The Politics of High Tops | Rudy Espinoza, Inclusive Action
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The Politics of High Tops | Rudy Espinoza, Inclusive Action
If you’ve ever enjoyed a tamale, churro, or taco from a street vendor in LA – and ever want to again – you’ve got the guest from this episode to thank.
Which is saying something.
For more than 100 years, LA’s best cuisine has been a target of police, regulators, and lawmakers who could not square the desire to apply reasonable health and safety standards to the wildly popular and insanely delicious fare that the region’s vibrant immigrant communities popped up and served up from carts and kiosks all over city day in and day out.
As Executive Director of Inclusive Action for the City, Rudy Espinoza, put his name on the map working tirelessly to legalize street vending in the State. Then came the even harder task of making it possible for vendors to comply with the law. In Fall 2022, that victory was complete – and oh so sweet (a nod to the churros).
Tune in to find out how Rudy’s Chuck Taylors, the classic high-top Converse basketball shoe, were part of his winning formula when persuading politicians, and how play helps him turn meetings into parties and high-stakes lobbying into a collaborative dance.
Rudy and I share amazement about the story of a polar bear who went from “prey-ing” to playing with a chained up husky dog, all because the dog bowed just so and wagged his tail in hopeful anticipation. And picking up on cues from the animal world, we talk about how to gamify meetings and negotiations so your adversaries will delight when you walk through the door.
More about Rudy:
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudyespi/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MrDOLPH
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rudyespi/
Rudy Espinoza is the Executive Director of Inclusive Action for the City, a non-profit, Community Development Financial Institution based in Los Angeles whose mission is to bring people together to build strong, local economies that uplift low-income urban communities through advocacy and transformative economic development initiatives. Rudy specializes in designing economic development initiatives in low-income communities, building private/nonprofit partnerships, and training the working poor to participate in the socio-economic revitalization of their neighborhoods.
Under his leadership, Inclusive Action helped legalize street vending in Los Angeles, passed statewide legislation to support street food vendors in California, has deployed over $4,000,000 in low-interest micro-loans and grants to under-served entrepreneurs, and co-created a unique, commercial real estate initiative that preserves small businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods. Rudy serves on the Board of Directors for UNIDOS US, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Center for Nonprofit Management and Abode Community Housing, and as an appointee to the California Organized Investment Network (COIN) Advisory Board. Rudy is a Civil Society Fellow, an initiative hosted by the ADL and Aspen Institute.
