"Real food is elitist" sounds compassionate, but look closer. BSF CEO Kathryn Leigh Goetz challenges the assumption that low-income families can't prioritize nourishment, and makes the case that true equity means both upgrading systems and honoring every family's agency.

While gender is increasingly understood as a spectrum and social construct, the binary framework of masculinity and femininity remains deeply embedded in cultural norms. Traditionally masculine qualities—such as assertiveness, competitiveness, and decisiveness—continue to dominate perceptions of effective leadership. However, these qualities alone are insufficient for the complex challenges of modern leadership, making it essential to examine the shadow and light of both masculine and feminine traits.

DEI isn't a political agenda. DEI is the work of living up to values we've been pledging allegiance to since kindergarten. BSF CEO Kathryn Leigh Goetz responds to high-profile DEI failures with a call to lead with love, create brave spaces, and remember that liberty and justice for all was always the point.

True collaboration in racial equity work is harder than it looks — and not always for the reasons we expect. BSF CEO reflects honestly on a dozen dynamics that create no-win situations, stall progress, and complicate even the most well-intentioned efforts toward equity and belonging.

Identity acknowledgment without behavior change is a dead end. BSF CEO Kathryn Leigh Goetz reflects honestly on what it means to lead as a white woman in racial equity work, and the difference between leading from privilege and leading as an ally.

Chinese Parent Cafés have taken off in San Francisco thanks to the efforts of Be Strong Families Board Member Sandy Baba. For her PhD dissertation, “Towards a Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate and Responsive Family Engagement Model for Low Income Chinese Immigrant Parents in San Francisco: A Qualitative Analysis,” Sandy conducted a four-year research study adapting BSF’s Parent Café model for the Chinese community.