Hidden in Plain Sight

Welcome to Everybody at the Table. Today’s episode is a powerful reminder that brilliance doesn’t skip zip codes—it just gets buried under systemic neglect. We’re talking about youth in neighborhoods like West Lawndale in Chicago—often labeled “at-risk,” yet overflowing with vision, voice, and value.

Our guest is a seasoned social services director with decades of experience walking alongside young people—not trying to save them, but helping them build. Build futures. Build confidence. Build their own damn tables.

In Part One of this two-part conversation, we unpack how funding models favor short-term crisis management over long-term development, how institutions often get in the way of progress, and how we shift from “prevention” to preparation for power.

If you care about youth, equity, or what it really takes to unlock the genius in overlooked places—this episode is for you.