Leading With Courage Through Uncertainty With Sarah Tuakli Cooper
Release Date: 10/07/2025
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info_outlineNonprofit leadership takes center stage in this robust conversation with Sarah Tuakli Cooper. Host May Harris brings this discussion to life on the Nonprofit Counsel Podcast, highlighting Sarah’s dual roles as executive director and board chair. With decades of experience, Sarah explores how conflict resolution, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as authentic nonprofit governance, create stronger organizations. She also shares how women of color can embrace courage, self-care, and voice in leadership. This episode offers practical strategies for building strong board and executive partnerships, reminding us that effective nonprofit leadership requires advocacy, collaboration, and a clear vision.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How strong nonprofit leadership helps align the roles of board chair and executive director for greater impact
Why conflict resolution and grace are essential tools for advancing nonprofit governance
The importance of embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into nonprofit strategy and culture
Ways leadership for women of color strengthens voices, builds courage, and drives mission-focused change
Practical steps to enhance nonprofit collaboration and sustain community engagement
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Sarah Tuakli Cooper: a woman of color, from teaching in England to volunteering with CASA, her path to nonprofit governance and executive director roles
04:00 Balancing passion and conflict resolution within the nonprofit sector, managing differences while staying mission-driven
08:00 The critical partnership between the board chair and the executive director: the linchpin of effective nonprofit leadership
14:03 Superficial approaches can weaken nonprofit governance; nonprofits should stand firm on their missions and practice courageous leadership
17:12 Advice for young women of color entering the nonprofit sector, focusing on self-care, courage, and embracing authentic leadership for women of color
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how strong nonprofit leadership, effective conflict resolution, and authentic nonprofit governance can transform organizations and drive long-term success.
Learn why diversity, equity, and inclusion, courageous leadership for women of color, and meaningful nonprofit collaboration are essential for thriving communities.
Gain insights on building trust between the board chair and the executive director, enhancing nonprofit leadership, and sustaining impact in the nonprofit sector.
Explore strategies that align nonprofit governance, strengthen nonprofit collaboration, and ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the heart of mission-driven work.
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
Sarah Tuakli Cooper is the Executive Director at the Elementary Institute of Science, established in Southeastern San Diego in 1964 to ensure Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in STEM. She spent 20 years teaching computer composition and studio production in London, before moving to San Diego in 2008. She currently co-chairs the Jobs and Education Working Group for the San Diego Promise Zone and has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Board for the United Women of East Africa Support Team. Sarah’s global perspective, extensive background in tech education, and commitment to serving diverse San Diego communities inform a leadership approach that is focused on Inclusion and Belonging in fields that are traditionally exclusive. In 2022, she was recognized as a Woman of Influence in Technology in the San Diego Business Journal and is increasingly sought after as a thought leader on issues of diversity in tech.
Sarah Tuakli Cooper - LinkedIn
Elementary Institute of Science
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