Misty Copeland made history as the first African-American female principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre.

Her talent, passion, and perseverance enabled her to do what no one had accomplished before. In this episode, which is a replay of an extraordinary conversation from the March 2023 California Conference for Women, Target’s EVP and chief external engagement officer Laysha Ward gets up close and personal with Misty Copeland.

Together they talk about Copeland’s journey of resilience and courage through struggles with racism and exclusion. They also discuss her new book, The Wind At My Back, which celebrates the special connection Copeland made with her mentor Raven Wilkinson.

Listen in, and learn how mentorship and intergenerational relationships can propel your career and bring additional meaning to your life.

Our Guest: Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland is a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre and the author of the New York Times bestsellers Life in Motion, Ballerina Body, Black Ballerinas, and the children’s picture book Bunheads, as well as the award-winning children’s book, Firebird. She made her Broadway debut in 2015’s On the Town, putting the show into the Broadway Box Top 10 for the two weeks that she guest starred as Ivy Smith. 

She’s been featured in the New York Times and on CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes, and she was named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year and Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.

Copeland is the recipient of the Young, Gifted & Black Honor at the Black Girls Rock! Awards and the Springarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor.

Guest Host: Laysha Ward

Laysha Ward is an accomplished C-suite executive with thirty years of leadership experience at Target. In 2017, Ward was named executive vice president, chief external engagement officer, overseeing Target’s enterprise-wide approach to engage and deepen relationships with cross-sector stakeholders to drive positive business and community impact. In 1991, Ward began her career with Target as a member of the store sales and management team of Marshall Fields in Chicago. In 2000, she was named director of community relations and promoted to vice president of community relations and Target Foundation in 2003. In 2008, President Bush nominated, and the U.S. Senate confirmed Ward would serve on the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the nation’s largest grantmaker for volunteering and service, which she continued to serve as board chair under the Obama Administration. Later that year, she was promoted to president of community relations and the Target Foundation. She serves on the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Advisory Board and the Stanford Center for Longevity Advisory Council, is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the Economic Clubs of New York and Chicago, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, The Links, and serves on the boards of Greater MSP, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Northside Achievement Zone, as well as United Airlines and Denny’s Corporation for-profit board of directors. She received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, master’s degree from the University of Chicago, and an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She and her husband, Bill, reside in Minneapolis, MN.