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 the work we produce?

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.