A SOCAP guest post by Lauren Schiller, host of the Inflection Point radio show
Our society is at an inflection point. With more women in leadership positions than ever before, there’s no question society is poised for great change. Teams that include more women are shown to work smarter than teams with fewer women. According to UN Women, “It is estimated that companies with three or more women in senior management functions score higher in all dimensions of organizational effectiveness.” And for the first time in US history, we have a female candidate for president on a major ticket.
As the host of the public radio show and podcast Inflection Point, I speak with women who are changing the status quo–and find out how they do it. I uncover their potential to transform our world, shed light on the challenges they face and share their unique perspectives on what it means to be a woman in power today.
By exploring their inflection points – pivotal moments that have shaped the way they think and act – as well as the inflection points they are creating for society–I hope to inspire listeners to challenge the status quo themselves.
Rosa Lee Harden, the Co-Founder and Executive Producer of SOCAP, and Lindsay Smalling, Producer and Curator of the conference, recently joined me for Inflection Point. The interview will air on KALW 91.7FM San Francisco on Friday, September 2nd at 11am, and at least 14 more stations throughout this week. You can also listen on SoundCloud, iTunes, or the Inflection Point website. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, or sign up for my email list to hear other great conversations like these.
Listen to Stories of Women Who Are Creating Impact Today
Jennifer McCrea
Fundraising expert and non-profit leader Jennifer McCrea says “money is just gas in the car.” Jennifer is Chairman of the advisory board at the MIT Media Lab, she co-authored the book, ‘The Generosity Network,’ is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and teaches a course at Harvard called “Exponential Fundraising,” for leaders from the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors. And, Bloomberg called her “the billionaire whisperer. ” She shares how she discovered that there is another way to raise funds–the first step is to stop calling it fundraising. Listen to our full conversation here.
Talia Milgrom-Elcott
While the number of jobs in science, technology, engineering and math–also known as STEM–continue to grow, the number of students studying those fields at the college level continues to shrink. Yet in states like California and others across the nation, there is a STEM teacher shortage in K-12 schools–resulting in an education gap that may leave many students underprepared for our increasingly tech focused economy. In President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address, he acknowledged this challenge by calling for 100,000 excellent STEM teachers in 10 years. My guest Talia Milgrom-Elcott took this challenge to heart–and has created a non-profit organization aptly called “100Kin10”. Listen to our full conversation here.
Susan Griffin-Black
It seems like running a business and respecting the environment are often at odds. Is it possible to do good for the planet and have a successful business? Susan Griffin-Black, the founder and Co-CEO of EO Products, is a trailblazer in the mainstreaming of natural and organic body care products. She shares how she was able to get the first non-food non-GMO designation and how she is working towards making more of her organic products available to more people. Listen to our full conversation here.
Nancy Lublin
Nancy Lublin founded Crisis Text Line to support people in crisis through texting the word “start” to 741-741. They’ve processed over 21 million messages to date. Lublin also founded Dress for Success and was CEO of the teen volunteer organization Do Something. Listen to our full conversation here.
Mia Birdsong
The poverty level for American families has hovered at 25% for decades, in spite of billions of dollars spent. Mia Birdsong started Family Story to help redefine the definition of a ‘traditional family.’ Mia, whose 2015 TED talk–titled, The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn’t True–has been viewed over 1.4 million times. Listen to our full conversation here.
Lauren Schiller is the host of Inflection Point, a weekly national public radio show and podcast featuring conversations with women who are changing the status quo. Produced in San Francisco on NPR station KALW 91.7FM, her wide range of guests have included Gloria Steinem, Sarah Silverman, and Anne-Marie Slaughter. Lauren is a graduate of Vassar College, and spent 20 years as an advertising and marketing storyteller for local and global brands. She embarked on her broadcasting career as the producer and co-host of the popular radio and TV show, ‘The Lady Brain Show,’ dispensing advice and talking candidly with celebrity guests. She also co-hosted Stitcher’s ‘Meet The Talkers,’ interviewing public radio personalities. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, two daughters, and Jack-the-cat.
