How can we build connection and compassionate communities?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Dr. Gail Christopher, the visionary behind the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) framework. Dr. Christopher is the Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and a former Vice President at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where she spearheaded transformative initiatives like America Healing and TRHT. Recognized as one of the 10 Most Influential Women Scholars in Health Promotion by the American Journal of Health Promotion in 2023, Dr. Christopher continues to inspire change worldwide.

Dr. Christopher shares the powerful foundation of TRHT, designed to replace the false hierarchy of human value with a vision of our shared humanity. This framework has had a profound impact across the U.S. and beyond, with over 70 college campuses implementing TRHT campus centers.

• Narrative Change: Redefining stories to reflect shared humanity.

• Racial Healing & Relationship Building: Fostering compassion across diversity to create authentic, human connections.

• Separation: Addressing the systemic ways society perpetuates division and hierarchy.

• Law: Reforming immigration policies, voting rights, and criminal justice systems to uphold equality.

• Economy: Transforming economic systems built on exploitation to prioritize equity.

• Create a Vision for Success: Imagine a future where equality and shared humanity replace hierarchy.

• Use Data to Assess Reality: Evaluate current conditions against the envisioned future.

• Engage Key Stakeholders: Identify and involve the individuals and communities necessary for progress.

• Set Goals: Establish clear, short- and long-term objectives to guide action.

• Sustain the Effort: Build systems for funding, communication, and volunteer support to ensure lasting impact.

Dr. Christopher reminds us that this work is both a framework and a methodology—a guide for communities, institutions, and nations to advance racial healing and equity.

Thank you, Dr. Christopher, for your leadership and for inspiring us to envision a future grounded in our shared humanity.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/episode-99-truth-racial-healing-and-transformation-with-dr-gail-christopher

Aspiring to lead in theater?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Khady Kamara Nunez, Executive Director of the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC). Before this role, Khady served as Executive Director of Second Stage Theater, where she was part of the leadership team that won a Tony Award for Take Me Out.

Khady shares her inspiring journey from Senegal to the U.S., where a night at the theater changed her life’s trajectory. Though her decision to pursue theater initially caused friction—her mother hung up when she called to share the news—Khady followed her passion and learned invaluable lessons along the way:

• Embrace the Pivot: Pursuing your passion can be uncertain, but taking the leap allows you to live without regrets. If needed, you can always pivot later.

• Embrace Failure: Facing the unknown, like navigating and leading theater during COVID, showed Khady that mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.

• Know Your Values: When Khady discovered a report showing a lack of people of color leading regional theaters, she was motivated by her belief in representation and set her sights on becoming a leader in the industry.

Thank you, Khady, for showing us the power of resilience and passion in leadership!

Get full show notes and more information here:https://analizawolf.com/episode-98-truth-racial-healing-and-transformation-with-dr-gail-christopher

How can you amplify your leadership in technology?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I sit down with Sonita Lontoh, an inspiring technology leader and inductee into the Asian Hall of Fame and Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame. Sonita currently serves on the boards of Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) and TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) and has held senior executive roles at HP, Siemens, and PG&E. Recognized by the White House and U.S. State Department, Sonita shares actionable insights on amplifying your career in technology.

Sonita shares helpful advice to amplify a career:

• Embrace change and failure: Explore your passions early, pivot when needed, and view failure as a learning opportunity. For example, Sonita started her career by pursuing an entrepreneurial passion in gaming, successfully launched a company, and later pivoted to corporate leadership after selling the business.

• Find your purpose: Align your passions, skills, and purpose to guide your career path. Sonita found her purpose at the intersection of technology and sustainability, which became her north star in driving innovation and impact throughout her career.

• Seek mentors and sponsors: Build a support network of role models who inspire and guide you, regardless of their level. Sonita leveraged mentorship from diverse leaders, including women and men, to navigate career transitions and grow into leadership roles.

• Think like an owner: Go beyond your role to drive the broader success of your organization. Sonita exemplified this by creating and scaling new businesses within large companies like Siemens, transforming innovative ideas into operational success.

Sonita’s wisdom offers invaluable guidance for navigating the challenges of technology leadership.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/episode-97-navigating-tech-leadership-entrepreneur-to-boardroom-with-sonita-lontoh

How can you amplify your leadership in technology?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I sit down with Sonita Lontoh, an inspiring technology leader and inductee into the Asian Hall of Fame and Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame. Sonita currently serves on the boards of Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) and TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) and has held senior executive roles at HP, Siemens, and PG&E. Recognized by the White House and U.S. State Department, Sonita shares actionable insights on amplifying your career in technology.

Sonita shares helpful advice to amplify a career:

• Embrace change and failure: Explore your passions early, pivot when needed, and view failure as a learning opportunity. For example, Sonita started her career by pursuing an entrepreneurial passion in gaming, successfully launched a company, and later pivoted to corporate leadership after selling the business.

• Find your purpose: Align your passions, skills, and purpose to guide your career path. Sonita found her purpose at the intersection of technology and sustainability, which became her north star in driving innovation and impact throughout her career.

• Seek mentors and sponsors: Build a support network of role models who inspire and guide you, regardless of their level. Sonita leveraged mentorship from diverse leaders, including women and men, to navigate career transitions and grow into leadership roles.

• Think like an owner: Go beyond your role to drive the broader success of your organization. Sonita exemplified this by creating and scaling new businesses within large companies like Siemens, transforming innovative ideas into operational success.

Sonita’s wisdom offers invaluable guidance for navigating the challenges of technology leadership.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/episode-96-5-keys-to-build-self-confidence-with-sheena-yap-chan

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Melissa Santoro, Former Vice President of De Beers and Former Head of Finance at Macy’s Backstage. With a career spanning finance and strategy roles at Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, Melissa is now an angel investor and board member.

Melissa shares powerful strategies for taking risks and making bold career moves:

• Be Curious: Explore new opportunities, even without prior experience. Melissa accepted a challenging and unpopular role conducting fine jewelry analysis—a field she had no prior experience in—and this opened doors for her to lead analysis on new ventures.

• Be Confident: Trust your skills and your ability to learn. Melissa explains how she embraces new challenges, knowing she can gain the knowledge she needs along the way.

• Build Community: Leverage your network for support. Melissa emphasizes the importance of asking for help and tapping into your community for guidance.

Melissa will also be hosting a session on March 5 called “Cultivating A Growth Mindset in the Modern Workplace.” It caters to women in leadership, with a focus on building wealth, health, and longevity as women are living longer than ever—often until age 90.

For more details, visit here.

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your inspiring advice and strategies!

Get full show notes and more information here:https://analizawolf.com/how-to-take-risks-and-make-career-leaps-with-melissa-santoro-former-vice-president-de-beers

Seeking a deeper connection to culture, spirit, and homeland?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Grace Nono—a celebrated Filipino singer, ethnomusicologist, and scholar of Philippine shamanism. Grace holds advanced degrees in Humanities, Philippine Studies, Religious and Gender Studies, and Ethnomusicology from institutions like Yale University and NYU. She has also served as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Divinity School.

Grace shares how reconnecting to the land and indigenous Filipino cultural and spiritual practices has grounded her:

• Land Connection: Returning to her birthplace in Mindanao to reconnect with the earth.

• Spiritual Connection: Learning from living Babaylan about ancestral and land-based spirituality.

• Cultural Connection: Exploring music, arts, and traditional healing practices.

Grace also offers two transformative opportunities:

1. Online Webinar Series: Learn from master indigenous practitioners in martial arts, music, and healing.

2. In-Person Immersion in the Philippines: Yuta: Co-Creating with Mother Earth is a 10-day program that includes cultural immersion, healing practices, and community building with Filipino and global participants.

Thank you, Grace, for inspiring others to reconnect with their roots and heritage!

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-94-connect-to-culture-spirit-and-homeland-with-grace-nono-filipino-singer-and-scholar-of-philippine-shamanism-1

Is it possible for life-or-death news to bring hope?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Johanne Morne, Executive Deputy Commissioner for the New York State Department of Health. With a long career in public health, Johanne has been guided by her commitment to equity, social justice, and trauma-informed care.

At age 42, Johanne was diagnosed with breast cancer while transitioning into a major role she had worked tirelessly to achieve. Faced with the dilemma of prioritizing her health or career, she chose to reframe the question: How can I focus on both?

Now celebrating ten years of being cancer-free, Johanne shares how her experience transformed her leadership at work and in life:

• Focus on community: Johanne leaned on her strong community of family, friends, and faith, deepening those connections throughout her journey.

• Clarity on her legacy: Cancer clarified Johanne's desire to leave a meaningful impact, especially around equity. She became bolder, speaking out on hard truths about inequities while balancing this with levity. She also felt empowered to take calculated risks, asking herself, “If X happens, can I stand by it?”

• Bringing hope: Battling cancer taught Johanne the importance of hope—not just for herself but also at work. As she navigated difficult conversations, she realized balancing hard facts with hope and humor was essential to prevent despair. Even during COVID, she highlighted positive aspects, like the flexibility of remote work.

• Seeing life as temporary: Johanne embraced the idea that life’s moments—whether joyful or challenging—are temporary. This perspective allowed her to choose how she spent her time and aligned her actions with her values.

• Embracing authenticity: Cancer helped Johanne lean into her true self, becoming more confident and unapologetic in her leadership.

Thank you, Johanne, for sharing your inspiring story and bringing hope to all of us.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-93-how-breast-cancer-changed-my-leadership-at-work-and-in-life-with-johanne-morne

What does it take to secure a corporate board seat? 

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Christine Crawford, Former McDonald’s Franchisee Owner. Christine shares her journey to serving on multiple boards, including Avid Pursuits, which includes a digital marketing agency (Cyberwoven), and Illumyn by Him For Her, dedicated to enhancing the impact of private company boards through cohort-driven learning.

Christine and I discuss why diversity in boardrooms matter and how to get a seat in the boardroom.

• Know Why Diversity Matters: Diverse board members bring different experiences to the table, enhancing innovation and preventing blind spots in decision-making.

• Communicate Your Intentions: Aspiring board members, especially women and people of color, need to vocalize their interest in board roles with their network.

• Articulate Your Value: Be prepared to share your diverse experiences succinctly and effectively, focusing on the common threads that demonstrate your value to a board.

• Be Patient in Your Journey: Recognize that board placements take time. View your path as a continuous journey rather than a race.

• Embrace Continuous Learning: Start with smaller board roles to gain experience and insights that can lead to larger opportunities.

Thank you, Christine, for sharing your valuable insights on board diversity and leadership development. Your journey inspires others to pursue their ambitions and advocate for representation in corporate governance.

Also, if you know of corporate board opportunities in education, technology, or HR that could use a leader with strategic, talent, and marketing experience, please let me know. I would love to be of service.

#BoardDiversity #Leadership #WomenInBusiness #WomenOfColorRise #CorporateGovernance

Get full show notes and more information here:https://analizawolf.com/ep-92-how-to-get-a-corporate-boardroom-seat-with-christine-crawford

How can your identity become one of your greatest leadership strengths?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Shirley Collado, President and CEO of College Track. Previously, Shirley served as president of Ithaca College, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at Rutgers University-Newark, and executive vice president of The Posse Foundation.

Shirley and I discuss how women of color can embrace their identity as a superpower and lead authentically in spaces that may not always expect them to. 

• Define Your Narrative Shirley drew strength from her upbringing as a first-generation college graduate and daughter of Dominican immigrants to define herself as smart, capable, caring, and worthy of leadership.

• Show Up in Fullness As a Dominican-American woman leading in higher education, Shirley defied expectations. She reminds us to embrace our identity fully, even in spaces where others may not expect it, and to use our voice to challenge stereotypes.

• Model Possibility for Others Representation matters. Shirley's trailblazing career as the first Dominican-American president of a U.S. four-year college shows younger generations that leadership can come in diverse forms.

• Embrace the Strength in Differences Shirley highlights the unique strengths that come from being different, such as adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving, which first-gen students often possess..

• Turn Perceived Deficits into Strengths What makes you different is what makes you strong. Shirley encourages reframing perceived disadvantages, like navigating multiple worlds, into assets that make you a more effective and resilient leader.

Thank you, Shirley, for sharing your incredible story with us and showing how embracing your full identity can empower you and others to thrive.

#WomenLeaders #WomenOfColorRise #IdentityLeadership #CollegeTrack

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-91-see-your-identity-as-a-superpower-with-shirley-collado-president-and-ceo-of-college-track

What makes a great sponsor?

In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Deb Grant, Former President of The GE Foundation, Chief of Diversity, and GE’s first Black female corporate officer. Currently, Deb serves as an Independent Director for Edelman and is the Founder and CEO of Corporate Playbook, a business consulting firm. She also leads Dining With Deb, a unique dining experience that brings professional women together to bridge racial, religious, and political divides through meaningful conversation.

Deb shares how sponsors played a pivotal role in accelerating her career—and how, at one point, her own sponsor nearly blocked her progress. Here are her insights on what makes a great sponsor:

1. Find a sponsor committed to DEI Deb’s sponsor was a senior White male executive leader who prioritized diversity in his leadership team. After receiving feedback on the need for more diversity, he sought out Deb, recognizing her potential, and invited her to work directly under him.

2. Ensure your sponsor gives you feedback Her sponsor helped her grow by meeting with her weekly and providing valuable feedback. He took the extra step of gathering insights from her colleagues, peers, and direct reports to give a well-rounded perspective on her strengths and areas for growth.

3. A good sponsor opens up opportunities Her sponsor entrusted her with high-profile projects and introduced her to senior executives, helping her expand her network and gain visibility with influential leaders.

4. A good sponsor sets you up for promotion He was deliberate in advocating for her promotion, socializing her candidacy with decision-makers and addressing any concerns in advance.

5. Beware of unconscious bias that may block your career When Deb’s promotion was under discussion, her sponsor—despite his support—remarked, “Deb is great, but she needs one more thing to develop.” An African American leader in the room intervened, pointing out that her sponsor was holding her to a higher standard than others. Thankfully, Deb received her well-deserved promotion after this realization.

Thank you, Deb, for sharing your powerful story with us and highlighting how intentional sponsorship can make a difference in accelerating careers.

#WomenLeaders #WomenOfColorRise #Sponsors #GEFoundation

Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-90-find-a-sponsor-who-will-accelerate-and-not-block-your-career-with-deb-grant