MACC Conversations

You Can’t Outwork the Problem: How to Slow Down to Speed Up

Melanie Ho, founder of Strategic Imagination, joins Laurel Hanson for a conversation on what it really takes to lead in uncertain times. From burnout and boundary saboteurs to leading from the middle, Melanie offers practical tools and a powerful reframe: the emotions we're tempted to push away are actually intelligence we need. A must-listen for human services professionals at every level.

More Than Swim Lessons: Building Black-Centered Spaces in North Minneapolis

This Juneteenth episode of our Powerful Voices, Lasting Impact, mini-series features Linda Bryant, Director of Business Operations at V3 Sports, and explores how this North Minneapolis hub is reclaiming a legacy denied to generations before: safe, joyful access to water and wellness.
Linda shares how V3 is building a true and needed "third space" for their community. A space where everyone belongs, where Black identity and culture are centered, where families build confidence in the pool (and beyond), and where freedom is treated not as a single historic moment but as something communities build every single day.

Black-Centered Spaces: Building Freedom in North Minneapolis

This episode of our mini-series Powerful Voices, Lasting Impact features Janeen Dednam-Wright from Phyllis Wheatley Community Center for a special Juneteenth conversation about the Center’s century-long role as a trusted, Black-centered anchor in North Minneapolis, supporting education, economic mobility, and cultural belonging.
The conversation highlights programs like early childhood education, Girls Who Code, Digital Tech Academy, and women’s wealth-building initiatives - emphasizing collaboration, safe spaces, and community-driven systems that continue the legacy of freedom and resilience.

The Power of Place: Phyllis Wheatley’s Legacy in North Minneapolis

This episode of our mini-series Powerful Voices, Lasting Impact features a special conversation with Bryan Tyner, CEO of the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, reflecting on Juneteenth, the Center’s 102-year legacy, and how it cultivates freedom, resilience, and opportunity for Black identity in North Minneapolis.
Hear how Phyllis Wheatley helps youth and families thrive and ways listeners can support and connect including summer programs and more!

Staying Grounded in Cultural Knowledge and Wellness Practices

Tune in to hear from Elder Atum Azzahir from Cultural Wellness Center and AsaleSol Young, Executive Director at Housing in Action, who join Laurel Hansen, MACC’s Program Manager, for a thoughtful conversation about healthy connections, staying grounded, cultural healing, and building wellness-centered communities. Elder Atum and AsaleSol provide a masterclass focusing on how people can stay grounded, healthy, and connected while doing hard community work. They talk about building workplaces rooted in care, culture, and healing and that staying grounded starts with knowing your identity, understanding your history, and feeling connected to your community and purpose. Wellness is more than physical health, it also includes mental health, healing from stress, building strong relationships, and creating space for joy and rest. Both of their organizations support wellness through mental health resources, time off, team gatherings, and open conversations about stress and burnout. Elder Atum shares that people can struggle when they lose connection to culture, community, and belonging, and that healing happens when people reconnect with themselves and others. Don't miss this packed conversation as it shows that kindness, teamwork, self-care, cultural pride, and meaningful relationships help people stay strong and hopeful while helping their communities.

PVLI: Building Belonging Through Community

In this episode of Powerful Voices: Lasting Impact, Mya Corbin MACC's Communications Specialist talks with Maitzeng Chang about supporting immigrant and refugee communities. Maitzeng shares what it is like to work as an Asian woman in the nonprofit world and why smaller communities are often overlooked. She explains how important it is for nonprofits to learn about different cultures and make people feel welcome. They discuss the challenges many immigrant families face when coming to the United States and starting a new life. Maitzeng highlights the power of kindness, community, and making space for everyone to belong.

Leading with Cultural and Lived Experience

Tune in to hear from Sipra Jha, the Shelter Director at Asian Women United of Minnesota and Laurel Hansen, MACC's Program Manager as they dive into the importance of cultural practices and supporting one another. Sipra shares her story of growing up in India and how her early experiences shaped her passion for helping others. She talks about her journey as an immigrant and how she found her purpose working with women and families facing domestic violence. Opening up about her background, she shares how her organization supports people from many different cultures and backgrounds. Sipra also shares what leadership means to her, including caring for her team and working together. They'll discuss the highlights and the challenges of nonprofit work, especially during difficult times for immigrant communities. Sipra helps us learn the importance of compassion, teamwork, and staying committed to helping others.

PVLI: Supporting Asian Communities: Equity and Voices

MACC is celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with our recurring series Powerful Voices, Lasting Impact! In this first episode Jennifer So, the Director of Community-based Evaluation and Impact from Neighborhood House, joins Mya Corbin, MACC's Communication's Specialist! Jennifer shares her story working with immigrant and refugee communities. Jennifer talks about how Asian communities are often seen as one group, even though they are very different.She explains how smaller communities can be overlooked and not get enough support. Listeners will also learn why language access and better data are important for fairness. This kickoff episode shows how nonprofits can listen, support, and stand up for all communities. By recognizing past and ongoing exclusion and truly listening to diverse Asian community voices, nonprofits can build fair systems that support all communities.

What Does Rest Have to Do with Culture, Equity, and Justice?

Tune in to hear from Sook Jin Ong, consultant and poet-storyteller and MACC's Program Director, Laurel Hansen. They discuss rest, equity, and caring for people who do hard work in their communities. Sook Jin Ong is a coach and storyteller who helps people think about rest in a deeper way. She explains that rest is not just sleep, but also feeling safe, seen, and at peace in your body and life. She says rest is also connected to fairness, because systems like racism and capitalism can make it harder for some people to rest. Sook Jin believes rest should be shared, and that communities can support each other like a network. Putting emphasis on creating workplaces where people feel valued and cared for gives leaders the opportunity to listen, be honest with their employees. Sook Jin suggests small ways to feel better, like using your hands for simple activities to calm your mind and body. It's important that we don't abandon our wellness so we can show up as our best selves in everything that we do.

Identifying Talent for Leadership Roles

Tune in to hear from Chief Program Officer at FamilyWise Services, Brittany Seidel, and MACC's Program Director, Laurel Hansen, as they discuss how to help employees grow and become strong leaders. They talk about how FamilyWise creates a positive and safe workplace where everyone feels supported and has a chance to learn new skills. They encourage and are committed to advancement and Brittany shares her story of moving up from an entry-level position to an executive leadership role and how teamwork and trust made that possible. She shares that mistakes should be treated as learning opportunities rather than punishment when it comes to employee development in the workplace. Seidel explains why it’s important for leaders to listen, encourage others, and help their staff reach their goals. At FamilyWise they prioritize that staff feel valued and supported so everyone can succeed.