Shows
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 27 - Leadership in Times of Crisis with Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation“We need to mobilize resources where they're most needed so we can bring up everyone to the same level of thriving.” Tonia Wellons is a fan of the African proverb "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." Except during the COVID crisis, Tonia has moved lightning-fast AND together, by galvanizing dozens of philanthropic organizations to drive unprecedented levels of coordinated resources to the most vulnerable of communities. She is brilliantly leading the strategic, focused efforts of Washington-area funders to mitigate the disproportional pandemic impact on communities of color. ...2020-06-2744 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 26 - The Dance of Leadership with Princess Mhoon, Founder & Director, PMDC“Creativity is something we all possess and tapping into it helps us live our best lives.” Princess Mhoon is truly a wonder-leader: an award-winning choreographer, educator, entrepreneur and scholar all in one! Her artistic brilliance was sought out by the While House and Michele Obama; her work commissioned by the Kennedy Center and she’s been called "A visionary of her generation!" In this dynamic, enlightening interview you’ll hear her amazing story of growing up in Chicago as the daughter of artists and granddaughter of entrepreneurs; how she artfully integrates art and business; her insights for dealing w...2018-01-2234 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 25 - Leadership for a Better World with James Kenefick, Chairman & CEO, BetterWorld Telecom“Beginning with the end in mind is always the key.” If you want to meet a modern Renaissance man, you must hear Jim Kenefick’s interview! Somehow he simultaneously embodies a brilliant entrepreneurial mind, save-the-world convictions, relentlessly adventurous spirit and heart-centered mindfulness. Jim is passionate about his company’s capacity to make a difference - through its socially responsible orientation, client services and internal culture. He collects experiences, reads voraciously, ideates continuously and learns unceasingly from everything that crosses his path. It’s such a dynamic, inspiring conversation, you don’t want to miss it! What you'll l...2017-10-1127 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 24: Life-Saving Leadership with Michael Sapienza, CEO, Colon Cancer Alliance“Being a trumpet player in an orchestra taught me what moves and inspires people.” Michael Sapienza was a world-class orchestra musician traveling and performing around the globe when he discovered that his mom had colon cancer. Not even knowing at first where a colon was located, he dived into research and realized that few resources were available to families affected by this terrible disease. Incredibly, he decided to channel his grief into action, leaving a successful music career to launch a colon cancer foundation! And, as it turned out, many of the skills Michael acquired in h...2017-08-1537 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 23: The North Star of Leadership with Richard Bynum, President, PNC Bank“My North Star is helping people who work with me to become even better than when they started.” Richard Bynum believes there is nothing better than working in a place that’s completely aligned with your values. As a leader he is passionate about supporting and mentoring others to determine their own values (and value) so they can follow their “North Star”. As the new President of the PNC Bank Richard brings a fresh perspective to his organization and industry at a critical time in history. In this dynamic, informative interview Richard shares what it’s been like t...2017-06-1246 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 22: Putting Racism on the Table with Tamara Copeland, President, Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers“As leaders we have to examine ourselves, our own beliefs, and those structures and systems that perpetuate racial inequity” Tamara Copeland is a powerhouse of a leader who courageously and tirelessly uses her voice and professional platform to tackle one of the most challenging and charged social issues today - racism! Tamara’s commitment to racial equity surged when Trayvon Martin was killed. Her son AJ was roughly his age; he could have been Trayvon! In this incredibly powerful, informative conversation Tamara shares her passion for racial equity and offers sage advice for how each of us c...2017-05-0842 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 21: Leading Millennials with Sam Cicotello, VP of People, Social Tables“You can either fight characteristics millennials bring to the workplace or you can harness and direct them” Sam started her leadership journey early in life when she was elected to be a mayor of a fictional town in a high school program. A testament to her wisdom and brilliance from the start, Sam struggled with and over time learned what it takes to build alliances and support networks, make unpopular decisions and empower others to want to follow. In this incredibly dynamic, informative episode Sam shares specific tips and strategies on how to lead a high...2017-04-1743 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 20 - Leading Social Change with Adam Levner, Co-Founder, Critical Exposure“We train young people to recognize their power and advocate for themselves.” Adam Levner mission is to do nothing short of creating a new generation of social advocates and leaders! Growing up feeling excluded from his community Adam has created a movement to inspire, empower and train young people to advocate for themselves and their communities through photography. In this dynamic, insightful interview Adam shares incredible stories of how even the youngest leaders have helped transform their communities and strategies for how all of us can become even more effective in creating social, systemic and institut...2017-03-2841 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 19 - Conquering Adversity with Lisa LaFontaine, President & CEO, Humane Rescue Alliance“Don't ever think that your biggest adversity can't be turned into your greatest gift” When Lisa says that anyone can do *anything* she knows this to be true from personal experiences. After a horrific car accident she was told she’d never walk again or have children. Through sheer determination and months of hard work Lisa managed to heal her body and defy her doctor’s dire predictions! Then in her late 30s, as a successful communications executive, Lisa’s life (and career) path took another sudden turn. Her young daughter was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome t...2017-02-1539 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 18 - Leading with Passion & Creativity with Nicole Quiroga, GM, TelemundoIf you want to witness a leader’s passion and authentic expression at its fullest, you must hear Nicole Quiroga’s interview! A daughter of Latino immigrants, Nicole grew up in a warm, affectionate, emotive household and built her career at a company that helps her stay connected to her roots. Her leadership style is a beautiful blend of passion, kindness, creativity and a dash of Latin flare! In this super dynamic, energizing, candid interview Nicole shares what it can be like for kids from bilingual, bicultural homes to transition to the “real world”; tips for leaders managing...2017-02-0138 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 17: Head & Heart of Leadership with Catherine Meloy, President and CEO, Good Will of Greater Washington“If you're the smartest person in the room you're in the wrong room” - Catherine Meloy Catherine Meloy firmly believes that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room! She was a successful broadcasting executive when she got the call (literally) to serve as the fearless leader of Good Will. That call - along with her brilliance, commitment and passion - has helped transform countless lives in the greater Washington community and beyond. And in the debate of whether the heart or the head should prevail, Catherine uncompromisingly choses to lead wit...2017-01-1137 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 16: Transforming Tragedy into Changing the World with Robin Smalley, Co-Founder, mothers2mothersThis seems to be a particularly ideal time for a story about a single individual’s determination and capacity to transform tragedy into a movement that’s saving millions of lives world-wide! Robin Smalley is an Emmy-winning journalist who miraculously found her life’s purpose at her best friend’s deathbed. At the lowest point in her life she decided to take a wild leap of faith, move her family to Africa and co-found a nonprofit that is tirelessly (and successfully!) eradicating pediatric AIDS globally. In the last 15 years mothers2mothers has transformed from a tiny startup to an aw...2016-11-1539 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 15: Confessions of a Mad Scientist CEO with Tom Raffa, Founder, Raffa“My mission is to be a catalyst for positive, systemic change in the community” – Tom Raffa Tom Raffa admits he’s is a very unusual CEO. He “winged” his way into accounting to pay for college and has built a firm (and a legacy) that focuses more on impact than on profit. 30+ years later Raffa still contributes 10% (almost $5m last year) in financial and pro-bono services to non-profits and allows *unlimited paid* community service time to any employee! When health insurance premiums skyrocketed, Tom not only kept benefits the same for employees, he invested heavily in wellness programs to ma...2016-11-0143 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 14: Leading from the Front Lines with Tien Wong, Chairman & CEO, Opus8“You have to lead by example 24-7” – Tien Wong What does it say about you if, as a child, you fantasize about an airline being named after you? Or as an adult your proudest accomplishments are the successes of leaders you’ve helped cultivate? For Tien Wong, it says that entrepreneurship and integrity are in his blood and how he defines himself as a leader. In this candid, enlightening interview Tien shares his immigrant family story and what he has learned as a leader and entrepreneur, both through successes and missteps along the way. What you’ll l...2016-10-1037 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 13: Values-Driven Leadership Rosie Allen-Herring, President & CEO, United Way“Values drive our actions, responses and decisions; we each have to determine what matters to us and what we are and aren’t wiling to accept.” – Rosie Allen-Herring Rosie Allen-Herring counts as a blessing to have grown up in a large, education-focused Southern family; surrounded by a loving, encouraging community; and crossing paths with teachers and mentors that have shaped her path and her values. Today she is an inspiration to her staff, peers and community and hearing her stories and insights on family, growth and leadership it’s easy to see why. Don’t miss this amazing inte...2016-09-1936 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 12: Transforming Philanthropy with Nicky Goren, CEO, Meyer Foundation“It’s never about you as a leader, it’s always about the organization and the impact” – Nicky Goren “Do I stay in my comfort zone and enjoy the expertise I created or walk through a new door where I don’t know anything?” is a question Nicky Goren frequently asks herself… and then walks right through the new door. She has consistently left jobs she loved and bosses who nurtured and mentored her in pursuit of new opportunities to make an even bigger difference. As the fearless leader of the Meyer Foundation Nicky is committed to transforming conversations (and mindsets) around s...2016-08-1538 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 11: How to Think Globally & Transform Locally with Kathy Sibert, A-SPAN“My employees' job is to take care of our clients; as a leader my job is to take care of them.” – Kathy Sibert Kathy Sibert firmly believes that when you are no longer excited about something you’re doing, it’s time for a change. In her case that change was life changing - she moved her family back to the U.S. after living all over the globe and gave up a corporate career to lead a then-floundering local non-profit serving the homeless in Arlington, VA. Since then Kathy has used her brilliance, commitment and incredible passion to transform A-SPAN int...2016-07-2743 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 10: Overcoming the Blind Side with David Shaffer, WMATA"My disability has made me a stronger, more confident leader " – David Shaffer Imagine graduating third from your Stanford Law class without studying thanks to your gift of photographic memory. Now imagine the ironic twist of fate of going blind at the height of your career - fighting for civil rights of disenfranchised individuals, including those with disabilities - and people suddenly treating you as stupid and incompetent because of your own disability. This is exactly what happened to my guest David Shaffer and his extraordinary story is sure to leave you moved, inspired and perhaps even seeing the world through hi...2016-07-1134 min
DC EntrepreneurMargarita Rozenfeld, Incite InternationalIn this episode, D.C. Entrepreneur speaks with Margarita Rozenfeld. Margarita is the CEO of Incite International, an award-winning organizational development company providing consulting, coaching, facilitation and training services to non-profit, corporate and public sector clients including Pew Charitable Trusts, World Bank, Wells Fargo, Washington Humane Society, NASA and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Margarita is a frequent speaker on topics of strategy, leadership, cross-cultural communication and organizational development. Her expertise has been featured on the Fox Morning Show, Washington Business Journal, Washington Post and several books on entrepreneurship and organizational effectiveness. Margarita is the host of Leadership Insights Podcast that...2016-06-2425 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 9: How to Succeed “Accidentally” with Kristina Bouweiri, CEO, Reston Limousine"I learned how to do everything by doing it wrong the first time" -Kristina Bouweiri Kristina Bouweiri calls herself an accidental entrepreneur. Perhaps this is how she started - by marrying into the business, Reston Limousine - but her success was no accident. Kristina has brilliantly grown the tiny 5-car business to the #13 largest limousine company in the U.S.! All this despite personal and business crises, including divorce from the firm’s founder and periods of economic turmoil! What You'll Learn: Kristina’s amazing story of marrying into the limo business and becoming an “accidental entrepreneur” How she grew Reston L...2016-06-2233 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 8: What's Love Got to Do with It? - with Mark Bergel, Founder, A Wider Circle“Love is a verb. It’s not what we say, it’s what we do that matters.” – Mark Bergel Few business conversations center on love, but love is exactly what drives Dr. Mark Bergel every moment of every day. His mission is “simply” to end poverty. It may seem like a lofty goal but when you hear this amazing interview, you’ll know that if anyone can end poverty, it’s Mark and his extraordinary team! In 2001, Mark, then teaching at American University, volunteered along with his students to deliver food to families living in need in the D.C region. He found hi...2016-06-0743 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 7: Roots of Leadership with Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO, Girl Scouts“Unless you know where you're from you don't have that anchor as a leader, you really can't move forward” – Lidia Soto-Harmon
Lidia has spent a great deal of her life in the “hyphen” of being a Cuban-American: that is between her Cuban roots and American life as an adult. Her Cuban missionary parents moved from Tennessee to El Salvador to Ecuador back to the U.S. during Lidia’s formative years, deeply instilling in her love of family, service and travel.
In this incredibly open, authentic, heart-warming interview Lidia shares wonderful stories of her family – from her uncle’s MacGyver-like ingenuity forced...2016-05-1834 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 6: Leadership & Self-Doubt with Doug Fruehling, Editor-in-Chief, Washington Business Journal"It's hard to take a hit for your decisions, but this is the path I've chosen as a leader and a journalist - to make Washington a better place to live " – Doug Fruehling
It’s not every day that you get to interview a leading journalist in Washington DC and especially not to have such a frank, authentic conversation caught on tape! In this revealing, insightful interview Doug Fruehling, the editor of the Washington Business Journal, opens up about what it’s like to be a leader who doesn’t always feel like he has all the answers. Doug admits he perio...2016-05-0735 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 5: When Failure is Not an Option with Glen O’Gilvie, CEO, Center for Nonprofit Advancement“It’s all about being genuine, doing what you say you'll do and treating people with humanity no matter what” – Glen O’Gilvie
“Failure is not an option and neither is complaining.” This - and how to do more with less - is what Glen O’Gilvie learned from his Jamaican immigrant parents. So when he became an “accidental” leader at a young age, Glen had to figure out how to gain credibility and trust, lead people of all ages and backgrounds and make a transformational impact on the organizations and communities he has served.
In this dynamic interview Glen shares his personal...2016-04-1934 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 3 - Tony Cancelosi, CEO, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind on Successful Nonprofit ManagementTony Cancelosi is an unusual leader in the non-profit field. He made – what some might consider - a huge leap from corporate to entrepreneurial to nonprofit worlds, all with tremendous success. As it turns out there are many similarities in leading these different types of organizations including the importance of financial management, being clear about the organization’s mission and goals, building the organization’s and leader’s reputation in the community and listening and empowering staff. Tony’s recommended “leadership” book may surprise some at first glance since it’s now one of his little granddaughter’s favorites as well. Listen to th...2016-04-0325 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 4 - Doug Duncan, CEO, Leadership Greater Washington on Leadership, Mental Illness & Transparency in a Crisis“There is nothing better than getting things done on behalf of the people that you serve and making their lives better” - Doug Duncan
The Washington Post called Doug Duncan the best County Executive in Montgomery County history. But then what was splashed all over the media was Doug withdrawing from the Maryland governor race due to severe depression. What followed Doug calls “two years of living in hell.”
In this frank, revealing interview you’ll hear about Doug’s struggle with depression – from denial of its existence to coming to terms and asking for help to making it his mission to help...2016-04-0337 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 1 - Scott Jackson, CEO, Global Impact on the Power of Story“If we’re not able to tell our story we’re not able to connect with other people who will truly benefit from it.” – Scott Jackson, CEO, Global Impact and the Leadership Insights Podcast first guest
Imagine – you are 10 years old in the South during the Civil Rights Movement and your white mother leaves an abusive marriage and marries a black man. It’s illegal and your new family is shunned by both the white and the black communities. Compelled to save the family and make a better life, the three of you flee to Canada and then Washington State. Your biological...2016-02-1832 min
Leadership Insights PodcastEp 2 - Cultivating Excellence with Brian Hawkins, CEO, DC VA Medical CenterBrian Hawkins was told he wasn't smart enough to work as a hospital payroll technician. Urged by a mindset instilled by his family “You can do, you must do and you will do" and driven to change the medical system that treated his grandfather poorly Brian persisted to eventually to become the Director of the DC Veteran Affairs Medical Center. You’ll hear just how much Brian’s parents (and children) have taught him about leadership all throughout this interview. Brian believes that only by engaging employees is it possible to provide the excellent care the patients and their famili...2016-02-1531 min