The Power of Collaboration | UMBC and United Way of Central MD

UMBC and United Way of Central Maryland recently partnered up on a project with a UMBC Intrapreneurship class to brainstorm new ways of approaching business goals. In this episode of UMBC's Mic'd Up Podcast, we are joined by Franklyn Baker, President and CEO of United Way of Central Maryland to discuss this collaborative project. 

To learn more about United Way of Central Maryland, visit: https://uwcm.org

To learn more about UMBC's graduate program in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Leadership, visit: https://eil.umbc.edu

Transcript

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Dennise Cardona  0:00  
Thanks for tuning into this episode of UMBC MiC'd Up podcast. My name is Dennise Cardona from the Office of Professional Programs at UMBC. Today, I am joined by Franklyn Baker, the President and CEO of the United Way of Central Maryland. We're going to talk about a partnership between the United Way of Central Maryland and UMBC's graduate program in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership. This past semester, the United Way, teamed up with students from the Intrapreneurship course at UMBC. And the students developed ideas to help further the goals of the United Way. I hope that you enjoy diving into this episode. Thank you so much for being with us today. I'm really grateful for your time and really looking forward to this conversation.

Franklyn Baker  0:42  
Very glad to be on with you for sure.

Dennise Cardona  0:44  
How would you describe the collaboration with the intrapreneurship course at UMBC this past spring semester, and the United Way of Central Maryland.

Franklyn Baker  0:55  
So I would describe the partnership with UMBC's entrepreneurial class and United Way of Central Maryland as one of the most exciting partnerships and collaborations we have been involved in here at United Way. To see and feel the ideas, energy levels, this stick to itiveness to the topics that are granular and difficult to sort of march through to see that persistency of the students engaged, the eyes wide open of my team members and United Way from some of the just tremendous ideas of the students was just so excited to behold and experience firsthand. So we're grateful for Carol and the entire team for making this happen with us. It was just such a beautiful not only journey, but thinking about how the plane landed, we landed the partnership, it was really nicely done. It was sort of reinvigorating, in terms of the beautiful work we do at United Central Maryland, to see youngsters that some of which were in the workforce already. And some of which were are not to really grab hold of the mission, the vision, and the pure impact work we're doing. And just marshal a lot of their creative energies and thoughts around how we could do it even more impactfully. And so it was just a tremendous experience, it really was.

Dennise Cardona  2:21  
And it's such a gift for the students as well as the United Way of Central Maryland to be able to come together like this and to be able to look at things with a fresh perspective with a fresh lens. So the students come in not knowing much about the United Way of Central Maryland, and learning with a fresh lens, the things that are working and maybe not working, and being able to provide that unbiased objective point of view. And in that safe playground, if you will, and the United Way of Central Maryland gains this great gift of the students perspective, these fresh ideas from people who are not in the organization day to day rolling up their sleeves, and knowing exactly what's going on. So they're coming at it from a wide open perspective versus maybe blinders on. And what a great idea that is for collaboration.

Franklyn Baker  3:14  
It really was.

Dennise Cardona  3:16  
What were the top needs of United Way in regards to working with this class? And do you feel that the students grasped the focus of the project?

Franklyn Baker  3:26  
I think the top needs, were making sure we were not missing anything in our perspective. So having an additional set of eyes and ears on what we had preliminary drafted on behalf of this project. And I think one of the reasons why this is so valuable related to that is we don't often have the opportunity to do as much in the space of young people and having them to hear and running things by them typically sort of middle aged and older. So to have a group that was either in their late teens or early 20s, or mid 20s, to be the cohort that's listening to some of our preliminary plans and getting their reactions was a treat. Nice treat, right. And then secondly, as many of them are very technology savvy, and they're used to doing a lot of their own primary research, and data mining and things like that, and so to have that kind of audience, scrubbing some of our ideas was also a healthy treat as well, to our perspectives. I think maybe the third piece that was very good from a nice perspective is we hadn't really sort of tested this in a rigorous way yet. So to have a heavy dose of picking apart what do we mean by this or that? Have you considered this or that? So having that real rigor involved in that process was a need for us to make sure that before we went to other groups for further exploration further evaluation of, of testing to have this type of group, which again, is not the typical group that we are engaged with on projects like this, right. So I think that's, that's probably the top three things I would imagine are the biggest needs related to approaching, you know, the UMBC entrepreneur class.

Dennise Cardona  5:19  
What was the project focused on?

Franklyn Baker  5:22  
So we really wanted to make sure that we were maximizing our approach to being an entrepreneur, in a nonprofit setting. So all of our ideas, making sure that we had the ability to think as broadly as possible to throw a lot of things on the wall and let those top ideas of optimal approaches to stick, right. So working with this set of students was very helpful for us to gauge are we on the right track? You know, are we building? Are we building a plane or a vehicle, right, or rebuilding an engine that's really going to fulfill what we ideally hoping would do? Right? So for us, it really was about making sure that we were clear of what the initial intent was for the project. But more than that, it was how do we actually make sure that we're setting up straw man's and we have the ability through this collaboration to topple the straw man, and then build it back up if needed, right. So do we have the right questions that were asked? Do we have the right framework? Do we have the level of curiosity, right, involved in the project? So making sure all that was a part of the mix, and Carol, and Mehrshad and some of the others in the project did a good job of constantly going to that? Well, right. So it really was this notion of we want to stand up a social impact accelerator within United Way of Central Maryland. And we really want to make sure that the ideas that were floating to the entrepreneurship class were really means tested. And that we had a really safe environment for receiving all ideas, no ideas being not a good idea, so to speak. But the notion of just free for all is this really makes sure that we are thinking as high as you possibly can, and the dust would naturally settle on what is the most important pathway forward on the different project planks. So yes, it was really, we're standing up a social impact accelerator that's going to help bolster our ability to impact the community with the work of health, education, housing, and economic advancement. And we had several ideas that we came to the class with. And they were just so helpful in sharpening either certain ideas that were in draft form, or introducing a whole new approach to certain aspects of this endeavor. So we are embraced it fully. And we're right now in the process of trying to figure out which one can we use when and how. 

Dennise Cardona  8:10  
Wow, that sounds like a really great opportunity. And what I loved most was, when you said that it was a brainstorming activity, that no idea is a bad idea. To have in that safe playground to be able to vet ideas, get them out there on the table, sort through them, marinate them, let them marinate, and be able to pick them apart and see the ones that rise to the top with the most value that really is so powerful, it is so important to have those fresh ideas come to the surface in brainstorming. And a lot of times those fresh ideas only come from conversations when you're within dialogue, and you're tilling the soil of that dialogue and letting it breathe and letting it come to the top and the surface. That's when those great ideas come to fruition.

Franklyn Baker  8:58  
The other thing that we were really impressed by, we meeting United Way of Central Maryland staff members, is how seriously the students took the level of research that was necessary to complete their part of the project. So they were really embracing and leaning into that responsibility. And of course, Carol would emphasize that but we could tell that they took it very seriously. And it it was clear and evident when they were making their presentations to us to share out where they are so far. And then at the end, when they were sharing out their finalized set of recommendations for us to consider. It was a nice culmination of all the work during the semester. And then a nice, wonderful landing of here's, here's our blood, sweat and tears, take it or leave the United Way of Central Maryland. We hope you like it. We hope this is helpful. So it was in many ways nice to see that when they started the project. They were serious, but it was evident they continue that level of care. s&s throughout the entire semester of the project, right? So so that that was really good to see that oftentimes you, you're not sure, if the parties assigned to a project, we're really going at it full bore. But in this case, it was pretty, pretty clear to us.

Dennise Cardona  10:17  
And I think that is testament to both Carol Bogash, the instructor and Gib Mason, the program director for being the leaders of this really great dynamic entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership graduate program at UMBC. The students involved in this program are top notch. They are in there rolling up their sleeves and doing the work and showing amazing results at the end of it. So let's talk about recent graduate Mehrshad. He produced a detailed presentation outlining some potential solutions to address the needs of the United Way of Central Maryland, specifically proposing ideas for United for ALICE Advocacy Day and the Interactive Donation Interface. What impressed and surprised you the most about his ideas?

Franklyn Baker  11:03  
So as it relates to United for ALICE and the Advocacy Day, this is the first time we have done a full on advocacy day in quite a long time, like well before the pandemic. So it's it's probably been at least 10 years that the organization has done a full on advocacy day involving community members, volunteers, donors partners. So for us, we were in a mode of revving up the engine, because it had been sitting idle for some time. And to have nice ideas and approaches from shot and others that were close to this was really good, because we were really in ideation mode around. We're just in the engine off, we really want to make sure it's ready for primetime. So we're open to new ways of approaching how do we actually do this advocacy day in a way that's thoughtful, impactful, lasting in terms of impact on the legislators. So I just think, generally speaking, it was nice to just step back and say, let's start from scratch, let's let's not assume anything, because I think the other thing that we have to keep keep in mind is, even when the advocacy day happens, or early next year, we will still be either in late pandemic mode or possibly in full on endemic mode. So there's still the aftermath, right? And the after effects of the pandemic, which were not on our radar screen years ago, we were doing it before. So there is that dynamic of the need to be thoughtful in a way that's embracing of what's present. Right? Because, again, it wasn't that dynamic years ago, so So even in the sense of some of the things could be still happening in a hybrid fashion. So what is the additional thinking around the PowerPoint slides, and who's going to be doing the navigation to make sure that the presentations, if there are any going well, all of those considerations weren't a part of the pre, the pre pandemic phase. So just acknowledging that going in is important, right. But I think just the level of thought about inclusivity of the people we should be approaching to be a part of this day, and taking advantage of what we may not have sort of thought about in the past. And that is making sure that we are making a pitch. That's not only clear, but that connects with the rest of our work and the United Way of Central Maryland, right? So just giving him and the team, lots and lots of documents, to peruse, you know, our strategic plan. And you know, some of the impact. We're one pagers and lots of other materials to comb through. So they have a nice sense of how we can make the advocacy day most effective. Right. So I think that was important. So and then you know, the second project, it was really almost mind blowing for us to see what Mehrshad and others had pulled together a reference to how do we take the current approach to collecting dollars from certain would be your prospective donors to take it to a place where it's so interactive, and it's almost like you're just having a conversation online, that you're holding a conversation online that draws you into the conversation. So the interplay of what they suggested was an almost actual engagement with two people talking amongst each other and leading to the place where it's a natural transition to I probably should be giving or contributing dollars to this cause. We have not built anything up to that point that was so interactive and compelling to pull the audience into the screen and and feel like they're literally a part of that conversation between those two individuals on the screen. And it pulls at your heartstrings. It pulled out your your thought patterns, and made you viewed differently what your role might be in helping in this situation. So the way it was constructed, it was so, so well designed and thoughtful. And it was it resonated with us, because we have done things similar, but not quite that way. The packaging of it was very thoughtful and customized. And so we thought, we can't start this soon enough. We cannot imagine not allowing months of months and months and years on and going down the pike without having this implemented, because it was such a well constructed, thoughtful way to engage prospective donors, prospective owners, right. And even even those who are current donors to maybe propel them to consider giving a bit more, right.

Dennise Cardona  16:05  
I had the pleasure of being able to see some of the simulations that Mehrshad had put together, and a recording of that presentation that they did in the classroom when you were all present. And it was so amazing. It really pulled at the heartstrings, like you said, and from a storytelling perspective, it was so powerful, because I had watched the one about a single mother having some financial difficulty. And the way it was put together, it felt so realistic. And most everybody can relate to this person who is having trouble keeping things together, keeping her life together for her children. And it was just so powerful the way it was done, it felt very realistic. And by the end of watching it, I felt like I wanted to give to this person. And even though I'm not a single mother, so I don't live that actual world, I can relate to it. Because I think we've all been there in that situation where we felt like we had a lack of something, and a lack of support. And that's the whole point of storytelling is to put that person in the place the viewer in the place of that story. And I think that this project could actually serve as a role model for so many nonprofit organizations that rely on fundraising dollars to keep them to keep them going.

Franklyn Baker  17:25  
And one of the things that we shared with Mehrshad in feedback mode was the simulation felt less like a simulation and felt more true like a real thing. It felt so real, that sometimes you can your mind can be tricked when it's being viewed as a simulation. But when it's a simulation, that's seen as an actual real engagement, it really does pull at your heartstrings, even even more. And so it's just very well done. And you bet your bottom dollar, you know, we are in the process of tweaking how we pull those things together based upon the tremendous example of what could be done in this space for us.

Dennise Cardona  18:11  
What was the main reason that you reached out to Mehrshad and hired him as a consultant to help implement some of these ideas?

Franklyn Baker  18:18  
He's a proven, thoughtful person. He's got very, very convincing ideas. It's clear that he's not satisfied with mediocrity, and he's focused a lot on excellence. Just hearing him talk about how they were tweaking the PowerPoints and the data points that they were presenting. He should be litmus on making sure that he's clear, he was very straightforward about bad ideas that if you don't have clarity, you know, it's all for naught. You can have lots and lots of data points, but if it's not clear, and so that that came across very strong to us, and we thought to have a person like that on in the consulting capacity that could really help us push forth these ideas. And not only get them set up and make sure they're executed in a thoughtful, effective way. It would be a shame and a miss if we weren't able to do that. So that was just probably part of why we we thought it would be great to fill him in as a consultant to help us as again, as we think about the Advocacy Days but think about this phenomenal simulation and ways to reach into the heartstrings of donors and prospective donors, and just advocates generally and even if they don't contribute, just give them the feel of the true impact of our work. Right. So these tools that he would help us to refine and execute would would really go a long way towards impacting the community and people.

Dennise Cardona  19:50  
Do you have any other additional thoughts that you want to share about the partnership collaboration between UMBC Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership Graduate Program and the United Way of Central Maryland?

Franklyn Baker  20:03  
I think the major takeaway for us was, let's never discount the power of the younger population as it relates to strategy in the space of addressing critical problems. Because there is a tendency to say, X, Y, and Z persons have a doctoral degree, or they are steeped in a particular issue for 25 years. So they're the quasi experts on that issue. And that may be the case in most cases it is. But there's there's a value to having a mind engaged in a challenge that has not been in some ways corrupted by the ebbs and flows of hope and despair right there. My minds, their minds are in many ways more pure about if I have a great idea what's stopping me from allowing that great idea to propel into actual change. And so just to have young minds like that, who are given the chance to think big, roll their sleeves up, produce a set of solutions, whether they're viable or not, but just having that space like that, with these these young, young minds, it just is just so incredibly awesome, as opposed to sometimes having conversations with the middle aged population or older, and you don't get the first base because you're thinking up all of the reasons why we can't do this or why it won't be well received or why you know, where I will fall short. And it's so nice to be, you know, connected with with youngsters that are just so filled with hope and promise and anything that we put our minds to can be accomplished. That's the spirit they bring. And to have that rub off on us. It was so infectious. 

Dennise Cardona  21:59  
What a wonderful statement. I couldn't agree more with you. Wonderful, fresh perspectives are a gift. Thank you so much for being here with us today. We really appreciate it. And it was wonderful to share insights and ideas with you and to learn more about this collaboration and partnership between UMBC and the United Way of Central Maryland. Thank you. Thanks for listening to this episode of UMBC Mic'd Up podcast. If you'd like to learn more about the United Way of Central Maryland, visit them at you uwcm.org. And if you'd like to learn more about UMBC graduate program in entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership, visit eil.umbc.edu