The Intersection Hub

S04E02 - Actioning Antiracism

Conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are essential in every organization. They are also just the beginning of important antiracist work.

Today we are spotlighting one charity that goes beyond DEI workshops and is expecting all their staff to join them on an antiracist journey – everyday.

At the Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit, Michigan Founder Khali Sweeney and their Executive Director Jessica Hauser discovered that while their organization had grown, racist practices started to creep in.

Khali and Jessica quickly realized that they needed to go beyond a workshop and their DEI policies and protect their staff and the 200+ boys and girls they serve from letting white dominance take over.

Today I am joined in conversation with Jessica about what that looked like, what they did and how they continue the work with all their staff and consistently ask themselves: Are we centering the most marginalized voice in this conversation?

The Downtown Boxing Gym (DBG) is a nationally recognized, Detroit-based nonprofit organization breaking down barriers and providing vital resources to help students thrive. Now in its 15^th year, DBG serves approximately 200 students ages 8-18 with continuing support through age 25, the first years of college and careers. The free, out-of-school time program has a 100% high school graduation rate since its inception.

DBG knocks down barriers like food insecurity, transportation, and the digital divide, and provides a holistic, personalized learning plan for each student, enrichment programming, college and career readiness, social-emotional skills building, basic needs support, and so much more.

Jessica Hauser is a passionate nonprofit leader and as Executive Director of DBG continues to navigate significant growth enabling the program to serve a diverse and growing group of amazing young leaders. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Oakland University and completed coursework in International Children’s Rights at the University of Michigan.

Jessica is a member of the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, a coalition that champions statewide access to quality and equitable out-of-school time programs. She also serves as a board member with the Detroit chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE).

Over the last several years, Jessica has spoken on panels for Dreamforce Leading for Change, Crain's 40 Under 40, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Whole-Child Convening, We Work, and the Detroit Regional Chamber. She has presented DBG's work to graduate students at Cornell University, led a convening about COVID-safe re-opening with the YDRC (Youth Development Resource Center), and led a discussion about the digital divide with Salesforce.

Jessica’s partner, in life and work, Khali Sweeney is the founder of the Downtown Boxing Gym and had planned to join us in conversation. However, at the time of this recording he was recovering from a concussion and while unable to join us was certainly cheering us on from the sidelines.

Every single day Khali and Jessica expect all their staff – just like the kids they serve – to become the next best version of themselves. As you listen, I’m sure you will agree with me that Khali, Jessica and all their staff are having a massive impact in their community.

DBG is a fabulous example of an organization that takes care of each other so that they can work together to ensure that every child and staff member who walks into their doors they are treated with kindness, compassion and respect.

Links:

The Downtown Boxing Gym: https://dbgdetroit.org/

 Olaudah Kindness Speech https://dbgdetroit.org/videos/#uael-video-gallery-55ebad5-3

Thank you for making this conversation a priority in your day. We are so glad you are part of our community. Please remember to share, review, subscribe to this podcast. And if you have more examples of organizations that you think we should spotlight next season please do let us know.

S04E01 - Banishing Martyrdom

Can you imagine working in an organization that pays you a livable wage, gives you time to rest and rejuvenate and sees taking care of your physical and mental health as part of their mission delivery? I know sounds impossible. But it is. It is possible.

Today we have a fabulous case study of an organization that does all those things and more. I’m happy to welcome Brandon Yan into conversation. Brandon is the Executive Director of Out on Screen which is a charity in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada that is building an equitable society where gender and sexual diversity thrives. At the start of our conversation Brandon will tell you more about out on screen.

For now, I’ll tell you more about him. He is an optimistic and driven non-profit senior leader adept at managing operations, programming, and cultivating constructive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and community partners to advance equity and inclusion. You will hear that Brandon is an Active and empathetic listener who has a passion for social justice, intersectional feminism, and LGBT2QS+ rights.

In this episode, Brandon shares how his organization is building a culture of safety and well-being for their staff by reducing meetings, having four-day work weeks, paying a livable wage, and prioritizing the health and well-being of his staff as part of their mission delivery.

And a fabulous conversationalist. I loved chatting with him.

Out on Screen is a real example of an organization that is banishing martyrdom, prioritizing their people and delivering community impact. Why not share this episode with your staff and talk about the kind of changes needed in your organization to help create a safer space for your team.

This was just the first eight fabulous episodes this season of in the trenches leaders who are paving a new, healthier way forward for our sector. We are going to talk about anti racism in action, trust-based philanthropy and more about how to take care of the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of those working so hard to do so much to make the world a better place.

So be sure to join our email list at intersection hub.ca so all of Season 4 directly in your inbox. And please get in touch if you have suggestions for other organizations, we can profile next season.

We are also always grateful for your feedback, referrals and sharing this podcast. Let us know what you think! I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for being part of the conversation. See you next time.

S04E00 - Introducing Season 4

Season Four of The Intersection Hub podcast is going to be completely different.

This season we have eight real examples of organizations and people that are coming forward to offer hope to us all for a new way forward. We are having conversations with practitioners who are advancing anti racist work, trust-based philanthropy and taking care of the physical and metal well-being of their staff.

In this introduction I share a little bit more of how I came to make this shift, why it is important and what we can learn from these amazing examples.

Our sector contributes such a significant economic impact to these three global economies it is hard to relate too. But one thing I know for sure is that the world expects a lot from us. Do you think we are living up to expectations? No – no we are not.

I know that based on my 25 years working as a charity executive or consultant. I know that based on the 50 brilliant guests that have appeared on this podcast. We are failing. We keep talking about the same shifts needed and we aren’t getting much traction.

You know it too.

You know it if you are an Executive Director who is trying to feed hungry children and donors are complaining about your utility bills and you rarely make it home for dinner with your family. I’ve been there.

You know if you are a Chief Philanthropy Officer and your biggest donor is asking you to build a new program that they think bits perfectly into their interests and your mission. But it doesn’t and now you have to go to the board, your boss and the program staff to try and convince them that you can accept the gift and deliver your budget and in fact turn a square peg into a round hole. I’ve been there.

You know if you are trying to deliver life changing programs and you are using out of date materials because you can’t afford to get the old ones replaced and the programs need to continue so that you can demonstrate impact to funder. I’ve been there.

You know it if you have busting your ass for you organization and suddenly, without warning your entire body just stops. The work you are so passionate about, the kids you love, the husband you cherish – all seem unimportant. You can’t get out of bed; you can’t even walk the dog anymore. Because your job – in the charitable sector has left you depleted and utterly useless to everyone you love. I’ve been there – twice. It will be ok. You will be ok.

You know this if you gave up on working in the sector and started consulting for the sector. You make better money now – sure. But perfectly good smart fundraisers are using their charitable dollars to pay you way more than they should to tell their boards things that they could have. But we all know the board will listen to you because your skin is a different colour.

I was tired of talking about these problems and I wanted to find examples of organizations who are actually making great strides in turning these challenges around in their own organizations. I wanted to find the passionate folks who are, against odds, modelling a new way forward and offering hope for us all.

In season four of this podcast we are creating space. The folks in organizations who are diligently working away to change internal structures and systems so that their staff are able to be mentally, physically and spiritual fit so they can continue to have extraordinary community impact.

So – what can you do to get involved in this change? Well – listen, subscribe, share and give your feedback of course!

Please share this podcast or the email list with your staff. Consider making sharing these conversations part of your team internal professional development. Give your staff an episode a month to listen to and then gather to talk about how you might be able to implement so of these practices in your organization. By looking inside and asking yourselves together if you are really making progress on these three very important fronts:

Advancing antiracist work

Revisiting conversations with donors and moving the bar on trust based philanthropy

And finally – taking care of the mental, physical and spiritual well being of your staff.

I hope this podcast can prove to you like it has me, I believe this is the future of our sector.

It is time we stop talking and start acting. It is time to prioritize the safety and well being of our people. As our first guest this season Brandon Yan said so brilliantly “how can we claim to advance social justice when we don’t see the health and well being of our on staff as critical to mission delivery?” Brandon and the other guests this season are offering hope to us all.

So please join us in conversation. Get on the email list at intersection hub.ca or subscribe to The intersection hub podcast wherever you get your podcasts and don’t miss a single episode.

And always please get in touch if you have suggestions for other organizations, we can profile in season five. And of course – I’m on the hunt for more fabulous examples of this work so if you are sitting there thinking that your organization or one you know has some examples to share please do be in touch. You can reach me at k@kimberleymackenzie.ca or @kimberleycanada on social media.

We are also always grateful for your feedback, referrals and for sharing this podcast. As we start to unveil these conversations, Do let us know what you think! I’d love to hear from you.

Resources: Infographic history of the charitable sector https://blog.winspireme.com/a-brief-history-of-charitable-giving-infographic#:~:text=Charity%20has%20been%20part%20of,Egyptians%20were%20building%20the%20pyramids.

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/charity-and-voluntary-work/overview-of-the-uk-charity-sector#:~:text=The%20majority%20of%20these%20organisations,Northern%20Ireland%20has%20the%20lowest.

https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/news-events/news-item/giving-usa:-total-u.s.-charitable-giving-declined-in-2022-to-$499.33-billion-following-two-years-of-record-generosity.html?id=422

https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/about-us-research/uk_giving_2023.pdf

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/charity-and-voluntary-work/overview-of-the-uk-charity-sector#:~:text=In%202022%20almost%20one%20million,Northern%20Ireland%20has%20the%20lowest.

https://www.imaginecanada.ca/sites/default/files/Infographic-sector-stat-2021.pdf

https://www.imaginecanada.ca/en/About-the-sector

NOTE: 89% of charity staff say they don’t have enough resources to do their job properly and 48% of fundraisers say they are likely to leave their jobs in the next two year. Think about that for a second. Half of the people who raising $500 Billion dollars collectively per year and thinking about leaving their jobs in 24 months. Sheesh – that is a hit. And guess what – that statistic hasn’t moved in at least 15 years.

S03E13- Values in Action

Have you ever really dug into articulating your values and then asking yourself if your values are aligned with your actions? Your values shift over time and being intentional about exploring what matters to most today and then assessing whether your actions are in alignment with that is the key to building a truly resonant life.

In this episode we are doing something a little different. Cindy Wagman, host of The Small Nonprofit Podcast as well as co-host of Confessions with Jess and Cindy which she produces with Jess Campbell. Cindy agreed to guest host today’s episode and to interview me on the work I continue to do around values and purpose.

Last year, I was invited to write an article for the good folks at Fundraising Leadership podcast. While not intended, the article that emerged was my story of burn out, divorce, unemployment, consultancy, entrepreneurship and shifting values. All of these experiences culminated to a very real assessment of what I values and how to build a life of joyful resonance and abundance.

In this episode Cindy and I chat about what we value, how we define it and how our actions are aligned with our values. Using your values as a compass for decisions you make can have a huge impact on your life.

We hope this episode inspires you to explore whether your actions are aligned with your values and what shifts might you want to make in the coming year. If you would like to chat about this further and could use a guide to help you please reach out. Visit www.intersectionhub.ca and book a chemistry session with me so we can chat about it more.

Well, that’s it for season three of our podcast. It’s hard to believe that have had 54 amazing conversations with so many incredible leaders in our sector. I’ll be taking a break for a few weeks, resting and then hatching plans for season four. If you have ideas for conversations you would like to see, please do send them along.

In the meantime thank you for listening today. It would be amazing if you would consider writing a review, rating this podcast or sharing it with your friends.

S03E12 - A Full Body YES!

Have you ever dreaded going into work, suiting up in professional armour? Ever wondered how to change your situation? What would that take?

Today our guest Ashlee Livingstone shares her journey from hospital fundraiser to entrepreneur hypnotherapist and breathwork practitioner.

A combination of energy, creativity and passion, Ashlee is known for her original ideas, executed with a thoughtful logistical approach, helping bring out the best in every undertaking. After working with leaders in the non-profit and corporate sector for many years, Ashlee understands that we are all struggling with similar challenges. Whether inspiring leaders and teams to build a thriving culture of gratitude and value or working with non-profits to create meaningful donor relationships, Ashlee works to build connections - between people, their goals and the broader community.

In this episode we talk about how to get off the hamster wheel of work and the value of taking a pause. We also learn about how Ashlee uses breathwork for herself and to help her clients find clarity, purpose and joy. Let’s get into it.

You can reach Ashlee by email atashlee@ourforte.ca or her website  https://www.ourforte.ca/. 

Thank you so Ashlee for jumping into conversation. And thank you for spending time here today.

Please remember to join the conversation with comments a review or sharing this podcast. Let’s keep building community through candid conversations. See you next time!

S03E11 - Nkoyo Effiong – Lews

Did you know that over 90,000 hours or one third of your life is spent working. What would the world look like if we had a different viewpoint around what work is or should be? 

Our guest today Nkoyo Effiong-Lewis will be the first one to tell you that careers are not linear.

Nkoyo-Ene is a national speaker, advocate, strategist, and systems leader on a mission to revolutionize the world of work…one leader at a time. 

An educator at heart and attorney by training, Nkoyo speaks & consults at the intersection of purpose, power, and professionalism in law, education, and social enterprise. Using her proprietary Audacious LeadershipTM framework, Nkoyo helps individuals and organizations navigate disruption with the courage, clarity, and conviction they need to do the “heart” things that ultimately change the world. 

Through a mix of speaking, coaching, and consulting, Nkoyo equips leaders to design boldly for the future of work. She also curates dynamic solutions that accelerate personal and professional growth, overcome complex challenges, and grow through change with curiosity and confidence.
 
In this episode, Nkoyo and I have a deep and rich conversation about making sure you are purposeful in everything you do, questioning and disrupting power dynamic s and the need to redefine professionalism. Just like people, organizations need to transition and shift in response to the community around them. Particularly in this post pandemic world. 

We are living in a space where people want more agency over their work, their lives and their time. Yet, many organizations are slow to respond. Nkoyo is here with her audacious leadership framework to change that. Let’s get into it.

Join the Audacious Leadership Circle or connect with Nkoyo on social media with the links below.

And as always, we invite you to join the conversation by subscribing to this podcast, joining intersectionhub.ca mailing list and sharing this conversation with people who you think would get value from it. Thank you for spending time with us today.

https://go.leadaudaciously.com/join   

Connect with Nkoyo on social media!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nkoyoeneeffiong 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nkoyospeaks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nkoyospeaks 

S03E10 - Constant Changes

Rickesh Lakhani is one of the most emotionally intelligent and generous thought leaders in the charitable sector he was the very first guest we hosted and he couldn’t be more perfect to celebrate our 51^st episode.

Rickesh Lakhani believes that we are all responsible for each other’s success. He is the Founder of Radiance Advisory, supporting social impact organizations and leaders to align their actions with their values and build stronger cultures based on truth and trust.

He has over 15 years of experience in the social impact sector, including serving as the Executive Director at Future Possibilities for Kids, a community-based organization serving children, and as the Director, Campaign at United Way York Region, leading an $8M annual fundraising campaign. Rickesh is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), sits on the Global Council for the Community-Centric Fundraising movement, and has volunteered with numerous causes and boards.

He enjoys spending time with his family including his 3 children, camping, bike riding, cooking, and playing drums.

In this thoughtful and intimate conversation Rickesh and I cover a lot of territory. Rickesh openly shares why and how he chose to gracefully transition away from his executive director role at Future Possibilities for Kids. His realization that he was chronically burnt out and how he recovered.

We talk about the need for our sector to treat their staff and volunteers better and how he is now using his voice to elevate important conversations during these times of great change in our sector and in the world.

What I really appreciate Rickesh tackles tough topics with such thoughtfulness and kindness.  Please join me in welcoming my friend Rickesh back into The Hub.

Please remember to share this podcast so that we can invite others into The Hub. Let’s keep building community and connection through candid conversation. See you next time.

 

S03E09 - Reinventing Yourself

Today we pull back the curtain on the personal life of Sam Laprade. Sam’s resilience, grit, strength and the beautiful green eyes of her daughter, have helped her overcome many hurdles to build what is now resonant and abundant life.

As a radio broadcaster and professional fundraiser Sam works closely with her community to give a voice to new ideas, tough topics and philanthropy.

Sam has a massive portfolio of work that spans over three decades, in fundraising, media and municipal politics.

Over a 32-year period Sam has raised money for important charities in her community such as: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Humane Society and the Ottawa Mission Foundation.

As a fundraising consultant, Sam helps non-profit and charity organizations engage with donors to maximize the impact of the important work they are doing every day. Through donor data analytics, fundraising and stewardship reports, board training and fundraising audits, Sam helps local, national, and international organizations with their fundraising strategy. Sam also helps small and medium sized organizations recruit for important roles such as development director and fundraising manager.

Sam is the creator and host of “An Hour to Give” on CityNews 101.1, Ottawa and CityNews 95.7, Halifax.  This radio show highlights non-profit organizations and philanthropy.

On July 5, 2021, The Sam Laprade Show was launched on CityNews 101.1 Ottawa. This daily radio show, which airs 12-2PM, is an opportunity to feature the stories that matter to the residents of Ottawa and the Valley. Sam also covers breaking news to ensure listeners are kept up to date with local, national, and global issues.

Sam is living a joyous and abundant life. But it wasn’t always this way. In this episode Sam gets deeply personal about her setbacks and the break-up of her marriage.

If you are caught up in or recovering from a dysfunctional relationship this episode will help inspire you to know that you are not alone AND that you can get through challenging times and become wildly successful. Just like Sam is. 

As Sam said – everybody has their story. Sam thank you for sharing yours.

Thank you for spending time here. Please remember to share this podcast to invite others in. Let’s keep building community and connection through candid conversation. See you next time.

S03E08 - Untraditional Philanthropy

A colleague once described our Chandler as “kindest person to ever challenge you”. I have to say I also think he is my new best friend. If you can put up with the first few minutes of banter we then dive right into a super-rich conversation about how Chandler is working to transform the philanthropic space.

Chandler is the Founder and CEO of Untraditional Philanthropy, a bespoke donor advisory reimagining philanthropic decision making by partnering with 40+ social impact leaders worldwide who serve as one-on-one advisors to donors and clients. More than 80% of these experts identify as people of color, women and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Chandler honed his skills in the impact sector over 25 years as a successful Founder, Executive Director, COO, CEO, and Board Member of a range of local, national and global social enterprises. As the COO of First Book, for example, Chandler led day-to-day operations and fundraising efforts for a global education equity organization which distributed 160 million new books—valued at $1 billion USD—to children in need during his tenure.

Chandler has also developed social impact efforts with some of the country's wealthiest families and leading brands; including Disney, Ford, KPMG, Pizza Hut, Ralph Lauren, Target and others. Chandler's private sector experience also includes working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and in strategy and marketing with The Coca-Cola Company.

Chandler is a proud social innovation geek. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a concentration on social change in American History and Literature and earned his MBA at Stanford. A frequent speaker about innovation and social change, Chander has given guest lectures on social innovation at Yale, Columbia and Georgetown.

Chandler, his husband, and their two young children live in Washington, D.C.

Hopefully like me you are super excited about the collective impact that Chandler’s social enterprise Untraditional Philanthropy can have on our sector. You can get in touch with Chandler and learn more about Untraditional Philanthropy here: https://www.untraditionalphilanthropy.com/

Please remember to like subscribe and share this podcast so that more people can join us in conversation. Let’s keep building community through connection and candid conversation. See you next time.

Brene Brown and her interview with Jake Wesley Rogers here: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/songwriting-storytelling-and-dropping-keys/

 

 

S03E07 - The Colonial Project

This conversation might make you feel a little uncomfortable and it might be the most important podcast you listen to.

I first came to know of Martha Awojobi during an online conference when she got up on a soapbox and blew my mind! One of the first things Martha will tell you is that she does not work in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space. Martha has their feet firmly planted in the anti-racism space.

 Martha Awojobi, is Founder, Director and fearless leader of JMB Consulting. After spending ten years working in the charity and philanthropic sector, she was disappointed to find that the space that she believed could be truly transformational in bringing about the liberation of oppressed groups also perpetuated horrific racism.

Leaders were slow to innovate, resistant to name structural racism and reluctant to meaningfully include Black and Brown people in decision making. Instead, they were preoccupied with being seen as ‘good people doing good work’ at the expense of confronting and dismantling the very real racism that their organisations perpetuate.

 

Martha works in coalition with organisations who share her goal of liberation from oppression through her work at JMB and through #BAMEOnline series which supports fundraisers and founders of colour to navigate the philanthropic sector and generate sustainable income.

In this episode talk about the importance of really understanding the harm that systemic racism continues to cause and our respective roles in supporting that system. We talk about how most Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work is performative and that we need to back up the train and really take time to understand what racism is and our respective roles in perpetuating systemic racism in the charitable sector.

If you would like to get in touch with Martha you can reach her through her website here: https://www.jmb-consulting.co.uk/

Please join the conversation with a like, share and a review of this podcast. Let us know what you think. Let’s keep building community and fostering connection through candid conversation.