Daria Walls Torres’ Post

Beth Chandler has made an indelible mark on our city. I’ve had the honor of serving on the Board of YW Boston since 2018. That was the year that Beth began her leadership as President & CEO of this crucial Boston organization. In 2020, I became the Board Chair, which gave me the opportunity to work more closely with Beth. Beth is stepping down this summer, after 12 years with YW Boston and six as its head. With her guidance and advocacy, YW Boston has made Boston a more equitable place for the benefit of all residents, in particular women of color. Beth stewarded the non-profit through historic challenges, from a complex strategic planning process to navigating the pandemic to selling the landmark Back Bay building. She also seeded the growth of diversity and inclusion throughout our institutions.  I’ve learned a lot from Beth over the years. From her strength—she’s very direct, and stands up for what she believes to be right. From her willingness to listen to different opinions and perspectives, and change her mind. And I particularly appreciate her combination of vision and strategy. Anyone who wants to make transformative change in their organizations can learn lessons from her tenure. When she led us in a deep probe into the meaning of our mission, she helped us focus on who our beneficiaries really are: not just the clients we consulted or the participants in the program, but the colleagues and clients of those people. She saw how YW Boston was a catalyst, inspiring and supporting people to be change agents in their own organizations. I vividly remember when the Board was discussing a tough decision. We’d been losing money on a volunteer-facilitated service. She wanted to hire staff to deliver it more effectively and charge a fee. We were anxious about the risk of hiring people with a budget deficit. Beth presented the alternatives clearly: we could gradually bleed out over time, or we could take this risk and build toward a sustainable model. She recognized it was the time for bold moves. We agreed. And when the demand for DEI services exploded, we had the people we needed and we were well positioned to provide the services. She also knew that boldness isn’t always about expansion. When I joined the board, YW Boston had 10 or 12 programs—we were spread a little thin. Beth and the leadership team honed the portfolio basically to three: Inclusion Boston, LeadBoston, and FYRE. These, along with advocacy campaigns like parity on boards and United Against Racism, share a theory of change: they build a group of people who have a real deep understanding of equity and inclusion, so that they can go back to their organizations and create change.  That vision has helped create a better climate for everyone. I give Beth my gratitude and my personal admiration, for all that she’s done—for YW Boston, for so many organizations that have worked with us, and for the City of Boston. Thank you, Beth. https://wix.to/Rmy6E0N

Funding should go to those who are entrepreneurial. This is a good example. These are examples of ways we can begin to achieve equity.

Frederick Douglass: abolitionist, orator, and advocate for economic empowerment. He went to Rochdale a slave, left a free man and the ties he had formed helped to pave way for the beginning of the cooperative movement. As we celebrate the #BlackHistoryMonth, let’s continue his legacy by promoting the cooperative principles of economic empowerment for all. Interested in Fredrick’s story? Check out this article by NCB https://lnkd.in/dpfktJTs

Today, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and unity that defines our great nation. As we gather with family and friends, let's reflect on the freedoms we enjoy and the brave individuals who fought for them. May your day be filled with joy, laughter, and the spirit of patriotism. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸 #IndependenceDay #4thOfJuly #BostonExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalGrowth #BostonLeadershipCoach #LeadershipSuccess #BostonTrustedAdvisors #BostonVistage #BostonCEOs #LeadershipDevelopment #BostonPeerAdvisoryGroups #CapistranLeadership #NancyCapistran #ExpandingHumanExcellence CapistranLeadership.com

This video is a true testament of why the work that New Jersey Community Capital does is so very important. We are creating economic and financial opportunities to traditionally underserved communities through lending, real estate and community development and making a true difference in the lives of many people and families. Please watch this video when you have a chance to learn more - https://ow.ly/bLRP50Qg69J. #cdfi #cdfis #communitydevelopment #financialgrowth #economicdevelopment #economicgrowth

This guy is a true professional.

Fantastic news! CNBC has ranked North Carolina as the #2 state for business! This great honor highlights our state's flourishing business environment, strong economy, and the dedicated efforts of our communities and partners. The WCDA appreciates the local and state partnerships that foster innovation and progress, positioning North Carolina as a prime location for business achievement. #TopStateForBusiness #EconomicDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #StateRanking #BusinessDevelopment #CNBC

Short origin story (with shoutouts)... Six years ago, Kristen King handed me the Bridge to Completion report created by the Tennessee College Access and Success Network & Nashville Public Education Foundation. This report started me down a path that I would devote my next 6 years of my life waking up every morning thinking about. As principal at RePublic Schools, my very next PD session was focused on this report and it became the backbone of my "why" and my "what" in education. Why were we measuring "success" on low-income students graduating from high school and getting accepted into college and not on students getting college degrees and being fruitful employees? What could we do to solve the problem of only 24% of Nashville students earning a college degree? Fast forward to 5 years ago, when Kristen and I were considering the idea of Persist Nashville, a good friend of mine, Stephen Zralek, connected me with Jennifer H. to have lunch. What I didn't know from that meeting was that, along with Bob Obrohta, Jennifer was the primary architect of the report that started me down the path. As a super energetic and often naive founder with an idea, Jennifer was willing to take a chance on me and be my first Board Chair. Once a month I would walk into Jennifer's office with a list of 17-19 ideas and she would tell me go for it, a gentle maybe, and only occasionally a no. Behind the scenes, Jennifer was making sure I was seated in the right rooms, listening to the people who really understood the problem of college persistence and could help us solve it. She often had to smooth over my rough edges and gracefully advocate for my good intentions. In all ways, she helped me and Persist grow. 2 years ago, Jennifer and I were selected for the Tennessee SCORE Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute, one of the best professional programs I've been a part of. Through these intensive retreats, something clicked, and I realized that Jennifer was really what our team at Persist needed. Her ability to understand and navigate complex systems, leadership style, and fierce advocacy for students was what Persist needed as we emerged from our infancy stage of organizational development. 1 year ago, my team agreed and unanimously voted to bring her on as our first Chief of Staff. Over the past year she has built a new strategic plan, helped me navigate one of the most challenging seasons of our organization, and built the systems we need to smartly grow. 1 day ago the Board approved Jennifer to be our next Executive Director and I could not be happier. You've helped this idea become a reality and now you and Kristen will take this reality to new heights. So thankful for you. For those wondering, I'm not leaving Persist. My role will shift down in July to focusing on our work outside of Nashville as I take on a new role serving schools in Nashville. More to come, but for now, cheers to Jennifer. You will be an extraordinary leader of our team!

Powerful Women can do anything when we find our passion. Live a life chasing your dream with a career you love

The collective prosperity of America depends on guaranteeing dignity, health, and economic security for all. This principle is inextricably linked to the economic well-being of members of multifaceted communities of color who compose the growing majority of our nation. Join our Founder and #TheHighlandProject Leader, Rhonda Broussard, on Wednesday, March 20 for a webinar on, "Innovative Models to Disrupt the Racial Wealth Gap and Invest in Black Women Leadership." Asset Funders Network’s Realizing Economic Justice (REJ) Funder Primer affirms that asset building philanthropy is at a critical inflection point. No longer willing to operate at the edges of the status quo, many philanthropic leaders and organizations seek to be part of transformational, systems-level change. We must continue to move from words to action and align financial investments to our commitments. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3TGyPwl And read more on how The Highland Project is supporting Black founders by providing them with capital, and addressing the systemic underpinnings that prevent them from being able to generate wealth in the first place: https://lnkd.in/gXT7sJmb