To kick off Season 2, we are joined by Judy Belk, a Philanthropic Advisor at JVB Consulting and a leading voice on philanthropic change.

Judy has held senior executive leadership positions in the government, corporate, and philanthropic sectors. Most recently, Judy served for nine years as the President and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic institutions in California with assets over $1 billion and an annual grantmaking budget of more than $65 million. Before Cal Wellness, she served as Senior Vice President for Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Vice President of global public affairs for Levi Strauss & Co. Her insights have been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR. Judy is currently working on a book. “Ten Miles from the White House, a collection of personal essays focused on race, justice, and love.”

In this episode we discuss:

• Why anyone—no matter the background—can be a ‘philanthropist,’ and how Judy’s personal experience with philanthropic support drives her work today


• The importance of wielding influence and resources to ensure a positive impact


• How listening to and learning from communities to understand their needs allows donors to partner with these communities in a thoughtful way