City Hall to the Capitol
Then-Mayor Libby Schaaf joined in 2020. Mia Bonta sat down in 2021 on her way to representing Oakland in the State Assembly.
The WELO podcast archive | 2020–2021
We The Scenario
Fifty-five conversations with the people shaping Oakland's future, recorded when the world was locked down and the community needed voices most.
Why it existed
When Oakland locked down, WELO kept the conversation going.
In April 2020, when programs went quiet and classrooms went remote, WELO picked up microphones instead of pausing. We The Scenario became a weekly window into what was possible: real professionals, real leaders, and real neighbors telling young people how they got where they are.
Over fifteen months, the show sat down with a sitting mayor and a future state legislator, with physicians, pharmacists, and a psychiatrist, with founders, educators, artists, veterinarians, and mentors. Episode after episode carried the same message WELO has taught since 2010: the power is already in you.
The show wrapped in July 2021, but every conversation is still there to hear, and the relationships it built still run through WELO's work today.
The archive by the numbers
- 55 episodes, April 2020 through July 2021.
- A sitting Oakland mayor and a future Assemblymember at the mic.
- Doctors, founders, educators, artists, and advocates.
- Youth-led episodes on violence prevention and employment.
Voices we hosted
Oakland's leaders came to the table.
A sample of the seats filled across 55 episodes.
Healers and scientists
Physicians, pharmacists, a psychiatrist, a dentist, nurses, and a doula on why representation in medicine matters.
Builders of the Bay
Real estate investors, financial literacy entrepreneurs, media founders, and creative business owners sharing the playbook.
Teachers of the game
STEM equity leaders, education advocates, and mentors on engaging students on a local level.
Culture keepers
Authors, screenwriters, and creatives on why storytellers matter to a community's future.
The next generation, on mic
Young people speaking for themselves on violence prevention, employment, and what Oakland's youth actually need.
Hit play
Every episode, still live.
Browse the full archive right here, or find We The Scenario wherever you listen.
