Square Pizza

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Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Christine Edwards Pitkin, Founder & CEO of Civility Localized & Civic Impact Academy. Civility Localized is a minority and woman-owned Community Engagement Consulting Firm with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

In this episode: 

• Civility Localized
  • Minority and woman-owned consulting firm and its mission to help communities grow with dignity through inclusive strategies for local and state government initiatives
  • Community outreach and engagement 
• Civic Impact Academy 
  • An educational experience that brings local community leaders and government leaders into the same rooms
  • Started in 2024 
  • Launching a new cohort in September and applications open in July
• Board Member Experience
  • GenerationNation, Humane Society, and QC Family Tree
    • Best practices of high-performing boards?
    • What aspiring board members know
    • Be ready and willing to give of yourself - your time, your money, your contacts 

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Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Brandon Thompson, VP of Diversity and Inclusion at NASCAR .

In this episode: 

Leadership Journey:

• Guest's path to NASCAR and how their career has evolved over time.
• Current role as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.

NASCAR’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

• Overview of NASCAR’s DEI efforts starting with the Drive for Diversity program in 2001.
• Key initiatives: NASCAR Next Internship, Drive for Diversity, and Supplier Diversity.
• Data, impact, and success stories behind these programs.

Current DEI Landscape:

• Discussion on the current environment for diversity, equity, and inclusion in NASCAR.
• Ongoing efforts and NASCAR’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture.

Advice for Leaders and Businesses:

• Insights on how other leaders and organizations can drive DEI in their own spaces.

Leadership Principles:

• The philosophy and principles that guide the guest’s leadership approach.

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Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Chris Jackson, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.

In this episode: 

• Leadership Journey & Connection to Goodwill
  • The CEO shares their leadership story and commitment to community service
• Goodwill Overview:
  • $80M annual budget
  • 1,200 team members
  • Serves 9,000+ residents
• Key programs include Donate & Shop, training programs, Opportunity Campus, and construction skills training
• What People Should Know About Goodwill 
  • Focus on empowering individuals through workforce development and community support.
• Future Vision (2025 & Beyond) 
  • Expanding workforce programs and community outreach to meet evolving needs.
• Team Culture 
  • Strong, inclusive culture is key to success, and Goodwill continues to nurture this environment.
• Workforce Development
  • Discusses the importance of partnerships and key requirements for successful programs.
• Leadership Principles
  • Emphasizes collaboration, community impact, and empowerment as guiding leadership values.

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Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Johari Matthews, Vice President and Executive Director, ONE Community & Titans Foundation. The ONE Community platform includes multi-faceted programs that reach many of Nashville's most underserved communities with a focus on three areas – Opportunity, Neighborhoods, and Education.

In this episode: 

• Nashville's growth and the Titans Foundation's role in shaping the city's future
• Titans Foundation has served 135 local organizations through direct investment, programming, and partnership
• One (Opportunity, Neighborhoods, Education) Community & Titans Foundation
  • Difference between the two
  • Current Highlights + Initiatives
  • What’s on the horizon + goals
• What other NFL foundations can learn from the Titans
• Key lessons from leading the Titans Foundation

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Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Dominique Waters, Founder & Exec Director, Akron Sneaker Academy. Akron's mission is to shape the next generation of innovators—one sneaker at a time. 

In this episode: 

• Akron Sneaker Academy (ASA)
  • An initiative empowering youth through sneakers and STEAM industries.
• LeBron James, founder of the UNKNWN brand, 
  • Deep ties to Akron
  • Leadership lessons after one year of leading ASA
• ASA’s mission and goals
  • Using sneakers to introduce kids to science, technology, engineering, arts, and manufacturing.
• ASA's offerings:
  • Sneaker Summer Camps
  • After School Enrichment
  • Lace-Up Learning Workshops
• Business strategies and community impact
  • ASA’s role in Akron.

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GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Square Pizza Audience, we have a special episode from our family empowerment work. We host quarterly convenings for leaders and key players from our family empowerment cohort to gather and share insights and best practices related to family engagement and empowerment at the school level. This round was focused on College Readiness and Family Support. Jia Lin-Bothe, our Director of Family Empowerment, hosted a panel discussion featuring a few of our community partners focused on college readiness and persistence: Amy Garcia (Program Manager, Latin American Working for Achievement), Katie Weisman (Director of Academic Success, Carolina Youth Coalition), and Mackenzie Wilkins (Program Manager, College LAUNCH for Leadership, Wake Forest University). Listen for best practices when it comes to family engagement and empowerment and college readiness, as well as success stories and resources! 

Resources: 

• Link to the slide deck
• Resources list shared by our panelists

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GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Sheryl Cababa, Author of Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking For Designers and Chief Strategy Officer at Optimistic. Sheryl is the author of Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking For Designers. She drives a human-centered design practice that is focused on systems thinking and evidence-based design. She is the Chief Strategy Officer for Optimistic Design, which is womxn-led, committed to equitable impact. 

In this episode: 

• Journey and Experience in Education
  • 60-second recap of path in the field
  • Work at Optimistic Design and key projects
• Equitable Design
  • What is equitable design?
  • Why is it important in education?
  • Consequences of not utilizing equitable design
• Systems Thinking in Education
  • What is systems thinking?
  • Importance of systems thinking in education
• Book: Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers
  • Key lessons and their applicability to K-12 and higher education
  • Future of higher education

Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking For Designers: As design continues to impact our products, services, and solutions at scale, it is more important than ever to understand the systems and context that surround design decisions. Closing the Loop will introduce you to a powerful systems thinking mindset and provide you with the tools and frameworks to define the systems that surround your work.

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GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Dr. Donnell Butler, Founder & President, Prelude. Prelude is a nonprofit organization accelerating students into purpose-filled lives that lead to economic freedom.

In this episode: 

• Deep experience in and around higher education
  • F&M, Princeton
• Opportunity College + Prelude
  • Opportunity College
  • Prelude: “a nonprofit organization accelerating students into purpose-filled lives that lead to economic freedom”
• Insight + Name Change 
• Success metrics
  • How success is measured within the organization
  • Key indicators of impact and outcomes, particularly in terms of student success and career progression
• Observations and insights on Charlotte

Support the show

GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Square Pizza Audience, we have a special episode featuring our family empowerment cohort. Our school leaders and key players in family engagement/empowerment gather quarterly to share insights and best practices about family empowerment at the school level. This round, our focus was on supporting newcomer and multilingual families. You will hear from Ms. Quenesha Pinkey, social worker at Reid Park Academy, on how the school uses one specific annual event to focus on their multilingual learners. You will also hear from Mrs. Michele Mveng-Managa, dean of students at Governors' Village STEM Academy, about how the school launched monthly family empowerment and networking nights to support multilingual families. 

In this episode: 

• Challenges faced by newcomer families
  • Language barriers, unfamiliarity with educational expectations, and cultural differences.
• Strategies for support
  • Building trust, fostering a welcoming environment, and ensuring clear, culturally relevant communication.
• Community resources and networks
  • Tools and resources available to help schools engage and support newcomer families sustainably.

Resources: 

• Quarterly Convening Slide Deck
• Check out our NEW Family Empowerment Toolkit

Support the show

GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Fontella McKyer, Director of Workforce Development, SchermCo. Fontella has been a part of the team for 6 months now!

In this episode:

• Exciting Updates
  • Welcomed First Grandchild
• Philanthropy & Workforce Development Journey
  • Started in philanthropy with Foundation for the Carolinas, later worked with Dress for Success, which led to her role at SchermCo. Passionate about workforce development and community impact.
• Fear vs. Risk
  • The balance between fear and risk in career decisions, and how hindsight shows that she could have taken bold steps sooner.
• Insights from SchermCo
  • Reflecting on her past 6 months with SchermCo, the impact on workforce development, and how the company is positively influencing the community.
• Holiday Season Excitement
  • Looking forward to the holidays, especially celebrating with family and a special family photo featuring the new grandchild.

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