Forward 40 (4tea)

Episode 11 - Normalizing Intentional Engagement in Our Learning Environments featuring Samantha Pratt

Samantha Pratt is CEO and Founder of KlickEngage. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a B.S. in Applied Psychology as a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar. She served as a Teach for America (TFA) 2015 corps member in Miami-Dade County where she taught 5th grade science for three years. While teaching, in 2017, Samantha participated in an incubator as part of a partnership between Venture Hive Miami and TFA where she cultivated the idea for KlickEngage. In 2018, she was part of the first cohort for Miami EdTech and went on to win 3rd place in the Miami Herald Business Challenge and 1st place in the pre-pilot track of the Social Innovation Award. Most recently, Samantha became a 2019 Camelback Venture Fellow, a finalist in the Harvard HIVE Pitch Competition, a Kravis Lab Moonshot Fellow, and a graduate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a Ed.M in Education Policy and Management, an NPR How I Built This Fellow, and a Forbes 30 under 30 Lister. She believes that the key to educational equity is creating and safe and supportive environments for kids. 

In this episode, Samantha reflects on her personal and professional journey with anxiety and trauma. She shares how she has been able to leverage her lived experience and data to inspire educators, administrators and investors to see the big picture in promoting healthy environments and culture. We celebrate her strength and resilience to serve as a champion for the socioemotional well-being of students, especially students in lower-income communities. Samantha inspires us to consider how much more positive our environments  and interactions could be if we carved out the time and space to intentionally engage. Ms. Pratt is an overcomer, a committed learner, and a wellspring of insight and vision. Prepare to be recharged and supported in your journey, knowing you are not alone.

We move to be more intentional and mindful of our daily engagements, for ourselves and the next generation, as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Samantha on Twitter @samjoypratt and the work of @KlickEngage on all social channels.

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  Be in touch to nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 10 - Balancing Cultural Responsibility, Honor & Respect in Indigenous Communities featuring Lisa Paz

Lisa (Pawnee/Comanche) has been with AISES since 2012 in various capacities. She started as an administrative assistant, worked in the Development and Communications departments and eventually became the Director of Membership Engagement and Advocacy, the position she holds now. Lisa’s experience includes an extensive background in sales, event coordination, communications, and business administration.

Lisa grew up in Rio Rancho, New Mexico and still lives there with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. She is currently working on her Masters of Public Administration degree at UNM. Lisa is a proud member of Hufflepuff House.

In this episode, Lisa imparts wisdom on the history and impact of native communities and the cultural responsibility in her personal and professional life. She shares how helpful it is to be in a native-led and serving nonprofit in belonging in the work. We reflect on the emotional and social tax that comes with our histories and identities as women of color and how we can be a bridge for each other. Ms. Paz is woman of honor, passion and love for her community and for social impact. Be inspired and relish in the journey not being one you have to go at alone in this episode.

We are honored to be in community and represent for our ancestors as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Lisa on Twitter @lpaz22 and also the work of American Indian Science and Engineering Society here. 

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  Be in touch to nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 9 - Walking Through & Opening Doors of Opportunity for Yourself & Others featuring Starla Hart

Starla D. Hart, MPA, has worked to enhance the lives of people in Indianapolis for more than 17 years and serves as 16 Tech Community Corporation’s Director of Community Initiatives. She leads the innovation district’s work with Near West, Northwest and surrounding neighborhoods to ensure that the economic benefits of 16 Tech extend to nearby communities.

In addition to her ongoing work with the surrounding neighborhoods, Hart oversees the 16 Tech Community Investment Fund, a community-focused fund that, under the advisement of a community-led advisory committee, will invest in neighborhood projects that provide maximum impact.

Prior to joining 16 Tech, Hart supported the Great Places 2020 initiatives as a Program Officer for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Indianapolis, focusing her work on transforming strategic places in Marion County into dynamic urban villages.

Hart served as Director of Neighborhood Partnerships at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Office of Community Engagement, serving for 10 years as IUPUI’s liaison to the Near West neighborhood. This body of work led Hart to become the founding director of Source River West, a hub for entrepreneurs in the River West Great Place that offers place-based entrepreneurship and small business supports for residents in urban Indy neighborhoods.

And because she is just as intentional about her acts of service to her family and community, Hart is a mother of two and serves as a member of the Mayor’s Cultural Investment Advisory Council, board member for Matchbook Learning and advisory council member for Indianapolis Contemporary. 

In this episode, Starla reflects on her journey to the community development sector. She shares how each of her roles allowed her to pivot into the next and hone in on her entrepreneurial spirit. Starla extends her wisdom on how the next generation of leaders of color can tap into opportunities within their respective communities to ensure the sector is representative. Ms. Hart has a career of building and serving the community, walking through previously closed doors and opening doors for others to have their voices present and heard. Starla exemplifies selfless authentic leadership. Take notes on how she is working to balance it all. 

We are blessed to be able to serve with beauty and balance as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Starla on Twitter @simplystarla and also the work of 16 Tech here. 

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  Be in touch to nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 8 - Getting Real About Developing Your Best Self featuring Sable B.

Sable B., founder and creator of Real Brown Girls has over 10 years of experience in PK-12 education and program development. Sable has created a community of over 80,000 women, focusing on building vast national networks for professional women of color in order to arm them with the necessary tools to show up full and whole, both personally and professionally. She received her BA in African American Studies and French from Temple University and a MSEd in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

In this episode, Sable reflects on the genesis of Real Brown Girls and the importance of women of color collectives. She also shares how the philanthropic arm of the business, Real Brown Girls Foundation, is offering additional supports to a younger generation of women. We reflect on the essence of time, getting real about your "why" and staying the course in your development even in the face of fear. Sable is a pure model of how authenticity yields a path to freedom. Take the time to pour into you.

We are honoring the beauty of investing in ourselves as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Are you interested in joining the Real Brown Girls community? Join here and follow the collective on Twitter and Instagram @realbrowngirls

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 7 - Cultivating Solidarity and Collective Power for Women Through Coffee featuring Margaret Nyamumbo

Margaret is the Founder and CEO of Kahawa 1893 Coffee and a third-generation coffee farmer from Kenya. Through her business, she is building a more inclusive coffee supply chain in Africa to empower women. Margaret moved to the US for college, attending Smith College for undergraduate and later attained an MBA from Harvard. Her career has spanned consulting, the World Bank and most recently Wall Street. Margaret is passionate about using business for the good of society and empowerment of all.

In this episode, Margaret shares how she leveraged her experience on Wall Street and lived experience in Kenya to start her social enterprise for the greater good of the "global diaspora woman". She also sheds light on the growing market of digital currency and how it can be leveraged to connect the consumer to the farmer. We reflect on Black Women's Equal Pay Day and the most recently released 1619 Project noting a growing consciousness of the systems at play and the additional work ahead. Margaret further situates her work as an extension of her upbringing of one's individual success being translated fully when it's in conjunction with the success of the community. She offers up a charge for us to take space, think more broadly about diversity and inclusion and tap into positivity in the face of opposition.

We are awakening our positive thoughts and actions to impact the whole woman as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Want to learn more about what Margaret's journey and the women she is working on behalf of? Check out her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @kahawa1893.

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 6 - Bending the Narrative Towards Possible with One Leap featuring Amber Scott

Amber Scott is Founder and Executive Director of Leap Year. A child of first-generation college students, the importance of higher education and the power that it can have to raise a family out of poverty was instilled in Amber at a young age. She believes that the opportunity for higher education should be open to everyone, regardless of where they are born. After working in the nonprofit sector for ten years, she founded Leap Year to challenge the status quo. Amber is a 2018 Echoing Green Fellow, a winner of WeWork's 2017 Incubate Creator Awards, and was recognized by Black Enterprise as alone of "25 Black Women Who Are Changing the World." She holds a BA in Neuroscience from Smith College, and an MBA in Marketing from Ohio State University. 

In this episode, Amber shares how she was able to leverage her experience in the nonprofit sector to create her own social enterprise. We reflect on college access/persistence as it pertains to some of the realities for first-generation students and how Leap Year is providing a gap year for exploration and service. We also reflect on the lessons learned in leadership, in a running a social enterprise with a women dominated workforce. Amber's work extends a charge to the importance and impact of preparedness as a narrative shift for not only the students but also their families and communities at large. 

We are bending the narrative of preconceived notions of the impossible as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Want to learn more about what Amber and her team are doing at Leap Year? Contact them directly and follow their latest updates on Instagram @leapyearusa.

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

 

Episode 5 - Moving With Purpose, On Purpose and Claiming Your Space in the Work featuring Sheena Collier

Sheena Collier is CEO & Founder of The Collier Connection and Senior Economic Advisor for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. She is a superconnector, facilitator, and host. A native New Yorker, and Spelman alumna, Sheena made the transition to Boston after graduation to attend Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2004. She didn’t know anyone or have a network, so she built one. Sheena started & joined organizations, became civically engaged, and hosted events that connected her to lots of different worlds, including education, politics, arts, community organizing, & business. She made connections that changed her life and learned techniques to navigate (and eventually enjoy) the city. This helped her build a supportive community that she now leverages to benefit others. Sheena loves creating spaces for people to connect and gets joy from introducing people to each other, sharing valuable information, or new experiences. Through The Collier Connection (TCC), Sheena is creating a home for content, programming, and physical spaces to enhance the ways that black people experience Boston.

In this episode, we reflect on how Sheena was able to leverage the purpose  in her transition to a new city to benefit the broader Black community. We also explore what it means to command space, occupy it and the necessity of ownership. For the transplants out there, Sheena offers insight into how you can be intentional about learning and immersing yourself in a community. Sheena continues to be a bridge of opportunity for anyone who crosses paths with her. 

We are moving with purpose, on purpose as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Want to learn more about what Sheena is doing in the Greater Boston area? Read this Boston Magazine feature and her opinion piece in The Boston Globe.

Connect with Sheena on Twitter @PensiveInPink and IG: @sheena_collier ; @collierconnection. Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 4 - Started from "the Bottom" Now We're..Still Rising featuring Dr. Sofia B. Pertuz

Dr. Sofia B. Pertuz is a higher education and diversity and inclusion professional who currently serves a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit that exists to protect the emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults. Sofia teaches at Hofstra University and has been an invited speaker on topics in leadership, change management, social justice, and LGBTQ advocacy. Sofia has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY New Paltz and earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University. Sofia is committed to creating a socially just world and  dedicates volunteer time through mentorship and activities aiming to create inclusive and caring communities.      

In this episode, we record live from the Boogie Down Grind Cafe in the South Bronx, our home borough. We acknowledge National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and explore what it means to rise in resilience when you feel you're starting from "the bottom". We reflect on our upbringing in the South Bronx and how that has helped shape our perseverance in the sector. Sofia shares what supports carried her through to being a "Phinisher",  notes how she made the transition from higher education to nonprofit leadership and advocates for finding your family in the work. You will be inspired to leave a positive legacy behind in whatever you do with this guest. 

We are rising to the occasion in our purpose as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Want to further contribute to DIFFvelopment? Text FORWARD 40 to 44-3421.

Connect with Sofia on Twitter and IG: @sofiabpertuzphd. Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 3 - The Power of the Village, Faith and Freedom in Entrepreneurship featuring Esi K. A. Gillo

Esi Kagale Agyeman Gillo is the Co-Founder of DIFFvelopment. She is a wife, mother and mentor to the students she works with. Esi is committed to re-empowering people of African descent by holistically empowering college students to disrupt negative patterns of history through personal development and entrepreneurship. If she had to describe herself in one sentence, she would say that she "is passionate about all things authentic and puts nothing above her freedom."

This is DIFFvelopment's 3rd year of operation. Synergistic with the mission, this is the first year that DIFFvelopment's clients are all Black owned businesses. Fun fact: She and her husband were also featured in OWN'S docuseries Checked-Inn in 2017.

Esi holds an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford, UK, a BA in Afro-American Studies and Psychology from Smith College, and a certificate in African Studies from the Five College Consortium. She has also studied in Uganda, Rwanda and Ghana.

In this episode, we highlight the interconnectedness of the village and faith in entrepreneurship. We also put this episode in the context of Juneteenth and what that means for the work. Esi reflects on her journey of being present as both a Co-Founder, wife and mother. The interplay of all of these factors lends itself to the freedom inherit in entrepreneurship, a career option that as she notes to her black students, "is a part of who you are".

We are rooted in our resilience as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this rising WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Want to support DIFFvelopment? Look at some options for supporting here. On a more personal note, help me increase my fundraising goal 40% by 9/30/2019.  Follow highlights of their evolution and impact @diffvelopment

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here

Episode 2 - Co-creating Space for Intersectional Women Activism featuring Catherine Almonte

I asked Cat for her favorite number and suggested it be 2 (my way of nudging her to be our second guest). My instincts were correct, she wore #2 on her jersey!

Catherine (Cat) Almonte is the Managing Director of The Broad Room. Serving as the organization's first director, Cat’s mission is to train up an all woman activist army to fight for political progress. She previously worked at the intersection of art and activism as the Brooklyn Museum’s Government and Community Relations Liaison. Cat’s work at the Museum was focused on breaking down barriers to access and creating space for underserved communities to feel welcome and seen. Before entering the arts, she worked for the City of New York, learning the nuances of the often male-dominated NYC political scene. Cat quickly rose to become the Mayor’s right hand at City Hall and in his successful re-election campaign where she played a key role in raising nearly $10 Million. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York, Cat has been a committed advocate for the underrepresented in all aspects of her work.

In this episode, we explore the concept of space as it relates to our leadership and why it is necessary in activating the collective. Cat shares more about her journey and what it means to tear institutional barriers down to then build equitable systems up.

We are fired up to share Forward 4O’s platform with this rising WOC in the nonprofit sector.

Want to be a part of The Broad Room community? Subscribe here and follow the movement @broadroomyc

Continue to support Forward 40 on IG and Twitter @forward4tea.  You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here