S5E6: Thriving as We Lead with Dr. Tamara Wilds Lawson

In this episode, we welcome Dr.  Tamara Wilds Lawson, President and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, to discuss the Foundation’s new research report, “Thrive as They Lead: Advancing the Infrastructure to Support Black Women Leaders in the D.C. Metro Area Nonprofit Sector.”

The report explores and addresses 10 critical issues faced by Black women and Black gender-expansive nonprofit leaders in the Washington D.C. Metro area, and outlines a path to establish the necessary infrastructure to help them thrive.

While the report was a regional initiative, the data it produced is consistent with the same challenges we see with Black women nonprofit leaders that we work with all over the country.

In this insightful discussion, Dr. Wilds Lawson shares more in depth insights about the report results, recommended infrastructure components to meet the needs of Black women nonprofit leaders, and shares her vision for what organizations must do to create more equitable workplaces where Black women can thrive.

 

About Tamara

Tamara is the president and CEO of Washington Area Women’s Foundation, where she leverages her extensive expertise and influential leadership to actively advance The Women’s Foundation’s mission of fostering economic security for women and girls of color throughout the Washington metropolitan region.

Prior to her appointment, she served as the Movement, Issue, and Charitable Organizations (MICO) Director at ActBlue—an organization that raises funding and awareness for progressive political causes and campaigns—and led a 20-person team that supports nonprofits raising funds on the platform and develops strategic partnerships with nonprofits. 

Previously, she spent over a decade in nonprofit leadership as Chief Community Impact & Inclusion Officer for Washington Nationals Philanthropies and Director of the Posse Foundation’s Washington, DC office. In addition to her diverse professional portfolio in higher education, Tamara gained national political organizing experience as Director of African American Outreach for the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 election cycle.

Currently, she serves on the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for the Academy of Hope Public Charter School, which serves adult women. Tamara received her B.A. from Occidental College and Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park. In 2019, she was selected as a Washington Business Journal 2019 Women Who Mean Business Honoree and is a member of Leadership Greater Washington. A proud Washingtonian, Tamara lives in Southeast Washington, D.C., with her family.

 

Connect with Tamara

• Website: https://thewomensfoundation.org/
• Linkedin

Resources:

• Thrive as They Lead Report
• Event: Join us for the Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 13-16, 2024 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

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Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Te’a Campbell

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