Lead The Shift: A Message from the President’s Office (Vol. 2, No. 3)

By Jeffery Wallace

The Shift | Vol. 2, No. 3 — “We have to build our own power”: Women’s Fight Endures

Building Power That Lasts: A Conversation with Caroline Bhalla

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. Grounded in Women’s History Month and shaped by questions of equity, leadership, and systems change, the episode explores what it means to move beyond access and toward lasting, structural transformation.

Throughout the conversation, Caroline reflects on the importance of putting data back into community hands and expanding how we think about education, expertise, and opportunity. She speaks to the power of lived experience, the need to recognize wisdom that exists beyond formal credentials, and the role institutions can play in either reinforcing barriers or helping communities reshape them.

Jeffery and Caroline also explore what it means to build systems that actually hold. Systems that are not dependent on one person, one moment, or one initiative to survive. From women’s leadership to youth co-design to the importance of representation in decision-making spaces, this episode offers a grounded and thoughtful look at how more equitable futures are built.

Don’t miss this timely episode of Lead The Shift, where Jeffery and Caroline examine how communities, institutions, and leaders can help build more equitable futures. Watch the full conversation below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB0JNVgz2CA

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Jeffery Wallace is the President and CEO at LeadersUp, driving our mission to build a future-proof economy where everyone can learn, earn, and thrive.