Square Pizza Podcast

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Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Christine Edwards Pitkin, Founder & CEO of Civility Localized & Civic Impact Academy. Civility Localized is a minority and woman-owned Community Engagement Consulting Firm with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In this episode: 

• Civility Localized
  • Minority and woman-owned consulting firm and its mission to help communities grow with dignity through inclusive strategies for local and state government initiatives
  • Community outreach and engagement
• Civic Impact Academy
  • An educational experience that brings local community leaders and government leaders into the same rooms
  • Started in 2024
  • Launching a new cohort in September and applications open in July
• Board Member Experience
  • GenerationNation, Humane Society, and QC Family Tree 
    • Best practices of high-performing boards?
    • What aspiring board members know
    • Be ready and willing to give of yourself - your time, your money, your contacts

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GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Square Pizza Audience, we have a special episode from our family empowerment work. We host quarterly convenings for leaders and key players from our family empowerment cohort to gather and share insights and best practices related to family engagement and empowerment at the school level. This round was focused on Spring Break and Family Learning Time. Jia Lin-Bothe, our Director of Family Empowerment, had a fantastic discussion with our community partners on how to maximize Spring Break for family learning! Guests (panelists) include Stephanie Cales (North Carolina Council on Economic Education), Kaiwen Cheng (Queen City Robotics Alliance), and Patrina Garza (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library); they shared valuable insights on:

• Unique learning experiences available for students during Spring Break
• How programs support academic growth, social-emotional development, and career exploration
• Ways families can create low-cost, meaningful learning experiences at home or in the community
• Resources available to ensure accessibility for all families

Mrs. Cherie Graham (Chief of Instructional Support and Family Engagement at Sugar Creek Charter School) also shared the Spring Break BINGO Activity that the Family Engagement Council came up with a few years back. We hope you enjoy this episode on creating meaningful and accessible learning experiences for families during Spring Break!

Resources: 

• Link to the slide deck
• Resources list shared by our panelists

Support the show

GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Maya Martin Cadogan, Founder & Exec Director of Parents Amplifying Voices in Education. Founded in April 2016 with an all-parent governing board, PAVE is dedicated to creating an environment where the vision for education in DC is created with children and families, not for them. We aim to shift the dynamic so that communities and parents are partners in creating great schools.

In this episode: 

• PAVE
  • Empowering parents as partners in creating a diverse and equitable education system in DC
  • How PAVE is making a difference in education in DC
• LearnDC - Parent Driven selection process 
• Current Administration + Potential Closure of the Department of Education
  • How it will effect their work
  • Potential long-term ramifications
• AI in Education
  • How using AI tools to shape their work and drive change in education

Support the show

GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Brandon Thompson, VP of Diversity and Inclusion at NASCAR .

In this episode: 

Leadership Journey:

• Guest's path to NASCAR and how their career has evolved over time.
• Current role as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.

NASCAR’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

• Overview of NASCAR’s DEI efforts starting with the Drive for Diversity program in 2001.
• Key initiatives: NASCAR Next Internship, Drive for Diversity, and Supplier Diversity.
• Data, impact, and success stories behind these programs.

Current DEI Landscape:

• Discussion on the current environment for diversity, equity, and inclusion in NASCAR.
• Ongoing efforts and NASCAR’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture.

Advice for Leaders and Businesses:

• Insights on how other leaders and organizations can drive DEI in their own spaces.

Leadership Principles:

• The philosophy and principles that guide the guest’s leadership approach.

Support the show

GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!

Welcome back to another episode of the #squarepizzapod. This week, Greg is in conversation with Chris Jackson, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.

In this episode: 

• Leadership Journey & Connection to Goodwill
  • The CEO shares their leadership story and commitment to community service
• Goodwill Overview:
  • $80M annual budget
  • 1,200 team members
  • Serves 9,000+ residents
• Key programs include Donate & Shop, training programs, Opportunity Campus, and construction skills training
• What People Should Know About Goodwill 
  • Focus on empowering individuals through workforce development and community support.
• Future Vision (2025 & Beyond) 
  • Expanding workforce programs and community outreach to meet evolving needs.
• Team Culture 
  • Strong, inclusive culture is key to success, and Goodwill continues to nurture this environment.
• Workforce Development
  • Discusses the importance of partnerships and key requirements for successful programs.
• Leadership Principles
  • Emphasizes collaboration, community impact, and empowerment as guiding leadership values.

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