WeThrive: Meet the Leaders from Cohort 3
We wrapped up our WeThrive 2021 cohorts with yet another amazing group of leaders that came together to grow, collaborate and change the world together. WeThrive is our coaching cohort that focuses on power-building and peer support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit EDs and CEOs, and it is co-led by Meme Styles and Madge Vásquez.
This program came to fruition after Mission Capital and other partners commissioned the 2020 Race to Lead (R2L) Central Texas research project, conducted by our national collaborator the Building Movement Project, and findings indicated that BIPOC nonprofit leaders face challenges in attaining senior leadership roles and in finding intentional support.
While most nonprofit executive coaching cohorts are designed and normed on dominant culture strategies and structures and do not address needs specific to people of color, WeThrive centers on BIPOC peer support, healing, and shared wisdom.
Meet four of the leaders from WeThrive cohort 3, as they share their experience and what they would say to their BIPOC peers.
Bobbie James
Founder/Executive Director, Jamsz Konnections
Jamsz Konnections' founder and executive director, Bobbie is a 2012 graduate of the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership & Management program through ACC Center for Nonprofit Studies in partnership with the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations (TANO), 2017 graduate of the Certificate in Effective Fundraising program through ACC Center for Nonprofit Studies and 2021 graduate of Certificate in Nonprofit Finances through Nonprofit Austin for Nonprofit Studies through ACC (formerly ACC Center for Nonprofit Studies and 2021) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
She loves bringing people together through networking and collaboration. She looks forward to the opportunity to share her passion for people, health, wellness, fitness, and connection.
As a coach and athlete, it has been important to Bobbie to support overall health and wellness for others.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
My experience with WeThrive allowed me to explore other thoughts and potential for growth.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
If you are looking for the opportunity to connect with other BIPOC leaders and learn from leaders in the nonprofit sector, WeThrive is a great opportunity to provide you with guidance and support.
Naya Diaz
Executive Director, YWCA Greater Austin
Naya is the Executive Director of YWCA Greater Austin and serves her community through servant and feminist leadership styles. As a bilingual professional, her background includes 15 + years of experience in nonprofit and HR management services with a strong leaning towards strategic initiatives focused on social justice. Naya is on a continuous journey of creating a positive impact for communities of color and is passionate about breaking intergenerational cycles of harm and poverty. Her hope is to create a community that strives for healing justice, individual & communal liberation, and a revolution that starts in the heart leading into our city and legislative halls.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
My experience with WeThrive has been uplifting and created a sense of communal support that engages conversation in authentic and inspiring ways.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
The WeThrive community is a great experience for BIPOC ED's and CEOs to share and commune lived experiences while also building quality relationships that open us to being part of needed conversations that usually go unheard or are hard to articulate. Thank you We Thrive for creating this much-needed space.
Christina Collazo
Founder & Executive Director, Todos Juntos Learning Center
Christina Collazo’s experience growing up in poverty in the Rio Grande Valley has given her an appreciation of the importance of strong education and support systems for women and children. A graduate of St. Edward’s University, Christina studied International Relations with a focus on Latin American Studies. She founded Todos Juntos in 2009 and has worked together with her team to establish an innovative and collaborative Dual-Generation Family Learning Center focused on community, education, and trust.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
I enjoyed learning from Madge and Meme and connecting with fellow EDs who I otherwise may not have met.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
WeThrive was a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and build community with other EDs who have shared lived experiences.
Marla Torrado
Acting Executive Director, Community Powered Workshop
Marla has a Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning with a background in community-engaged research and community organizing. She has worked with communities in Austin, Puerto Rico, and Argentina leading projects that focus on community visioning and engagement, affordable housing, community organizing, equitable community participation and partnerships, anti-displacement strategies, and community wealth-building. She is deeply interested in social justice, participatory processes, and community engagement.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
WeThrive was a great personal and professional experience. It provided the time and space to center, think about, and discuss with others what it means to be a leader of color in our city. As leadership can be a somewhat lonely journey, it was encouraging to share challenges and successes with others that are facing similar situations, ultimately feeling less alone! I enjoyed our time together so much that I wish in the near future this becomes a space that is always available to support one another through our professional journey.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
DO IT! If you want to connect with other BIPOC leaders, share your experience, and learn from the journey of others this is the space for it. By participating you are investing in your professional development, and most importantly, in a comfortable and familiar space.
Other nonprofit CEO/EDs in our WeThrive Cohort 3 included: Fulori Kirikiti, Executive Director of GlobalAustin, and Ashleigh Hamilton, Community Organizer for Communities of Color United: Coalition for Racial Justice. Meet the leaders from cohort 1 & cohort 2.
Interested in participating in a future WeThrive cohort?
We’re gearing up for another series of WeThrive Sessions in 2022! Join our mailing list and be the first to learn about future dates.