/ By Jackie Brennan / Think of Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner as the bass-playing counterpart to tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, who we shared about back in March. Like Washington, Thundercat is an LA musicmaker. Also like Washington, Thundercat was part of the studio crew that Kendrick Lamar tapped to help him on his acclaimed 2015 studio…
/ By Jackie Brennan / Telling tough stories. Giving life to movements. Creating wow! moments. We know this first batch of Main Stage speakers is on-point because they embody the spirit of Upswell. We could extol their virtues ad nauseam, but we think the basis for our enthusiasm will be self-evident once you see who…
/ By Debra Rainey / Upswell will shine a bright and critical light on systems of oppression, racial inequity, and structural violence, and celebrate the work of those in the struggle to end them, like Tarana Burke — civil rights leader, social justice revolutionary, founder of the #MeToo movement — and a featured speaker on…
/ By Tamieka Briscoe / Another year, another conference. If you’re anything like us, you’d rather watch paint dry than attend the same old, same old mundane meeting of the minds. Well, color us excited! Because recently added to the mainstage speaker lineup at Upswell is international graffiti artist and best-selling author, Erik Wahl. If…
/ By Kristina Gawrgy Campbell / Throughout her career, Lisa Ling has been a champion for telling the stories that are hard to find on the cover of newspapers or through your daily news alerts. As an award-winning journalist, Lisa has traveled around the country and world to document everything from the toll of prescription…
We dig Loren Riemer’s vision for a better world, and not just because she diffuses essential oil in her day-to-day workspace. Loren is an Austinite who serves as vice president of development operations for a Texas-based org called Upbring. In her Upbring role, Riemer is part of a team that works across the state of…
/ By Debra Rainey / Imagine being homeless, hopeless, and having someone say: “Here’s a pair of sneakers. Take an early morning run with me. You might just turn the corner to a better life.” Sounds crazy, right? Well, you can virtually watch someone do just that, as they run along the streets of LA’s…
/ By Tamieka Briscoe / As planning for Upswell and building our community of changemakers continues, we’ve found inspiration in artists within and outside of the Los Angeles area who are using their talent to bring issues to light. Inspired and informed by global grassroots movements, Quetzal—a bilingual Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles,…
Chances are, if you’ve been involved in nonprofit policy or legal work, you know Gene Takagi. Gene is an award-winning nonprofit lawyer who runs Nonprofit Law Blog, a resource for all of your favorite nonprofit legal topics — like how to deal with fiscal sponsorships, maintain effective collaborations, and understand the role of social enterprise.…
From a young age, Erin Risner knew she was attracted to a broad range of issues—enough to have a constant fear of missing out. Heeding the wise advice of a parent though, she found a way to beat the restlessness by following a professional route that has taken her through nonprofits, tech, and social entrepreneurship.…