Central Valley Blog

At the end of July, we gathered in California's Tehachapi mountains for the California Nonprofit Technology Leadership Summit.

From February 16th to 20th, we are heading on the road to meet with friends and allies off California's Highway 5. We hope to listen and learn about the technology needs of grassroots social justice organizations in order to inspire our trainings and capacity building efforts for the year.

The fear of public speaking tends to rank higher than the fear of snakes, clowns, dentists, and even dying. So why is one intrepid soul from Modesto, California creating a stage where Latino community organizers and leaders do just that? Last Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Anthony Macias, the founder of Al Grano Talks. Talking on the phone, he opened up about the inspirations and obstacles of creating a space for Latinos to share their stories, struggles, and ideas in 15-minute long speeches.

What a wonderful time in the SoCal sunshine! Sixteen smiling faces joined us on Thursday, May 15th in LA to discuss their online presence, eAdvocacy, and community organizing.

We spent the day at the vibrant Mercado La Paloma with folks from all over Los Angeles. During our short time together we:

Thank you everyone who made the CA Tech Fest in L.A. extraordinary! We felt honored to host such a diverse and passionate gathering. On April 3rd and 4th, over 75 people with unique voices and goals came together in downtown L.A. to learn, share, and connect.