At American Leadership Forum, we strive to provide a container for courageous and challenging conversations in hopes of bridging a deeper understanding across experiences and perspectives. Sometimes, life allows us to reconcile with our vulnerabilities and take advantage of new learnings—and harsh truths—that we might otherwise avoid.
One particular Senior Fellow who embraced these truths and showed up better in her personal and professional life because of it is Shiloh Ballard of ALF Class XXVII, CEO of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. Shiloh is the newest facilitator of the Anti-Racist Learning Circle, an ALF affinity group comprised of white leaders who are in dialogue about the impact of white privilege throughout Silicon Valley.
I was curious about Shiloh’s background and journey and wanted to find out what series of decisions and events led her to where she is now. What drew her to the Anti-Racist Learning Circle? What sort of conversations does the affinity group grapple with?
Her story begins in west San Jose. Raised by her single mother, they lived with her aunt in a rent-controlled apartment in a pocket of affordable housing in an affluent community. During her childhood, she witnessed her mother’s hard work, determination, and struggle to provide a better life.
“Deeply impacted by this experience, Shiloh self-reflected and engaged with new learnings over the course of a year to grapple with the tension between the mission she believed in and the way some people interpreted this mission.”
This determination was especially tested when their landlord attempted to illegally raise the rent for their apartment. Her mother fought against this measure and was successful. This event left a lasting impact on Shiloh and was one of the key markers on her path to nonprofit work.
Another formative experience for her was learning about the importance of community and service in her Methodist church. Shiloh’s youth group discussed progressive and contemporary issues which ignited a passion in her: community service. As a student at De Anza College, she volunteered at the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, where her interest in environmental studies and nonprofits awakened.
Now, equipped with a degree in environmental studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Shiloh worked as a field representative for a state legislator. Later, she became involved with the Housing and Community Development department of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, where she worked for 15 years. And in 2015, she became the Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.
Shiloh is passionate about accessible transportation—growing up, she relied on the bus, her bicycle, and other modes of public transportation. To her, bikes were vital for those who couldn’t afford cars, a reflection of the struggle she and her mother faced in her childhood. However, early on in her employment with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, the organization was publicly called out for its perceived shortcomings in inclusivity.
Deeply impacted by this experience, Shiloh self-reflected and engaged with new learnings over the course of a year to grapple with the tension between the mission she believed in and the way some people interpreted this mission. She was in the nonprofit sector to advocate for safe and reliable bicycling in cities, not to exclude anyone from this resource. But the harsh truth was still there: the blinders were on. Even though she understood her organization’s mission, her community had a different opinion.
So, Shiloh engaged with this uncomfortable truth and actively worked to remove her blinders and misconceptions. She refocused her attention and committed herself to tough conversations with her white peers about privilege and how necessary continual education is for understanding the privilege that’s held even if one claims to be progressive or is committed to doing no harm. She learned there is always something to learn.
“These discussions led to more safety and trust to go deeper with their conversations and allowed for transformational change.”
The Anti-Racist Learning Circle was created to discuss and reflect on these learnings. Shiloh, originally just a member of the affinity group, was drafted by Jenny Niklaus, ALF Chief Facilitation Officer, to become the group’s lead facilitator. She admitted facilitation did not come easily for her. She contemplated, “who am I to be a safe space for people to come and examine their outcomes as white people?” But she was interested in that safe space and wanted to grapple with these very difficult issues.
The affinity group started by reading materials and processing them together. Eventually, the space for vulnerability was established; Shiloh pushed people to be more personal and to share times they’ve messed up. These discussions led to more safety and trust to go deeper with their conversations and allowed for transformational change. Shiloh also encouraged her group to share times they noticed microaggressions or handled a difficult conversation or situation with grace. Change is not just about recognizing the moments we failed but also the ones where we succeeded.
I asked Shiloh how ALF might have influenced the way she approached these harsh truths in her personal and professional life. She shared, “ALF is definitely fertile ground for bringing people together in this space and helping people examine their power and privilege.”
When entering an ALF space, a leader trusts that their peers will suspend judgments and truly listen to them. Shiloh was made responsible for holding this space in the Anti-Racist Learning Circle. She was made accountable for how mindful she showed up and for creating a learning environment for white leaders to show up and become better.
Shiloh shared that having accountability for holding this space made her better overall. Imagine the co-creation that arises when we don’t run away from the harsh truths and instead are willing to stay in the conversation. To realize maybe we’ve been talking too much and need to remain silent so others can have a voice. These are the type of self-reflections we strive to create space for in ALF. Shiloh Ballard learned the importance of taking responsibility for these spaces so that others may become better leaders and, more importantly, better people.
Learn more about all of ALF Silicon Valley’s Affinity Groups.
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.
