Yordanos Eyoel emigrated to the United States at age 13, in the aftermath of the Ethiopian Civil War—a war that started long before she was born. Yordanos saw firsthand the direct impact of an unstable government on her family’s life, after her mother, a journalist, had to seek political asylum in America. Although she went from privilege to poverty seemingly overnight, the stability of the American political system outweighed the material luxuries her family left behind in their war-ravaged homeland.
As founder of The Civic Lab Initiative at New Profit, a venture philanthropy organization that invests in “democracy entrepreneurs” and systems change, Yordanos is committed to solving the crisis of trust in America. She speaks with Nguhi about her belief that democracy is malleable and requires constant and robust innovation. And when it comes to repairing trust—and ensuring the fixes are inclusive—coming at it from the position of an outsider is her secret weapon.
Learn more about Yordanos’ work at New Profit’s Civic Lab. For a deeper look into her work funding and mobilizing democracy entrepreneurs, check out this Civic Lab Roundtable. Hear more of Yordanos’ ideas in Why Voting Isn’t Enough and read about why she thinks Millennials are uniquely positioned to tackle civic leadership. If you are a nonprofit leader, check out 10 Actions Nonprofit Leaders Can Take to Support Our Democracy and Their Constituents. And if you, like Yordanos, are inspired by Dr. King’s work, revisit his teachings. A transcript of this episode is available here.
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