021 // Marimba Milliones // Community Development Athlete
ReImagining Community with Garland
Release Date: 03/10/2021
Words of the Year Check-in with Allison S. Weiss and Marissa Garza
ReImagining Community with Garland
We’re back for our quarterly check-in! This episode, Garland, Marissa, and Allison get real about how 2025 is treating them—emotionally, creatively, and professionally. The crew dives into the words of the year they each picked, how those intentions are holding up (or, in some cases, getting a remix!), and the rituals keeping them grounded in these all-over-the-place times. From Topple-inspired metaphors for emotional balance to morning walks and “letting go” as a radical act, you’ll find sharp honesty and truly relatable reflections. We chat about how consuming less (media,...
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Community-Owned, Community-Fed: The SoLA Food Co-Op Story with Bahni Turpin
ReImagining Community with Garland
In this energizing episode, Garland Fuller dives into a radically authentic conversation with Bahni Turpin—acclaimed actress, community leader, and founder of the SoLA Food Co-Op in South L.A. Bahni shares her journey from artist to changemaker, breaking down how lived experience and community theater opened her eyes to food injustice and inspired tangible solutions. From her roots in New York to establishing a home and purpose in South L.A., Bahni reveals what it really takes to build a member-owned food co-op in a city shaped by food deserts and systemic inequities. She opens up about the...
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Season 1, Looking Back
ReImagining Community with Garland
We’ve reached the end of an incredible first season of ReImagining Community! In this special finale, Garland Fuller and Marissa Garza look back on the moments that shaped the season, the conversations that challenged and inspired us, and the powerful ways our community is growing. More than just a recap, this episode is about honoring the stories, connections, and impact that have come from building this space together. What’s Inside This Episode? 🔥 Kicking Things Off (00:01:07) Garland and Marissa reflect on what it took to launch this podcast, the energy behind each episode,...
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ReImagining Workplaces: Empathy and Belonging with Farzana Nayani
ReImagining Community with Garland
In this episode of ReImagining Community, host Garland Fuller sits down with diversity, equity, and inclusion expert Farzana Nayani for a conversation that’s equal parts insightful and action-driven. Farzana shares her journey into human-centered consulting, breaking down how personal growth fuels impactful leadership. They explore the Know-Heal-Lead model, the power of empathetic leadership, and why psychological safety is non-negotiable in today’s workplaces. From self-awareness to building trust, this episode is packed with real talk on what it takes to create meaningful change. Farzana...
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Building Community and Empowering Entrepreneurs with Ronda Jackson
ReImagining Community with Garland
Welcome back to ReImagining Community, the podcast where we highlight the Black and Brown changemakers shaping our communities through bold ideas, collaboration, and intentional action. Your host, Garland Fuller, is here to bring you powerful conversations that inspire action and impact. This week, we’re sitting down with Ronda Jackson—a powerhouse entrepreneur, community builder, and advocate for personal and professional transformation. From her roots in Chicago to the creation of Paint On Purpose and her impactful third Saturday events, Ronda shares the lessons and insights that...
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Navigating Multicultural Spaces with Jennifer Taylor
ReImagining Community with Garland
How do we create spaces where multicultural identities can thrive? In this episode of Reimagining Community, host Garland Fuller sits down with Jennifer Taylor, a leader with over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate who has dedicated her career to fostering belonging and amplifying diverse voices. Jennifer unpacks the complexities of navigating cultural identities in professional and community spaces, sharing insights from her work with Ambiculture Advisors, Swirls, and SIPA. She also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how cultural nuances influence business...
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Facing Fear & Finding Strength in Community
ReImagining Community with Garland
In this solo episode of ReImagining Community, host Garland Fuller takes on a topic that’s all too real: fear. Whether it’s fear of failure, ridicule, uncertainty, or even success, these invisible barriers keep too many of us from stepping into our power. Garland shares her own journey of pushing past these fears, breaking down how embracing community and collaboration can make all the difference. She also dives into her love of reading and how books can create shared experiences—shouting out The Solidarity Shelf, a flexible book club model started by her friend Marissa Garza. This...
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Building Community Connections Through Digital Storytelling
ReImagining Community with Garland
In this episode of ReImagining Community, host Garland Fuller sits down with Eugenia Chien, a strategic planning powerhouse with over a decade of experience shaping how communities connect and engage online. From launching Muni Diaries to leading initiatives at PopSugar and Meta, Eugenia has seen firsthand how digital storytelling can strengthen communities, amplify voices, and foster meaningful partnerships. Together, Garland and Eugenia break down the evolution of online engagement—from throwing ideas at the wall to refining strategies that create real impact. They discuss the...
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Embracing Transformation: Words of the Year and Building Community in 2025
ReImagining Community with Garland
Embracing Transformation: Words of the Year and Building Community in 2025 In this episode of Reimagining Community, host Garland Fuller dives into a vibrant and thought-provoking conversation with Marissa Garza, her systems strategist and podcast producer, and Allison Weiss, founder of CRE Recruiting. Together, they explore the transformative power of words, rituals, and intentional community-building for 2025. From their chosen Words of the Year to their professional goals, the discussion unpacks how reflection and connection pave the way for personal and collective growth. Tune in as they...
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Navigating Leadership with Kim Brown
ReImagining Community with Garland
Building Bridges and Creating Impact: A Conversation with Kim Brown In this episode of Reimagining Community, host Garland Fuller dives into an inspiring conversation with Kim Brown, Managing Partner at Housing Impact Partners and President of AAREP LA. Together, they explore Kim’s remarkable career in commercial real estate and her transformative leadership journey within AAREP LA. From tackling affordable housing challenges to creating third spaces that empower Black professionals, Kim shares invaluable insights on servant leadership and community advocacy. This episode is a must-listen...
info_outlineOn Episode 021, Garland interviews Marimba Milliones, President & CEO of the Hill District Community Development Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA.
Highlights of Episode 020:
- Intro 0:46
- Education to Community Development - 07:19
- Community Development Corporations - 11:10
- Misconceptions about CDCs - 16:30
- Hill District Focus - 19:10
- How to get involved - 28:51
- What’s next for the Hill - 33:35
- Inclusion and Equity - 35:48
- Life Full Circle - 35:55
Marimba Milliones is president and CEO of the Hill Community Development Corporation (Hill CDC) in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania's historic Hill District neighborhood. She is a practitioner of and national thought leader in equitable development. Her work is focused on assuring equity in urban-core redevelopment involving low-moderate income residents, communities of color and cities. Milliones advocates for and utilizes intentional planning and development practices that honor people, place, culture and the market. She believes in win-win models. To this end, Milliones led negotiations of a community benefits agreement with the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins to assure equitable development for a historic tract of land in the heart of fast-growing Pittsburgh. The establishment of a city-wide affordable housing task force, and the largest tax financing district in the history of the City of Pittsburgh were sealed as a part of the negotiations.
Milliones' policy advocacy over the years has resulted in a more equitable approach to development throughout the City. She has designed processes that assure that marginalized communities can be self-determinative in real estate development including community-level review and approval of projects requiring public subsidy. Her organization has pipelined and is preparing over 400 renters for homeownership; and recently launched a residential and commercial community land trust. Most notable is Milliones' work towards building a Black cultural and commercial neighborhood district anchored by the restoration of the historic New Granada Theater, new office space and storefronts, and 40 units of artist-preference affordable housing. The $55M+ mixed-use development effort will be an iconic example of how culture is a surefire economic development tool.
Milliones is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and brings a strengths-based approach to organizational and community development. She has been recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier, YMCA, Onyx Woman, Talk Magazine and others. In 2015, she was recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of Pittsburgh's 15 Future Powerbrokers. She was recently listed in Pittsburgh Business Times' 2020 List of the Top 20 people to know in Construction in the Pittsburgh Region.
Connect with Marimba:
LinkedIn
Website
// Connect with and learn more about your host, Garland Fuller:
Web: garlandfuller.com
Instagram: @FullCircleWithGarland
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/garlandfuller
Mailing List: http://rebrand.ly/Garland-Podcast