How do we move from punishment to possibility? From cycles of incarceration to lasting opportunity?

Join us for an urgent and inspiring evening as part of Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ Social Impact Forum. "The Art of Second Chances" will highlight community-driven interventions—rooted in healing, education, and economic empowerment—that create real second chances and pave the way for collective liberation and greater public safety.

Too often, people who fall into the justice system were overlooked in their youth, denied the opportunities, connection, and support they needed to thrive. The cost of that neglect shows up in families torn apart, communities destabilized, and lives lost to a system that punishes more than it heals. But there is another way.

Our panel brings together changemakers from law, philanthropy, faith, and advocacy—alongside voices with lived experience—who are transforming systems through bold, community-rooted solutions. Together, they will explore how investing in people, not prisons can create safer, stronger, and more just communities.

Reserve your seat today to be part of this transformative conversation on how second chances can change lives—and society itself.

About the Speakers

Mano Raju is the elected public defender of San Francisco. He completed his undergraduate work at Columbia University, earned a Master’s degree in South Asian studies from UC Berkeley, and received his law degree at UC Berkeley Law. Known as a fierce litigator, Raju has lectured widely on providing effective and skillful defense—and winning—in homicide and gang cases, as well as race-conscious representation. He believes in holistic advocacy—getting to know his clients, their families, and their communities—while connecting them to reentry opportunities. As the only elected public defender in California, Raju has launched innovative programs including the “Be the Jury” Program, Young Defender Program, End the Cycle Initiative, Freedom Project, College Pathway Project, and Integrity Unit. Under his leadership, the office continues to grow in its capacity to deliver the highest level of representation and zealous advocacy for greater equity and humanity in the criminal legal system.

New Breath Foundation President and Founder Eddy Zheng has been bridging communities for decades, particularly among Black, Asian American, formerly incarcerated, immigrant, and refugee groups. He is the subject of the award-winning documentary Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story and has been featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, The New Yorker, PBS, NPR, The Guardian, SXSW, and other national media outlets. Through New Breath Foundation, Eddy empowers marginalized communities and promotes cross-cultural healing and global racial solidarity, using culture, history, and identity as pathways to justice and transformation.

Reverend Sonya Y. Brunswick, affectionately known as “Pastor Sonya,” is senior pastor of Greater Life Foursquare Church in San Francisco and visionary leader of Brunswick Leadership Group. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, she is also CEO of Bold City Coffee Company, integrating business as mission with community transformation by providing scholarships for college-bound youth and creating employment opportunities in Visitacion Valley. Pastor Sonya holds a Bachelor’s in child and adolescent behavior, a Master’s in strategic leadership, and multiple leadership certifications, including John Maxwell Trainer and Napoleon Hill Institute Ambassador. For more than three decades, she has partnered in life and ministry with her husband Arnold, a retired master sergeant of the U.S. Air Force. Widely recognized for her ability to inspire leaders and empower communities through faith, vision, and purpose, Pastor Sonya delights in helping people embrace their calling as agents of transformation in the world.

Moderator Virginia Cheung is co-chair of the Social Impact Member-Led Forum at the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California and co-founder and vice president of the Give a Beat Foundation, a nonprofit that uses music and the arts to reduce recidivism and create opportunities for incarcerated and justice-impacted individuals. At Give a Beat, she helped develop the founding mission, vision, and strategic plan, while leading initiatives in governance, fundraising, and policy advocacy. A seasoned nonprofit leader and advocate, Cheung also played a key role in building early child care and education infrastructure in San Francisco, and has served in leadership roles on boards and coalitions dedicated to education equity, workforce development, and family engagement. A former candidate for the San Francisco Board of Education, she is committed to ensuring that every child has access to quality education and pathways from “cradle to career.” Cheung brings expertise in policy, philanthropy, and community engagement to guide a thoughtful and inspiring conversation on how second chances and systemic interventions can lead to prosperity and collective liberation.