Presenters: Kelly Bates, Interaction Institute for Social Change, Dr. Sonia BasSheva Mañjon, LeaderSpring Center, Shaheer Mustafa, HopeWell, and John Smith, TSNE
Embedding equity and inclusion in organizations is increasingly a priority for many nonprofits. Still, with a host of new research and learning on how to structure our policies and practices to support this work, many leaders struggle to maintain momentum toward achieving these goals. In this session, we explored the gaps between our aspirations and reality, and shared strategies to build pathways to developing effective organizational practices that move us toward a more diverse and equitable sector.
About the Speakers
Kelly Bates
As president, Kelly leads the strategic direction of Interaction Institute for Social Change and supports its dynamic and diverse team of consultants and trainers to meet the organization’s highest aspirations for social change and racial equity. Kelly is a social changer, nonprofit civic leader, and lawyer who for more than twenty years has led advocacy, organizing, racial justice, and women’s organizations promoting collaboration, equity, and civic engagement, both locally and nationally. She seeks each day to develop the heart, skills, and mindset to be a facilitative leader and civic innovator for progressive movement building across the country and in communities.
Sonia BasSheva Mañjon, PhD
Dr. Sonia BasSheva Mañjon possesses more than 25 years of experience in higher education, nonprofit, and government administration. She is the second executive director of LeaderSpring Center. Sonia was the inaugural director of the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise, Associate Professor of Arts Administration, Education and Policy, and Affiliate Faculty in Latinx Studies at The Ohio State University. Dr. Mañjon was the Simpson Endowed Professor of Community Arts, executive director of the Center for Art and Public Life, and founding chair of the Community Arts major at the California College of the Arts.
Shaheer Mustafa
Shaheer is the President and CEO of HopeWell, the largest nonprofit provider of comprehensive foster care in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Shaheer is also a Core Instructor with the Institute for Nonprofit Practice in affiliation with the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University and serves as the Vice Chair for the Children’s League of Massachusetts. He previously served on the leadership team at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families where he was responsible for child protection services across 31 cities and towns in Metro Boston. He received a B.S. in Sociology and a Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Boston College, is certified as a Diversity Practitioner from Cornell’s School of Industrial Labor Relations and is widely regarded as an innovative leader in the sector.
John Smith
John is the Director of Programs at TSNE. He brings extensive experience in the nonprofit, government, education and advocacy fields. He served as the Policy Analyst in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development for the City of Boston, where he managed major economic development policy initiatives. Before his government experience, John also worked at the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston, the Hyams Foundation’s Youth Policy Initiative, the Tennessee Department of Health, and at several universities managing service learning and other student-centered programs.