
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Meet Susan Hairston:
An advisor to nonprofits, an elected official and civic leader, and an accomplished operations executive in philanthropy, reflect the diverse and complementary perspectives that Susan Hairston brings to the table. She lives an unapologetic life of service for the well-being of humanity.
Susan launched her consulting group in 2020 to leverage her vast experience of strengthening nonprofits that serve marginalized communities. SHC group she leads offers a range of services that include funding strategy development, organizational assessment, strategic planning, change management, financial and project management, and board and leadership training.
An organization builder and change management guru, Susan’s philanthropy muscles were developed at the Ford Foundation where she had a distinguished career spanning two decades and four expanding roles that culminated in directing the Foundation’s $450 million annual grant-making operations team from 1997-2016. Before the SHC group, Susan directed grants management at the JPB Foundation, a national foundation with assets of $4 billion that focus on transformational initiatives that impact people in poverty, sustain the environment, and enable medical research.
Listen in as Susan hares:
Learn more and connect with Susan Hairston:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
Resistance and Liberation start with ourselves. It is up to us to create a new vision for our future while centering our Blackness throughout. I am excited to launch Season 2 of the R.A.C.E. Podcast with a dear friend, mentor, collaborator, and thought partner, Michael Bell of InPartnership Consulting, Inc. I am humbled and astonished at Michael’s inexhaustible ability to get to the heart of the matter while keeping even the greatest skeptics aboard. His global career reflects a deep bench of racial equity change management efforts. I have watched him move groups to more evolved thinking, deeper connectivity, and collective curiosity about being more intentional around shifting power. I consider myself truly fortunate to kick off this season of the podcast with Michael as my guest. Be prepared to peel the layers of your consciousness back as you listen to our conversation.
Meet Michael Bell
Michael Bell is the president, chief executive officer and co-founder of InPartnership Consulting Inc., an organizational development and strategic change firm specializing in global cultural competence and leadership development. He designs state-of-the-art training, leadership development programs and organizational change initiatives for foundations and progressive non-profits. He is an international consultant and executive coach with special expertise in organizational assessment, team-building and mentoring programs. He is an expert in helping organizations understand their cultures and their need for transformational learning.
Michael designs & facilitates The President’s Forum on Racial Equity in Philanthropy for Keecha Harris and Associates, aimed at supporting equity-centered leadership for many of the largest philanthropic foundation leaders in the United States and beyond. Through his own company, Michael leads the Racial Equity Innovation Lab, which convenes senior leaders to offer peers support, expertise, encouragement, and rigor as they upgrade and implement comprehensive organizational Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and specifically, Racial Equity programs. Michael is a student/practitioner of Forward Stance, a series of physical practices based on the belief that our capacity for movement building rests not only on political alignment, strategy, or opportunity for collaboration but on the capacity to embody a resilient stance and move as one. Forward Stance is a mind-body approach that gets us out of our heads—into our bodies—and supports our movement to do just that.
Michael is a Black, Queer parent of three young adults, and a lifelong meditator. For the past 10 years, he’s been part of an established meditation community for queer men of colour. He lives on the traditional territories of the Ohlone, Muwekma, and Chochenyo peoples (also known as Oakland, CA).
Listen in as Michael shares:
Learn more and connect with Michael Bell
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
Storytelling is often the voice of our identities. On today’s episode of The R.A.C.E. Podcast, I am truly delighted to welcome Chante’ Coleman and Nicole Litwiller from the National Wildlife Federation. Join us as we have an open conversation around Race, equity, identity, and the importance of storytelling.
Meet Chante’ Coleman and Nicole Litwiller:
Chanté Coleman serves as the Vice President of Equity and Justice where she leads the effort to fully operationalize equitable policies and practices and supports the organization to actively challenge systemic racism. She drives culture change by reframing how the organization thinks about power, while also encouraging others to develop their own expertise on equity and justice in their work.
Coleman is an expert in large-scale ecosystem restoration and coalition-building and was previously the Director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition, a 230-member advocacy organization focused on protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed. At the Coalition, she led regional-scale strategies to evolve an intentional focus on equity and justice for the Coalition and its member organizations. Chanté is a member of the Green Leadership Trust, was named a “rising star” by Green 2.0, is a 2017 Environmental Leadership Program Fellow and a 2020 Better Selves Fellow. She frequently appears as a speaker, trainer, and facilitator at conferences across the country.
Coleman is a graduate of Princeton University and California Western School of Law. She currently resides in Annapolis, Maryland, and is a firm believer in self-care, regularly practicing yoga and meditation.
Nicole Litwiller
Nicole is the Equity and Justice Storytelling Fellow at the National Wildlife Federation. She grew up in Midwest Kanas and attended Eastern Mennnite University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Global Development. From there she went on to receive her Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. Nicole is also the co-host of the National Wildlife Federation’s podcast, Seeds of Culture Change.
Listen in as Chante’ and Nicole share:
Learn more and connect with Chante’ Coleman and Nicole Litwiller
Website: National Wildlife Federation
Podcast: Seeds of Culture Change
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
The most successful organizations are the ones that realize that our best chance at have a more equitable world is creating opportunities and spaces for the ones we are creating the world for. Today’s guest, Andres Jimenez and the organization he leads, Green 2.0 understand and amplify this everyday in the world they do. Andres and I have worked closely together on many projects and I continue to be inspired by his commitment to diversifying the Environmental Justice space. Join us as we discuss the necessity and power of creating diverse spaces for our youth to not only have a seat at the table but also a voice. Thank you Andres for your continued passion and commitment to this work.
Meet Andres Jimenez:
A long-time environmental advocate, Andrés Jimenez was tapped by Green 2.0's Board of Directors in June 2020 to serve as its first full-time Executive Director. Andrés is a strategic thinker, a relationship-builder, and carries a deep, empathetic connection to the communities he advocates.
Most recently, Andrés served as Senior Director of Government Affairs at Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL), where he worked with both the House and Senate to help expand the voice of CCL and advocate for relevant legislation. Andrés also served as the Associate Director of Government Relations at Ocean Conservancy with a focus on creating bipartisan solutions for critical issues like ocean acidification and sustainable fisheries in the United States.
Andrés has a strong history of public service, having worked for New York City's mayor's office, the House Judiciary's Immigration Subcommittee, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, and Congressman Howard Berman. His work also includes being an active member of the GreenLatinos as well as serving on the board for the Culmore Clinic. Andrés was appointed as Planning Commissioner for Fairfax, Virginia in 2020.
Listen in as Andres shares:
Learn more and connect with Andres Jimenez:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
The world that we live in is a beautiful mix of tension, belonging, and empathy. On today’s episode of the podcast, I am joined by Victor Valenzuela, colleague, and consultant for KHA and Associates. I have come to know Victor as a friend and deeply honor and appreciate his work at the “tensions” of race and equity. Join us as we explore culture, code-switching, and the power of spirituality Victor is a truly devoted and missioned soul and I am so thankful for his time and his work.
Meet Victor Valenzuela:
Victor Valenzuela, M.Ed. is a transformative leader who is experienced in strategic leadership development. He has a reputation for cultivating organizational excellence and mission alignment. In his role as a learning and organizational professional, he has worked with all groups in an organization from C-suite executives to middle managers to general associates and colleagues. Victor has facilitated curriculum and program design and implementation, factors that have led to sustainable cultural change. As a cultural transformation leader who aligns strategic direction with a collaborative spirit, Mr. Valenzuela provides insight to ensure faithful coherence of purpose, identity, and values resulting in shared purpose and belonging. He has been recognized for purposefully and meaningfully weaving equity, inclusion, and belonging in his work.
In his previous roles, Mr. Valenzuela has been a school educator and administrator, a curriculum consultant for a textbook publisher, a facilitator, and a national presenter of professional development for teachers. His most recent role was as the vice president for ministry formation for a large health system, where he worked to align the workforce with the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
Mr. Valenzuela is involved in his community in numerous ways. He volunteers at a youth development program as a board member, delivers meals to the elderly, and works on the board of a post-college volunteer organization.
Mr. Valenzuela is bi-cultural and fully bilingual in Spanish and is a certified medical interpreter. He received a master’s degree in education from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree from St. Patrick’s University in Menlo Park, California.
Listen in as Victor shares:
Learn more and connect with Victor Valenzuela:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
"Everything comes from love." This is one of the main themes from this week’s episode of The R.A.C.E. Podcast. I am truly delighted to welcome Marcus Walton, President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations to the show. Join us for a beautiful exploratory discussion on how being fully grounded in oneself sets the foundation for not only how we show up in the world, but also the work we do.
Meet Marcus Walton
Marcus Walton is President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations with over a decade of practice in both nonprofit management and the ontological learning model. He specializes in operationalizing conceptual frameworks; racial equity facilitation and training; leadership and management strategy; stakeholder engagement; program development and navigating philanthropy.
In his previous role as Director of Racial Equity Initiatives for Borealis Philanthropy, Marcus lead the Racial Equity Initiatives team and worked in partnership with 18 nationally-networked, philanthropy-serving grantee organizations to move past the “transactional” nature of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to a unified movement which prioritizes strategies that close gaps in access to opportunity, resources and well-being (across all categories of gender, identity, sexual orientation, class and ability). Before that, Marcus served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), where he oversaw its operations, HR and staff development functions, including the overall strategy, conceptualization and administration of racial equity programming. Prior to ABFE, he combined his organizing experience and passion for public service in the role of Program Officer of Community Responsive Grantmaking with the Cleveland Foundation and Sr. Program Officer with Neighborhood Progress, Inc.
Marcus is a Newfield Network-trained ontological coach, with additional training in the Action Learning systems coaching model. He promotes coaching as a tool for personal mastery, racial equity & systems change, social sector excellence and transformation within marginalized communities. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Bowling Green State University and has continued graduate studies in public administration at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Public Policy as well as Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs and Administration.
Listen in as Marcus shares:
Learn more and connect with Marcus Walton:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
Identity is made up of how the world sees you, how you see yourself, and those who have helped make you who you are. On today’s episode of the podcast I am excited to welcome Melissa DeShields CEO and Partner at Frontline Consulting. Join us as we explore and reconcile the world of Philanthropy, Racial Justice, and everything in between. Melissa and I are not only colleagues but friends. Melissa is a visionary who is living, breathing, and practicing the liberatory path in her role at Frontline and beyond. A special thank you to her for all that she is and the work that she does.
Meet Melissa DeShields:
A principled leader and expert project manager, Melissa helps organizations build strong teams, develop effective strategy, and execute high-impact projects. As CEO of Frontline, Melissa actively fosters a culture of learning, reflection, and deep connection. She takes pride in all aspects of her work, from building client relationships to overseeing financial operations to supporting and mentoring staff.
Melissa considers herself an unleasher of talent and a celebrator of Black brilliance. As such, she works tirelessly to ensure Frontline acknowledges, affirms, and rewards the genius, creativity, and wisdom of staff members and community partners.
Melissa has been a member of Frontline’s senior leadership team since 2015, helming projects for Grantmakers for Girls of Color, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. Prior to joining Frontline, Melissa launched her own consulting practice and held senior-level positions at the Urban Affairs Coalition and The Philadelphia Foundation.
Listen in as Melissa shares:
Learn more and connect with Melissa DeShields and Frontline Consulting:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
Philanthropy should focus less on risk and more on trust-based approaches. On today’s episode of the podcast I am honored to be joined by John Palfrey, President of the MacArthur Foundation. Through our partnership over the last 3 years, I have been surprised and inspired by John’s commitment to equity and innovation in the world of Philanthropy. Join us for a poignant discussion around the world of Philanthropy and the journey to integrating equity and socially just practices into the work we do.
Meet John Palfrey
John Palfrey is President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, one of the nation’s largest philanthropies with assets of approximately $7 billion, and offices in Chicago, New Delhi, and Abuja, Nigeria. Palfrey is a well-respected educator, author, legal scholar, and innovator with expertise in how new media is changing learning, education, and other institutions. Palfrey has extensive experience in social change spanning the education, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors.
He is founding board chair of the Digital Public Library of America, and is the former board chair of LRNG, a nonprofit launched and supported by MacArthur. Palfrey has published extensively on how young people learn in a digital era, as well as the effects of new technologies on society at large. Palfrey serves on the board of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Palfrey holds a JD from Harvard Law School, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and an AB from Harvard College.
Listen in as John shares:
Resources Mentioned:
Learn more and connect with John Palfrey and his work with The MacArthur Foundation:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
What does it mean to live within your own cultural capital, to truly live and lead from an identity-centered space. On today’s episode of The R.A.C.E. Podcast, I am both honored and delighted to welcome Olivia and Vanessa Roanhorse. Join us as we embark on a transparent and open conversation around Race and cultural identity in addition to examining the relationship between whiteness, money, and power as a catalyst for acknowledgment, acceptance, and change.
Meet Olivia and Vanessa Roanhorse:
Roanhorse Consulting (RCLLC) is an indigenous women-led think tank. RCLLC works with unheralded communities, businesses, organizations, and individuals to achieve and aspire their self-determination through forging communities of practice, strengthening indigenous evaluation methods, creating equity through entrepreneurship, and encouraging economic empowerment from within. RCLLC co-designs wealth and power building efforts that directly invest in our leaders, support meaningful data collection informed by indigenous research approaches, and helps build thoughtful community-led projects that enforce values that put people at the center.
Listen in as the Roanhorse Sisters share:
Learn more and connect with Olivia and Vanessa Roanhorse:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
Identity is like an onion, made up of multiple layers . Each time a piece is peeled back there is a reaction. Tears, surprise, frustration, etc. It’s all a part of the process. On today’s episode of the podcast I am joined by close friend and colleague Amanda Storey, Executive Director of Jones Valley Teaching Farm. Through our friendship we have grown and engaged in transparent, vulnerable, and real conversations around Race, privilege, and equity. Join us as we peel back the layers of our journeys and experiences around identity and have it has shaped our lives and our work.
Meet Amanda Storey:
Amanda Storey is the Executive Director of Jones Valley Teaching Farm, where she’s been an enthusiastic advocate, volunteer, and employee for over 10 years - four of which have been spent in her current role. Amanda has worn many hats at JVTF, her trajectory started as Director of Partnerships before working up to her current position as Executive Director.
During her day-to-day, Amanda is responsible for setting the organization’s strategy, supervising the Leadership Team, stewarding the annual budget, and acting as spokesperson to the community of donors, partners, and public, just to name a few of her undertakings.
Listen in as Amanda shares:
Learn more and connect with Amanda Storey and her work:
Hi listener! Please take our short Listener Survey HERE to give The R.A.C.E. Podcast team feedback on the show. We will use the feedback to inform how we approach conversations in the future. Upon completion, you will be entered in our quarterly drawing for a $100 Visa gift card! Your email address will only be used for this purpose. Thanks in advance - we appreciate your feedback.
Connect with Keecha Harris and Associates:
Connect with Keecha:
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to the R.A.C.E. podcast! I am your host, Keecha Harris, and I invite you to join me as I talk with past clients, thought partners, and collaborators about the responsibility,…