dangers of occupational segregation.
Episode Resources
Connect with Rebecca Dixon on LinkedInLearn more about the National Employment Law Project through their websiteFollow the National Employment Law Project on Twitter and LinkedInRead Rebecca’s article Reversing Labor Laws Rooted In Slavery.Read more of Rebecca’s writing here.

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from  The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. 
In this episode, we speak with Brea Baker, a Freedom Fighter and Writer working on the frontlines for nearly a decade. She began as a student activist, contributing to #NextYale, a movement to address the legacy of white supremacy on Yale’s campus, the Women’s March of 2017 where she was the youngest national organizer, and the 2018 student walkouts against gun violence. In her professional career, Brea has contributed to dozens of electoral and advocacy campaigns. She advises storytellers, celebrities, and industry leaders on building our collective imagination and responding thoughtfully to social justice movements.  

To add to that, Brea’s book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership is set to release on June 18th. Rooted traces the experiences of Brea’s own family’s history of having land violently taken from them and explores historic attacks on Black land ownership to better understand the racial wealth gap. 

Join this conversation as Brea takes us on her family’s tumultuous journey of land ownership ultimately leading to the “Baker Acres”—a haven for her family, and a palace where they are surrounded by love, sustained by the land, and wholly free. Listen as she paints a picture of a world post-reparations.

This is Dreaming in Color. 

Jump straight into: 
(0:32) Introduction of Brea Baker: Freedom Fighter and Author.
(3:13) Land theft as the original sin that makes colonialism possible.
(4:18) Brea shares her origins as a student organizer.
(10:03) Brea’s delves into her family’s history and how the violent theft of her family’s land led to her activism.
(18:31) Brea paints a picture of reparations in its different forms—the physical, as in the restatement of land and wealth but also the emotional and spiritual, like holding space for grief and rage.
(27:20) Brea speaks on her role as an artist and writer and the responsibility of being society’s truth teller and recorder of history.
(30:52) Holding space for radical love.
Episode Resources
Keep up with Brea on Twitter and InstagramLearn more about Brea through her website.Order Brea’s book Rooted here and read her writing in Elle, Refinery29, Harper’s Bazaar, and Sweet July
Learn more about reparations through Bridgespan’s special collection

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from  The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. 
In this episode, we sit down with Arlan Hamilton, a trailblazing investor and founder of Backstage Capital and HireRunner.co. Arlan is also a serial entrepreneur, author, and prolific speaker. 
In 2015 she started Backstage Capital to invest in founders who are people of color, women, and or LGBTQ. Since its inception, Backstage has raised nearly $30 million and invested in 200 startups led by underestimated founders. 
Arlan also authored the book “It’s About Damn Time” chronicling her entrepreneurial journey, and hosts the popular podcast “Your First Million.” She is also the first, non-celebrity Black woman to grace the cover of Fast Company magazine. If that wasn’t enough, Arlan’s latest book, “Your First Million: Why You Don’t Have To Be Born Into A Legacy of Wealth To Leave One Behind.” is now available at any major book retailer. 
Join us as Arlan details her triumphant ascent from homelessness to multi-millionaire venture capitalist and how being underestimated fueled her success.  

This is Dreaming in Color. 

Jump straight into: 
(0:30) Introduction of Arlan Hamilton: Founder, Author, Speaker, and a trailblazing Venture Capitalist. 
(2:21) From homelessness to venture capitalist - Arlan’s triumphant ascent to the top. 
(4:33) How being an underestimated LGBTQ woman of color inspired her to help others like her get their ideas off the ground. 
(13:23) Success as activism and the power of modeling success for others. 
(13:45) The perks of believing in the underestimated and the ripple effects of how one tiny seed planted can flourish in unexpected ways. 
(18:22) Advice to leaders: “be someone’s first yes.” 
(21:49) Success vs. fulfillment. Defining what fulfillment looks like to you. 
Episode Resources
Keep up with Arlan on LinkedIn, Twitter and InstagramRead Arlan’s books, “It’s About Damn Time” and “Your First Million: Why You Don’t Have to Be Born Into A Legacy of Wealth to Leave One Behind.” Learn more about Backstage Capital and HireRunner.coListen to Arlan’s podcast, “Your First Million”Email Arlan at arlan@backstagecaptial.com 
Support Arlan’s portfolio companies a...

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Christian Celeste Tate and Anum Qadir from  The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. 
In this episode, we welcome Michael Tubbs, who at the age of 26 became the youngest mayor of any major city in American history when he took the helm of his hometown of Stockton, California. The former Mayor is the founder of End Poverty in California, or EPIC, which works to eradicate poverty by elevating the voices of people experiencing it and the data-driven policies shown to work. He is also the founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. He is a Rosenburg Foundation Senior Fellow and also serves as the Special Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom for economic mobility.
Join this conversation as Michael takes us on a journey towards prosperity for all. He talks about how growing up in Stockton, California helped him to better serve his community, the challenges he faced as mayor, and candidly shares how failure has shaped his success. 
This is Dreaming in Color. 
Jump straight into: 
(0:32) Introducing Michael Tubbs: Founder of End Poverty in California and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Rosenberg Foundation Senior Fellow and Special Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom
(4:43) Storytelling as the fuel for change and de-radicalizing narratives for the greater good. 
(10:20) Challenging the narrative that exceptionalism is the key to success
(10:47) De-radicalizing the idea of guaranteed income for all. 
(14:35) Challenging myth of meritocracy 
(16:39) What are you willing to fail for? Overcoming failure and building courage. 
(18:17) Defining your personal metric of success, finding your north star and knowing that your purpose doesn’t need to be tied to your position. 
(23:48) Getting to know Michael Tubbs through rapid-fire questioning.
Episode Resources
Keep up with Michael on Twitter and InstagramLearn more about Michael through his websiteRead Michael’s autobiography, The Deeper The Roots: A Memoir of Hope and HomeLearn more about End Poverty in California
Watch the trailer for Stockton on My Mind, the HBO documentary about Michael’s journey as the Mayor of Stockton, California

Welcome to Dreaming in Color: Next Gen, a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. Join in on these candid, kitchen table conversations, where together, we can make a difference. We celebrate these leaders ingenuity, are inspired by their wisdom, and learn how collectively we can all strive to do and be better. This is Dreaming In Color: Next Gen.