Lead with Heart | Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising

Today’s guest, Michael Randel, has a passion for creating the conditions necessary to grow effective organizations that make a sustained impact. As the founder of Randel Consulting Associates which was established in 2010, Michael has supported over 150 organizations with this goal. We’re having an insightful conversation today covering topics like building effective teams, the challenges that ari...

Today’s guest, Lisa Greer, is someone that I have admired throughout my fundraising career. As a successful businesswoman who experienced a financial windfall, she set out to make six and seven-figure charitable donations. Lisa was shocked by the inefficiency and dysfunction she encountered within many nonprofits which leaves billions of dollars on the table and threatens the sector's viabili...

My guest on this episode of Lead with Heart is Bea Boccalandro - a world-renowned advisor on corporate purpose, corporate social responsibility, and environmental, social, and governance initiatives. She is also the author of Do Good At Work: How Simple Acts of Social Purpose Drive Success and Wellbeing . Bea shares her journey into the world of social impact, her insights on the evolution of corp...

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Ruthe Farmer - the visionary founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund. Last Mile is a nonprofit that is committed to addressing social mobility and tech diversity by investing in overlooked and under-resourced talent. They take a disruptive approach to bridging critical gaps in financial support for low income and underrepresented students, ensuring they c...

On today’s episode, I have the incredible honor of speaking with Christa Stelzmuller, the chief technology officer of Charity: Water. Since its inception in 2006, Charity: Water has been on a relentless mission to end the global water crisis. Christa brings a wealth of experience to her role, consistently implying a multidisciplinary approach that leverages data and technology to drive better deci...

On today’s episode, we’re talking all about philanthropy and financing with guest Alix Lebec - an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor who has spent the past two decades working across the finance and philanthropy ecosystem. Alix is the founder and CEO of Lebec - a woman-owned and led firm that specializes in innovative finance and philanthropy. They help visionary founders, funders, and investors...

We have an exciting guest on today’s episode - Michael Burns, the co-founder of StratSimple. StratSimple is a groundbreaking tech startup that leverages artificial intelligence to automate best practices for strategic planning and beyond. I am so excited for Mike to share his insights on how your organization can utilize AI to enhance your work, the importance of annual strategic planning, and why...

On this episode of the Lead with Heart podcast, I have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Dr. Reggie Thomas - a relationship guru, who passionately helps leaders cultivate healthy relationships in both their professional and personal lives. With a doctorate in organization development, Reggie has leveraged his research on emotional intelligence to enhance leadership skills and workplace cultur...

On this episode of Lead with Heart, I have the honor of speaking with CJ Stewart, a former Chicago Cubs outfielder and the visionary co-founder of the L.E.A.D. Center for Youth in Atlanta. Through the transformative power of baseball and tennis, the L.E.A.D. Center for Youth is empowering at-risk youth, addressing trauma, and creating lasting change.  CJ’s dedication to empowering youth through sp...

I have a special episode lined up for you today with guest, Julia Devine, who co-founded Relatable Nonprofit with her business partner Catalina Parker.  These two trailblazers left their six figure nonprofit jobs in their mid-twenties to start their own consulting agency. And over the past two years, they've not only built a successful business but they’ve also launched Relatable Nonprofit to...

I am honored to have Carol Cone on the podcast today. She is a visionary who saw the immense potential in linking business and social issues way back in the early eighties.  Carol spearheaded the walking movement for the Rockport shoe company, transforming it into a household name and growing the business exponentially. Beyond Rockport, her initiatives have touched and saved millions of lives. Car...

Today’s guest is Susan Combs - the founder of the nonprofit organization Pancakes for Roger. Her journey began with a heartfelt tribute to her father, Major General Roger Combs, a Vietnam War veteran who battled throat cancer due to Agent Orange exposure. From a simple wish for pancakes to a nationwide movement, Susan has turned a personal loss into a mission of giving back to the brave men and wo...

Today’s guest is Dr. Rob Harter - a nonprofit executive professional with over 29 years of experience leading and building nonprofit organizations, fundraising, leveraging resources, and managing organizational growth. He has a lot of advice to share on fundraising trends, what makes a fundraiser successful, and why creating a culture of development at your nonprofit is so important. Rob's pa...

Welcome back to the Lead with Heart podcast. I am very excited to have Kathy Archer as my guest today. Kathy is a leadership development coach and an expert in women's leadership and personal development. Kathy has dedicated her career to helping women discover their true leadership potential by mastering their inner guidance system and building the confidence needed to thrive beyond survival...

I am very excited and honored to have Echo VanderWal as today’s guest on the Lead with Heart podcast. Echo is the founder of The Luke Commission (also known as TLC) and has led TLC to scale compassion in a way many deemed impossible. TLC’s mission is to provide free, compassionate, and comprehensive healthcare to underserved populations in Eswatini and has transformed the lives of 1000s. Today, TL...

I'm very excited to have Megan Whitney on this episode of Lead with Heart. Megan is talking about burnout and sharing some mindfulness strategies we can use to build a supportive and inclusive nonprofit culture. Megan is a seasoned fundraising consultant and mindfulness coach with 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She understands the unique pressures of nonprofit work firsthand,...

When I learned about today’s guest as a working mom, business owner, and CEO of the Nonprofit Science Institute, I couldn’t wait to have her on the podcast. Sheela Mahajan helps nonprofits go from intangible and ambiguous goals to quantifiable, measured impact. She is leading the effort in bringing scientific thinking to the nonprofit field. Sheela is sharing her Signals Framework with us, a proce...

On today’s episode of Lead with Heart, I am excited to have Jane Pfeiffer as my guest. Jane is the founder and president of Fieldtrip - a cause-driven agency that amplifies nonprofits and the impact they make. Jane and her team recently surveyed 400 participants to explore people's thoughts and feelings about supporting nonprofits. She is sharing the fascinating insights from that survey with...

In today’s episode of Lead with Heart, I am very excited to have Howard Levy as my guest. Howard is the president of the Red Rooster Group and helps organizations engage their audiences, wake up their brands, and create systemic change. How does he do this? Through behavioral science principles, sophisticated messaging strategies, and data-driven campaigns. Today, Howard is sharing how you can inc...

On this episode of the Lead with Heart podcast, I am beyond excited to have Jenny Mitchell as my guest. Jenny is the chief visionary officer and founder of Chavender where she works closely with not-for-profit leaders to change the world one mission at a time. Jenny recently released her book, Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, & Lead, and she is sharing some insights f...

On this episode of the Lead with Heart podcast, I am honored to have Stephanie Skryzowski as my guest. Stephanie is the founder and CEO of 100 Degrees Consulting and a visionary chief financial officer that helps purpose driven leaders better understand and use their numbers to make smart decisions to grow their bottom line and their impact. That’s exactly what she’s sharing with us today. Find ou...

This episode of the Lead with Heart podcast features Hannah Blackwell, founder and creative director of Southside Blooms, a social enterprise nonprofit based in Chicago.  Southside Blooms transforms vacant urban land into productive flower farms using solar power and sustainable methods. Hannah shares how her childhood love of nature led her to establish Southside Blooms' youth training progr...

In this episode, I have Kel Haney, a former theater director turned fundraising expert, on the show. Kel shares her journey from theater to fundraising, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building over transactional encounters. She discusses the power of vulnerability and storytelling in connecting with donors and highlights the need for everyone in an organization to engage in fundraising...

Today on the Lead with Heart podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing and thought leadership consultant for social impact entrepreneurs. In this episode, Tania shares valuable insights on using personal branding and storytelling to develop thought leadership on LinkedIn. She introduces the "Campfire Circle" concept for inclusive leadership dis...

Today, we're having a crucial conversation about salary negotiation and career advancement in the nonprofit sector. My guest is Shannon Bowen, a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, career advancement coach, and salary negotiation expert.  She helps nonprofit professionals advocate for themselves and get paid what they're worth. As Chief Advancement Officer at Pacific Northwest Research Institu...