Skill Up Build Up

In the season finale of the Skill Up Build Up podcast, Kofi continues with the Indiana Latino Institute. In this episode, we bring on ILI Leadership Circle participants Anabel Menifee and Juan Guzman.

Get an inside peek into why, even when in modern day “diversity” is a household word, Latinos are mysteriously absent from the movers and shakers of this country. But, ILI is doing something about it.

In this first-part episode featuring the Indiana Latino Institute, Kofi mixes it up with CEO Marlene Dotson and education program coordinator Rachel Santos.

The grand design of ILI has its fingers in many pots: health, education, and leadership cultivation for the Latino community. It’s systematic and well-connected.

Learn how things have changed for the newer Latino generations, and how this community is quietly (and powerfully) effecting change at the national level.

Sarah K. Robinson returns to the Skill Up Build Up podcast to dish science on Strengths Finder, the necessity to challenge yourself, and to warn against limiting beliefs. Kofi calls Sarah’s brand of coaching “a secret sauce” for companies trying to grow.

Tune in for what's basically a free coaching session on Strengths Finder. Businesses — employees using their strengths every day at work are 10 times more productive! Help them develop their superpowers.

Kofi snags Gallup-certified StrengthsFinder coach and bestselling author Sarah K. Robinson to illuminate the magic of working with an engaged team. The difference is tangible for your bottom line! This part-one-of-two episode breaks down Sarah’s workplace “golden nuggets,” including her acronym F.R.E.S.H. — which stands for five skills to transform your team.

Did you know that nearly half of Marion County’s justice-involved return to prison? Did you also know that the majority is due to a probation technicality or unaffordable fees -- instead of a new offense?

In this episode of the Skill Up Build Up podcast, Kofi cracks into the realism of a broken criminal justice system with Chris Purnell, executive director of the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic. The conversation centers on the necessity of hope for the justice-involved, and the role recidivism and expungement play in that process. Spoiler alert: there is hope, and there are resources to help.

This episode of the Skill Up Build Up podcast digs deep into the justice-involved community, how the cash-bail model is criminalizing poverty, and the profound talent pool available in this population. Kofi speaks with David Gaspar, regional operations manager of The Bail Project, about his own justice-involved past and the success story open to employers who value the person who workers can be in the present moment.

In this episode of the Skill Up Build Up podcast, Adam and Kofi dig deep into realistic inclusivity solutions for disability and LGBTQ communities. Guest Tiffany Hanson, with leadership roles at both Luna Language Services and Indy Pride, reveals the effect of intentional inclusivity – as opposed to merely antidiscrimination. She offers best practices for tapping into this diverse, and underutilized, talent pool. It’s much simpler than you might expect.

Part Two of our two-part series on Indy Reads brings us student navigator Chris Simmons. Chris tells Adam and Kofi about his nontraditional career path, how his people-person mentality prepared him to solve problems for Indy Reads students, and the extraordinary impact of Google Translate and a smile. We also hear about the exciting future of Indy Reads and where our ELL workforce is headed.

Welcome to Part One of our two-part series on Indy Reads and the complex role it holds for the workforce of Indianapolis. Adam and Kofi invite Vice President Jennifer Malins to this episode of the Skill Up Build Up Podcast, where she shares the striking reality of literacy needs for immigrants and why Indiana business needs to care.

On this episode of the Skill Up Build Up Podcast, hear the story powerful story Garland Shockley, a 47 year-old who has totally changed his life because of his current employer, Merchandise Warehouse. Merchandise Warehouse has provided Garland the opportunity to overcome his hardships and become a role model, illuminating why second chance employees are so important to job creation in our state.