Gil Alvarado is the Chief Financial and Investment Officer (CFIO) of the Prebys Foundation, where he helps steward a $1.2 billion portfolio with an eye toward both strong returns and strong community benefit. A national thought partner in mission-aligned investing, Gil brings an entrepreneurial mindset to philanthropy—designing funds, partnerships, and investment strategies that help fuel innovation, expand opportunity, and strengthen San Diego’s long-term resilience.

This Episode:

How can a foundation use the full breadth of its resources to support a thriving region?

Grant and Gil unpack how the foundation’s investment strategy works in tandem with its grantmaking to advance health, creativity, and economic opportunity in San Diego. Gil explains how the $50 million Prebys Venture Fund backs early-stage life science and tech companies; why investments in affordable housing, small-business lending, and civic revitalization expand what’s possible for the region; and how patient capital (long-term investment) lets a foundation take the long view on challenges like climate resilience and the blue economy.

This episode offers an accessible look at how financial strategy, mission, and community well-being intersect.

Key Moments

• [0:57] What impact investing means at Prebys
• [3:44] Inside the Prebys Venture Fund and its early investments
• [7:30] Using capital to expand affordable housing and small-business access
• [24:16] Why integrating impact into investing is still rare—and what’s changing
• [42:20] Why even a “small” portfolio can catalyze big change

Resources

• Prebys Impact Investing - Using all of our financial resources to advance an inclusive and equitable future for San Diego
• Prebys Ventures Impact Fund – Investing in life sciences and health innovation in San Diego
• Prebys Ventures First Investments – 5 startups advancing medical research and patient care
• Stop & Talk: Preeti Bhattacharji – Listen to our 2024 episode with Preeti Bhattacharji, Head of Sustainable Investing at J.P. Morgan Chase Private Bank, who talks about impact investing and social impact.

Take Action

Tips for organizations looking to expand their impact through investments:

• Leverage Full Portfolios – Consider how endowment investments, not just grant dollars, can advance mission and strengthen local ecosystems.
• Commit for the Long Term – Use patient, flexible capital to support solutions that require multi-year development.
• Grow Local Innovation – Back entrepreneurs, researchers, and community builders who are shaping the region’s future.
• Build Strategic Partnerships – Collaborate with public, private, and community partners to amplify impact and unlock larger opportunities.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod cast .org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Walking Shield has spent nearly four decades improving quality of life for Native communities across the United States—bridging sovereign tribal nations with philanthropy, federal agencies, and the U.S. military. Alongside the Walking Shield team, Executive Director, Dr. John Castillo, and Senior Fellow, Mariano Diaz help tribes build the capacity needed to secure federal funding, strengthen infrastructure, and advance true self-determination. Their work blends grassroots trust-building with systems-level strategy, supporting tribes on projects ranging from road repairs and water access to energy development, environmental co-management, and leadership planning.

This Episode:
What does true collaboration with tribal nations require?

Dr. John Castillo and Mariano Diaz highlight the deep assets that guide Native communities, including long-standing governance traditions, cultural and environmental knowledge, and a strong commitment to collective well-being. They share how Walking Shield helps tribes use these strengths to access federal resources, plan for long-term development, and steward land and water. They also discuss the systemic barriers tribes still face, such as underinvestment and complex federal requirements, and how capacity-building can make a meaningful difference.

Together with Grant, they explore San Diego’s uniquely rich tribal landscape, the growing promise of co-management of natural resources, and why trust, relationship-building, and listening first are essential for any partnership with Indian Country. At its heart, the conversation offers a long view of resilience and strategy, reminding us that when Native leadership is honored and communities have the tools to act on their priorities, progress becomes both possible and lasting.

Key Moments:

• [9:40] San Diego has the most tribes per capita and what that means for the region
• [14:02] The capacity gap: why many tribes can’t access federal funds designed for them
• [16:34] Everybody benefits: how the National Guard helped rebuild dangerous reservation roads
• [34:10] Co-management, water rights, and environmental stewardship
• [51:15] What partnership looks like when it works

Resources Mentioned:

• Walking Shield – Improving quality of life for Native communities since 1986
• Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association – Regional tribal leadership and coordination
• Prebys Foundation’s BRIDGE Initiative – Supporting organizations that expand community capacity

Take Action:

• Read and Learn More— Explore the history and present realities of San Diego’s tribal nations.
• Build Relationships — If you work in philanthropy, government, or community development, ask how you can learn directly from tribal leaders.
• Support Sovereignty — Advocate for funding systems that recognize tribal governments’ authority and needs.
• Visit and Listen — When invited, spend time on tribal lands to understand local priorities firsthand.
• Keep the Long View — Remember that partnership, persistence, and shared purpose can outlast political cycles.

Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Brandon Steppe left a corporate career to start a recording studio in his garage—never imagining that a few persistent neighborhood kids would change his life. Those early studio sessions grew into the David’s Harp Foundation, a nonprofit where justice-involved and opportunity youth in San Diego discover their voices and chart a path forward through music, media, and mentorship.

This Episode

Can rhythm and relationship change a young person’s life?

Brandon shares how vulnerability and honesty became cornerstones of his organization’s culture, starting with a simple practice he calls flashlight first: mentors shine the light on themselves before asking youth to open up. From those early lessons grew a creative community that helps youth connect to support, record songs behind detention walls, and build micro-enterprises that pay real wages and teach real skills.

Together with Grant, Brandon explores how art heals, how relationships transform justice, and how community-rooted workforce programs can help young people thrive.

Key Moments:

• [4:05] How one determined teenager changed Brandon’s path
• [8:28] “Flashlight first”—earning trust through vulnerability
• [22:54] The importance of relational support
• [32:52] Creating access and opportunity in the creative economy
• [43:35] Turning a $1M gift into transformational community-based housing

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• David’s Harp Foundation – Empowering youth through music, media, and mentorship
• Brandon Steppe TEDx Talk – On honesty and human connection
• Prebys Foundation Workforce Initiative – Supporting career pathways for youth

Take Action:

• Listen First – Practice “flashlight first” in your own conversations.
• Invest in Creativity – Support programs that give young people tools to tell their stories.
• See Youth as Talent – Hire, mentor, or collaborate with local young creators.
• Value Relationship – Support programs that center relational care, not control.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.org

Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team

If you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe