At the annual ALF Exemplary Leadership Celebration, we honor leaders and networks that come together for the common good and demonstrate ALF values and practices of cross-sector collaboration. While every year is powerful and important, 2022’s Exemplary Leadership Celebration stood out for an exceptional reason: renaming the Network Leadership Award to the Greg Ranstrom Network Leadership Award.
The Network Leadership Award has traditionally symbolized the strengthening and connection of leaders that are passionate about creating a more equitable Silicon Valley. This award is about servant-leadership. It takes a lifelong commitment to empower others and make long-lasting change in a community. No one embodied this commitment more than Greg Ranstrom.
Greg Ranstrom’s journey with ALF began in 2004 when he started as a long-term consultant. He would eventually become the Director of the Fellows Program, where he facilitated the diverse experiences of numerous classes. He also served as a faculty member for other chapters, including ALF Houston and ALF Oregon. Greg’s influence was undeniable.
“The Greg Ranstrom Network Leadership Award is given to those who’ve demonstrated that interwoven cross-sector networks produce the most impact in our communities.”
For over 20 years, Greg was committed to inspiring and cultivating collaboration, leadership effectiveness, and creating impact across organizational boundaries. His dedication to nurturing connections exemplifies the Network Leadership Award. We cannot make real change without the help of others.
The number of people Greg influenced with his passion, patience, and kindness was unparalleled. His character served as the perfect reminder of what can be achieved when we set aside our judgments and see one another as friends, not strangers.
The Greg Ranstrom Network Leadership Award is given to those who’ve demonstrated that interwoven cross-sector networks produce the most impact in our communities. Past winners include First Act, ¡Sí Se Puede! Collective, Leon Panetta, and Bruce Bochy, to name a few.
In 2022 we honored the Covid Financial & Rental Relief Network and Coastside Gives. The Covid Financial & Rental Relief Network included Destination: Home, Sacred Heart Community Service, and other partners who came together to deliver critical financial aid to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the Network has given 71.7 million dollars in financial and rental assistance to 18,393 low-income households throughout Silicon Valley.
“These two networks are perfect examples of what can be achieved when people come together for the common good.”
Our other awardee, Coastside Gives (founded in 2015), is a 24-hour online fundraiser that works to benefit nonprofits that operate in the communities between Montara and Pescadero. Sponsored and presented by the Mavericks Community Foundation, the fundraiser makes a lasting impact in San Mateo County by encouraging community engagement and collaboration. In 2021, Coastside Gives distributed $85,000 in grants to nonprofits who participated in Coastside Gives by engaging with their communities via social media, videos, and other online activities.
These two networks are perfect examples of what can be achieved when people come together for the common good. They pivoted in times of crisis and pooled their resources to provide essential services to those in need. This is the principle Greg Ranstrom exemplified and was committed to during his life.
ALF is honored to rename the Network Leadership Award in Greg’s honor, who so gently embodied the long-lasting connections we need to make if we want to create a more equitable Silicon Valley.
We look forward to honoring many more leaders and partnerships within the ALF network who’ve demonstrated their dedication to uplifting their communities and pivoting in times of great need.
View the Greg Ranstrom Network Leadership Award dedication segment in the video replay of the 2022 Exemplary Leadership Celebration. And be sure to check out the video profiles for all of the 2022 honorees.
Allyson relocated to San Jose from Central California and joined the ALF team in June 2021 where she’s grateful for the diverse communities she gets to work with everyday. In her free time she enjoys writing stories, drawing, and reading the latest fantasy novel on the beach.
