Today’s episode of The Nonprofit Build Up Podcast is part 2 of a 2 part conversation titled “Drowning in Black Genius with Marcus Littles and A. Nicole Campbell”. While this topic could be discussed any time of the year we wanted to be sure that while the world is celebrating Black History this month, we can allow them to also pay attention to the literal present day genius of Black folks as well. In today’s episode Marcus Littles, Founder and Senior Partner, at Frontline Solutions continues to discuss his organization’s evolution over the last 18 years. Frontline Solutions, while a management consulting firm, was never intended to be just that. This Black-founded and led company is comprised of a diverse team of activists, scholars, advocates, coaches, strategists, and artists. They draw on these multifaceted perspectives and lived experiences to engage with organizations in the journey toward their boldest, most expansive visions. Tune in to learn more about how Frontlines continues to build and support an ecosystem that is "Drowning in Black Genius."

Marcus Littles, Founder and Senior Partner:
A strategist and visionary, Marcus has been instrumental in directing philanthropic investment at the intersection of race and gender. In 2005, he founded Frontline to advise philanthropists on a multi-billion-dollar investment in Gulf Coast recovery in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Since then, Marcus has led Frontline in reimagining the role of “consultant” and becoming an integral part of the racial justice ecosystem.

Marcus is passionate about connecting with members of his network to leverage individual and collective assets to create a more equitable world. Over the course of his career, he has pursued racial justice in several sectors, including government, philanthropy, and education. In 2016, Marcus was named one of Living Cities’ 25 Disruptive Leaders Who Are Working to Close the Racial Opportunity Gaps, alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates and Angela Glover Blackwell.

Marcus is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He serves on the boards of The Beautiful Project, Brotherhood Sister Sol, and School Justice Project, as well as the advisory boards of Communities for Just Schools Fund and the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Marcus is a graduate of Auburn University. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Delaware.

Today’s episode of The Nonprofit Build Up Podcast is part 1 of a 2 part conversation titled “Drowning in Black Genius with Marcus Littles and A. Nicole Campbell” is a personal favorite. And while this topic could be discussed any time of the year we wanted to be sure that while the world is celebrating Black History this month, we can allow them to also pay attention to the literal present day genius of Black folks as well. In today’s episode Marcus Littles, Founder and Senior Partner, at Frontline Solutions discusses his organization’s evolution over the last 18 years. Frontline Solutions, while a management consulting firm, was never intended to be just that. This Black-founded and led company is comprised of a diverse team of activists, scholars, advocates, coaches, strategists, and artists. They draw on these multifaceted perspectives and lived experiences to engage with organizations in the journey toward their boldest, most expansive visions. Tune in to learn more about how Frontlines continues to build and support an ecosystem that is "Drowning in Black Genius."

Marcus Littles, Founder and Senior Partner

A strategist and visionary, Marcus has been instrumental in directing philanthropic investment at the intersection of race and gender. In 2005, he founded Frontline to advise philanthropists on a multi-billion-dollar investment in Gulf Coast recovery in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Since then, Marcus has led Frontline in reimagining the role of “consultant” and becoming an integral part of the racial justice ecosystem.

Marcus is passionate about connecting with members of his network to leverage individual and collective assets to create a more equitable world. Over the course of his career, he has pursued racial justice in several sectors, including government, philanthropy, and education. In 2016, Marcus was named one of Living Cities’ 25 Disruptive Leaders Who Are Working to Close the Racial Opportunity Gaps, alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates and Angela Glover Blackwell.

Marcus is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He serves on the boards of The Beautiful Project, Brotherhood Sister Sol, and School Justice Project, as well as the advisory boards of Communities for Just Schools Fund and the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Marcus is a graduate of Auburn University. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Delaware.

Transcript forthcoming. 

In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Build Up, we share the final conversation for 2023 as we close for the holidays and return in the new year.

This part two of a two part episode, “Build Up, Inc.’s Black-led Fiscal Sponsorship” includes Nic speaking with Amanda Nasinyama, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Ajani Husbands, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Senior Counsel, of Build Up Companies, working with Build Up, Inc. a member organization that is a public charity and operates as a fiscal sponsor and capacity builder.

In this episode, Nic, Amanda, and Ajani continue to discuss Build Up, Inc.’s work, the impetus for the organization's creation, and the fiscally sponsored projects it serves. They also explore what sets BUI's mission apart, as they focus on providing capacity building support to brave women and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC)-led organizations, networks, and collectives.

To read about our speakers, check out their bio and transcript for this conversation here. 

In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Build Up, we share part one of a two part episode, “Build Up, Inc.’s Black-led Fiscal Sponsorship” where Nic speaks with Amanda Nasinyama, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Ajani Husbands, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Senior Counsel, of Build Up Companies, working with Build Up, Inc. a member organization that is a public charity and operates as a fiscal sponsor and capacity builder.

In this episode, Nic, Amanda, and Ajani discuss Build Up, Inc.’s work, the impetus for the organization's creation, and the fiscally sponsored projects it serves. They also explore what sets BUI's mission apart, as they focus on providing capacity building support to brave women and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC)-led organizations, networks, and collectives. 

In this week's episode of Nonprofit Build Up, "Re-envisioning the Way We Work in the Nonprofit Sector," Nic speaks with Cassie Haynes, former Co-Executive Director and Co Founder of Resolve Philly, and Jean Friedman- Rudovsky, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Resolve Philly, whose work centers on improving how misrepresented communities are covered by the media. In this episode, Nic, Cassie, and Jean discuss Resolve Philly's work, the impetus for why the organization was created, essential changes to help the nonprofit sector evolve, and the power of people-centered infrastructure in the sector.

In this week's episode of the Nonprofit Build Up, "The Nonprofit Sector, Reimagined", Nic speaks with Vu Le, Founder of the Nonprofit AF blog, which focuses on nonprofit hot topics for nonprofit leaders. Tune in to this episode to hear Nic and Vu speak candidly about the philanthropic sector, including fundraising power dynamics, philanthropic trends, and rethinking the way the nonprofit sector shows up when working to support historically marginalized communities.

Today's podcast is focused on giving you a preview of our upcoming Fall programming as we'll be taking Summer Break from June through the end of our Summer here in the US and coming back with new episodes in the Fall. 

We have lots of exciting conversations underway. Some include previewing the work of the entities within the Build Up Companies - Build Up Advisory Group, The Campbell Law Firm, and Build Up, Inc. - and others focused on centering our infrastructure work with brave nonprofits and philanthropies and historically marginalized communities. We also have interesting topics impacting leaders from historically marginalized communities, including discussing systemic barriers to equitable compensation as well as Black-centered leadership within organizations, just to name a few of these topics.

We hope you have a great Summer break and we'll be back on the airwaves soon.

This week on the Nonprofit Build Up, we are recasting a conversation Nic has with Jamie Lieberman. Jamie is the owner and founder of Hashtag Legal: a “go-to” legal firm that allows business owners to be well informed about "When does a Nonprofit Need a Lawyer?" while feeling empowered to embrace what having a strong legal side can do for financial success.

On this recast of the Nonprofit Build Up, we’re talking with Geoffrey Canada. Geoff is a leading advocate for children and an innovator in the field of education. He created the Harlem Children’s Zone, a birth-through-college network of programs that today serves more than 13,000 low-income students and families in a 97-block area of Central Harlem in New York City. The unprecedented success of the Harlem Children’s Zone has attracted the attention of the media and leaders around the world.

In this episode, Geoff shares tremendous insight, knowledge, and practical advice for everyone listening, helping us to build and lead bravely.

In this recast of the Nonprofit Build Up, Nic is speaking with Doug Nelson, President & Managing Director of Discovery Group — a boutique consulting company working with organizations on issues related to governance, planning, and execution and a vision to bring together a group of talented and compassionate leaders. Doug is not only a leader, but he is also award-winning in the areas of governance, culture, advocacy, and innovative granting, and he has raised nearly $1 billion for organizations in Canada and the United States.

This week on the Nonprofit Build Up®, Nic is talking with Asta Petkeviciute and Thaddeus Squire of Social Impact Commons. Social Impact Commons is a nonprofit organization created to meet the evolving needs of the fiscal sponsorship community. SIC is building the first national network and community of practice, advancing management commons as a model of equitable and inclusive resource sharing for the nonprofit sector aka a next-generation approach to fiscal sponsorship.

This week on the Nonprofit Build Up®, Nic is talking with Asta Petkeviciute and Thaddeus Squire of Social Impact Commons. Social Impact Commons is a nonprofit organization created to meet the evolving needs of the fiscal sponsorship community. SIC is building the first national network and community of practice, advancing management commons as a model of equitable and inclusive resource sharing for the nonprofit sector aka a next-generation approach to fiscal sponsorship.

In this two-week series, we will be exploring the context and common concerns on “Managing Risk for Equitable Grant Making”. This week’s episode is part one of a two-part panel discussion originally recorded at the PEAK 2022 Conference.

Moderated by Build Up’s CEO, A. Nicole Campbell and in conversation with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Deputy Director, Melanie Brown, JustLeadershipUSA’s President and CEO DeAnna Hoskins, and Herald Advisors Principal, Aleesha Taylor. This presentation was originally recorded in March 2022. This is a two-part series.

Nic, Melanie, DeAnna, and Aleesha dive into the practice of progressive grantmaking, the inequities that traditional grantmaking has on the marginalized communities it aims to serve, and how to align the definition of risk with an organization’s appetite for risk. You won’t want to miss it.

In this two-week series, we will be exploring the context and common concerns on “Managing Risk for Equitable Grant Making”. This week’s episode is part one of a two-part panel discussion originally recorded at the PEAK 2022 Conference.

Moderated by Build Up’s CEO, A. Nicole Campbell and in conversation with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Deputy Director, Melanie Brown, JustLeadershipUSA’s President and CEO DeAnna Hoskins, and Herald Advisors Principal, Aleesha Taylor. This presentation was originally recorded in March 2022. This is a two-part series.

Nic, Melanie, DeAnna, and Aleesha dive into the practice of progressive grantmaking, the inequities that traditional grantmaking has on the marginalized communities it aims to serve, and how to align the definition of risk with an organization’s appetite for risk. You won’t want to miss it.

Over the next two weeks, we are recasting one of our very first episodes of the Nonprofit Build Up as a two-part series. In this series, you will hear Nic’s conversation with Susan Burton, a leader in the criminal justice reform movement, founder of A New Way of Life Reentry Project, and outspoken voice to end mass incarceration.

 Susan shares why she founded A New Way of Life, shines a light on the policies and practices that encourage mass incarceration and offers advice for leaders and organizations for building infrastructure and investing in their communities. 

Nic talks with Nancy Murphy, Founder and President of CSR Communications on “ Leading within Organizational Change”. Nancy has designed and implemented sustainability, community engagement, and philanthropic strategies for companies such as UPS and Johnson Controls, and nonprofit organizations, including W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Nancy will be sharing insights on leading, supporting, strategizing, and re-energizing big change initiatives, especially given the current climate. You won’t want to miss it.

Nic talks with Nancy Murphy, Founder and President of CSR Communications on “ Leading within Organizational Change”. Nancy has designed and implemented sustainability, community engagement, and philanthropic strategies for companies such as UPS and Johnson Controls, and nonprofit organizations, including W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Nancy will be sharing insights on leading, supporting, strategizing, and re-energizing big change initiatives, especially given the current climate. You won’t want to miss it.

Nic talks with DeAnna Hoskins, President and CEO of JustLeadership USA also known as JLUSA. DeAnna Hoskins has been at the helm of JLUSA since 2018. A nationally recognized leader and dynamic public speaker, she has been committed to the movement for racial and social justice, working alongside those most impacted by marginalization for over two decades. DeAnna leads from the perspective that collective leadership, advocacy for justice with reinvestment, and bold systems change are only possible when those who are most harmed are provided the tools and resources to demand change. You will not want to miss these episodes.

Over the next two weeks on the Nonprofit Build Up®, Nic is talking with Yvonne Moore, the Managing Director of Moore Philanthropy and President of Moore Impact. Yvonne has over 25 years of experience in the government, civil society, and philanthropic sectors to their work in providing strategic and tailored philanthropic advisement and solutions to families, individuals, and institutions. Prior to launching Moore Philanthropy, Yvonne was the Chief of Staff to filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail E. Disney where she oversaw the family’s network of media, philanthropic and advocacy organizations. She ran the family’s private foundation, provide advisement on their personal philanthropic giving, both charitable and political, and led their expansion into international giving in 2008. These episodes are profound.

Over the next two weeks on the Nonprofit Build Up®, Nic is talking with Yvonne Moore, the Managing Director of Moore Philanthropy and President of Moore Impact. Yvonne has over 25 years of experience in the government, civil society, and philanthropic sectors to their work in providing strategic and tailored philanthropic advisement and solutions to families, individuals, and institutions. Prior to launching Moore Philanthropy, Yvonne was the Chief of Staff to filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail E. Disney where she oversaw the family’s network of media, philanthropic and advocacy organizations. She ran the family’s private foundation, provide advisement on their personal philanthropic giving, both charitable and political, and led their expansion into international giving in 2008. These episodes are profound.

As nonprofits, we need to be responsive to the people’s needs at the moment while tackling the bigger structural issues as well. This is a powerful message that this episode’s guest can never overemphasize. Nicole Campbell brings in Sherrilyn Ifill, the seventh and current President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights legal organization. 

In this conversation, Sherrilyn talks about the work they are doing at LDF and how it is transforming the lives of countless discriminated and disadvantaged members of the Black community. She also shares her advice for nonprofits and philanthropies to build better. Listen in and learn about the immense power of being responsive and other lessons and information born out of decades in service of the people.

As nonprofits, we need to be responsive to the people’s needs at the moment while tackling the bigger structural issues as well. This is a powerful message that this episode’s guest can never overemphasize. In this special two-part series, Nic is talking with Sherrilyn Ifill, the seventh and current President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights legal organization. This interview was recorded back in May 2020, when the country contended with both a pandemic and growing racial and social justice movements. Which, two years later, is still pressing on in addition to the war in Ukraine and inflated markets worldwide. Listen in and learn about the immense power of being responsive and other lessons and information born out of decades in service of the people.

This week on the Nonprofit Build Up is part two of a two-part series led by Build Up's CEO and managing attorney, Nic Campbell, and moderated by Shelli Warren of Biz Chicks, Team and Leadership Coach, and Stacking Your Team podcast host.

You can jump back to part one of the conversation to learn more about defining culturally competent leadership where Nic is talking about all things cultural competence, leadership and effective teams. Originally published on October 4th, 2022, Nic continues to explore what cultural competence means, its competitive edge in business and its significance when embodied not only across teams but in leadership positions as well. 

Over the next two weeks on the Nonprofit Build Up®, Nic is talking all things cultural competence, leadership, and effective teams. 

Originally published on the Stacking Your Team (SYT) podcast with Team and Leadership Coach and SYT Podcast Host Shelli Warren of Biz Chix, Nic deep dives into what cultural competence means, its competitive edge, and its significance when embodied not only across teams but in leadership positions as well. You will not want to miss these episodes.