In Episode 5 of the Straight-Up 30, host Ross Izard sits down with Papa M. Dia, Founder and President of the African Leadership Group (ALG), to talk about the immigrant experience beyond the headlines. Papa shares his journey from Senegal to the United States, what it meant to start over at 28 years old, and how that experience led him to build ALG. The conversation explores how community-based organizations help immigrants stabilize, integrate, build wealth, and ultimately step into civic leadership and policy advocacy.

What we cover:
• Papa’s journey from Senegal to Colorado and starting over in a new country
• Why ALG focuses on social, educational, and economic impact
• How direct service evolves into leadership, advocacy, and policy engagement
• ALG programs including language support, legal clinics, youth leadership, business development, and homeownership
• What’s next for ALG, including coalition building and national expansion

About the guest:
Papa M. Dia is the Founder and President of the African Leadership Group (ALG), a Colorado-based nonprofit focused on advancing the professional, economic, and civic integration of the African diaspora. Through leadership development, entrepreneurship support, and community advocacy, ALG works to ensure African immigrant families thrive and have a voice in the broader civic process.

Resources:
African Leadership Group: https://usalg.org

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If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review the show. It helps more listeners find us. Have feedback or questions? Email straightup30@xiphosstrategies.com.

Straight facts. Straight talk. Straight to the point.

In Episode 4 of Straight-Up 30, host Ross Izard talks with Derek Okubo, former Executive Director of Denver’s Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships, about why community engagement is essential to effective local government. Derek shares how Denver’s approach to human rights and community partnership has deep historical roots, what it looked like to lead the agency under Mayor Michael Hancock from 2011 to 2023, and why the best solutions come from doing work with communities, not for them. The conversation also highlights how community-led efforts shaped real policy outcomes in Denver and why preserving history, including the story of Amache, matters for civic progress today.

What we cover:

• Why community engagement matters in local government
• How Denver’s human rights and community partnerships work in practice
• Why communities are diverse and not one-size-fits-all
• Examples of community-led solutions, including Denver Days and COVID vaccination outreach
• Preserving history through Amache and why it matters today
• How community voices can drive local ordinances and real policy change

About the guest:
Derek Okubo served from 2011 to 2023 as Executive Director of Denver’s Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships, overseeing community-focused offices, advisory commissions, and citywide partnerships. He continues to serve the community through multiple boards and Japanese American civic organizations, including efforts connected to Amache and Japanese American history, now a National Historic Site.

Leave a review and stay in touch:
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review the show. It helps more listeners find us. Have feedback or questions? Email straightup30@xiphosstrategies.com.

Straight facts. Straight talk. Straight to the point.

In Episode 3 of Straight-Up 30, host Ross Izard talks with Sami Davis, Vice President of State Affairs at Sewald Hanfling, about what lobbying actually is and what lobbyists really do day to day during the legislative session. They break down the role lobbyists play in turning policy ideas into statutory change, how the work happens inside and outside the Capitol, and why lobbying in Colorado is far more regulated than most people assume. The episode also explores who hires lobbyists, how smaller organizations and rural communities can have a voice at the Capitol, and why waiting until a crisis hits is the worst time to start.

What we cover:
• What lobbyists actually do and why the role is misunderstood
• How lobbying works day to day at the Capitol
• The rules and ethics that govern lobbying in Colorado
• Who hires lobbyists and why representation matters
• Why engaging early beats waiting for a crisis

About the guest:
Sami Davis is the Vice President of State Affairs at Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs, where she represents clients at the Colorado Capitol during the legislative session and helps translate organizational priorities into effective policy strategy and action.

Leave a review and stay in touch:
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review the show. It helps more listeners find us. Have feedback or questions? Email straightup30@xiphosstrategies.com.

Straight facts. Straight talk. Straight to the point.