Our world is one of beautiful, powerful diversity. We can find many differences in race, culture, and religion, and yet there are many similarities, too. To appreciate and understand each other, we seek bridges connecting us to shared perspectives and practices. Building bridges for marginalized communities is where Deanna Singh, the daughter of an African-American mother and Sikh immigrant father, finds her purpose. Deanna is an author, social entrepreneur, and founder of Flying Elephant Foundation and is Lynne Goldner’s guest on this episode of the Make Meaning podcast. She shares her inspiration for helping others thrive, whether it’s working in her community, promoting positive representation for youth of color, or coaching others on how to find their purpose. Listen here:
Deanna Singh is the founder of the Flying Elephant Foundation and author of Purposeful Hustle, as well as two children’s books. She’s done a TED Talk called “We all have the power to build bridges.” With a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, a law degree from Georgetown, and an MBA from University of Wisconsin, Deanna has built a career focused on shifting power to marginalized communities and giving opportunities where before there were few.
In this episode, Lynne and Deanna discuss:
- Lessons learned from a multicultural upbringing
- Operating from an idea of abundance
- The power of positive representation for children of color
- Building bridges by human connection
- The 4 characteristics of a purposeful hustler
- Finding purpose that makes your heart sing
Links and Resources
- Sikh terms and concepts: Sewa, gurdwara, patka and the Golden Temple (Armritsar)
- Story to Tell Books
- Deanna’s children’s books: I am a Girl of Color/I am a Boy of Color, Cloth Crown
- Religious Diversity Journeys
Other episodes of Make Meaning you might enjoy:
- Episode 38 – Cities and Communities with Andrew Stein
- Episode 27 – Advancing Justice with Rev. Faith Fowler
- Episode 10 – Believing in Youth with Anni Keane-Riley
Coming up next week on the Make Meaning podcast:
Lynne speaks with the brother-sister founders of KidsRead2Kids, Jacob and Alana Blumenstein. Jacob and Alana talk about how their entrepreneurial parents inspire them and continue to guide their way, how having classic novels read aloud to them as children helped develop a love of reading, and how kids relating to kids is the best way to bring understanding and compassion to students struggling to progress.
