damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo and today, the american leadership forum on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ damian: we begin once again with the gardeners. they're back. not even the pandemic is stopping them. they're giving out the scholarships again. there is don catalino tapia and also he is with yaneth gutierrez who is a scholarship recipient. also with us will be perla rodriguez who is the chair or the president of the board of the bay area gardeners scholarship foundation. welcome to the show. yaneth, you're a scholarship recipient. tell us about what that young man next to you did for you

and your encouragement. yaneth gutierrez: thank you. thank you very much for having us today. so catalino has been my angel since 2019. i've been a twice recipient of the scholarship gardeners foundation. it has helping me to almost close, next month to get my bachelor's degree. i will be the first in my family and everything is because mr. catalino's work and dedication to help students like me. it is a great honor to be next to him today. damian: that's great. don catalino decided not to do the english show but he wants to be on. we want him on so that we can see the man behind this whole effort. perla, let's bring you in if we can because this is-- you're the president of the board of the bay area gardeners scholarship foundation. what--i mean, not even a pandemic has stopped you all from accepting these applications and giving out

these scholarships this year. damian: we need to get perla on the screen if we can, folks back in the technical operation center. there we go. go ahead, perla. perla rodriguez: nothing can hold us back. as you know, catalino tapia is an amazing person. for those who don't know his story, he is someone who was a gardener at one point in his life and he decided that he wanted to help underprivileged students, first generation students, attend college. and he's been doing that mission faithfully for over 15 years. and, you know, we're honored to be part of that effort. during the pandemic students are suffering in unimaginable ways. their families are affected by lack of work and it's just a very difficult time for those who already were struggling before. damian: i mean, this is a man who came into this country with, i think he said, $7. maybe i'm even exaggerating that amount. oh, $5 he said. $5, and then from that he's, you know, started his business.

he's worked on amazing landscaping efforts on the peninsula and something that you and i push all the time, perla, is that's giving back, and the importance of that. perla: yes, and he's done that his whole life. we have a board of directors who is there to support him along the way and we're really excited because the organization continues to grow. we've grown our board. we're trying really hard during a very difficult time to raise money, to raise money, but people are generous too. people recognize that during these difficult times we have to help one another and we've had very generous individual donors who've stepped up to be part of our efforts. and one of the things that we're doing, damian, is we're starting a mentoring program and it's one more way that people can support underprivileged first generation students. damian: all right, and yaneth, how difficult was it for you to be that first generation under-represented student to overcome the obstacles

that you have at home, like we all did at one point, overcome them and to, you know, be on the campus? i'm assuming san josé state from the gear that you're wearing there. yaneth: yes, it has been so difficult. when i first earned my associate's degree, i didn't know how will i afford my next step and my next journey. however, i said, "i'm not gonna give up. there's gonna be someone there, out there, that can see my-- everything that i have to give to my community," and i was so lucky to find bay area gardeners scholarship foundation who has supported me for the past years. and without their help, without their support, i don't think i would be close to graduate from this next chapter of my life and everybody has been supportive along the way. and one of the obstacles that i found, it was that either you as a first generational student,

you don't know how to navigate the system. it's difficult to learn and difficult to get to how to apply, how will i do this. and one of the big, big efforts for-- who's gonna do that? who's gonna help you along the way to get to the places where you don't know? and those barriers are sometimes the thing that stops you from getting to where you wanna be. and this mentorship program is gonna support you, to help you, and it has been so helpful for me as of right now, especially, because i apply to law school and i didn't know how to do that. and bay area gardeners scholarship foundation was there for me. and i'm very thankful for that. damian: i'm not surprised that they were there and i'm not surprised that they're still going. well, congratulations. we're gonna bring you back to our next segment, but we wanna show folks some information if you want

to apply for a scholarship. also they're accepting donations so they can expand the scholarship program. the information should be on your screen momentarily. it's the bay area gardeners scholarship foundation, founded by don catalino tapia. and they're putting this together to make sure that you all apply. well, there's the information there now on your screen. it's bagsf.org. we'll be back with yaneth and perla and don catalino on, "comunidad del valle." stay with us.

with the bay area gardeners scholarship foundation and, perla, what--they get a lot of goodies, right? it's not just one check and thank you very much. [speaking foreign language] they get a lot of goodies that come with that. perla: absolutely, we pride ourselves in being able to provide students with guidance as yaneth mentioned. we have workshops that we provide the students a chromebook, some sort of technology because it is important. if you're a first generation student, and i remember back when i was a student,

i didn't have a computer to bring with me to my college campus. well, today, that continues to be an issue and so, yes, we give them that. and the thing that we're working on right now is providing our students with a mentor. a mentor can change your life. a mentor can help guide you during difficult moments. and that's actually one of the things that we're working on right now. we just launched the strong roots program and we are looking for mentors to be part of that package of what students receive. we think it's very, very important. damian: why is it critical to, you know, you grab them by the hand and you give them the scholarship and then they're on their way. why is it critical, not that you're holding their hand throughout, but you're with them. you're side by side with that student as they progress, as yaneth was saying from junior college on to san josé state. perla: well, damian, you know, if i think back to my experience as a student, as much as my parents wanted to help me, they couldn't help me navigate many of the things that i had to go through. and so, a mentor can be there.

they don't necessarily have to know everything. but they can be there for the student, provide advice, counsel, and also point them in the right direction to other resources. and so we feel that the mentorship program is a really important component. we've been doing it informally for many, many years. catalino calls on students all the time to check up on them. but a formal program is something that we felt was really important to make sure that every single student had that kind of support. damian: and so, yaneth, you do get that check which means a lot when you're in college, and i know that for a fact. but how vital is it that they don't let go after that? that they stay with you? first of all, that they had the faith to give you the scholarship. of all the applicants, you were one of those that they chose so, psychologically, they have the confidence in you. but how is it--how does it feel to know that they're with you along the way? yaneth: it's nice to know that i'm the luckiest person in the whole entire world.

it feels amazing because it's like building another family. it's like they are there with you when you need it the most, especially don catalino is always calling me, "hey, how's the school doing? how's everything?" i think the money is helpful but i think the support that don catalino provides you is what makes everything be more helpful, more meaningful. like, for example, there was a moment when we transitioned from online learning. i'm not that kind of person that starts very well and it got into a time in which i was so frustrated. i couldn't keep up with my classes. at some point i said, "i don't think i can do this." it was difficult to concentrate, but here i go. mr. catalino, "hey, how you doing?" i said, "i don't think i can do this. i'm thinking on dropping my classes." i said, "no, i know you can do it, and i believe you because you have been through so much, and i think you come here and be able

to succeed in this semester." and i thought, "okay, i--" with his comments and everything that he said every single day, i said, "i think i want the chance to put everything i have because if they believed in me, i cannot let 'em down," because i said, "this is my purpose," and they helping me and i think that's what makes everything worth. and besides, also, the money is so helpful but not only that, the foundation also with their support, economic support, that they give me through the scholarship, also has helped my daughter to continue with her education as well. it is very difficult to pay for two tuitions, so it's a double winning right here. damian: that's a great way to put it. thank you, yaneth and catalino, [speaking foreign language] thank you so much for being on the show. perla, thank you also as well. again, if you want to apply for one of their scholarships or make a donation so they can give out more scholarships, it's all the same, the same website.

there it is on your screen. the bay area gardeners scholarship foundation. --later on, "comunidad del valle" with the american leadership forum. stay with us.

a premier training organization across the country. suzanne st. john-crane is ceo of the silicon valley version of the american leadership forum. she's here on, "comunidad del valle." welcome to the show, suzanne. suzanne st. john-crane: thank you, damian. good to see you. damian: great to see you. well, tell us a little bit. we do have a little bit of video that y'all shared with us, but tell us a little bit about the american leadership forum. suzanne: sure, alf, as we call ourselves, has been around for 40 years and the chapter here in silicon valley has been here about 30 years. and we've done this amazing fellows program where we get cross-sector executives from non-profit, public sector, private sector, together in community and the idea is to put them through a fellows program so they can really deeply know and understand each other and then hopefully build those relationships and be able

to problem-solve better for the good of silicon valley. and a key component of that experience has been this dialog strategy that we use. and it seems that, right now in our country, we could use more of that strategy and dialog in general across differences. damian: and when you talk about across differences, talk about the difference that you think alf has made and particularly here in silicon valley with the fellows and the leaders that you've developed over the years. suzanne: sure, i mean, some of it, it's kind of ask-- like asking, you know, "how do you measure the impact of love?" i mean, really, putting people and leaders through an experience like this has impact, personally and professionally in community and even at home, right, in terms of giving people an opportunity to reflect on their own journey and experience as leaders and then putting them in community with each other. and so we've had 740 people go through this program and, i mean, we've seen organizations start. we've seen philanthropic dollars flow that wouldn't have before,

you know, first act silicon valley comes to mind as an organization that started out of alf. and in addition, we've had these smaller affinity groups. actually, in covid we've had hundreds of smaller dialogs that we've put on, on zoom, across stakeholders and senior fellows that really care deeply about an issue and wanna get other smart senior fellows around the table to think through how do we equitably move through this recovery and build systems that work for everybody in silicon valley? damian: and it's an elite group, right, and by elite i mean you can't just raise your head and say, "i wanna be-- i wanna join alf." i mean, you have to be nominated and you have to show-- prove why you deserve it. and that's whether you're an executive or you're a grassroots organizer. it runs the gamut. suzanne: that's true, yeah. the idea, really, is to get people in community together that have a significant sphere of influence. and so that means different things to different people, but the idea is if you get these relationships and you have

these new techniques and you practice dialog, you can then spread that and share that with a lot of people in your teams and in your networks. so, you know, what i love about alf is, you know, we have this year, for instance, bishop oscar cantú sitting with executive directors of non-profits sitting with private sector executives, right? i mean, it's just the most diverse network in silicon valley, truly, and it's really for the good of all. so as folks can take those practices of dialog and deeply understanding differences, political differences, life journey differences, they make decisions better, right? with--centered in empathy and equity, once they leave the program. damian: and it's not just a one-year commitment. you said, "once they leave the program," but even when they do leave, they're on, right? they're--you're able to tap on to them and they're still-- they're using the tools that they've gained by being at alf to work in their communities. and that's how they're still a part of you. suzanne: that's right.

so we call those folks senior fellows, right? people that have graduated from the alf program and, again, we have brought them together in community to really wrestle with some of the big things happening this year: poverty, police, challenges with police community relationships, philanthropy, and how do we actually get out of this economic crisis that we're in in silicon valley and how inequitable it is. so, you know, we are able-- so, yeah, once you become a senior fellow, the work kind of begins, right? this new journey with alf begins, which is applying what you learned. damian: i've asked you all the questions. there's probably something that you wanna make sure that you get across so go ahead, give us your sales pitch. suzanne: sure, no, i'm really excited about what alf has done within the program around dialog. and i think, you know, what we're talking about now is how can we actually take those strategies of suspending judgment, not walking into a room to negotiate and debate and talk over, but actually to hear each other, right? to suspend judgment, to do active listening, and allow greater things to emerge versus the idea

that we walked in with. and i think those strategies can just be so incredible right now, as we're doing a lot of problem-solving and we're wrestling with a lot of inequities in our community. and so alf has on their website even just a one-pager about how to have a good dialog, right? how do you do this? when we partnered with supervisor dave cortese a couple years ago on this, alf worked with his office to bring 300 people into the santa clara county fairgrounds and these fos were very much-- had very different views about gun safety, gun policy. we had march for our lives advocates, right, sitting with folks that are avid gun enthusiasts. and by the end of the day, a series of conversations had happened that allowed these people to really hear each other and policies emerged that were smart gun safety policies. so that's just a big example, right, of how these dialog principles can be applied for a community's benefit. damian: boy, that's pretty incredible. and it goes from an a-list of movers and shakers

in silicon valley. tell us about the two movers and shakers who we're gonna meet in our next segment. suzanne: oh, two of my favorites: kim rivera who is president at hp who is from class 33 and an alf board member. and raul lomeli who is part of our education cohort, a alf education cohort, and is a principal. so, just delighted to have both of them here. damian: all right, they'll be next in our next segment. suzanne, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your vision and your thoughts on alf. thank you so much. suzanne: you bet. thank you, damian. damian: thank you. more information, we're gonna have that on your screen for you. this is the american leadership forum, silicon valley. they're right here in the heart of silicon valley. there's a web address and a phone number for more information. again, we'll have two of those fellows next here on, "comunidad del valle." stay with us.

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here in the south bay. welcome to the show, both of you. kim rivera: thank you. raul lomeli: thank you so much. damian: raul, you've been on the show before so we'll get to you in a bit, but kim, tell us about, you know, alf and your experience with alf and being a senior fellow with them now. kim: yeah, so i was a member of class 33 and it was a fantastic opportunity for me to create connections and bonds with lots of folks from across the bay area, who i wouldn't otherwise have run into in my day to day life. and it was really a transformational experience, in terms of not only the connections that i made with people from across the non-profit: education, healthcare, you know, faith communities, but also in terms of the tools to build dialog and to find ways to think about the problems in our communities and the things that we'd like to address in creative and different ways.

and so it was a fantastic experience, so much so that i've applied it in lots of other aspects of my personal and business career and so much so that i've become not just an advocate and supporter and fellow, but a board member for alf as well. damian: that's pretty awesome. raul, what about you? talk about your experience with alf and now being one of the senior fellows. raul: definitely, so yeah, i was part of the 32nd class, class 32 of alf, and again, it was very impactful, empowering to learn new ways of communication. suzanne mentioned dialog and that was huge to really see a bunch of different leaders coming from different sectors together. and what was really key about what we did with alf in our retreat is that we had no titles, so no one came and saying, "i'm the ceo," or, "i'm on the board," or none of that. it was very--we're gonna get to know each other as human beings.

we're gonna get to know each other's stories and then move on from there to think about, with our titles, what are things that we can do? now that we are truly a team and we have authentically listened to one another and understood where we're coming from, where can we go from there? and some of--and i quickly applied a lot of the things that i learned with those retreats in education. i'm no longer a principal at voices. i'm a teacher now at del mar high school and also-- i also teach at san josé state, in santa clara from time to time. but as a principal at a few different sites, i employed these retreats and they were so unifying in bringing teachers and staff to come together in solidarity toward finding solutions to making sure that our students of color are achieving at higher levels. so there was--it was very empowering. damian: that's very awesome.

kim, behind you is what looks like an awesome executive table. what's it like to sit--to have a place at that table as an executive at hp, as a latina, as someone who learned, you know, you probably brought a lot to the table with alf but you took a lot from it as well. but what's that experience like? kim: yeah, well, i mean, it is-- i feel like i am on the one hand very fortunate and privileged to do something that not a lot of folks get to do, right? which is sit in corporate boardrooms on corporate boards and to work at the intersection, you know, of business and the community. and you know, what i will say is, you know, for the entirety of my career, because of my own background and because of how i went on a journey, a personal journey and a professional journey, i feel really strongly, really passionately, about opening that dialog about, "hey, why aren't there

more latinos and latinas on corporate boards and in corporate boardrooms? and in corporate america and in the halls of influence? and you know, the wonderful thing about alf is it gives you a set of tools that i've been able to apply in those dialogs which, by the way, are very difficult and very uncomfortable because many times, i still am the only latina in the room, right? or the only latina person in the room but it is vital to be able to come from a place of inquiry and ask, well, if we're committed to diversity, to inclusion, to equity, and i've had many of these conversations in the past year. if we're committed to that, let's have a dialog and explore why it is if we're so committed to it that we keep having the same result. let's explore that and help me understand what your objective is and how we can solve it together. not so much from a place of confrontation and anger or persuading but, as suzanne referred to, from a place of inquiry that says if we both really care

about this, then let's explore how it's not happening. and what we need to change to make a difference, to have a different outcome. and when you do that, with active listening and in search of mutual understanding, the tone can shift. the dialog can shift. and you start to explore areas maybe where it's still uncomfortable but at least you're exploring how to collaborate on the right solution. damian: boy, i kick myself. we should have done an entire half-hour just on this topic alone. thank you, that's very inspirational. raul, real briefly, if you can. we have about a minute left. talk about those people who might think, "well, i'm already a leader, i'm an administrator, i'm an executive. i'm a leader, why do i need alf?" raul: definitely, i mean, we've already talked about it. we are talking about things that are outside of the box and approaches to leadership. and you know, we're talking about dialog and going back to that, many times, you know, our communication becomes very topdown, we're trying to create team

but it's very directing and giving orders. instead of coming together and listening to one another, suspending judgment, and really trying to find solutions. i think that's huge. the other thing, the network is amazing. i can jump on a call that to with, you know, or send an email out and i will get, within 24 hours, get responses from leaders across the board in the silicon valley and that's something powerful, right? to be able to come together on some of these issues that we've been bringing up as well, across race, across sectors. damian: it sounds like training that some of the managers in the newsroom might take advantage of. thank you both so much. i'm so sorry we're out of time but there is the american leadership forum website on the screen for more information. thank you again for watching us on "comunidad del valle." we're gonna have to turn back to this topic. very important. we'll see you once again here. ♪♪♪

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to create wifi-enabled lift zones, so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. oh we're ready. ♪ ♪ [music playing] i'm sara gore, and this is open house. we have some fantastic and surprising homes to explore this week, including this unique home in bronxville, new york, designed by one of frank lloyd wright's proteges. and we're in palm springs, a city known for its design, to check out its largest mid-century modern home. we meet the architects behind this seamless renovation. and we are not forgetting about la, as we tour this sleek modern home with views to spare. but first, we visit this dramatic modern take on the classic new york city loft. we pay lots of attention to scale and proportion and palette. everything has to sing together beautifully. [theme music]