Ronderings

From immigrant daughter to hospital CEO, Helen Arteaga Landaverde shares her remarkable journey from translating her father’s leukemia diagnosis as a young girl to leading one of New York’s most vital hospitals with courage, purpose, and heart.

In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Helen joins host Ron to reminisce about their NYU days in the 1990s, when two first-generation college students bonded over late n...

From science classrooms to the C-suite, Shakira Petit’s journey embodies what it means to lead with purpose, humility, and strategy.

A former educator turned CEO of SKP Consultants, Shakira joins Ron to unpack how organizations can identify and develop the leaders already within their walls, before crisis forces their hand. Her story bridges the worlds of education, operations, and executive leadership, proving that the be...

From hospitality manager to leadership coach, Leslie Wade shares her extraordinary journey of transforming lessons from the classroom into a people-centered framework that redefines how leaders grow, communicate, and connect.

Leslie Wade’s story begins in Brooklyn’s "Bed-Stuy" neighborhood, where an early love of learning and a fearless curiosity set her on a path of self-discovery. From being the student who always raised ...

From engineer to ethical luxury founder, Lola Banjo shares her extraordinary journey of building Silver & Riley, a purpose-driven brand redefining what it means to lead, create, and give back with integrity.

Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents and raised across three continents, Lola’s path has been shaped by audacity, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in possibility. As a child in Lagos, she witnessed the realities ...

From uncovering a hidden family history to empowering a new generation of AAPI leaders, Eddie Shiomi shares how reclaiming his past reshaped his purpose and deepened his approach to leadership, storytelling, and civic engagement.

In this heartfelt and historically rich conversation, Eddie joins host Ron to trace a remarkable lineage stretching from Okayama, Japan to the United States and beyond. He reflects on his great-gra...

From education reformer to grassroots organizer, Justin Cohen shares how his journey from privilege to protest shaped his mission of mobilizing fathers for social change.

Justin Cohen grew up in New Jersey surrounded by educators, with a teacher for a mother and a superintendent grandfather who exposed him early to the inequities baked into the school system. After building a successful career in education leadershi...

From immigrant to bestselling author and global keynote speaker, Sheena Yap Chan shares her journey of reclaiming identity, building confidence, and amplifying Asian women’s voices through media, leadership, and visibility.

Growing up Chinese-Filipino and moving to Toronto at just seven years old, Sheena faced cultural shame and a painful lack of representation in the media. For years she tried to conform to Western standa...

 True leadership is the ability to bridge gaps, translate perspectives, and foster respect, ensuring that every voice—from the visible to the unseen—is valued and heard.

William (Bill) Murphy is the Chief Operations Officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, where he drives operational excellence to support academic success in one of Indiana’s largest districts. He previously led Enroll Indy, served as Vice President of L...

 It’s not about perfection out of the box—it’s about learning to learn and growing through the process.

Dr. Donnell Butler is the Founder and President of Prelude, a nonprofit that partners with employers and schools to create work-based learning experiences, helping students from lower-income backgrounds gain professional skills, explore careers, and achieve economic freedom through paid internships. With over 20 years...

 Well-being isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Lea Crusey is the co-founder and Head of U.S. Expansion for WOOF, a well-being tool for students and teachers. With a career in public policy, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement, she works to expand opportunities for marginalized communities. A former Teach For America corps member, Lea has focused on improving public education, founding Allies for Educational Equity, and des...

 Mohan Sivaloganathan is a founder of Harmonious Leadership, a keynote speaker, consultant, and coach. He is also known as the “Batman of Social Impact” and at night he is a hip-hop artist. Throughout his career, Mohan has supported local and national organizations in orchestrating sustainable transformation and systems change across corporate social responsibility, education, civic engagement, and philanthropy. He is pass...

Niloy Gangopadhyay, is a passionate educator, and leader who for over 20 years has been addressing inequities in public education as a systems, school, and nonprofit leader. He began his career as a 2002 Teach For America corps member in San Jose, California, and now serves as TFA’s Vice President for the 35th Anniversary Summit. Previously, he led state-level initiatives for at-risk students at the Texas Education Agency ...

 We need to create a high bar where the bar is to care about both people and performance. They are not dichotomies; they support each other.

De-Lea Deane-Allen is the founder and CEO of Higher Bar Leadership LLC, dedicated to helping organizations create transformational work environments where all people can thrive. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher, school leader, and C-level executive, she specializes in ...

True success isn’t just about individual achievement; it’s about the collective rise of our communities.

Analiza Quiroz Wolf, CEO of Women of Color Rise, coaches diverse leaders, including social entrepreneurs and C-suite executives. She recently published The Myths of Success: A Woman of Color's Guide to Leadership, drawing on research and stories from her podcast, Women of Color Rise. Analiza is a former non-profit CE...

Summary: 

Language has the power to connect people, to move hearts, and to do good in the world.

David Nungaray is a co-founder of Gente Empowerment Network but is actually a forever dual language teacher and principal at heart no matter what his current work title is. The children and families he worked with as an educator are one of his guiding forces in the work he continues to do in education. As a son of Mexican imm...

Raj Thakkar is the author, Founder & CEO of Charter School Business Management (CSBM) as well as FOREsight Financial Services for Good. He is an expert on nonprofit and charter school finance and has presented countless financial best practices workshops across the country. He poured all his knowledge into the book Fiscally Secure: Prepare, Protect & Propel Your CHARTER SCHOOL with Responsible Financial Management ...

We know who we are, but we get away from it.

Kendrick Harris is an NYU alumnus, retired Air Force officer, and former business leader with experience in real estate law, construction, and a former lawyer. He is a business owner of the Distinguished Chef and a top-notch chef.

Kendrick is sharing with us his powerful testament to resilience, self-discovery, and transformation. After time spent at NYU, where Kendrick wa...

Why are we resting on proficiency in education?

Tanji Reed Marshall CEO and Principal Consultant of Liaison Educational Partners. With more than 2 decades of experience in the classroom, district, and organization level, she has a lot of gems to share. The problem of educational inequities, and how certain groups of students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have historically been underserved and misinfo...

Jacquelyn Davis is a nonprofit leader and transformative advisor to philanthropies who dedicated her life to the education sector and social impact. Her life and career are led by constant learning and curiosity. She has launched many organizations and initiatives. EDVolution, a boutique consulting she founded has worked with many national foundations – including the Gates Foundation, the Overdeck Foundation, New Schools V...