Social Enterprise Alliance Podcast

Dez Stephens is the founder of Radiant Coaches Academy, a prominent international coach training school certifying holistic coaches. She is a certified and credentialed coach, published author and expert trainer who is known for her great insight and compassion. Dez is a humanitarian coach, social entrepreneur, people’s advocate, and planetary activist. She has coached professionally since 2005 and has trained over 1100 students in 25+ countries. The International Coaching Federation has awarded her the PRISM Award for her advancement of the coaching profession and her important work in Honduras through her co-founded nonprofit organization providing grief-recovery coaching to Central Americans. Dez is also the author of the acclaimed coaching book, The Qualitarian. She travels the world doing important advocacy work including Indigenous-led holistic retreats with shamanic elders. She serves as a Global Ambassador for ICF, and she uniquely opens new markets to professional coaching worldwide. Dez is a quintessential “qualitarian.”-------------https://radiantcoachesacademy.com/ https://radiantcoachesacademy.com/dezstephens/ https://endofthelinefilm.comFacebookInstagramXLinkedInPinterestYouTube

Mike Curtin, Jr. joined DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) in 2004, taking over as Chief Executive Officer of the country’s first community kitchen from founder Robert Egger in 2007. He came to the organization after a 20-year career in the hospitality sector that included owning and operating his own restaurant, The Broad Street Grill, in Falls Church, Virginia. Drawing on that industry expertise, Mike has grown DCCK’s social enterprise portfolio into thriving initiatives that generate more than $10 million in annual earnings, allowing DC Central Kitchen to match every donation it receives with earned revenue. While directing DC Central Kitchen’s front-line response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, he also drove a successful transition to an iconic new headquarters in southwest DC. Now the nation’s most ambitious community kitchen and urban food hub, The Michael R. Klein Center for Jobs and Justice represents the fulfillment of Mike’s vision for the role nonprofits and social enterprises can and must play in inclusive economic development models that generate lasting community returns. *****dccentralkitchen.orgInstagram

Gregg Keesling has been a leader in workforce development in Indianapolis for the past 25 years. He is the founder of the nonprofit electronic recycling social enterprise RecycleForce and the alternative staffing firm Keys to Work. Both organizations support returning citizens, providing employment and skill acquisition while assisting the client with managing criminal justice mandates placed on them through the courts. The two organizations employ and serve 500+ individuals annually and pay over $1.5M in wages to those returning to the community from incarceration each year.*****https://www.jobsforallgeorgetown.org/employment-social-enterprises https://redf.org/latest/what-is-an-employment-social-enterprise 

Rebecca Dray has been working in social enterprise and social procurement since 2005. She originally began her career in the U.K and moved to the United States 10 years ago. Her organization, Purchasing with Purpose was co-created as a network of networks to provide support and services that make it easier for everyone to purchase from businesses that put People and Planet First.*****https://www.purchasingwithpurpose.orghttps://peopleandplanetfirst.org

Anne Oudersluys is the founder of Core Impact, a company focused on building purpose-driven brands. With a background in marketing and corporate sustainability, Anne has a deep passion for using business to solve the world’s social and environmental challenges. Anne works with a diverse range of clients—from startups to large corporations—to develop marketing and sustainability strategies that align with their values and goals. Her work helps brands define what they stand for, attract more customers, and create a positive environmental and social impact. Prior to founding Core Impact, Anne worked in brand management and sustainability 13 at Procter & Gamble. She is passionate about using marketing and branding as a force for good rather than a means for manipulation and excess consumption. Her work applies principles of conscious marketing, which she defines as marketing that is purposefully designed to maximize good and minimize harm. Anne lives in Cincinnati with her husband and three kids. *****SEA Webinar with Anne - Oct 1, 2024 at 1pm ETThe Mission-Driven Marketing Playbook: Create Your Customer-Focused Growth*****www.coreimpactstrategy.com www.coreimpactstrategy.com/emailLinkedIn

Diane Fleet is a 30 year veteran of domestic violence advocacy and is currently serving as the Assistant Director of GreenHouse17, a domestic violence program in Central Kentucky. In partnership with GreenHouse17 leadership and staff, Diane has implemented a trauma informed, therapeutic horticulture program which has received numerous awards and recognitions. Diane also contributed to Preventing intimate partner violence Interdisciplinary perspectives; Innovative Programs to Economically Empower Women and Prevent Intimate Partner Violence Revictimization; with lead researchers Dr. Claire Renzetti and Dr. Diane Follingstad.*****GreenHouse17.orgGreenHouse17.org/handmade-by-survivors/Instagram

Kristin Carmichael is a dynamic professional with a Certificate of Completion from the Institute for Non-Profit Practice, currently excelling as the Director of Business Operations at More Than Words in Boston. With over a decade of experience, Kristin has spearheaded strategic initiatives, directed successful online business operations, and played a vital role in the development of a transformative workforce program for system-involved youth. Her leadership extends to providing actionable insights to the senior team, aligning operations with organizational goals, and integrating socially impactful products into the retail sector. Kristin brings passion for social and restorative justice, sustainability, and literacy to her role.Erin Dyson-Enamorado is a strongly motivated and experienced Director of New Business with over 11 years dedicated experience in business strategy, acquisitions, logistics and training in a job-training program aimed to help to empower system involved youth to take charge of their lives through her role at More Than Words. Erin came to More Than Words after spending several years on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi supporting relief and rebuilding efforts following the wake of devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, working as Program Coordinator and Director of Volunteers at youth-based volunteer camp "Mission on the Bay" in Bay Saint Louis.More Than Words (MTW), is a leadership and employment training program that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. By working as a team to manage their own retail and online book business, youth develop leadership, employment skills and self confidence as they prepare for their transition to adulthood. Through real-world, hands-on job training at More Than Words, youth equip themselves for a successful, meaningful and self-sufficient adulthood while simultaneously covering a significant portion of the organization’s budget with earned revenue.*****shop.mtwyouth.orgFacebookInstagram

Despite being diagnosed with a learning disability at the age of five. Walter accomplished his lifelong dream of making it to the NFL, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals, Mendehall’s desire to educate young minority males prompted him to walk away from football to pursue his passion for teaching the next generation of leaders. Mendenhall founded the Male Mogul Initiative which seeks to positively transform the way young men live and lead in their communities through leadership and entrepreneurship development. Under the leadership of Walter Mendenhall, the Male Mogul has been awarded the Prestigious Chicago Innovation award, Wintrust Bank Neighborhood award, and a MIT_Solve semi finalist.*****https://www.pledge.to/mmi2023 www.malemogulinitiative.orgEmail: [email protected]

Greg is the founder of SocialEntrepreneurU. He is a former Ashoka Leadership Group Member, a two-time Ashoka Globalizer Fellow, and a World Economic Forum "Social Entrepreneur of the Year for 2012 (Latin America)." Greg is the principal designer of the award-winning MicroConsignment Model, now being applied globally. Over 20 years, he’s founded, led, and/or consulted for dozens of organizations, teams, and communities in 25+ countries. He has designed (social) entrepreneurial experiences, taught courses, and led workshops for thousands of students and professionals. Greg recently published It’s What You Set In Motion: A Toolbox for Collaborative Changemaking.*****collaborativechangemaking.comLinkedIn

Dr. Gina Merritt, MBA is founder of Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures (NREUV), LLC, and has over 26 years of hands-on real estate development, finance, construction, and asset management experience. She has participated in the development of over 8,200 units of housing and has underwritten approximately $4.5B in real estate development transactions. Merritt is an experienced owner, developer and asset manager that brings her practical development knowledge and perspective to her business model. Her team brings practical experience to its municipal, non-profit and institutional clients to provide unmatched real estate advisory services. Merritt is also the founder of Project Community Capital®, a social capital platform that connects people in low-income communities with jobs ensuring that subcontractors who have socio-economic goals from state and federal funding can meet their requirements by connecting them with individuals who are “Ready-To-Work.”*****www.nreuv.comhttps://projectcommunitycapital.netLinkedInNREUV on LinkedInProject Community Capital on LinkedIn