Liz Ward’s Post

12 months of being a trustee in the bag 💫 It’s a total privilege to sit on the board of 38 Degrees especially during such a crucial year for campaigning - at home and across the pond 🌍🌎 What I’ve learnt: 👶🏽 At my first external event I was asked three times if I was a Young Trustee. As much as I would like to say it’s my youthful persona, as a grown adult in my mid-thirties, it’s still an assumption that I wouldn’t be in such a position on merit alone. Nothing I’m not used to! 💡 The previous board I worked with taught me how *not* to be a trustee. It’s been inspiring to work alongside colleagues who hold respect (and constructive criticism) for the work we do 🔬I want to work on asking more forensic questions. Board meetings are always tight for time, and I’ve learnt how to manage those spaces (learning every quarter!) 🚫 I still get imposter syndrome. I’m as ENFJ as they come but when it comes to speaking up, there’s a little voice that I have to quieten. We’re working on that 📑 READ THE PAPERS! But more importantly, let the team know how much you appreciate their work in building up a snapshot of the organisation ⏰ Be available - easier said than done, but I’ve really tried to be as available as possible and I’ve been supported by other team members too. 🖤 I’m proud to be one of the ever-increasing number of Black trustees out in the world Black On Board Ltd / Black Women On Boards do great work in this area too. This is my second Board position and it couldn’t be more different. The team are amazing and inspiring, and it’s super interesting!! Not only that, it’s exhilarating and exciting to be connected to campaigning again. It’s been an amazing year, here’s to (at least two) more! Can’t wait to plot all board and committee meetings on my very swanky new calendar!!!! Thanks team 🫶🏽 #governance #boards #trustee #campaigning

Welcome to Black-Owned Business Month! August marks the celebration of Black-Owned Business Month, a time to honor and uplift the incredible contributions of Black entrepreneurs and their businesses. As a proud member of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., a Business Sorority dedicated to the empowerment and success of Black women in business, I am excited to spotlight the businesses of my Sorors, their affiliates, and friends throughout this month. Why Celebrate Black-Owned Business Month? The celebration of Black-Owned Business Month began as a way to recognize the vital role that Black entrepreneurs play in our economy and communities. This observance not only highlights the rich diversity and innovation within the Black business community but also addresses the historical and systemic challenges that Black business owners have faced. From limited access to capital to navigating racial bias, the journey of a Black entrepreneur often requires resilience and determination. Join us in celebrating and supporting Black-Owned Business Month by following, sharing, and engaging with the businesses we spotlight. Together, we can make a difference and uplift the voices and ventures that shape our communities. Stay tuned for spotlights and features! Let's celebrate and support Black excellence in business! 💼💖 The Lola M. Parker Foundation Maya Lynn Harris - Women-Owned Minority Businesses La Francis Rodgers-Rose International Black Women's Congress (IBWC) Ease & Excellence Event Planning #BlackOwnedBusinessMonth #SupportBlackBusinesses #BlackExcellence #IotaPhiLambda #CommunityEmpowerment #EconomicEmpowerment #CulturalDiversity #SocialEquity #YOTW2024 #LMPF

The Brown Mamas Marketplace, founded by Muffy Mendoza, will return on Small Business Saturday, November 30, in Pittsburgh, highlighting Black women-owned businesses through vendor showcases and educational sessions. The event aims to empower local "mompreneurs" by providing a platform to sell products and learn from experts like lawyers and accountants, focusing on womb, wealth, and wellness themes. Taking place at Emerald City from 12 to 4 p.m., the marketplace will continue its mission of fostering community and supporting Black mothers with plans to return in spring 2025. https://lnkd.in/dbZRhdZt

This incredibly insightful piece from Nonprofit Quarterly spoke to the incredibly difficult challenges faced by Black women in nonprofit leadership. Dr. Shauna Knox hit the nail on the head with her assessment of the current state and future of Black leadership: “Many Black women in positions of leadership earnestly believe that they cannot afford the luxury of a more integral moral ecology because they are being made to choose between their livelihoods and their ideals.[...]We cannot reorder the conditions of the labor-industrial complex, or, frankly, any other establishment, to make ourselves acceptable as we are—that is not our work. But if that work continues to be neglected, we will continue to lose our hair, our minds, our souls, our bodies, our voices, and our futures—and oh what a tragedy that would be.” Nonprofits who continue to ignore the multi-faceted challenges faced by the leaders of their organizations will only further wane in their influence and community trust, partially when well-reasoned grievances go unaddressed. #BlackLeadership #Nonprofit #Leadership #Justice

The Brown Mamas Marketplace, founded by Muffy Mendoza, will return on Small Business Saturday, November 30, in Pittsburgh, highlighting Black women-owned businesses through vendor showcases and educational sessions. The event aims to empower local "mompreneurs" by providing a platform to sell products and learn from experts like lawyers and accountants, focusing on womb, wealth, and wellness themes. Taking place at Emerald City from 12 to 4 p.m., the marketplace will continue its mission of fostering community and supporting Black mothers with plans to return in spring 2025. https://lnkd.in/dbZRhdZt

Last week, I reshared a post from Erin Corine Johnson about the importance of investing in Black women. As we kick off Black Business Month and witness a Black woman running for President, the time is now. We've been bootstrapping and making moves, but today, an investment can help bring long term gold! 🥇 When I heard the story of Olympic athlete Veronica Fraley, who couldn’t pay her rent despite her incredible achievements due to the wage gap and patriarchy, it hit home. And when Flavor Flav stepped in to support her, I cried. The relief she must have felt for her body, heart, and soul is inspiring. Let’s create more of that. Bottom line: Be like Flavor Flav—invest in Black women. You don’t need to be a multimillionaire to make a difference. Ways you can support: 🙌🏽Share our content. 🙌🏽Give referrals. 🙌🏽Buy from us when you can. 🙌🏽Invest funds when you can. 🙌🏽Offer free services to help us grow if you can. 🙌🏽Support causes like The Reparations Race working to bridge the resource gap. 🙌🏽Send us DMs to show your appreciation and support. 🙌🏽Send us money through cash apps. 🙌🏽Buy us lunch or a cup of coffee. There are countless ways to invest in us. We are reshaping the world. Let’s do it together. What would you add to the list? Is there a Black woman you’d want to refer? Drop that in the comments. ⬇️

In preparation for National Black Business Month, I wanted to share an article I wrote in 2021 addressing inequity in Atlanta’s philanthropic community; particularly during the pandemic. The data at the time revealed that 74% of funding went to white-led organizations, while only 10% went to organizations founded by Black women. We have made headway since I first wrote this piece; the conversation has expanded and informs how we support our black women executives through our Legacy Leadership program currently hosted at the Lola.  However, the data continues to illustrate the inequity in funding allocation towards Black women-led organizations. I am honored to have led this close examination of Atlanta’s giving practices. Collaborating with local powerhouses: Sagirah Jones, Kate Little, Wande Okunoren-Meadows, Cicely Garrett, Malaika Wells, and Yonina Gray, MBA to address these deep-rooted biases and broken processes was a dream come true. Check out our recommendations on the link below for better operational strategies as we move forward. 🙌 https://lnkd.in/g2ERE7nx

Let it be known: Despite continued obstacles, Black talent thrives in every industry. We are present throughout the economic spectrum, excelling at all levels. Yet, despite our significant contributions, our experiences continue to be diminished. Through conversations and roundtable discussions facilitated by The Black Network, we have uncovered the pervasive inequalities that shadow our professions. I’m in the business of change not charity and that’s what Black Out is about. We're engineering transformation. Black Out represents a critical opportunity for organisations, for budget holders to actively partner with us and participate in change, creating a more inclusive future and for the Black community to be part of it in real time. This is history in the making, join us as we practically change the face of advertising and media. Apply - https://lnkd.in/ekTWj-ap Partner - bn@cephaswilliams.com #BlackOut2024 / #TheBlackNetwork The Black Network / Together We Are Stronger Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity #BlackOut2024 / #CannesLionsFestival

As I reflect on what individual and institutional donors in CA need to do to commemorate Juneteenth in a real way-sure, give to black-led and black-serving groups. And choose both the best as well as some mediocre ones, because let’s face it, your grantee portfolio isn’t all ‘the best.’ Hire black folk for leadership positions, and don’t set them up to fail. But also recognize that if most of the folk you complain about burning bridges are black women, thinking you are critiquing them, you may actually be unknowingly talking about the bridges you stand on that black folk, especially black women, have to burn in order to succeed. Sometimes a burning bridge to you actually looks like this. And yes, that’s a real story spurred by what I’ve heard from many non-black Bay Area progressives about too many black women in movement politics. Another thing-if your portfolio has lots of groups talking about protecting black folk who don’t have no black folk….do something about that.

Dear Corporate America/Tech/Government/Non-Profit world: You know that one Black woman on your team? (Hopefully you didn’t let go of her when your performative commitment to DEI fell out of style.) The one who is probably the most educated, takes on projects with gusto and provides results, but makes it look too easy, so you under-resource, underestimate, underpay and underpromote? Well, she now has a side-hustle that offers challenge, fellowship (I was once the only Black woman in a director role at an entire multinational corporation…talk about a DRAG. Sadly, I can’t tell you if they have one today, they notice or even care) and an imaginable, tangible reward. In mere hours, Black women across industries, economic strata and geographies gathered (broke Zoom), coalesced and started organizing + raising money to invest in a future that doesn’t look like the one portrayed in Octavia Butler’s incredibly prescient “Parable of the Sower.” And the ask of us — to be the first line of defense to help “save” an institution with no guarantee of personal benefit — is 100% deja vu. What does your team look like? Your C suite? Your board? What kind of future do you envision for your business? If Black women aren’t a part of it, prepare to be left behind.