523. How to Use Storytelling, Data, Partnerships, and Advocacy to Drive Systems Change - Sixto Cancel

This podcast episode explores the challenges faced by nonprofits and the importance of innovation and collaboration in achieving their goals. The guest, Sixto Cancel, the founder of Think of Us, discusses the organization's mission to improve the lives of youth in the child welfare system. The episode emphasizes the need for understanding the nuances of problems, involving experts from various fields, and the power of media and storytelling in driving social change. It also highlights the Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative that has awarded Think of Us a significant grant to develop innovative solutions in the child welfare system. The episode discusses the need for modernized systems, early intervention, and support services to prevent children from entering the foster care system. The speakers share their vision for a child welfare system focused on prevention, modernization, and family-centered care. Sixto Cancel discusses the importance of inviting people into a vision, building containers for others' geniuses, and the relevance of mature operations and infrastructure. The episode emphasizes the importance of collaboration, advocacy, and the different types of advocacy in creating systemic change. It also highlights the significance of philanthropy in supporting capacity building and engagement of people with lived experience.