hoarding versus sharing power

Today's episode is a little different from our norm. A few months ago I asked individuals to submit personal stories of ethical and cultural wisdom on the topic of power, and today's podcast is highlighting the story of building Sudha Nandagopal who built Seattle's Equity & Environment Initiative and how it taught her how to see that there are two different kinds of power, the type where status-quo keepers see power as gatekeeping the relationships they have and consolidating the power around themselves or building shared power as a trojan horse within government. She put in structures, and amplified those who didn't have platforms and as a result we won - and that work still exists today and has grown in leaps and bounds. Sudha's Nandagopal has spent two decades as a professional troublemaker, creating the first in the USA municipal Environmental Justice Agenda that centered communities most-impacted as decision-makers, transformed the region's environmental and climate justice leadership, and shifted millions of government and philanthropic dollars towards frontline communities. Whether advising executives or writing about power-shifting, Sudha's superpower is in joyful connection and community building that uncovers collective genius and the imagination we need for just futures. In her story you'll learn: How power doesn't have to be given; sometimes it must be claimed with courage, even in the face of doubt. That representation matters because when you break into uninvited spaces, you shift what others imagine is possible. And that the most enduring kind of power is collective, built by making room for more voices at the table. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.