WeThrive: Meet the Leaders from Cohort 6
Continuing with the success of WeThrive, we are introducing you to the leaders of our latest cohort. What started as a pilot program in 2021, has flourished into an integral part of our program. Co-led by Meme Styles and Madge Vásquez, the cohort focuses on power-building and peer support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit EDs and CEOs.
This project 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. The findings indicated that BIPOC nonprofit leaders face challenges in attaining senior leadership roles and in securing intentional mentorship and funding 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 focuses on BIPOC peer support, healing, and shared wisdom.
Meet two of the leaders from WeThrive cohort 6, as they share their experience and what they would say to their BIPOC peers.
Brandie Meister
Vice President & Cofounder, Real Queens Fix Each Others Crowns
Brandie has a long history supporting women focused initiatives and improving community development. As a mental health advocate, she works in various capacities to continue the conversion and work towards destigmatizing mental health treatment. She leverages her position with Real Queens and as a Life Coach to promote community healing.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
Amazing! I was able to have space to be my authentic self in candid conversation about being a BIPOC nonpfit leader. Knowing we are not the only ones facing funding or personnel challenges. On the other hand, I was able to hear from other leaders makkng great strides in the community and how they were able to get there. Representation matters, I saw myself in them and them within myself.
What strategic priority are you focused on as a BIPOC leader, and how has WeThrive supported you and your organizational goals?
Being able to make connections with other community members to leverage support in our mission for mental health.
Jill Henderson
Founder and President, The Bakari Foundation
As an outreach to families who have lost loved ones through tragedy, Jill Henderson is the Founder and President of The Bakari Foundation, which provides transformative travel experiences for families who have lost loved ones at the hands of another and youth empowerment for revitalizing distressed communities.
Jill is also a Certified Christian Counselor and the Austin Chapter Co-coordinator of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, where she spends time advocating for crime survivors, public policy, and community care initiatives. She has made guest appearances on several podcasts with topics ranging from relationships to business, and has opinion pieces published in the U.S. and Greece.
What has your experience been like with WeThrive?
My experience with WeThrive has been uplifting and a breath of fresh air. I've enjoyed bonding with my peers and hearing how they navigate the often lonely road of BIPOC leadership in the philanthropy arena. I appreciate the authenticity of the WeThrive leaders and participants and truly feel like I belong to a caring, supportive community.
What strategic priority are you focused on as a BIPOC leader, and how has WeThrive supported you and your organizational goals?
As a BIPOC leader, I am focused on helping heal families who have lost loved ones at the hands of another, which impacts our communities more often than not. I am also uplifting and empowering underserved youth in our community through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career pathway programs, so they can create and maintain wealth in their communities.