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In this episode of the Square Pizza Pod, Greg welcomes Erica Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Greater Nashville, for a candid conversation about leading regional change at the intersection of poverty, philanthropy, and community power.

From what was supposed to be a two-year stop at United Way to more than fifteen years of growing responsibility, Erica reflects on how the work has evolved as Nashville has exploded in size and complexity. She shares how her team is moving beyond traditional workplace giving to focus on workforce pathways, neighborhood-based partnerships, and efforts like the Fifth Third Neighborhood Initiative in North Nashville that are designed with, not just for, community members.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How a short-term role at United Way became a long-term calling to serve the region
• What it really takes to prevent and alleviate poverty in a fast-growing city
• Lessons from navigating multiple nonprofit mergers—and what leaders often underestimate
• How the merger with Hands On Nashville is reshaping volunteer engagement and community response
• Why affordable child care sits at the center of economic mobility for families
• How Erica approaches leading a one-hundred-person team and a forty-plus-member board
• Why she is cautiously optimistic about artificial intelligence and what questions leaders should be asking now

If you care about community, equity, or building stronger cities through real partnership, this is an episode you will not want to miss.

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