Pivots

Here we are, at the end. Listen to this introspective with host Kenneth Brown Jr as he looks back at what he has learned while doing his project and gives some words of his own.

Just like the Boyz II Men hit classic, we are coming to the end of our road. It's part one of a farewell and it begins with an introduction to the new A.J. Fletcher Fellow. Everyone, meet Laura.

It’s been said repeatedly that we are living in historic times but how can historic times help us navigate this one. For that, we turned to Ernest Dollar, Executive Director of the City of Raleigh and Pope House Museum so we can learn more about what history can tell us now and how it can help us move forward.

As we seem to make a slow exit out of the pandemic, collaboration within and across sectors will be required for the world for the future. It will also be required for positive change within our communities. We talked with Rob Shields, founding Executive Director of the ReCity Network, which is working to be Durham’s social impact hub. ReCity works to bring nonprofits, public entities, and businesses together to figure out how to tackle some of Durham's biggest challenges.

This pandemic has not only been a masterclass in leadership but also helping people to figure out how to truly take care of themselves and honor their humanness. There’s a nice intersection that I chatted about with Kristine Sloan, Executive Director of Leadership Triangle

The North Carolina Rural Center identified that out of the 100 counties in the state, 80 of them (80%) are classified as rural. A whole different world away from NC’s more urban areas but they add so much to our character. We wanted to learn more about the challenges they faced during the pandemic and their strengths so listen to this energizing chat with Brandy Bynum Dawson, senior director of policy and advocacy for the NC Rural Center.

We're back with new voices of leaders from Durham Raleigh, and Rural NC telling the stories of how they have pivoted, what they have been learning, and what they are looking forward to post-pandemic. Buckle up because it's going to be an amazing ride!

The pandemic upended a lot of things in education. Classes online. No sporting events. Masks and distancing. It has been tough for students, teachers, staff, and families. It has got us thinking about how education can be different and how we can best support our students. We chatted with Dr. Paul Atkinson, Head of School for The Fletcher Academy- A School of Achievement. The Fletcher Academy (TFA) is a school for students with learning differences. The effects of the pandemic aren't ideal for TFA's model. I talked with Paul about what has pivoting looked like and what he has been learning this year.

There are lots of things I have been missing. One thing is the arts. Attending a play or a concert. Seeing haze slowly fill the room, people taking their seats, the artists getting ready. These spaces have been empty and quiet. Such the case for the North Carolina Symphony who has had to pivot the offerings online but guided by their mission, they are making sure that the show still goes on. We talk to Sandi Macdonald, President & CEO, of the NC Symphony about what pivoting has looked like for them and what this time means for art and cultural organizations.

The Intersect Conference not only had to pivot to being a virtual conference but also served as a mechanism for a larger pivot of how do we re-imagining our new world. The Intersect Conference is a diversity and leadership conference at Elon University and this year's theme was "enVISIONing a new way." Pretty timely. I sat down with Gaby Jimenez, Paige Wilson, and Maddy Starr, the directors of the conference, and talked about what pivoting looked like for them and what they are envisioning.