(Bonus Episode) Live from Encanto: Shawn McClondon on Equity, Sister Cities & Building Sustainable Community Power

In this special live bonus episode of RISE Urban Nation, host Taryell Simmons and co-host Zeke Corley sit down at the Encanto Experience with activist, author, and equity leader Shawn McClondon, founder of the Sister Cities Project. Recorded inside Marathon Barbershop on Imperial Avenue, this conversation explores how Shawn is building formal partnerships between affluent and underserved communities to drive workforce development, business growth, and sustainable economic empowerment. Through the Sister Cities Project ecosystem—including (Eco)Hub, (Eco)Exchange, and (Eco)Agency—Shawn shares how strategic partnerships, racial equity dialogue, and community-rooted innovation are reshaping opportunity for communities of color. This powerful discussion highlights what it means to move beyond conversation into action and build systems that create lasting impact.