CREATING CHANGE THROUGH
SOCIAL INNOVATION

In this episode of Lead The Shift, Jeffery Wallace sits down with Caroline Bhalla, Director of Civic Engagement at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, for a compelling conversation about what it takes to build real power for young people and communities.

Portrait of a Fellow highlights how Anna Tong is redefining what early career power looks like. Through the Evolve Fellows program, she leveraged mentorship, community, and opportunity to accelerate her path—going beyond participation to shape her own trajectory. Her story reveals what becomes possible when change from week to week. Tools multiply faster than anyone can master them. Amid all this acceleration, one question keeps us grounded: are young adults at the center of

When Women Build Power, Systems Change traces a lineage from Fannie Lou Hamer to today’s leaders shaping economic justice. From land ownership to voter mobilization to cultural storytelling, power is shown as something built—not granted. At LeadersUp, this legacy lives on by centering young people as co-designers of the systems that shape their futures, transforming participation into lasting influence and collective power.

Designing Power, Not Just Opportunity challenges the limits of access-only thinking and calls for a deeper shift toward structural power. At LeadersUp, this means moving beyond opening doors to redesigning the systems themselves—centering community voice, aligning fragmented sectors, and embedding equity into every phase of decision-making. Power is not given; it is built through ownership, influence, and the ability to shape the future economy.

What the Data Reveal About Youth Unemployment exposes a deeper truth behind the numbers: this is not a skills gap, but a power gap. Despite education and experience, Black women faced some of the steepest employment losses, driven by structural shifts and public-sector cuts. The data points to a critical need to redesign economic systems—centering community governance, cooperative models, and shared power to create stability that cannot be easily withdrawn.

Power in Practice explores how internal culture is the foundation for external systems change. At LeadersUp, building economic justice begins with examining how power flows within—who is heard, who decides, and how ownership is shared. By shifting toward transparency, trust, and collective leadership, the organization models the very systems it seeks to create, proving that power is not granted, but practiced daily.

On this episode of Lead the Shift, Jeffery Wallace and Christina Garcia explore the meaning of community, the ongoing journey of equity, and the power of BIPOC youth to lead systemic change. Christina shares a vision of community as a space of belonging and mutual upliftment, while calling us to celebrate progress and co-create a more just world. Tune in for a powerful reminder that transformation starts with connection, courage, and shared purpose.

Black Futures Are Designed, Not Discovered. This Black History Month, I am reminded that progress has never been accidental, and that Black Futures Month demands intention. The systems we rely on today, from voting protections to workplace standards, or discovered. They were designed. They were designed through protest, through organizing, and through collective imagination.

There’s a pattern you’ll find across Black history, one that shows up in every generation. When the systems we inherit fail to see us, we build new ones. Not because we’re invited to. But because we have to. Black leaders have always made something out of necessity. Whether in business, education, health, or labor, we’ve led innovation not for recognition, but for survival.

The ways of working are constantly shifting. AI agents turn notes into polished documents. Meeting formats change from week to week. Tools multiply faster than anyone can master them. Amid all this acceleration, one question keeps us grounded: are young adults at the center of the work we produce?

Systems break down when decisions are made for a community rather than with it. That is what informs how LeadersUp operates externally and internally. Before we can invite partners, policymakers, or employers to build with the community, we must demonstrate what co-design looks like within our own organization.

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 opened the door for millions of families from Asia to build lives in this country. It did not emerge on its own. It was a direct product of the moral and political pressure that Black leaders and communities sustained over decades, at extraordinary personal cost. The sit-ins, the marches, the legal battles, the legislation.

The work isn’t finished—and 2026 is calling. At LeadersUp, we’re not closing chapters, we’re building momentum. Dream Sessions and Future Maker Studios are our platforms for co-creating systems that center BIPOC youth. Join us to shift from programs to power, from pilots to policy. Because systems change moves when we do.

In celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded that progress is not inevitable and justice is never certain. The work remains unfinished. At LeadersUp, we don’t shy away from that truth – we build ourselves to last within it.

In the past few months, I have found myself asking a different kind of question: if young adults designed educational and workforce opportunities, what would disappear? Which norms, timelines, or assumptions would be scrapped? What parts of today’s economy would feel absurd or outdated?

At LeadersUp, we’ve moved beyond simply implementing projects. We’re designing for true impact. That means we start with the system, not the service. It means asking not just what needs to be done, but what needs to be changed.

Lauren Ly started her LeadersUp journey as an intern in 2024 and quickly made an impact. She worked across our stakeholder engagement and research teams to learn new skills while adding much needed capacity to our work at the time.

On this episode of Lead the Shift, Jeffery Wallace and Christina Garcia explore the meaning of community, the ongoing journey of equity, and the power of BIPOC youth to lead systemic change. Christina shares a vision of community as a space of belonging and mutual upliftment, while calling us to celebrate progress and co-create a more just world. Tune in for a powerful reminder that transformation starts with connection, courage, and shared purpose.

LAEEA launched this fall as a youth-powered movement to build an inclusive LA economy. Led by LeadersUp and Equity Unleashed Fellows, it centers BIPOC young adults in shaping policy around financial stability, mentorship, access, and career pathways. From real barriers to bold solutions, LAEEA turns vision into action.

Belonging fuels radical imagination. At LeadersUp, we’ve embraced safety, shared power, and equity to build a culture that drives systems change from the inside out.