I Believe in the Value of

inclusion

“Diversity is a fact, equity is a choice, inclusion is an action, and belonging is an outcome.” – Arthur Chan. Every person has the ability to take on the action of inclusion. As community members, it is our responsibility to be inclusive and demand inclusive action. Although systemic change takes time, it is through inclusive action that community members and organizations can move our society to one that everyone can feel like they belong. Being inclusive is not about race, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Inclusivity is about seeing people as people and treating them with the dignity and respect personhood calls for. Being inclusive is being compassionate, having empathy, and respecting a person’s right to simply be themselves.

Jill Smith

VP of Operations | she/her

An innovator and entrepreneur, Jill brings over a decade of experience serving historically disenfranchised community members through systems and program development. Bringing over 10 years of experience in nonprofit program management and operations, Jill is thrilled to lead Possibility Labs’ partner service operations. Throughout her career, Jill has pioneered multiple initiatives to efficiently collect and analyze data, generate grant and donation revenue, increase volunteer pipelines, and create and streamline operational systems. Her professional and personal core values are grounded in a firm belief in equity, empowerment, and a responsibility to support all community members. Jill holds a M.B.A. from National University and a B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies from California State University, Northridge.

"At some point, someone decided that this hyper-capitalist society is how our society should operate, despite its harm to the masses. Although it should be a choice to disconnect from a culture that values commerce over community, doing so would mean embracing a level of disenfranchisement that most people are not comfortable with. Before people can make the choice to disengage with dignity, we must create a society that allows community members to live a life that aligns with their own values without sacrificing basic needs and freedoms. We can do this in a variety of ways, including separating the acquirement of basic needs from capitalist ventures. People should not be able to capitalize on another person’s need to survive."