Dr. Cristina Pacione Zayas

Broken Office Chair host, Bessie Alcantara is joined by Mercedes Brown Racial Equity Assessment Director from the Building Movement Project (BMP) and Frances Kunreuther former Co-Executive Director from BMP. BMP supports and pushes the nonprofit sector to tackle the most significant social issues of our times by developing research, creating tools and training materials, providing guidance, and facilitating networks for social change. In this episode, Bessie, Frances, and Mercedes talk about the Race to Lead surveys, the difference between DEI and Racial Equity, and other surprising (and not so surprising) results from the Race to Lead survey.Frances Kunreuther (she/her)Former Co-Executive DirectorBuilding Movement ProjectFrances Kunreuther is the Former Co-Executive Director of the Building Movement Project, dedicated to strengthening U.S. nonprofits as sites for civic engagement and social change. She co-authored From the Ground Up (Cornell, 2006) and Working Across Generations (Jossey Bass, 2009). Frances was a senior fellow at Harvard’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations for five years and previously led the Hetrick-Martin Institute for LGBTQ youth. She has been recognized with an Annie E. Casey Foundation Fellowship for her work with homeless youth and families, undocumented immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. She writes and presents frequently on nonprofits, leadership, and social change issues.Mercedes Brown (she/her)Race Equity Assessment DirectorBuilding Movement ProjectMercedes Brown is the Director of Race Equity Assessment at the Building Movement Project, where she leads the organization’s race equity assessment process, Building Blocks for Change, to strengthen racial equity in the nonprofit sector. With nearly 17 years of experience in public policy and social services, Mercedes has a background in advancing social and racial justice through cross-system transformation. She previously served as Michigan Director at the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Mercedes holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan and a JD from Western Michigan University. She also teaches policy and community organizing as a part-time lecturer.

Broken Office Chair host, Bessie Alcantara is joined by Dr. Cristina Pacione Zayas as they talk about parenthood, Pacione Zayas's trajectory from nonprofit to the State Senate, the importance of Latina representation in leadership and more.Pacione-Zayas, a distinguished leader born and raised in Chicago, with an extensive background in public service, policy development, and advocacy is Chicago's first Latina chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.Dr. Pacione-Zayas experience includes her service in the Illinois State Senate, where she served on several key committees including Early Childhood, Education, Education Appropriations, Health, Higher Education, Human Rights, and Revenue. Her contributions as secretary to the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Early Learning Council, the Legislative Audit Commission, the BUILD Initiative, the Illinois Crime Reduction Task Force, State Designated Cultural Districts Advisory Committee, and the Title V Needs Assessment Advisory Committee have been instrumental in shaping policies to support a spectrum of public programs and services across the state. Prior to her legislative work, Dr. Pacione-Zayas was the Associate Vice President of Policy at Erikson Institute, where she led efforts to support young children, families, and communities through policy development, leading to greater racial equity and access to critical services and intervention in the early years. She is credited with establishing the Early Childhood Leadership Academy and the Community Data Lab, initiatives that have had a statewide impact on child development policies. Her commitment to education policy, restorative justice, and community engagement was further demonstrated through her impactful work with Chicago Public Schools, Enlace Chicago, Latino Policy Forum, and Palenque LSNA, where she leveraged community partnerships to build systems, craft policy, and design programs that supported young people, parents, and educators.

Broken Office Chair host, Bessie Alcantara is joined by lauren Ornelas as they talk about environmental/climate/food justice, animal rights, community organizing, and more. lauren Ornelas (she, her, hers) is Food Empowerment Project's founder and general programs team member. lauren has been active in the animal rights movement for more than 37 years. She is the former executive director of Viva!USA, a national nonprofit vegan advocacy organization that Viva!UK asked her to start in 1999. While lauren was the director of Viva!USA, she investigated factory farms and ran consumer campaigns. In cooperation with activists across the country, she persuaded Trader Joe’s to stop selling all duck meat and achieved corporate changes within Whole Foods Market, Pier 1 Imports, and others, and she helped halt the construction of an industrial dairy operation in California. lauren was also the spark that got the founder of Whole Foods Market to become a vegan. In addition, she served as campaign director with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition for six years. Watch lauren’s TEDx talk, The Power of Our Food Choices.

Bessie is joined by Prisca Rodriguez, founder of Latina Rebels. as they talk about being raised as Latina women in dual culture environments, leadership as women of color, and how to share access to elitist spaces.Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez is a leading Latine activist, writer, and speaker. She is the founder of Latina Rebels, a platform with over 350,000 followers, and the author of For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts. She has been featured on NPR, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan.  She earned her master’s from Vanderbilt and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bessie is joined by Tinisha Dorsey, Senior Principal, Central Zone Leader at Mercer as they talk about professional development, leadership as women of color, and how to show up for your community while in leadership positions. Tinisha Dorsey is a Principal Central Market leader of Mercer’s Life, Absence and Disability (LAD) practice. As a highly valued leader of the LAD consulting team, she manages a team of consultants, provides practice oversight of the client engagement & selling work streams and leads in developing overall client strategy.Tinisha’s career spans more than 20 years of director-level consulting experience in the national and global market, including premier carrier account management, operations & supply chain management and regional leadership within the insurance and consulting industry. Tinisha currently lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband of 25 years and three adult/collegiate children, where she volunteers for a number of organizations, most notably serving on the Board of Directors as the Business Manager for The Spirited Pearls Foundation and as a featured mentor/sponsor for Greenhouse Scholars.

Tune in to hear Vu Le and Broken Office Chair host, Bessie Alcantara answer questions submitted to the Broken Office Chair Advice Column.Vu Le (“voo lay”) is a writer, speaker, vegan, Pisces, and the former Executive Director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by developing leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration among diverse communities.

Bessie is joined by Tawa Mitchell, Senior Program Officer of MacArthur Foundation's Chicago Commitment as they talk about growing up in Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, mental health, public health, critical race theory, and philanthropy in Chicago. Please note, this episode was recorded prior to the 2024 Presidential Election, though the issues remain as pressing as always.

Join host Bessie Alcantara in this powerful episode featuring Andrea Ortez, Program Officer at Woods Fund Chicago. Together, Bessie and Andrea dive into the profound impact of the conflict in El Salvador, exploring how their shared heritage and experiences have shaped their identities and leadership styles. Tune in for a candid conversation about asylum seekers, the implications of being a Sanctuary City, and the responsibility of philanthropy in funding advocacy work.

Join host Bessie Alcantara in this powerful episode featuring Andrea Ortez, Program Officer at Woods Fund Chicago. Together, Bessie and Andrea dive into the profound impact of the conflict in El Salvador, exploring how their shared heritage and experiences have shaped their identities and leadership styles.Tune in for a candid conversation about asylum seekers, the implications of being a Sanctuary City, and the responsibility of philanthropy in funding advocacy work.

Join us for an inspiring episode as Bessie sits down with two powerhouse leaders, Candice Jones and Thena Robinson Mock. Together, they dive into their journeys in advocacy, justice, and community building. Candice, President and CEO of Public Welfare Foundation in DC, shares her insights on philanthropy and Black leadership, while Thena, VP of Programs at Public Welfare Foundation, and a racial justice lawyer with over a decade of experience advancing community-led efforts for education and youth justice, discusses her vision for the future of social justice and equity.In this candid conversation, they explore the challenges they've faced, the successes they've achieved, and their passion for empowering others. Tune in for practical advice, thought-provoking discussions, and a glimpse into how these incredible women are shaping their fields and inspiring the next generation of leaders.