The NGen Leadership Series continued with our second webinar on Wednesday, February 22 with "A Call to Leadership." This was a dynamic discussion with some serious sector leaders who discussed the challenges that leaders face and how to overcome these obstacles.

A Call to Leadership
Wednesday, February 22
2-3 p.m. ET
Facilitator:  Mikaela Seligman, Independent Sector
Speakers:   Rafael López, Annie E. Casey Foundation
                  Trish Tchume,YNPN National
                  Monisha Kapila, ProInspire

As society reshapes a common vision for the common good, the nonprofit and philanthropic sector must also evolve in the way organizations work internally and collaboratively to achieve their missions.  But are outdated leadership constructs, current distributions of power, and inadequate resources for talent development holding the sector back?  Leaders across the sector are calling for new attention on the importance of human capital. This discussion focused on how to address the leadership challenges – at both organizational and sector levels – that are getting in the way of greater effectiveness.

Independent Sector's own Mikaela Seligman, vice president of nonprofit and philanthropic leadership and practice, led this discussion.  Other speakers on the call included Rafael López, associate director of talent management and leadership, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Trish Tchume, director of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network National; and Monisha Kapila, founder and CEO of ProInspire.

Watch This Webinar (registered participants only)

Mikaela directs Independent Sector’s efforts to strengthen leadership, accountability, and effectiveness in nonprofit organizations of all sizes and missions. She brings to Independent Sector deep experience as a leader in and consultant to both the public and charitable sectors. Her career includes co-founding The OCL Group, which engages creative approaches to addressing organizations’ toughest leadership challenges. Mikaela joined Independent Sector in April 2010. She has taught leadership at the master’s level at George Mason University and St. Mary’s College and has provided consultation to leaders in international and domestic nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and governments.
Rafael López is the Associate Director for Talent and Leadership Development at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. Prior to joining the Foundation, López served as the President and CEO of The Family League of Baltimore City, Inc. where he also served as a member of the Baltimore City Mayor’s Cabinet. López is a results driven leader with experience in the public and social sectors where he has served in numerous roles at the city, county and state level focused on improving the lives of children, youth and families.
After almost eight years of engaging with the network as a volunteer, Trish Tchume is proud to be serving as the first-ever Director of YNPN National. Prior to becoming Director of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) in 2011, Trish served  as Director of Civic Engagement for the Building Movement Project  and as a Campus Organizer, a Community Outreach Manager, and the Director of Training for Idealist.org, all following years spent doing community development work via city government and academia.  Over the years, Trish has received a number of awards and recognitions for her engagement of young nonprofit professionals including her selection for the inaugural class of Independent Sector NGen Fellows in 2009.
Monisha founded ProInspire to build the next generation of nonprofit leaders by expanding the talent pipeline, developing professionals and increasing diversity.   Prior to launching ProInspire, Monisha spent 10 years in the business and nonprofit sectors. Most recently she was a Senior Product Manager for Capital One Financial Corporation. Prior to Capital One, she was a Harvard Business School Leadership Fellow with ACCION International, a pioneer in the commercial approach to microfinance. Monisha has worked with a number of leading nonprofit organizations throughout her career, including CARE, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, and the Clinton Foundation.