Power Station: The Social Activism Podcast for Progressive Non-Profits

It is one year before the mid-term elections of 2026, and America faces a high stakes scenario that goes beyond who will run for public office. The conversation now is about who will be able to cast a ballot and whether all votes will be counted. The threats can be found in state legislative actions and presidential executive orders that seek to limit access to the ballot box based on disproven accounts of election fraud. In this episode of Power Station I am joined by Rebekah Caruthers, CEO of Fair Elections Center, a national nonprofit staffed by experts in organizing, public education, policy advocacy and litigation, strategies deployed to preserve and expand the voting rights of all eligible Americans. As Rebekah says, when our voting rights are undermined, democracy is at risk. Fair Elections Center also works with HBCUs, public universities and community colleges to ensure that student voting is unimpeded. Rebekah is a powerful leader whose pursuit of voting and civil rights is deeply embedded in her family’s legacy. Her leadership at Fair Elections Center and collaboration with local, state and national advocates is critical to our democracy.

America has a long history of being a welcoming, if imperfect, home to those who have been forcibly displaced from their countries of origin because of conflict. persecution, and violence. And we are not alone. Nations across the globe have taken in millions of refugees—men, women, and children who have crossed international borders to survive. Some nations have developed systems that allow adults to start working right away, positioning their families and those national economies to thrive. On this episode of Power Station, I am joined by Suzanne Ehlers, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency). Her unshakeable humanitarian values and understanding of the resettlement infrastructure, from government agencies to nonprofits and faith networks make her an outstanding champion of displaced families. We talk about Building Better Futures, a collection of women philanthropists who have stepped up to make higher education for women refugees possible, an initiative that will change lives, strengthen economies and create lasting social change across the globe. Suzanne and USA for UNHCR remains laser-focused on the well-being of refugees. It all starts with telling their stories.

Shannan Herbert is undeterred by the chaos, economic shifts and uncertainty of this moment in America. She remains laser-focused on building wealth and opportunity in the DMV, especially in communities that have been historically underserved. As CEO of Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) a nonprofit that brings financial education, coaching and capital to promising entrepreneurs working in or serving LMI communities, Shannan demonstrates what is possible when clients get out from under predatory lending schemes and receive the guidance and support need to achieve their goals. Clients who excel in WACIF’s accelerators and peer cohorts are now thriving small business owners. Their companies can be seen and touched at 3 WACIF operated sites, including the Anacostia Arts Center, an extraordinary cultural and commercial resource in Washington DC’s Ward 8. In this episode of Power Station, Shannan announces a new initiative, the PIVOT Project, a collaboration with longstanding community partner Latino Economic Development Center and their inaugural funder, Capital One. This catalyst fund will be lifechanging for men and women who have lost their place in the federal workforce and are moved to transition to full-time entrepreneurship. Shannan is a force in local communities and on national stages. Hear her.