Inflection Point With Lauren Schiller

There’s a reason that women are angry. Since the founding of this country, we have been faced with men in power who are set on shutting us down, and shutting us out. Revolutionary fury isn’t just for the founding fathers. And ladies, even though we’ve been stewing in our ever-growing anger for the past 242 years, we have just begun to fight. Listen to my conversation with Rebecca Traister, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger. This conversation was recorded live in Berkeley, CA on October 10th, 2018 as part of Women Lit, a program of the Bay Area Book Festival. Want to show your support for Inflection Point? Here are few ways: Financial: Go to inflectionpointradio.org/contribute. Emotional: Come on over to The Inflection Point Society, our Facebook group of everyday activists who seek to make extraordinary change through small, daily actions. Sensational: Subscribe to “Inflection Point” to get more stories of how women rise up right in your fee

At age 32, Minnesota State Representative Erin Maye Quade is positioned to be at the forefront of a wave of progressive political leaders representing a new generation of voters.   She made history while running in the Twin Cities suburbs as a deeply progressive, biracial, openly queer, anti-gun violence, anti-racist, pro-social justice candidate. There’s no doubt she’ll rise high and go far. The question is: as an unprecedented amount of women run for office and have a good chance of winning, will the powers that be yield to the kind of change politicians like Erin will bring to office? Or will they double down and fight dirty?

Organizational psychologist Dr. Barbara Adams says there is transformational power for everyone in diversity and inclusivity, but initiatives like employee training days and inclusive hiring aren’t enough. What we need, says Dr. Adams, is a fundamental shift in mindset about our implicit biases and how they affect every aspect of organizations, from what’s on the walls, to hiring practices and beyond. And the goal shouldn’t be to eliminate biases, but to acknowledge them and to do the work to ensure that there’s more than one kind of bias in the room when decisions are being made. Listen to my conversation with Dr. Barbara Adams, author of the new book “Women, Minorities and Other Extraordinary People” to see what’s broken about current organizational diversity initiatives and what we can do to create a workplace that works for all of us. And when you’re done, come on over to The Inflection Point Society, our Facebook group of everyday activists who seek to make extraordinary change through small, daily act

Ask any woman who’s sat through a long meeting surrounded by men, and she could tell you how exhausting it can be: we struggle to make ourselves heard while carefully avoiding accusations of being ‘bitchy,’ ‘strident,’ or ‘shrill.’ We rarely have the kind of permission to fail that our male counterparts get. We want to take ownership of what little power is tossed our way, yet we’re always at risk of being punished for wielding such power. Which is why Julia Rhodes Davis decided to form an all-women board for the non-profit, Vote.org. The question is, can the empowerment that takes place in an all-women board meeting translate into actual, world-changing power once they step outside the boardroom? Listen to my conversation with Julia Rhodes Davis, Chair of Vote.org and Director of Partnerships The Partnership on AI. Find out what Julia has to say about turning empowerment into power, and also shaping the future so women and minorities don’t need to be “empowered” anymore. (All views are her own. As they sh

It’s 2018 and women are more empowered than ever. But how do we turn that into actual power? We’re living in the era of the Women’s March, #MeToo, the surge of women in politics and t-shirts proclaiming “the future is female.” Then again, Roe vs Wade is under threat of being overturned, confessed sexual harassers get standing ovations at comedy clubs, and female political candidates of all parties are threatened and harassed on a daily basis. This season, the podcast Inflection Point with Lauren Schiller is taking a journey into the whole “empowerment” thing and how that turns into actual power. Lauren will go way past the buzzwords, asking questions like: How did we get to the double standards women live with today? Are women-only spaces preparing women for leadership... or are they keeping women cloistered? Is there a place in the world where women, especially women of color, genuinely have power without living on the margins? And explore what’s possible when women are really in charge… And what

After Brief But Spectacular creator Steve Goldbloom filmed 94-year-old retired English teacher Flossie Lewis and “Black Girl Magic” poet activist Mahogany L. Browne, their short segments on PBS NewsHour went unexpectedly viral. Although they come from entirely different backgrounds, the two women share a deep passion for language and an appreciation of its power to heal and to harm. Join our live conversation, recorded at the Commonwealth Club to learn how, despite our differences, we can find connections that bring us together. And when you’re done, come on over to The Inflection Point Society, our Facebook group of everyday activists who seek to make extraordinary change through small, daily actions. Subscribe to “Inflection Point” to get more stories of how women rise up right in your feed!

At age 35, Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake became the youngest female founder and CEO to take a company public in 2017. Stitch Fix is now worth over two billion dollars. She has not only changed the way many of us shop for clothes, but she’s also changing how we think about leaders. Find out how she learned to embrace her history-making role as the youngest woman to take a startup to IPO, in this conversation at INFORUM at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Subscribe to “Inflection Point” to get more stories of how women rise up right in your feed! Want to support more women’s stories? Support the program at inflectionpointradio.org/contribute.

What happens when teachers are given the freedom to inspire a lifelong love of learning? In this episode, I talk with Gabrielle Howard, who recently retired as the head of the Lower School at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, where she worked for 35 years. We’ll talk about why she dedicated her life to fostering a love of learning in young children, why she let them swear in her office, how a school without grades can produce high-achieving graduating classes time and time again, and the deep value of listening to kids. Support Inflection Point with a monthly or one-time contribution at inflectionpointradio.org/contribute. Join our Facebook group for everyday activists at inflectionpointsociety.com.

Now and then a “girl power” book pops up that is truly inspiring and, better yet, timely. And even better, written by actual feminists, parents, and educators who want to use their books to incite change by creating role models our daughters and sons can relate to. Sounds pretty rad right? That’s actually the name of a book series...”Rad Women”...”Rad Women A to Z”; “Rad Women Worldwide”, and now, those women Kate Schatz and her co-author/illustrator the rad Miriam Klein Stahl are out with a third book called “Rad Girls Can.” I talked with Kate and Miriam at a benefit for children's literacy hosted by Reading Partners, an organization that mobilizes communities across the Bay Area to help students read at grade level by fourth grade. Join me for a special on-stage discussion with the authors of RAD Girls Can, Miriam Klein Stahl and Kate Schatz. The book is available now.

Daniela Petruzalek is an accomplished software engineer from Brazil, who started working with computers at the age of 14. She’s always tried to fit into the male dominated field, but it was in direct conflict with who she really was, even growing up. The thing is, Daniela has lived most of her life as a male. But three years ago, she took the leap to transition to her true female self and had to fight her own internal prejudices. And not only that, she was now competing in that same very male field, but as a woman. Daniela has made it her mission as a trans woman, to make the white, cisgender male dominated tech industry truly inclusive. Join the conversation when you join our “Inflection Point Society” Facebook Group— for everyday activists who want to make extraordinary social change through everyday actions. Listener support is the engine that keeps us rolling! Consider supporting at inflectionpointradio.org/contribute.

When radio journalist Sarah Delia heard a story about the sexual assault of one of her station’s listeners, “Linda” (not her real name), she knew it was a story that needed to be told. It’s also a story about how one survivor took matters into her own hands when the police department she turned to for help seemed to be failing to help her. And it’s a story about how our criminal justice system handles sexual assault cases nationwide--and what needs to change to make violence against women the exception rather than the status quo. Sarah turned Linda’s story into a new investigative podcast series called “She Says”. Listen to our conversation about the courage it takes to tell your story of sexual assault--and keep telling it---until you are heard by someone who can help you get justice. And also--what it takes to be the person who takes on the “second-degree trauma” of listening to and reporting on stories of sexual assault. Join the conversation when you join our “Inflection Point Society” Facebook Group—

Empathy is often seen as the magic bullet against intolerance. But when we take on too much empathy for others it can be difficult to create emotional boundaries when it comes to our own needs. At the same time, when we put up emotional walls, we’re judged as being selfish, cold or “bossy.”**  ** Emily Abad is someone who was raised to always put others’ needs ahead of her own and not speak up for herself. She’s always struggled to find that perfect balance between empathy and assertiveness. When her religious father refused to accept her after she came out as gay, she was at a loss as to what to do. Then she began working with kids at the Mosaic Project, an experiential education program addressing issues of diversity, empathy, and conflict resolution. Hear how teaching kids the power of speaking their truth from a place of love helped Emily to find her own voice. This episode is brought to you in part by Banish skin care. Get $10 for a limited time when you use the code INFLECTION. And, Commonspace, a

What's so monumental about turning 40 that women need their own Facebook group? Turns out--pretty much everything. From discussing fashion to friendship to feminism, work and health Nina Collins has created an "environment that's a little like Vegas...our special place to talk about what's really going on in our lives..." But why don't real life friends fill that need? Collins turned what she learned from the group--and her own experience with hitting 40–into a book, "What Would Virginia Woolf Do?" Hear it all, including a foray into chin hairs and Botox on this week’s episode.

Can you find compassion in your heart for the haters in your life? Should you? CNN political commentator and first-time author Sally Kohn says if we keep on hating the haters, the cycle of hate will never end. She’s believes compassion to be one of the keys to breaking the cycle of hatred that pervades our culture in today’s divisive world. The question is, how can compassion defeat a system fuelled by hate? Listen in on my conversation with Sally Kohn, author of "The Opposite of Hate" on what she’s learned from her own missteps as a former school bully and, paradoxically, as a well-meaning liberal, breaking the cycle of hate, and cultivating compassion for her perceived enemies. Like what you hear? Support the show at inflectionpointradio.org and join our Facebook group The Inflection Point Society.

Sarah McBride made history as the first transgender person to speak at a national political convention in 2016. As of 2018, more than half of LGBTQ people live in states that don’t protect them from discrimination or are even actively hostile towards them. In the most challenging moments--the 2016 election results, everyday sexism and misogyny and the death of her young husband--even then she fights to update our laws to protect and include LGBTQ people. Her vision and focus on achieving a more equal world, where everyone is seen and accepted for who they are, is so clear that it almost seems simple. So why does it have to be so hard to get to that point? Listen to my conversation with Sarah McBride, LGBTQ activist and author of the new book, “Tomorrow Will Be Different”. And when you’re done, come on over to The Inflection Point Society, our Facebook group of everyday activists who seek to make extraordinary change through small, daily actions. Want to support more stories of how women rise up? Go to: in

For many girls today, the relentless pursuit of accomplishment is fueled by harsh self-criticism and an acute fear of failure. Rachel Simmons has been researching young women for two decades, and her research plainly shows that girl competence does not equal girl confidence—nor does it equal happiness, resilience, or self-worth. As an educator and author of "Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy and Fulfilling Lives", Rachel teaches girls and women skills to build their resilience, amplify their voices, and own their courage so that they—and their relationships—live with integrity and health. Want to be part of the conversation? Join our “Inflection Point Society” Facebook Group for everyday activists who want to make extraordinary social change through everyday actions. Your support is the nutrient that keeps us marching! Please support the program at inflectionpointradio.org/contribute.

For the past decade, 96-year-old Betty Reid Soskin has served as the nation’s oldest Park Ranger, where she gives talks at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. But the triumphant story of the now ubiquitous feminist icon, Rosie the Riveter, is not Betty’s story. While Rosie was breaking barriers for twentieth century white women in the workforce, Black women like Betty and her slave ancestors had been serving as laborers “outside the home” for centuries. In our live talk at INFORUM at the Commonwealth Club, Betty offers a clear-eyed perspective on the untold stories of the American narrative and the ever-rising spiral our country is making toward equality. Listener support is the engine that keeps us rolling! Consider supporting at inflectionpointradio.org/contribute. Join our Facebook group for thoughtful conversation and everyday actions that lead to extraordinary change.

An awkward conversation with her white mother about “good white people” inspired Ijeoma Oluo to take on the unenviable task of writing one of the most user-friendly books on race of our time: “So You Want To Talk About Race.” In plain language, Ijeoma has confronted deeply uncomfortable questions surrounding racial injustice from the school-to-prison pipeline to the Black Lives Matter movement to white feminism and intersectionality. In our conversation, Ijeoma helps me to understand the insidious nature of white supremacy in our world. She also wakes me up to the fact that solidarity between all women cannot happen until white cis women hold themselves accountable to the ways they have benefitted from systems of oppression. Most importantly, Ijeoma offers practical, everyday actions that you can do today to help dismantle the system of racism. Listener support is the engine that keeps us rolling! Consider supporting at inflectionpointradio.org/contribute. Join our Facebook group for thoughtful conversatio

Conversations with women rising up and making history—and how you can too. It’s time for some tough conversations about what women are up against right now and what to do about it. So how can everyday women and men rise up and make true equality happen? On Inflection Point I’m joined by experts and policy makers; authors and activists who are pounding on doors and breaking them down...And calling it out when something’s not right. These are the tough conversations women are having, but everyone needs to hear. On Inflection Point you’ll hear honest, powerful stories that will help you see the world with a little more promise. And you’ll come away with ideas you can apply to your own life. Hit that Subscribe button and don’t miss a single episode of Inflection Point with Lauren Schiller.

There are girls all around the globe addressing tough issues that no young person should have to deal with--but must, by the luck of where and when they were born. Things like child marriage, sex trafficking, limited access to education, and poverty. Over 100 of these girls who have decided to do something about the problems in their community are featured in a new book called "Wonder Girls: Changing Our World." It was written by photojournalist Paola Gianturco and her 11 year old granddaughter, Alex Sangster who interviewed and photographed girl activists from fifteen girl-led nonprofit groups across the world...Girls who have managed to take their outrage and turn it into action. If you’d like to support Inflection Point, just go to inflectionpointradio.org/contribute to find out more.