Episodes

If you’re a young person wondering whether you’ll have to leave Orange County to find a good job, or you’re already thinking about leaving because you can’t afford to stay, this episode of SoCal Voices gets right to that situation. Host Angela Ross sits down with Jasmine Pachnanda, Chief Operating Officer of the CEO Leadership Alliance of Orange County, a coalition bringing business leaders together to strengthen the region’s talent, innovation, and economic opportunity. They talk about the j...

We’re pretty good at teaching young people how to look successful in Southern California, but are we teaching boys how to become good men? That's a question that San Diego's Shaun Dawson has been exploring through his podcast, Raising Men. He pushes back on the idea that masculinity is something boys should either suppress or simply perform. Instead, he talks about courage, responsibility, emotional strength, restraint, and above all, the example being set for the next generation. And in a cu...

Bryan Blackmon is founder of Crab Crew, a community movement born from his journey through hardship, recovery, and service. From couch surfing to building an online and real-world community that reaches people looking for hope, Bryan's story reflects a uniquely Southern California reality, where millions come to reinvent themselves, but where challenges like isolation, addiction, and housing insecurity can test even the strongest among us. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Bryan shares his powerf...

A lot of the conversation around retirement focuses on having enough money saved to safely step away from the 9-to-5. Money is important but retirement is also about happiness, quality of life, and sense of purpose. In this episode of SoCal Voices, host Angela Ross sits down with Riverside's Tom Podgorski. He splits his time between hosting the uplifting and inspiring podcast At the Table with Tom Pod and working as an investment advisor and personal financial planner helping folks prepare fo...

This episode of SoCal Voices features Amen Ikamba, a student at SoCal's Pitzer College, and a rising technologist, data scientist, and civic innovator. She is founder of the fintech platform Pan-African Credit Alliance Network (PACIN), and she's building AI-powered tools that help residents understand public policy. She's also leading technology initiatives that connect students and communities. Ikamba represents a new generation of problem solvers using tech for public good. For Southern Califo...

A recent episode of SoCal Voices explored how to better connect with loved ones living with dementia. This episode explores the world of in-home care, and whether it's the right choice for you and your aging loved one. Susan Dost is president and CEO of Sheridan Care, a Southern California-based in-home care company. Our conversation centers on choosing the right in-home caregiver, how to pay for it, and the policy changes needed to make this care more accessible and affordable. Resources ...

Across Southern California, hundreds of thousands of people are caring for a loved one with dementia while juggling work, family, and everyday life, often with little support. Angela Fairhurst, Founder and CEO of Geri-Gadgets, is working to change that. In this episode of SoCal Voices, she shares her personal journey, practical resources, and the inspiration behind tools designed to help people living with dementia and their caregivers feel more connected, supported, and understood. Resources...

In this episode of SoCal Voices we're exploring a powerful new framework for helping neurodiverse and marginalized children thrive -- not by trying to change who they are but by transforming the environments and relationships that surround them. In her book, Heart-Centered Connections: Seven Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive, Niki Elliott of the University of San Diego brings together educational neuroscience, nervous-system wellness, and decades of work ...

Conventional wisdom says that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are disengaged from society -- that they’ve checked out and don’t really care about reshaping the world around them. But an organization based in Los Angeles is actively and successfully challenging that narrative. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Haley Pollock, Director of Leadership & Mentorship at Legacy Youth Leadership, shares how the organization is developing and nurturing emerging leaders from all walks of life and creating positive commu...

A college education isn’t the guarantee it once was. Rising tuition costs and growing uncertainty about whether a degree will lead to a stable, well-paying career are prompting many people to rethink what “higher education” should look like. If college is no longer the only path to success, what needs to change? In this episode of SoCal Voices, educator and entrepreneur Kalista Combs explores how we can rethink learning, work, and family life by reshaping traditional approaches to workforce d...

As host of the podcast Cocoon After Dark, LA’s Quincy Tessaverne platforms queer-centered conversations featuring Black and brown voices and serves as a safe space for SoCal’s queer community to tell their stories. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Quincy opens up about starting Cocoon After Dark, the critical community issues explored on the podcast, and the importance of creating safe spaces through storytelling. Resources Cocoon After Dark is available on Apple and Spotify. Enjoy this ep...

Southern California may be the land of dreams but like other parts of the country, the region has its share of law enforcement misconduct, including autopsy reports that hide the truth about people who die in police custody. In his book The Coroner’s Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence, UCLA Professor Terence Keel investigates how coroners and medical examiners omit key information about police actions — often attributing the death to a preexisting health condition o...

Keziyah Yisrael-Gayle, PhD, is an innovator working at the crossroads of science and community. She’s the founder of TollRAir, a biotech startup developing new treatments for lung inflammation caused by environmental toxins, an issue hitting some of Southern California’s most marginalized communities the hardest. Her work recently earned second place and the People’s Choice Award at the SoCal OASIS Pitch Challenge in Riverside, along with funding to help scale her vision. In this episode of S...

Corporate buyouts and downsizing have reduced budgets and staff in newsrooms across SoCal, leaving community issues underreported and community members less informed. But some independent journalists are stepping up to fill the void, including Manny Sandoval, owner, editor, and publisher of Inland Empire Community News. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Sandoval talks about IECN's community impact, his approach to covering news in a changing media landscape, the personal circumstances that led hi...

If you feel like you're doing everything right and it still isn't enough to get ahead financially in Southern California, what you're about to hear may help. In this episode of SoCal Voices, host Angela Ross sits down with personal finance expert Lissa Lumutenga, who has built a reputation for helping people think differently about money, wealth, and survival in systems that weren't designed with the middle class in mind. We're talking real strategies for thriving in one of the most expensive re...

Southern California is famous for sunshine, beaches, and opportunity but it's also known for a harsh reality. For far too many people, housing here feels out of reach. In this episode of SoCal Voices, host Angela Ross sits down with Emily Ramirez of the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing. Ramirez breaks down why it's so expensive to build affordable housing in SoCal, where well-intended policy goes wrong, and what has to change so that Southern California is a place where peopl...

SoCal is the epicenter of the entertainment industry and award season is in full swing. While many focus on the glamor and festivities, film and media historian Monica Sandler views the movie awards industry through a different lens. In her forthcoming book, The Oscar Industry: Creative Labor, Cultural Production, and the Awards System in Media Industry, Sandler looks at how the Academy Awards have built and sustained Hollywood's class, gender and racial hierarchies. As award season takes sha...

Krystle Hickman is a community scientist, photographer, National Geographic Explorer and one of the few Black women working in the conservation space. In her book The ABC’s of California’s Native Bees she’s helping the non-scientists among us develop a greater appreciation for the important role native bees play in keeping our food systems strong, our landscapes more resilient and our own health as humans in SoCal more secure. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Hickman shares insights about her jo...

A year ago, Shiloh Strong launched Ashes to Films - a nonprofit organization to help members of the creative community impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires rebuild their lives. I sat down with him and filmmaker Eric Dyson, whose heartening documentary, Altadena: The Heart, The Art. The Soul, was showcased at the recent Ashes to Films festival. They share how, in just one year, Ashes to Films has gone from idea to impact, proving recovery is about more than rebuilding structures. It’s also a...

Southern Californians know a thing or two about chasing sunshine and big dreams, and there’s no better example of that spirit than the man who created the happiest place on earth. In this episode of SoCal Voices, you’ll hear from Dr. Disneyland, also known as Jeff Barnes, the author, speaker, and founder of The Wisdom of Walt. He shares how exploring Walt Disney’s life reshaped his own journey. He unpacks what it really means to build your own reality and why those “wild” ideas you’re afra...

Southern California is filled with overachievers. Without some balance and healthy practices, the relentless drive to accomplish more can leave us feeling like we're running on fumes. Licensed marriage and family therapist Laurel van der Toorn of Los Angeles specializes in helping high achieving professionals overcome burnout and improve their mental well-being. In this episode of SoCal Voices, she shares how burnout sneaks into the bodies and minds of high performers and what it really takes to...

Since booking his first gig in 2004, LA voice actor Kyle Chapple has built a career across video games, animation, and commercials but he didn't reach those milestones on talent alone. His journey has also been about grit, risk, and belief in self. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Chapple talks about everything it took for him to achieve his dreams and why it was so important for him to go all in. If you’re grinding toward a goal and wondering whether to stay the course or walk away, Chapple’s j...

The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” included funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. These cuts mean Southern Californians dealing with food insecurity may need to turn to local food banks in increasing numbers to put food on the table. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Rachel Bonilla of Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino, explains how her organization is preparing for the potential increased demand, and how Southern Californians can come...

Serving as an effective state legislator in 2025 requires “next level” commitment and courage, as California finds itself targeted by what some political observers describe as the Trump administration’s retribution campaign. Despite this challenging political environment, State Assemblymember Corey Jackson of SoCal’s 60th assembly district is focused on leading with purpose and clarity. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Jackson shares how staying focused on what matters most builds resilience and...