Episode 1: Origin Stories

Welcome to our inaugural episode of Moving Forward, the podcast from South Bay Forward.

In this first episode, host Christopher and organizers Izzy, Allen, and Brianna share their personal origin stories: They share the moments that sparked their interest in housing, transit, and active mobility and their motivations for volunteering their time to advocate for a more inclusive, equitable, affordable, and sustainable South Bay LA region.

South Bay Forward is moving the South Bay Forward on housing, transit, and active mobility.  The Moving Forward podcast aims to cover topical issues in the South Bay with a look at how we got here and how we can work together to advocate for a better future.

Segments:

00:00: Introduction & South Bay Forward Mission

00:52: Introducing Guests and kicking off our "Origin Story" Theme

01:05: Christopher’s Origin Story: Growing up in Torrance, housing unaffordability in San Francisco, and his motivation to build a better future for his son and the next generation.

03:16 Izzy’s Origin Story: Being "spoiled" by transit access in the Bay Area and Santa Monica, and seeing transit gaps in the South Bay.

04:43: Allen’s Origin Story: Growing up in suburban Glendale, experiencing the freedom of taking transit to the beach, and the challenges of finding affordable housing options.

09:03: Brianna’s Origin Story: Growing up in Redondo Beach, experiencing high-quality transit abroad, personal housing story, and linking advocacy to medicine and public health.

17:52: South Bay Forward's Origin Story: How the group originated from a Twitter group chat, the YIMBY movement, and highlights from the past few years of organizing.

28:58: What it looks like to show up for housing and transit and to build community around this.

35:28: Brianna’s origins into civic engagement with founding the Redondo Beach Community Garden

40:00: Why the South Bay?: Discussing the region’s potential, its current "transit desert" status, and South Bay Forward’s organizing approach and model.

46:25: Outro & Community Call to Action: Sharing our ideas and what to expect on future episodes, and encouraging listeners to share their origin stories and episode ideas.

We want to hear from you!

What is your origin story? Tell us how you got interested in housing, transit, and active mobility topics, or how you came to the South Bay region.

Share your thoughts and stories on any social media platform by tagging @SouthBayForward on Instagram or Bluesky for a chance to be featured on our pages or in a future episode.

Volunteer! Folks who are active volunteers with South Bay Forward can earn exclusive swag like t-shirts and stickers. Visit southbayforward.org to sign up for the mailing list and get involved.