SideBar Welcomes Vanessa Daniel, Author of Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone about Winning

Vanessa Daniel discusses her journey from community organizer to becoming an advisor for donors, foundations, grassroots organizations, and nonprofit leaders.

MONTEREY/SANTA BARBARA, CA, UNITED STATES, June 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SideBar podcast on The Legal Talk Network welcomes Vanessa Daniel, author of Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone about Winning. Daniel’s book centers on the work of women of color in social justice movements. In her SideBar conversation, Daniel discusses her personal journey from community organizer to becoming the founder and Executive Director of Groundswell, a philanthropy organization committed to intersectional organizing. As a reflection of her personal experience and the lessons shared by the 45 women leaders interviewed for her book, Vanessa shares what she considers the three superpowers of successful movements that we all can develop . . . a 360 vision, boldness, and generosity.

Cohost Jackie Gardina noted that "Vanessa has worked in social justice movements for 25 years as a labor and community organizer, writer, researcher, and funder. The heart of her work is connecting people and resources to achieve vibrant grassroots power that will realize a multiracial, feminist democracy.”

Daniel is the founder of Groundswell Fund (a 501c3), and Groundswell Action Fund (a 501c4), two leading funders of organizations led by women of color, and transgender people. Under her leadership, Groundswell moved over $100M to the field, centering intersectional grassroots organizing led by women of color and using a breakthrough philanthropic model that featured supermajorities of women of color movement leaders and former grassroots organizers on its staff and boards of directors. During her tenure, more than 40 foundations and over 2,000 individual donors relied on Groundswell to help them move resources to 200+ organizations at the grassroots. Groundswell received the National Committee of Responsible Philanthropy’s “Impact Award” for smashing issue silos.

Cohost Mitch Winick pointed out that, “Vanessa was featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of 15 “Influencers” who are changing the non-profit world and named by Inside Philanthropy as one of their “Top 100 Most Powerful Players in Philanthropy”.

Through her firm, Vanessa Daniel Consulting, LLC, Daniel offers strategic advising and coaching support to donors, foundations, grassroots organizations, and organizational leaders. She serves on the board of directors of the National LGBTQ Task Force, and on the Advisory Board/Brain Trust of the Kataly Foundation’s Environmental Justice Resource Collective, and the Democracy Frontline Fund. She is currently a fellow with the Decolonizing Wealth Project.

To listen to Vanessa Daniel’s SideBar season three episode with law deans Jackie Gardina and Mitch Winick, hear previous episodes, read our blog, learn about future guests, and to contact the co-hosts with ideas, comments, or questions, go to www.sidebarmedia.org.

Mitchel Winick
MONTEREY COLLEGE OF LAW
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