Michelle Vo on Mental Health, Cultural Identity, and Collective Healing

Dr. Stuart D. Jones: Disability, Dignity, and the Power of Belonging

Dr. Stuart D. Jones is a retired higher-education executive and former church minister who now teaches college courses part-time and writes with a passion shaped as much by life as by books. Over the years, he has spoken at many universities, churches, conferences, seminars, workshops, and leadership events around the world on a variety of topics. A devoted advocate for disability rights, he believes every life has purpose and worth. Yet no credential has shaped him more deeply than being Steve’s brother. Dr. Jones holds advanced degrees in both education and theology and has been published in several academic forums. For the Love of Stephen is his first work of narrative nonfiction—and by far, his most personal. Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e]

Emilio Oliveros-Reyes: Finding Purpose Through Service with BAYAC AmeriCorps

Emilio Alfredo Oliveros-Reyes is a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in San Francisco’s Mission District, and a passionate advocate for youth development and community empowerment. As an alumnus of Bay Area AmeriCorps, the program helped launch his eight-year career in education and nonprofit work focused on supporting young people and cultivating future community leaders. Emilio currently serves as a Regional Supervisor for BAYAC AmeriCorps, where he supports and develops emerging youth workers across the Bay Area through mentorship, professional development, and leadership training. He believes deeply in the importance of cultivating the next generation of youth workers and is passionate about finding good people who want to do meaningful work in their communities. His work is rooted in lived experience, wellness, identity, and creating opportunities that empower young people to thrive. Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e]

Justine Chang: Reclaiming Power Through Storytelling

Justine Chang is an eldest daughter of immigrants, mother, activist, and the Station Master/Chief Storyteller at Red Balloon Station. With a law degree and 10+ years developing, producing, and writing movies that sell globally, she knows how to craft stories that reach real people everywhere. Now she helps equity-driven founders and leaders—especially Women of Color—sharpen their messaging so it doesn’t drown in a sea of AI sameness, earns trust, and reflects their truth with clarity and staying power. When she’s not writing, she’s wrangling her two boys and filling their lives with colorful, adventureful stories to remember. And when she finds the rare quiet moment to herself…she’s getting lost in a book, trying to make even a small dent in her “To Be Read” pile. Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e]

Tracy DeTomasi: How Callisto Is Changing the Future of Survivor Support

Tracy DeTomasi is the CEO of Callisto, a nonprofit dedicated to combatting sexual violence through innovative technology and survivor-centered solutions. With 25 years of leadership in the nonprofit sector, Tracy has held numerous high-profile roles, including previously serving as Executive Director of global nonprofit focused on ending domestic and sexual violence. Tracy's unique expertise as a licensed clinical social worker comes from her extensive experience working directly with survivors and offenders. Her early career as a therapist working with offenders provided her with a rare and critical perspective on the dynamics of gender-based violence, positioning her as a leading expert in prevention and intervention strategies. Tracy has been instrumental in advancing trauma-informed programming, shaping domestic violence laws in the U.S., and driving global initiatives to address gender-based violence. She has consulted on developing cutting-edge tech solutions, including mobile applications for violence prevention, smartphone-based safety tools, and virtual reality training programs designed to dismantle racial and gender oppression. Her leadership continues to shape the future of violence prevention, advocacy, and systemic change. Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e]

Nancy Jasin Ensley: Listening for the Whispers That Lead to Healing and Advocacy

Nancy Jasin Ensley is a Local Author, Legal Nurse, Hospice Specialist, and Teacher whose work reflects a lifetime of service and experience writing to listen, to remember, and to continue creating with purpose. Over the years, she’s written across multiple genres including memoirs, literature and fiction, science fiction, mystery, thriller, action and adventure, and children’s literature. Each story she creates is rooted in family, faith, service, and lived experience, and her goal is to explore what it means to grow, persevere, and reflect on life through words. Her life and career has been shaped by a commitment to service and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. What she brings to a podcast is perspective shaped by a lifetime of listening, observing, and creating. She’s spent decades in professions that demand empathy and discernment helping people navigate life’s most critical moments and she’s learned that every story, no matter the genre, carries lessons worth sharing. Want to be a guest on Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community? Send Danise Sugita a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1763751693205864f9876416e]