One of the great things about doing this podcast is that I get to meet awesome new people. The other great thing is that I get to sit down with some of my favorite people and talk to them for an hour or so, and this is one of those episodes. Carla Sanger, the President and CEO of LA’s BEST is definitely one of my favorite people, and also a very important mentor to me and many others. I’ve been wanting to interview her since Please Speak Freely started, and I finally got the chance!

We talked about what it means to build an organization from just a few sites to 194 sites, how to deal with funders who think they know best, and why it’s so important to her to keep afterschool balanced and focused on children’s vitality and creativity.

This episode is sponsored by Developmental Studies Center, a nonprofit educational publisher dedicate to children’s academic, ethical and social development. DSC is the creator of some of the best curricula available for out-of-school time programs like KidzLit, KidzMath and KidzScience, as well as many products for schools and outstanding professional development.

If you’re interested in sponsoring Please Speak Freely, click here!