WeThrive: Meet the Leaders from Cohort 2
After the success of our piloting cohort, WeThrive came back at the end of the summer. This coaching cohort focuses on power-building and peer support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit EDs and CEOs. Intended as a space where nonprofits leaders come to grow, collaborate, and change the world together, this coaching circle 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 2, as they share their experience and what they would say to their BIPOC peers.
Diana Anzaldua
CEO, Contigo Wellness & Austin Trauma Therapy Center
Diana Anzaldua is a Texas native, Licensed Psychotherapist and Trauma-Resilient Therapist in Austin. She is also a Trauma-Informed Yoga teacher, social change activist and the founder and owner of Austin Trauma Therapy Center, a growing life-changing practice with 30 traumatologists. Austin Trauma Therapy Center was created in hopes of removing the barriers of stigma in mental health and creating a healing space for the traumatic generational wounds many continue to suffer from. In 2020, Diana also founded the social impact organizations Contigo Wellness, a non-profit focused on equity and access to Mental Wellness, Ayuda, and Uplift Austin. Diana completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology at St. Edwards University, and Master’s of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas in Austin.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
I loved this experience and feel it has provided me with useful tools and resources in this work and journey as a BIPOC CEO. Grateful for this experience and the village building component.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
This is a safe space for BIPOC EDs to gather, share information and grow in community. Meme and Madge are fabulous hosts.
Rosamaria Murillo
CEO, El Buen Samaritano
More than 25 years experience as a leader in diverse health care, public health, and social service settings.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
Excellent! I enjoyed the connection and networking.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
How great it was to meet with other CEOs going thru similar things.
Katrina Montgomery
Interim VP of Administration and Finance, Huston-Tillotson University
I am a graduate of Grambling State University and a native of Houston Texas. I am currently working in Higher Education and learning the importance of BIPOC organizations.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
Learning about the challenges of various BIPOC organizations was very interesting and also helped me understand more fully the importance of their work.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
This has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences. I have learned so much from my fellow cohort members and leaders.
LaKissa Bright
Founder/President, Ladders for Leaders
LaKissa Bright’s passion for helping children get a good start in life motivated her to start Ladders For Leaders in 2018, the second non-profit she has founded. In 2007, she created the Helping Hands-Austin organization to provide back-to-school clothes and shoes to children in need. Her years of experience there led LaKissa to recognize that there is a serious need for high school students to obtain meaningful work experience prior to graduation. LaKissa believes that by giving young people a positive entry into the workforce, the confidence and knowledge they gain will help them throughout their life.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
My experience with WeThrive was comparable to walking into a room full of people who understood your situation before you had a chance to speak. Being a nonprofit leader can be a lonely place. It is important to surround yourself with others that you can share your experiences and grow together. WeThrive cultivates those relationships.
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
WeThrive is a safe space where you can just be... and listen... and grow. Enjoy the experience!
Saro Mohammed
Executive Director, Capacity Catalyst
As an education research mobilizer, Saro fights the injustice of knowledge-hoarding by making deep, meaningful connections between research and practice. At Capacity Catalyst, she leads core programs: a high touch, mentored, social sector externship; and, in partnership with MEASURE, Huston-Tillotson University, and others, the Community-Engaged Research Course. With over 15 years of experience in research/external evaluations of public, private, and non-profit education programs, Saro is Founder + Principal of Ed Research Works, a consulting firm; and a co-founder of the Teaching and Learning Research Community, which aims to eliminate the gap between education research and practice.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
I found my people in my WeThrive cohort. I really appreciated the opportunity to share with and hear from others with similar experiences, as well as giving and receiving support, resources, and validation to my peers. I found the facilitators to be open to feedback and willing to respond to our needs and requests. If anything, 6 weeks was too short!
What would you like other BIPOC EDs/CEOs to know about WeThrive?
I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to experience this Circle to participate. I would say, bring your whole self to the group, and do not be afraid to be honest and vulnerable - my experience was that every cohort member appreciated and practiced honesty and vulnerability. I now consider this group to be a primary support in my role as a ED of the Global Majority (i.e., BIPOC), and I literally only knew one of the facilitators before the WeThrive experience.
Other nonprofit CEO/EDs in our WeThrive Cohort 2 included: Dr. Choquette Hamilton, CEO, RISE Child Development Center; Sandra Breitengross Bitter, Executive Director for Texas State Independent Living Council; and Javier Valdez, Executive Director of Healthstart Foundation. We are grateful for their leadership! Meet the leaders from cohort 1.
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.