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BLK ED Network

@blkednetwork

Narrowing the racial leadership gap for Black Nonprofit Executive Directors

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I’m thrilled to be a finalist for the prestigious Smokeball Beacon Award, which recognizes individuals making significant impacts on their clients and communities through pro bono legal services. Help me win the People’s Choice award by voting for me at the link in my bio. Voting closes on July 1.#SmokeballBeacon

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Last week at HERstory Matters, our Executive Director, Dana Cole, joined a powerful conversation with @greenlightfund & @coachgstepislife centered on leadership, growth, and what it truly takes to sustain our communities

We’re grateful to @blkednetwork for creating space for these moments and for bringing together leaders committed to meaningful impact! 💛

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A little behind-the-scenes of my leadership journey.

Over the past year I’ve been accepted into several programs focused on leadership, impact, and community development.

• Leadership Maryland Emerging Leaders
• BLK ED Leadership Accelerator
• Baltimore Planning Academy
• Mountaintop Social Impact Executive Fellowship

Each experience is shaping how I lead as Principal Consultant of The Butterfly Effect, CEO of the Claude C. Thornton Foundation, and founder of the Greater Baltimore Climate Summit.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep learning, stretching, and growing alongside incredible leaders.

I’ll be sharing reflections from these programs in a new series: Leadership Programs for Founders.

#LeadershipJourney #FounderGirly #AlwaysLearning #entrepreneur

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Today I had the opportunity to join an incredible group of women as a panelist for BCRP’s International Women’s Day luncheon.

The conversation centered on mentorship, leadership, and the ways women can continue supporting one another as we grow in our careers and communities.

It was meaningful to sit alongside women who are committed to continuing that cycle, supporting others while navigating their own leadership paths.

Thank you to the BCRP team for the invitation and for creating space for honest conversation among women doing important work.

#JMCreates #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInLeadership #WomenSupportingWomen #MentorshipMatters #WomenLeaders #LeadershipConversations

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Come w me to meet the top funders in baltimore. Casey Foundation, France-Merrick Foundation, Hoffberger Family Philanthropies, Robert W Duetsch Foundation, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Glow Forward Foundation, Straus Foundation, Green Light Fund, Respond to Grace Foundation, and Equity Project Foundation. #foundergirly #womanceo #501c3 #grants #nonprofit

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Grateful for the opportunity to be part of this year’s CIAA Health & Wellness Summit.

Thank you for creating space for real conversations around uterine health, fibroids, endometriosis, and the experiences so many women carry quietly. Being in a room where honesty, education, and community can exist together is something I don’t take lightly.

Honored to share, listen, and stand alongside women who continue to push these conversations forward.

#FebruaryIsCIAA #ComeHomeToBaltimore #VisitBaltimore #CIAA2026 #CIAATournament2026 #BeWellInBMore #BlackWomensHealth #HealthEquity #EndometriosisAwareness #FibroidsAwareness #BlackWomenLead @ciaasports

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On February 3, I joined a room full of leaders, funders, and community builders at MIX: Monthly Innovation eXchange to talk about what inclusive growth really looks like in this moment.

My work in this sector began with a very personal experience that shaped how I understand leadership, responsibility, and care for community. That perspective has stayed with me through every role I’ve held over the past decade.

Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with nonprofit leaders. Many are carrying deep responsibility for the people they serve while navigating limited resources, shifting expectations, and systems that were never built with them in mind.

Through the @blkednetwork and my consulting work, I see how isolation can slow growth. Inclusive progress becomes harder to sustain when leaders are expected to absorb pressure quietly and keep moving without support, reflection, or honest conversation.

When leaders are resourced, connected, and trusted, their organizations become steadier, and communities feel that care in real and lasting ways.

Grateful to have been in that space and to continue these conversations with people committed to building something better.

📸: @winstonqzhou

#JMCreates #NonprofitLeadership #BLKEDNetwork #InclusiveGrowth #BaltimoreNonprofits #LeadershipMatters

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Learning about executive presence was one of the best things I could’ve done as a founder!

Shoutout to the Black Executive Director network @blkednetwork for this incredible leadership accelerator🥂

I had literally never been to The Center Club before and who knew the view was insane like that!! Maybe better than Bygone tbh

#foundergirly #entrepreneur #womanceo #executive

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Proud moment for our President & Founder @cari.a.harris ✨

Cari A. Harris, MS, PMP has been selected for the BLK ED Network Leadership Accelerator, Class of 2025–2026. @blkednetwork

Through this cohort, Cari will continue strengthening governance practices, deepening systems-level leadership, and advancing community-driven economic and climate solutions—work that sits at the heart of CCTF’s mission.

We’re grateful to be in the room, learning alongside Black leaders committed to building equitable, resilient communities.

#community #economicdevelopment #leadership

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HR Managers, Directors, Event Planners➡️ This one’s for you! If you’re looking to add a sound bath, journaling, gentle yoga or meditation to your next event, let’s get in touch! 📩

To my community, if you know someone personally who would enjoy my wellness sessions, please send them my way! I’m always grateful for the connections and degrees of separation, especially in Smaltimore 😋

Booking for Maryland, DC & Northern Virginia🫶🏽
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#Soundbathdmv #corporatewellness #workplacewellness #baltimorewellness #soundhealing #baltimoresoundbath #dmvwellness #dcwellness #soundbath #baltimoresmallbusiness #baltimoreevents

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“Honored to be highlighted in BLK ED Network’s Member Spotlight — a space truly uplifting Black leaders.”

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Question: What inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector, and how did you get started in your current role as an Executive Director?

Corey: I started Charm City Impact after repeatedly watching talented Black founders with solid ideas get stuck—not because the work lacked value, but because they didn’t have a 501(c)(3), back‑office support, or anyone walking them through compliance and funder expectations. The fiscal sponsorship landscape I saw was thin on representation and culturally aware coaching. I saw the need for deeper support, and folks kept encouraging me to keep going. Formalizing that support into Charm City Impact and stepping in as Executive Director was the obvious next step.

Question: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a Black Nonprofit Executive Director, and how have you overcome them?

Corey: Access is the hurdle. A lot of philanthropic and strategic opportunities still flow through closed or legacy networks, and as a Black founder leading a newer fiscal sponsorship organization, I don’t always start with those built‑in pathways. I wouldn’t claim I’ve overcome it. Instead, I treat visibility like a discipline: saying yes to speaking slots, following up after every event, intentionally asking for warm intros, sharing progress updates publicly, and consistently refining how I tell Charm City Impact’s story. The goal is to shorten the distance between our work and the people who can resource it. Bit by bit, repeated, authentic presence is opening doors that a single cold email never would.

#BLKEDNetwork #MemberSpotlight #EducationLeadership #CommunityImpact #BlackExcellence

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Join us on Friday, August 22, 2025 (10–11:30 AM) at the Baltimore Community Foundation for The Power Table: Black Philanthropy Unplugged—an intimate, strategy-driven gathering in celebration of Black Philanthropy Month.

This event creates a space for reflection, unfiltered dialogue, and connection among Black nonprofit leaders across Greater Baltimore and D.C. Highlights include a gallery-style prompt walk, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and a celebration of Black leadership with music, light bites, and good energy.

AFP Members: $5 | Non-Members: $10
Register now: https://afpmd.memberclicks.net/thepowertable

#BlackPhilanthropyMonth #AFPMaryland #ThePowerTable #Philanthropy

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