Today, in the Lead with Heart podcast I have Carmita Semaan, founder and CEO of the Surge Institute, on the podcast. The Surge Institute focuses on educating and developing leaders of color – who can then create transformative change for young people, their families, and our broader communities.
We talk about empowering leaders of color, creating a safe space for people to share their stories, uncovering inclusivity gaps in your organization, and more.
In this episode:
- [01:21] Carmita’s path to nonprofit leadership and why she founded the Surge Institute
- [06:03] Empowering leaders of color
- [11:46] Core leadership skills that involve both the head and the heart
- [15:23] Empowering leaders to drive change by listening to their communities
- [20:40] Creating a safe space for people to share their stories
- [28:16] Creating inclusive environments for diverse teams
- [33:45] Uncovering inclusivity gaps in your organization
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
“Failure is part of the journey, and when things don’t go as planned, there’s something to learn there that’s actually going to help the next stage.”
“It’s important for me to show up in all of my truth and tell all of my stories because in doing so, I think it invites other people to do the same. And that is exactly what we hope to inspire in our leaders.”
“Psychological safety is a requirement in order for people to allow that innate genius and brilliance to shine through.”
“If you can get people really comfortable in their workplace, they will show up as the highest forms of themselves and in a way that’s truly committed to your organization.”
CONNECT WITH CARMITA
Carmita is a builder, creator, seer, and problem solver. Her expertise lies in supporting and elevating the genius of emerging and seasoned leaders – particularly women and people of color – and shining a light on the brilliance and ingenuity that is too often overlooked and untapped in solving systemic issues. She has spent nearly 20 years in executive leadership in nonprofit and socially-responsible organizations following engineering, global strategy, and marketing success in the private sector early in her career.
Twitter: @CarmitaSemaan
Instagram: @carmitasemaan
LinkedIn: Carmita Semaan
Website: surgeinstitute.org
CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Certified Stress Management Coach, and Certified EmC train the trainer. She is the Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, a nonprofit consulting and coaching business. She has worked in both small and large nonprofit teams in the human services, homelessness, and youth sectors; and she specializes in the EmC process, nonprofit leadership, board development, and fundraising. Haley is a passionate, impact-driven, experienced nonprofit professional whose mission is to empower, elevate and engage nonprofit leaders to build healthy, thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
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