Hi Reader What if the most powerful form of capital you could access wasn't sitting in a bank or a VC fund — but in the community already standing around you? Omi Bell built an entire ecosystem on that question. This week on Reframing Perspectives, I sit down with Omi Bell — CEO of Black Girl Ventures, Aspen Fellow, Kennedy Center artist, and the architect of a community-funding ecosystem that has resourced more than 550 under-resourced companies and reached over 20,000 entrepreneurs. Her...
9 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader What if the most powerful introduction to mental health came from a rap song? That's a decade of Archie Green's life. This week on Reframing Perspectives, I sit down with Archie Green — Founder and CEO of Peel Dem Layers Back, hip-hop artist, and the creator of the Cope Dealer program that's changing how Black men and boys are introduced to mental health. Archie has spent the last ten years using hip-hop as a delivery system for the medicine the traditional system wasn't offering...
16 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader We were taught that dignity lives in what we can give. Almost no one taught us the other half. This week on Reframing Perspectives, I sit down with Miguel Centeno — Vice President of Community Engagement at Healthfirst, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in downstate New York, serving more than two million New Yorkers. But Miguel's story doesn't start in a boardroom. It starts in Bronx public housing, in an apartment that often went without heat or hot water, and in a family...
23 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader It's been a few weeks since you've heard from me. Life asked me to focus on family for a while, and I honored that. I'm back now with something I've been wanting to do for a while, and I'm genuinely excited to share it with you. What you can expect in today's issue: Solo Reframes Podcast is back, and why I needed to say this one out loud The latest on Substack: Going deeper on exhaustion and meaningful work What happens when you say yes to everything (and what it really costs) -...
4 months ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader Most conversations about emotional intelligence sound the same: universal tips, universal frameworks, universal expectations. But emotional intelligence has never been universal; it's cultural and contextual, deeply nuanced. It’s shaped by the homes we grew up in, the identities we hold, and the stories that raised us. This week’s conversation felt like pulling back the curtain on something we’ve all sensed but rarely articulate: EQ doesn’t look the same across cultures, and it was...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader How many times have you been invited to rooms, thinking you're welcome, unintentionally ignored, and left disheartened? Yep, me too...and I'm sharing a perspective about what it means to curate rooms where you're not just invited, but truly welcome. What you can expect in today's issue: Why inclusion is more than an invitation The subtle ways people feel unwelcome, even in “good” rooms What it actually means to hold space for others How curiosity, not charisma, creates meaningful...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader Doing work that helps social good movements and makes the world a better place is not a job for a martyr; you serve the world, who serves you? What you can expect in today's issue: Why do we feel disconnected, even when surrounded by like-minded people The difference between connection and intimacy, and why it matters Why changemakers are often the most emotionally undernourished What happens when people are given permission to stop performing A behind-the-scenes look at the new...
5 months ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader Today felt important to talk about how we're consciously spending our time and energy to cultivate a community we actually want to live in. How our actions matter, our intentions matter, and what we can do as an individual, as a community, and as a society. What you can expect in today's issue: A clear-eyed look at what actually drives influence in our world right now A reflection on fear, capitalism, and the reality of the K-shaped economy What compassion, empathy, and...
6 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader Apologies for the delayed newsletter! I was finalizing the newsletter while flying mid-air to India when the Wi-Fi went out, and I couldn't access it until landing in Hong Kong! (more on this trip to India once I'm back in 2 weeks! My first trip in 11 years) ___ I refuse to engage with 'rage bait' and 30-second clickbait. Honestly, I don't think you'd want me to overwhelm you with 30-second downloaded thoughts. If you've heard my podcast or ever asked me a question, you'd know I've...
10 months ago • 5 min read