Shows
License to OperateProfessionalizing Peace: Chico TillmonIn this episode of License to Operate, hosts Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Dr. Chico Tillman, Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago. Tillman's natural leadership skills and street credibility have made him uniquely effective at interrupting cycles of violence. He was instrumental in securing $3.7 billion in federal funding for Community Violence Intervention programs nationwide.This conversation explores the professionalization of CVI work, the economic argument for violence prevention, and how Chicago's 40% reduction in violence correlates directly with increased CVI investment.2025-07-2937 minLicense to OperateContent with Purpose: Lil CuzIn this episode of License to Operate, hosts Kanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Lil Cuz, a 28-year-old content creator and psychology graduate from Chicago's South Side.The conversation explores how he uses different characters to reach various demographics, and the powerful influence of social media on today's youth. Lil Cuz offers candid insights into why some young people are drawn to street life, the role of music and social influence in shaping choices, and what it takes to provide positive alternatives.2025-07-2247 minLicense to OperateWhen I Met Forever: Cleopatra CowleyKanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham are joined by Cleopatra "Cleo" Cowley, founder of Hadiya's Promise and mother of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old honor student who was shot and killed in Chicago in 2013, just days after performing at President Obama's second inauguration.Cleo shares her profound journey of loss and transformation, describing how tragedy unlocked her voice and propelled her into advocacy work she never imagined doing. She speaks candidly about "meeting forever" - her powerful phrase for the permanent reality of losing a child - and how that experience reshaped her understanding of how trauma from gun...2025-07-1534 minLicense to OperateFaith, Family, and Second Chances: Dontay "Big Durk" BanksKanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Abdul Haqq, also known as Dontay Banks or Big Durk, who served 26 years of a life sentence before becoming a life coach and curriculum specialist at Chicago CRED. As the father of one son lost to gun violence, and another son, rap superstar Lil Durk, facing charges, Abdul shares his journey from the streets of Englewood through federal prison, where his transformation through Islam changed his life completely.The conversation explores his childhood in poverty with nine siblings, his path into street life after seeing his family evicted, and...2025-07-0843 minLicense to OperateWrongful Conviction to Community Healing: Bilaal EvansKanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Bilaal Evans, founder of Restorative Project in Englewood, who has been doing gun violence prevention work since 2007.Bilaal shares his incredible journey from growing up in Chicago's Henry Horner Projects, where he lost 26 cousins to gun violence, to surviving 15 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Wrongfully convicted at age 17 by detectives connected to the notorious John Burge torture cases, Bilaal's experience with injustice became the driving force behind his community work.2025-07-0126 minLicense to OperateThe Making of a Peacemaker: Billy MooreKanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham sit down with Billy Moore, site manager for Chicago CRED and author of "Until the Lion Speaks." Billy shares his remarkable journey from making a tragic mistake at 16 that cost him 20 years in prison to becoming a leading voice in Chicago's violence intervention movement.Billy opens up about his unlikely mentorship with Larry Hoover at the Stateville prison, how losing his son to gun violence just weeks before starting his current work shaped his mission, and the heartbreaking story of Steven Ward—his first program participant who was killed despite his dedication to...2025-06-2646 minLicense to OperateFrom Two Worlds: Kanoya Ali and Peter CunninghamKanoya Ali and Peter Cunningham prove that the most unlikely partnerships can drive real change on Chicago's streets. While Chicago saw a 30% drop in shootings compared with last year, these two men with vastly different backgrounds reveal what's really working—and what isn't—in violence prevention. Ali shares his journey through prison at 17 after taking a life, while Peter talks about his experience as Mayor Daley's former speechwriter and decades in Chicago politics. Their conversation explores how networks can either save lives or destroy them, and why sometimes illegal work becomes "the only door open" for young people trying to s...2025-06-2440 minLicense to OperateThis is LTOLicense to Operate (LTO) takes you inside the streets where former gang members now broker peace and grieving mothers choose forgiveness over revenge.Hosts Kanoya Ali—a west side Chicago native who transformed his life after prison—and Peter Cunningham bring you raw conversations with the people actually reducing gun violence in the city's hardest-hit neighborhoods. This isn't about politics or preaching—it's about real relationships and proven strategies.Hear the untold stories of transformation that are saving lives: outreach workers risking everything, survivors turning trauma into purpose, and communities building safety from the inside out.2025-06-1301 min