Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

In this episode, Nithin Iyengar, Partner at Bridgespan and head of the San Francisco office, sits down with longtime friend, Liz Thompson, the President, Co-founder, and CEO of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group (The CAFE Group), which supports leaders of color through financial and programmatic aid. The CAFE Group aims to create a pathway from college intern to established leader, leveraging community genius to drive systemic change.

Liz's nonprofit career began in 1993 as the founding Executive Director of City Year Chicago, influencing the AmeriCorps Program's development. She later expanded the Early Head Start program at Family Star Montessori School in Denver as its Executive Director. Before her nonprofit work, Liz had a successful decade-long career with Ameritech Corporation.

In this intimate conversation, Liz Thompson discusses her journey from growing up in Cabrini Green to becoming a transformative figure in philanthropy. Liz and Nithin explore themes of radical love, leadership, and service. Liz shares her experiences with challenging philanthropic relationships, her dedication to supporting Black educational visionaries who she likes to call Luminaries, and the founding of the CAFE Group. She guides us through the significance of authentic relationships, collective action, and the joy of giving. Liz reflects on her mentors, the future of education, and the emotional weight of her work before giving insights on self-care, the essence of freedom, and the power of love in her life and work.

This is Dreaming In Color.

Jump Straight Into:

(1:14:3) Introduction of Liz Thompson, CEO of CAFE Group

(4:52:2) Liz reflects on growing up in her beloved Cabrini Green community in Chicago.

(11:28:9) Liz shares the origin story of how she Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education with her husband.

(12:58:7) We explore the inspiration behind the origins of the 1954 Project.

(16:59:5) Liz and Nithin discuss creating strategy that changes the philanthropic landscape.

(27:30:6) Liz paints a picture of how she imagines the future of education.

Episode Resources

• Connect with Liz on LinkedIn here
• Learn more about CAFE Group here.
• Learn more about the 1954 Project here and read Bridgespan’s case study about it here.

Listen to the Dreaming In Color Spotify Playlist here.