Moments that Matter

Join us for a wide ranging conversation with Senator Natalie Murdock. Senator Murdock shared the moments that have mattered to her leadership journey, from her earliest forays into leadership as a high schooler, to the way she now shapes and leads the communities she represents. This conversation is chock full of wisdom and quotables, and we can't wait for you to hear it!Natalie Murdock is Senator for North Carolina District 20. Senator Murdock is a native North Carolinian and a UNC alum. Natalie has spent a lifetime learning about the strengths and challenges of North Carolina. With over a decade of work experience in transportation, economic development, and government affairs, Natalie entered the public realm as a locally elected official. Now, she is an elected senator and running for re-election to continue transforming the lives of hardworking North Carolinians.Senator Murdock is a 2015 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow. She is a graduate of the Regional Program. 

Join us for an energized and inspiring conversation with Rabbi Eric Solomon! His passion is palpable as we discuss dual narratives, multiple perspectives, and navigating turbulent contexts. This episode is full of teachings about the power of differing world views, and the progress we can make with respectful engagement across communities. Rabbi Solomon is a proud Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Maryland. He has spent years of rabbinical school studying in Jerusalem and New York City. Among his many awards after ordination, in 2005, Rabbi Solomon gained entry into the Rabbinical Assembly and arrived in Raleigh to serve Beth Meyer Synagogue. Rabbi Solomon wears many hats in his community including: the founding co-chair of the North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association, member of the City of Raleigh Human Relations Commission and Interfaith I-CARE Team of the Raleigh Police Department, and Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Previously, he served as the co-chair of Truah: The Rabbinical Call for Human Rights. Rabbi Solomon loves playing tennis and is an avid runner. He is married to Rabbi Dr. Jennifer Solomon, and they have three children.Rabbi Solomon is a 2022 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow. He is a graduate of the Regional Program. 

Tina Blake, NC native, grew up in Greenville NC. Tina's dad served as Assistant to the Chancellor at ECU through 3 administrations. Growing up in that environment led to higher education and NC politics becoming a part of everyday conversation and instilled a deep desire to serve those that were often underrepresented. Choosing to attend ECU was also part of family legacy for Tina, and she earned a BS in Economics at the institution. Early in her professional career, Tina was hired by Congressman Walter Jones NC-3 to assist opening and serving in the district office. This office served 19 counties and their constituents. In the time since, Tina has performed a broad range of professional disciplines, including  involvement in State and Federal election campaigns, pharmaceutical sales, development, and research, higher education and HBCU consulting work, oversight of senior living and hospitality group mergers and acquisitions, and C Suite level networking and leadership development.Tina is a 2018 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow. She is a graduate of the Regional program. You can find more from Tina at:Twitter @piratelegacy Facebook Tina Blake LinkedIn Tina-Blake-ourleadershipnowInsta: Tina B

Valencia Harris is the President and Founder of Empower All, Inc. She is an educator that has taught both elementary and STEM education for over 15 years. Harris is a third-year doctoral student studying Educational Equity at North Carolina State University. Her educational and career experiences have fueled her drive to diversify the teacher pipeline, push culturally relevant pedagogy as standard, increase the presence of students of color in STEAM, and create an equitable education for all students. A quote at the bottom of her email signature by Toni Morrison sums up her ethos as a leader: "If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to EMPOWER somebody else."Valencia is a 2022 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow. She is a graduate of the Regional program. 

How do you reconcile your core values as a human being, and the work you do in the world? How do you show up boldly every day under the weight of imposter syndrome? We hope you'll enjoy our conversation with 2021 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow Allyson Cobb as she shares her journey discovering her core values as a leader and learning to create brave spaces that enable others to step into their own power as leaders. Allyson Cobb is a Durham native who grew up in San Francisco, California. She is a proud daughter, sister, aunt, and friend who holds the values of justice, community, and family at the core of her being. Currently, she serves as the Director of Community Engagement at the United Way of the Greater Triangle. Leading with her core values, Allyson creatively cultivates strategic partnerships and initiatives that engage local nonprofits and corporations wanting to make a lasting impact in the Triangle community. From a young age, serving one's community is something that has always been her calling. Allyson is a Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow and a recent winner of the 2022 Triangle Business Journals 40 under 40 Leaders to watch. She shared the following quote, to sum up, her belief in community and the work she does: "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott KingTwitter:@ _AllysonCobbLinkedIn: Allyson CobbInstagram: @hopefullonewww.leadershiptriangle.com

How do you respond when your gut is telling you it's time to leave the comfort and security of the life you've created and venture out into the unknown? Join us for a frank conversation with 2021 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow Ted Boyse who grappled with a pivotal career decision that put his sense of security on the line and forged a path of self assessment and re-evaluation.Dr. Ted Boyse is Assistant Professor of Radiology at Duke University and serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer at Duke Raleigh Hospital and Division Chief for Duke Radiology's Community Division. Dr. Boyse works to ensure quality and safety in care at Duke Raleigh hospital and is committed to bringing Duke Health to our community.www.linkedin.com/in/tedboysewww.leadershiptriangle.com

There are few things we fear more than failure. Most of us do everything we can to avoid it, but retreating from the discomfort of failure often deprives us of the gifts of growth, perspective, and our own evolution into resilient wayfinders. Join us as 2019 & 2022 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow Cecilia Polanco shares her reflections on failure and the gifts that can be found when we choose to lean in and overcome.Cecilia S. Polanco is a local Durham community organizer and proud graduate of Durham Public Schools who believes #TheRevolutionWillBeWellFed. She is a daughter of the Salvadoran diaspora and indigenous peoples of El Salvador, a long time Durham resident, and local small business owner of So Good Pupusas social justice food truck, and founder of Pupusas for Education non profit community organization. She works in the fields of mental health advocacy, food and environmental justice, economic community development, youth development and organizing, and more just philanthropic and nonprofit systems. She values racial equity and anti-racism, intersectionality, the path from DEI to liberatory systems, building bridges of solidarity, freedom dreaming around decolonized strategies and systems, radical joy and celebration, and a visionary for a healing path forward together. As a facilitator she believes in co-creating brave spaces to grapple with both having experiences and being agents of harm, channeling our inner child in our work, and slowing down to prioritize connection, relationship, and heart centered work. Linkedin, FB: Cecilia S. Polanco  Instagram and Twitter: @pupusa_mami SGP website: www.sogoodpupusas.comP4E website: www.pupusas4education.comwww.leadershiptriangle.com

Devin Desjarlais, a 2020 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow and the director of Marketing and Storytelling at United Way of the Greater Triangle, shares the the part of her personal story that led her to develop a tremendous amount of growth and resiliency at a very early age. Diagnosed with what her neurologist described as "the worst case of Tourettes" he had ever seen, Devin found herself on a path of social rejection and isolation that instilled an unshakable sense of empathy and compassion into her world view. These formative experiences helped define the perspective she carries into her work today. Devin's story is an inspiration, we hope you enjoy this conversation!Devin Desjarlais – Director, Marketing and StorytellingDevin Desjarlais is the Director, Marketing and Storytelling at United Way of the Greater Triangle where she's leading the organization's creative branding, communications strategy, and equitable storytelling initiatives. Prior to joining this United Way team, Devin ran communications for United Way of Greater Los Angeles, led public relations for an LA-based advertising agency with brand partners including Pokémon and AT&T, served as a journalist for Village Voice Media, and supported celebrities like Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, and Jennifer Lopez on their journey to raise more than $4 million collectively for nonprofits like Wounded Warrior Project, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and UNICEF.While she could point to many career anecdotes, her favorites are the time the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada, called her a “funny writer” and when Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul encouraged her to follow her dreams of becoming a professional BeDazzler.Devin lives in Wake Forest, NC with her husband Jacob, daughters Amelia and Abigail, two rescue pitbulls, and four adopted chickens.Instagram: @ddesjarlLinkedin: (29) Devin Desjarlais | LinkedIn