On September 19, leaders from across Los Angeles came together at the first gathering of the newly merged INVLA. Here’s what they told us, and where the conversation goes next.
On Saturday, September 19, leaders from nonprofits, faith communities, businesses, schools and public agencies gathered at the Huffington Center at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia for the Leadership Day of Dialogue. It was the first gathering of the Institute for Nonviolence Los Angeles (INVLA) since Days of Dialogue, the Empowerment Congress and the Community Voter Education Project joined together this summer, with all three programs in one room.
The morning had a simple goal: bring leaders who rarely sit at the same table into real conversation, and leave with something to act on.
Who was in the room
Over 120+ people in attendance. More than 50 leaders from at least 27 organizations completed our pre-dialogue survey. For 41% of them, this was their first connection to INVLA. Fifteen said it was their first facilitated dialogue. Many lead organizations that reach more than 1,000 people a year, so the conversations at each table will travel well beyond the room.
What we heard
Trained facilitators guided each table, and scribes captured what was said. Several themes came up again and again:
- From talk to action. Participants want dialogue to lead somewhere, with follow-up and accountability.
- Youth voice. Young people should help design the conversation, not just be invited to it.
- Trust takes time. Relationships across sectors are built through steady, repeated contact.
- Voter education. Leaders want clear, plain-language information to share with their communities.
- From “I” to “We.” The aim is not to agree on everything, but to understand one another.
One participant from a local college observed that organizations one block apart often never speak to each other at all. Their request to INVLA was direct: “Please don’t let it be a one and done.”
Michael Anthony Guynn of the Guynn Family Foundation named what many tables were reaching for: “A need for operational unity.”
What changed
Among leaders who completed both our pre- and post-dialogue surveys:
- Every respondent said they felt heard at their table.
- Trust in leaders from other sectors rose, as did clarity about a next step.
- 10 of 13 showed overall growth on our leadership measures.
- Nearly all said they plan to act within 30 days.
- Every facilitator rating was “Excellent.”
Before leaving, participants filled out commitment cards. Their commitments included bringing young people to the October 3 Town Hall, hosting conversations in their homes, and taking the dialogue to their own organizations. Several organizations have already asked about hosting a dialogue or training facilitators of their own.
With Gratitude
The Leadership Day of Dialogue came to life because of the many people who gave their time, skill and heart. Thank you.
- Education Partners
Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School · Pepperdine University and the Straus Institute · California State University, Dominguez Hills INVLA Ambassadors
Eddie Anderson, Alexandra Belisle, Shani Byard, Joan Crear, Gloria Davis, Charley Dobbs, Marvin Espinoza, Ron Fisher, Arna Fulcher, Sandi Hamilton, Vincent Harris, Nia Herron, Mary Jones, Brett Louie, Rhea Mac, Danette McBride, Michael McCaa, Harry McElroy, Avis Ridley-Thomas, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Anne Sawyer, Sharon Shelton, Byron Smith, Laveda Theus, Sonya Vasquez, Courtney Wilkins, Anja WilliamsDays of Dialogue Facilitators
Julie Alli, Peggy Barnes, Ann Breen-Greco, Candace Carnicelli, Dorit Cypis, Cheryl Epps, Cindy Feit, Susan Grayson, Demetri Hicks, Roseanne Hubbard, Dernard Newall, Carolina Quezada, Audrey Rivas, Amiyoko A. Shabazz, Marie Stein, Crystal Williams, Ann YoungScribes
Kia Asani, Issac Conley, Bruce Ettinger, Arameh Hakopian, Roberta Holts, Brittney Stackpole, Yuting Su, Renata Valree, Lorena Villegas, Anna Williams, Deja Williams- Student Interns, Pacific Oaks College
Monique Johnson, Carel Otte
INVLA Advisory Board
Thank you to the INVLA Advisory Board. In attendance:
- Alyssa Bell, Esq., Cohen-Williams, LLP
- Shereé Bielecki, Ed.D, Pacific Oaks College
- Gloria Davis, Girls Club of Los Angeles; INVLA-Empowerment Congress
- Vincent Harris, INVLA-Empowerment Congress
- Monique Hudson, California Science Center
- David Louie, David & Pearl Louie Foundation
- Harry McElroy, Empowerment Congress
- Gayle Pollard-Terry, Los Angeles Times
- Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD, CDU School of Medicine
- Avis Ridley-Thomas, INVLA
- Mark Ridley-Thomas, Ph.D., INVLA
- Ken Walden, Ph.D., CMC – Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
Eight takeaways for the team
What the team should leave the debrief knowing. The first three are this week — Oct 3 is close.
Half the room is captured
8 scribe reports of ~15–18 tables · 16 post-surveys against 120+ attendees
Chase the last scribes; close the post-survey and freeze the figures for the funder version
Youth is the loudest theme — and we have a volunteer
A card pledges 30 young people at Oct 3; Tables 3, 12 and 16 all raised youth voice
Find that leader and hand them Oct 3 youth outreach and the spring youth day
"Don't let it be a one and done"
“Ideal, not real” on a card; Table 16 on “meeting after meeting”; a participant asked for consistency, not a campaign
Show Sept 19 outcomes at Oct 3 — that is the credibility test
The format works
15 of 15 felt heard · 13 of 13 facilitators rated Excellent · 11 of 14 matched leaders scored higher
Say it plainly to funders and partners: the model does what it claims
We reached new people
27 organizations · 41% new to INVLA · 15 in their first facilitated dialogue ever
The merger pulls in people none of the three programs had alone
Leaders left ready to act
14 of 15 committed to a step within 30 days; 6 of 15 need nothing to start
Follow up while the commitment is warm
Seven organizations want to host, two firmly
Positive Results Center and Pacific Oaks said yes; YMCA LA, a faith leader (~200), the Guynn Family Foundation (20–30), a Pacific Oaks instructor and a UCLA participant (10–20) said maybe
One owner takes all seven conversations this month
Leaders are not connected to each other
Network score −0.14; “organizations one block away from each other aren’t conversing” · scribes reported time pressure
Build a participant directory; add a mixer; one question per table when short
This week, before Oct 3
| Do | Why now | |
|---|---|---|
| Set a hard close date on the post-survey, then freeze the figures | 14 responses and still arriving; the report needs stable numbers | |
| Chase the remaining table scribes | 8 reports of ~15–18 tables — about half the room | |
| Send a clear Oct 3 agenda, speakers and ask with every invitation | Table 15: people did not know what Oct 3 is about or how to take part | |
| Close the post-survey and freeze the figures | 16 responses in; the funder version needs stable numbers | |
| Log Oct 3 attendance and send January invitations to the 13 interested leaders | 5 plan to attend January; 6 have someone in mind | |
| Fix the form errors (duplicate CVEP option; scribe headcount field) and clear the test entries | Keeps January data comparable | |
| Find the leader who pledged 30 young people | Best youth-turnout lead we have | |
| Draft a directory of participating organizations for Oct 3 | A participant asked for it: organizations a block apart never speak |