SoCal Voices

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 educat...

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 ...

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, a...

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. 

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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 ac...

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 ...

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...

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 tal...

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...

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 Hollywoo...

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 SoCa...

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, provin...

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...

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 th...

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 ...

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 p...

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 So...

The end of federal funding for public broadcasting has many Southern Californians wondering what's next for public media. In this episode of SoCal Voices host Angela Ross sits down with Connie Leyva, executive director of the Inland Empire's public radio and TV station, KVCR. Leyva shares insight about the uncertain public media landscape, her determination to stay focused on KVCR’s core mission, and how listeners can help en...

Laura C. Chávez-Moreno is an assistant professor at UCLA and author of How Schools Make Race. Her research digs deep into the ways schools don’t just reflect race—they actually produce it. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Dr. Chávez-Moreno talks about what that means in practice, and why teaching about race matters as much as teaching about math. She also shares her thoughts on the policy, community, and personal action...