New 2025 Learners in Residence!

Let’s give a warm welcome to the latest social justice thought leaders to join our community! We’re excited to share more about their projects as they evolve.

Our Learners in Residence program, launched in 2020, is an 18-month residence that provides time, space and resources for social justice thought leaders to develop new ways to engage and shift narrative in their respective fields.

It’s as crucial as ever to invest in these artists, journalists, and changemakers as they realize their ambitions and add value to their movements.

A Think Tank for Redefining “Freedom” and “Community”

Mia Birdsong is a pathfinder and futurist who is rewriting what it means to get free. Author of How We Show Up and founding Executive Director of Next River, a think tank and culture change lab for interconnected freedom, Mia’s curiosity is contagious.

Her research and writing, like the recent Freedom’s Revival: Research from the Headwaters of Liberation, redefine how we understand fundamental ideas like “freedom” and “community” and demand that we refocus our attention on the beauty and brilliance beyond the status quo.

As a Learner, she plans to research, write, and have published a book on freedom that weaves philosophy, history, future casting, storytelling, and practice to offer a powerful assertion for rethinking freedom as a collective effort that embraces our interdependence.

A Search for Connection between Water and Music

Britton Smith is a queer artist, liberationist, and dynamic frontman of Britton & The Sting, a funk band transforming music into a tool for healing, connection, and liberation.

A Broadway veteran (Be More Chill, Shuffle Along, After Midnight), Britton received a Special Tony Award for his work with the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, where he co-created the Theater of Change course and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Law School, addressing systemic racism in the arts.

As a Learner, he plans to explore how the arts can serve as a catalyst for addressing water inequities and fostering collective responsibility.

Expanding the Scholarship for Gender, Sex, and Race

ALOK is an internationally acclaimed poet, comedian, public speaker, and actor. Their dynamic presence has captivated audiences in over 40 countries, with sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Netflix is a Joke Festival, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

For their contributions to culture and entertainment, they have been honored with the ACLU of Southern California Bill of Rights Award, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment Trailblazer Award, and were selected as the inaugural LGBTQ Scholar in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania.

As a Learner, they plan to deepen their study of the interplay between gender, race, and embodiment.

Dr. Amanda Alexander is a racial justice lawyer, historian, and organizer dedicating her career to building the power of community-based movements for social change.

She founded the Detroit Justice Center (DJC), a movement lawyering organization working to create economic opportunities, transform the legal system, and promote equitable and just cities.