A Conversation on Social Enterprises, Corporate Impact on Society, and People Driven Organizations With Thomas Vozzo, CEO of Homeboy Industries
Release Date: 07/21/2024
The Trust Deficit - Rebuilding Trust During Crisis: A Conversation with Minda Harts
Sundays With Verna
Think about the three people closest to you in your professional orbit.... If you were truly honest with yourself, how much do you really trust them? For more information on Minda Harts and to purchase her new book, Talk to Me Nice, visit:
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Challenging the Erasure of Disability: A Conversation with Prasanna Ranganathan
Sundays With Verna
What does it mean to truly belong, to feel seen, and to build a community where every thread of identity is honored? As a society, we often pride ourselves on progress, yet the persistent barriers to truly inclusive spaces reveal that we may be further behind in embracing equity and belonging than we’d like to admit. Join Vernā Myers for an extraordinary conversation with Prasanna (Pras) Ranganathan, a South Asian, queer, disabled consultant, filmmaker, ex-lawyer, and tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Pras has spent his 18-year career in tech, law,...
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The Future of Politics: A Conversation with Deja Foxx
Sundays With Verna
In this powerful episode of Sundays with Vernā, rising political star Deja Foxx shares her remarkable journey from a challenging childhood marked by homelessness and a single mother's struggle with addiction to launching a groundbreaking congressional campaign to become the youngest woman in Congress. At just 25 years old, Foxx is running to be the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress in Arizona's 7th District. She brings a unique perspective shaped by her experiences with impoverishment, limited access to healthcare, and the critical importance of reproductive rights. ...
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Super Communicating at Work: A Conversation with Charles Duhigg
Sundays With Verna
In this powerful episode of Sundays with Vernā, New York Times bestselling author Charles Duhigg reveals the hidden dynamics that can make or break workplace communication. Drawing from his latest book "Super Communicators," Duhigg unpacks the critical skills leaders and employees need to break through organizational silence and create meaningful dialogue. Discover how workplace conversations are actually composed of three distinct types - practical, emotional, and social - and learn why misunderstanding these can lead to toxic communication breakdowns. Duhigg provides practical...
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HBCUs Under Attack: A Conversation with Morehouse President David A. Thomas
Sundays With Verna
HBCUs receive just $1 for every $100 in endowment funds that predominantly white institutions enjoy. Now, under increased budget cuts, legislative challenges, and attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, their survival is being tested more than ever. Join us for a compelling conversation with Morehouse College President David A. Thomas as he shares with Vernā a powerful blueprint for defending and uplifting Historically Black Colleges and Universities against the anti-DEI onsalught of the new Trump era. He explains why this issue goes beyond funding. It's an attack on civil rights....
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Show Your Worth at Work: A Conversation with Shelmina Abji
Sundays With Verna
In this episode of Sundays with Vernā, we celebrate Women's History Month with an uplifting and insightful conversation with tech trailblazer and business powerhouse Shelmina Abji. Shelmina is the CEO of Show Your Worth.AI and the author of Show Your Worth: Eight Intentional Strategies for Women to Emerge as Leaders at Work. Shelmina shares her inspiring journey from humble beginnings in Tanzania to becoming one of the highest-ranking women of color at IBM, offering valuable insights on career advancement, leadership, and overcoming barriers. The conversation delves into...
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Talking Equity - A Better Future for All: A Conversation with Mahlet Getachew of PolicyLink
Sundays With Verna
This week on Sundays with Vernā, Vernā sits down with Mahlet Getachew, Managing Director of Corporate Racial Equity at PolicyLink, for a robust conversation about redefining leadership in corporate America. Mahlet shares her inspiring journey from corporate law to becoming a passionate advocate for equity, shaped by her experiences as a first-generation immigrant from Ethiopia. Together, they discuss PolicyLink’s groundbreaking Business Standards for 21st Century Leadership, a bold framework that empowers companies to embed equity into every facet of their work, from governance and...
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The Reverse Mentoring Method: A Conversation with Patrice Gordon
Sundays With Verna
This episode features an in-depth conversation with Patrice Gordon, a multi-award-winning professional with extensive leadership experience at British Airways, Royal Mail, and Virgin Atlantic. Her pioneering work in reverse mentoring, including her role as a reverse mentor to Virgin Atlantic's CEO, Craig Krieger, has transformed organizations worldwide. Vernā and Patrice discuss the origins of her Reverse Mentoring methodology and her subsequent development of structured reverse mentoring programs for organizations. Patrice shares her journey from accountant to executive coach and author,...
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The Calling to Lead Consciously: A Conversation with Ginny Clarke
Sundays With Verna
Join Sundays with Vernā for an inspiring conversation with Ginny Clarke, a former Google executive and renowned leadership expert. Ginny's extraordinary career, which has spanned multiple disciplines and sectors, has paved the way for her to guide top executives at global powerhouses. Through her visionary "Five Dimensional Leadership" model, she continues to challenge leaders to rethink traditional approaches, driving meaningful change across organizations and empowering individuals to lead with purpose. The 5D leadership model is a framework centered on self-awareness, truth, love,...
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Community is Health: A Conversation with Brenda Rodriguez, CEO of Lynn Community Health Center
Sundays With Verna
In this special conversation, Vernā interviews former mentee, Brenda Rodriguez, CEO of Lynn Community Health Center in Massachusetts. Brenda shares her journey from overcoming challenges like pre-teen pregnancy and homelessness to becoming a passionate healthcare leader. She reflects on the vital role of community health centers in delivering inclusive, comprehensive care. Together with Verna, who played a pivotal role in her youth, Brenda revisits their shared past and they discuss the lessons they’ve learned from one another. She also offers a heartfelt perspective on leadership,...
info_outlineIn this episode of "Sundays with Vernā," Thomas Vozzo, the CEO of Homeboy Industries, a gang rehabilitation and re-entry organization, and Vernā have a conversation about Homeboy's history, methodology, and mission, the business benefits of DEI, the possible positive impact the corporate sector could have on our society, the role of faith and spirituality in his leadership, and Homeboy's response during the COVID-19 pandemic as a business. Tom also shares his journey from the corporate world to Homeboy Industries, driven by a desire to impact society positively. They discuss the challenges faced by impoverished people, including systemic barriers and lack of opportunities. This conversation highlights Homeboy's approach of providing jobs, support, and a path to healing through kinship, empathy, and social justice. Together, they explore the importance of leading with humility, understanding the struggles of the impoverished, and fostering an environment where all people can thrive.