5 Things / Grounding
The news is exhausting. I don’t even watch it on TV or social media, and still it seeps in. Which tells me this is the perfect time to practice connection before content.
If you are a leader, don’t jump straight into the agenda. Ground the meeting by taking a breath and giving people a chance to be human first. Build in a quick check-in at the start of each meeting and 1:1. Ask, “What’s one thing going well this week? What’s one thing that’s not?” Listen for what matters, and if something needs more space, make time for it later.
This does not need to be complicated. It does need to be intentional. Right now, plenty of people are carrying stress that has nothing to do with the work in front of them. If you expect them to swallow it down, do not be surprised when they also swallow their best ideas, their creativity, their genius.
Leaders who create space for connection build trust. Leaders who ignore it build silence. Which one are you choosing?
This Week's Good Vibes:
Beer with a Braille Bonus
Johns Hopkins engineering students designed a braille printer for the state’s largest employer of blind and low-vision workers. Unlike typical machines, this one features open hardware, tactile components, and accessible software, allowing employees with vision loss to operate it independently. Its first run: 400 braille beer labels for a fundraiser brew called Blind Spot. This matters because it’s a rare example of adaptive technology being co-created with users, not for them, shifting design power toward accessibility and dignity. ♐ Co-design with communities, and expand accessibility beyond compliance.
Free Tuition, Priceless Access
Tufts University announced it will cover tuition for U.S. undergraduates from families earning under $150,000. Students from households under $60,000 will receive loan-free aid, while others may still face costs for housing, food, and books. With tuition topping $90,000 annually, this move opens doors, especially for first-generation and middle-income students historically excluded from private universities. This chips away at systemic barriers tied to wealth and privilege in higher education. ♐ Review benefits in your organization to see where reducing hidden costs could expand equity.
Full Bellies, Full Futures
New York just made school meals free for every student, saving parents about $165 per child each month and ensuring kids can learn without hunger holding them back. Students with better nutrition achieve higher grades, yet food insecurity disproportionately impacts low-income families, immigrant communities, and children of color. By guaranteeing access to breakfast and lunch statewide, New York is reducing stigma around “free lunch kids” while promoting healthier lifelong habits. ♐ Universal programs can dismantle inequities by normalizing access and lifting hidden financial burdens.
Child Care Goes Universal
New Mexico is set to become the first U.S. state to guarantee free universal child care, eliminating income requirements and saving families an average of $12,000 per child annually. The program also invests in workforce equity by boosting pay for early childhood educators to at least $18 an hour and expanding facilities to meet increased demand. Child care costs are a systemic barrier that disproportionately push women, single parents, and low-income families out of the workforce. ♐ Universal care policies reduce inequity, strengthen economies, and create long-term opportunity for families and children.
Rainbow Door Opens at Vatican
For the first time in history, 1,400 LGBTQ+ Catholics and allies from 20 countries made a pilgrimage to the Vatican, officially recognized as part of the Jubilee Year. Marching through St. Peter’s Basilica’s Holy Door — opened only once every 25 years — they symbolized reconciliation and belonging in a Church that has long marginalized them. While doctrine has not shifted, this recognition marks a rare systemic acknowledgment of LGBTQ+ faith communities. ♐ Inclusion often begins with visibility; when institutions open doors, literally and figuratively, it signals progress toward dignity and belonging.
Good Vibes to Go:
Read the novel Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez. It’s a delightful book that is being adapted by Eva Longoria for film.