In this episode, I continue my conversation with Allison about what real leadership looks like when it’s centered on listening and elevating others. Drawing from her work with The Acceleration Project and years spent supporting women-and minority-owned small businesses, she explains how community driven solutions create meaningful impact.

We also discuss her early work with CitySoft, helping people build tech skills during the dot-com era, and how those opportunities changed lives. She reflects on making hard decisions, surrounding yourself with honest voices, and choosing work you genuinely care about, within being a leader.

We close with advice for the next generation stepping into a world shaped by AI, full of both uncertainty and possibility, and how to follow your path with curiosity and courage.

In this episode, I talk with Allison about what it really means to give power to the people living the realities we’re trying to “fix.” Based on her her work with Spark MicroGrants, we discuss why traditional aid and philanthropy sometimes smother local voices, and how trust-based approaches allow communities to design their own solutions instead of having answers handed to them from outside interventions.

Allison shares what she witnessed in villages across East and Central Africa, such as communities deciding for themselves whether they needed clean water systems, agricultural tools, or education resources, and how that trust led to positive long-term results. We speak on why listening must come before action, and how giving decision-making back to local people is more dignifying as well as more effective.

In the second part of my conversation with David Kaufer, we dive into the amazing growth of his son Stone’s confidence and the integral role brain enhancement therapy has played in their journey. David shares how his podcast, The Other Side of the Spectrum, has become more a resource for parents of non-speaking autistic children, creating a space for solidarity. We also talk about the wonderful community David has found through fellow podcasters and parents, and how those connections have given Stone opportunities to form meaningful friendships. Thank you again, David, for your brilliant input! It was a pleasure to learn so much and converse with you!