Is the Surge Institute abandoning what we do? Absolutely not. It’s our impact. That’s what’s changing.
The racial reckoning of 2020 was only the beginning of this moment. The world is awakening, and it is the honor and duty of our community of leaders to help draw the blueprint for the world we want to see and to ACT. This past year has seen a lot of drawing, designing and creating within the (often virtual) walls of Surge. We’ve built a strategy with the explicit intent to touch the hearts, minds and capable hands of more brilliant leaders of color. We’ve grown our staff and hired our own alums. We’ve re-envisioned what’s possible.
The future of this movement has been written for us, by us. Now we will live through that next chapter with our youth and communities as the protagonists of their own beautiful story. This is the point in which our impact shoots into the stars, and we’re so thankful you’re here with us, to enjoy this moment as a family. Thank you for playing a part in our inflection point.
BUILDING OUT THIS DREAM.”
network of African-American, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander emerging leaders we serve. Having graduated 230 alums across the country, we need to be clear about defining that success. Our program evaluation, conducted by Mission Measurement in 2021, surveyed our entire community with more than half of our network providing thoughtful feedback. Here’s what we learned.
leveraged the networks built
at Surge.
We often express our collective desire to change the system, but forget that the systems we seek to change live within us. And so at a time when the world traps us in a constant state of busyness, overwork and trauma while being expected to produce massive outputs, Surge has been a fortress for our elevation. Surge makes it possible for us to take the time to unlearn things that get in our own way.
To be able to hold a mirror to my face and have other folks in my journey reflect back to me my innate strengths was such an energizing experience. Witnessing that process validates that the internal changework we collectively do allows us to cocreate the world where we all thrive.
Ben Arendt
Stephanie Arias
Andres Avila
Bradley Bernatek
Michelle Bess
Anonymous Donors
Becca & Kevin Bracy Knight
Thomas Burnette
Dirrick Butler
Ashley Cates
Jonathan Chaparro
William Collins
Laura & Todd Cooper
Alejandro Espinoza Olazaba
Sylvia Flowers
Shondele Gillens-Vazquez
Maura Gray
D. Nigel Green
Matthew Harms
Erica Harris
Deborah Minor Harvey
Frances Homans
Akeshia & Jeff Howell
Charlotte Jenkins
Shenita Johnson
Jeffrey Kerscher
April Knox
Khadeejah Lasuc-Lewis
Grisel Maldonado
Kyra Marcano
Lydia Mercer
Christina Mitchell
Beth Napleton
Natalie Neris
Jordan Owens
Chris Paicely
Edgar Palacios
Kali Patrice
Jawann Pollard
Crystal Reed
Jahna Riley
Sandra Rush
Nina Sanchez
Miles Sandler
Carmita & George Semaan
Marcy Shugert
Aijeron Simmons
Michael Simonton & Natania Crane
Tyfahra Singleton
Sherina Smith
Sufyan Sohel
Ashlie Tyler
Lisa Vahey
Willow Walker
Tiara Wheatley
Myra Winding
Sam Wong
Susan Wong
Steven & Elizabeth Young Family
We were all forced to confront the realities of our broken public health, criminal justice and education systems. Thankfully, for me, I was not alone and was pushed to think more boldly and proactively about solutions. I often turned to my Surge peers and staff to frame and facilitate this reckoning. We discussed our aspirations for the world we hoped to see and held space for the pain of witnessing the country’s promise fall short, again.
These reflections ultimately led me to question my role in the movement for equity more deeply and intentionally. This process contributed to a moment of clarity for me, and I released fear and embraced possibility. I left my full-time job in August 2021 to launch Morales Consulting, a social sector consulting firm focused on scaling the capacities and impact of mission-driven organizations and individuals. I am currently working with six national clients that range from nonprofits to foundations. Surge catalyzed my vision and supported me through these pivotal milestones.
We aim to serve, connect and elevate 5,000 leaders of color by 2030. We aim to extend our work to a nationwide online audience. We aim to fuel our community of change agents in their ongoing transformative work.
This is the Surge Ahead
Oakland Operations Coordinator
Surge INSTITUTE
disrption and coalition building.
leveraged the networks built
at Surge.
confidence.
leveraged the networks built
at Surge.
The coursework and conversations throughout the Surge Fellowship reshaped what I thought I knew about liberation and illuminated many of my blind spots. Once the coaching element was added in, my entire mindset and orientation toward my purpose and goals in life shifted; I became more present than I ever had been—despite all my talk about it and work around it—to what it means to be a free black woman. And I know that every single one of my peers in this process got something slightly different out of it, but I can say without a doubt that we were all unrecognizable from the start to the finish. It was less about transforming and more about shedding all the pretense that we didn’t even realize we were carrying to become truer versions of ourselves.
I was able to begin to relate them to systematic problems rather than my lack of ability, etc.. This time to reflect and collaborate with others and use their experience and knowledge to inform myself gave me my first opportunity to realize that it wasn’t I who was inept and crazy for thinking the way I did. It was the systems in which we work that were holding me back.
The fundamentals of a rigid, binary system made my ways of thinking seem out of place. Surge became the place where I was affirmed.
Our success in 2021, despite the turbulence of the world around us and all we are striving to do, is truly worthy of a larger discussion. It gives great hope for what the future holds. It gives great promise for The Surge Ahead.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about all we are and all we hope to be. Please walk with us as we step beyond our inflection point.