We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Chagala and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
We are a Design Joint. As a 501(c)3 Education Non-Profit, our work is all around tending to the soul of school. That means working to help folks heal from interlocking systems of oppression, acknowledging the inherent, essential goodness of all, and animating our collective genius into action. In this we cultivate communities of belonging, becoming, and infinite possibility. We do this by designing for purpose, meaning, and connection.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We design expertly crafted adult learning experiences that help foster deeper learning practices in education. #DesignCamp was born in San Diego in 2014, and has spread as far east as St Louis, MO and as far north as Vancouver, BC. Thousands of educators have been inspired to affect change in their school communities through this effort. DesignCamp has been used as both a spark to kick-off protracted transformation efforts, it has been used as a general effort to regionally ignite exposure to deeper learning practices. #DesignCamp is always FREE to the participants, and typically happens on a Saturday so that there are no barriers to entry for curious and excited teachers – whether their Administration is supportive of their growth or not!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We love San Diego! In fact, San Diego and Tijuana were recently named “World Design Capital.” It is the first time a bin-national region has ever been given this honor! So in the spirit of this amazing achievement and the role we hope to play in it, we would celebrate with others with a fun weekend! We would go to dinner & drinks at Lips in Hillcrest on Friday night. Then the next morning, we would get brunch in Liberty Station (Pt Loma), head to Tijuana for a Craft Beer tour + tacos, and back to San Diego for dinner at Coasterra. After dinner we would stroll through Gas Lamp and soak in the energy of San Diego along 5th Avenue’s bars and restaurant scene. The next morning, we would clear our heads with a brisk hike up and through Torrey Pines, taking lots of time to sit and breath in the fresh salt air at the benches along the many oaths you can walk. We would head north to Encinitas for lunch and stop by the Self-Realization Fellowship Center to wander through and sit in the gardens and enjoy the sea cliff views. Then it would be time to hit up Seaside Market, get some “Cardiff Crack” and head back to BBQ for the night!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our CEO/President, Dr. Kaleb Rashad, and myself are incredibly grateful to all those who have come before us. The Ancestors who have helped to instill hope and joy in all that we do. Our friends at the Stanford Institute of Design (d.School) continue to open doors to design for all.

Website: www.EricChagala.com

Instagram: UNLOCKEDHCD

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-chagala-92648015

Twitter: @DRCHAGALA

Youtube: https://youtu.be/dEeeILzdHuY

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