Ronderings

From strategic communication to leadership intelligence, Danielle Kristine Toussaint shares how saying what you mean can transform how leaders build trust, align teams, and lead through uncertainty.

In this conversation, Ron sits down with Danielle Kristine Toussaint, founder and CEO of Purple Haus, to talk about how authentic communication shapes powerful leadership. Danielle reflects on how early encouragement fro...

From competitive dancer to higher education strategist, Dr. Chantelle George shares how discipline, ambition, and identity shaped her leadership journey. 

Raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Chantelle grew up in a family grounded in education and service. Today, she is the CEO and founder of CG Consulting, a national firm working across K-12, higher education, nonprofits, and workforce systems to expand access and econo...

From corporate finance to education equity, Nick Freeman didn’t take the expected path. 

At 26, with an MBA and master’s in finance in hand, he walked away from the corporate world and stepped into Chicago Public Schools. What he saw there (school closures, resource disparities, and the weight of systemic inequity) reshaped his career and his calling. 

Today, Nick is the Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of Innovare, where...

From a student activist placed on a no-fly list to White House policy leader to an equity-driven consultant in Canada, Chris Harley shares how a lifetime of intersectional leadership shaped her mission to help organizations lead with courage, clarity, and care.

Chris is a nonprofit leader, fractional executive, and strategic advisor with more than fifteen years of experience guiding mission-driven organizations through grow...

From broadcaster to ADHD advocate: Dave Delaney shares his journey of turning lifelong curiosity, comedy, and communication expertise into a mission to help others understand and manage ADHD. With over two decades of podcasting experience, Dave has explored everything from parenting with his wife on Two Boobs and a Baby to solo musings on Walking with Dave, and now educates audiences through his podcast ADHD Wise Squirrels...

From classroom teacher to leadership architect, Nautrie Jones shares her journey of transforming educational systems and workplaces by helping people recognize their value, develop their potential, and create meaningful impact.

Nautrie Jones, co-founder of Empact Work, has spent over two decades shaping people-centered leadership across education and organizational consulting. Beginning her career in Atlanta Public Scho...

From a childhood shaped by crisis in the Bronx to leading one of New York’s most influential juvenile justice organizations, Dr. Gisele Castro shares how lived experience became the foundation for systemic change and courageous leadership.

In this episode, Ron welcomes Gisele Castro, CEO of Exalt, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to supporting court-involved youth through education, paid internships, and cross-se...

From learning differently to leading differently, Josh Feldman shares how a childhood shaped by learning disabilities became the foundation for redesigning work culture around rest, humanity, and sustainable impact.

Josh Feldman is the Founder and CEO of R&R: The Rest of Our Lives, a practice dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations build cultures where people can actually thrive. With over 20 years of experien...

From first-generation Pakistani American immigrant to national leader in educational equity, Dr. Sana Shaikh shares her journey of using identity and lived experience to transform communities and advance opportunity for all.

Sana Shaikh is a nationally recognized expert in education, policy, and economic development, currently serving as a Business Development Specialist at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Wi...

From middle school teacher to Ironman athlete and DC State Board of Education president, Jessica Sutter shares how endurance, youth voice, and values-aligned leadership can transform both systems and lives.

Jessica Sutter is the founder of EdPro Consulting and a longtime education leader whose career spans classrooms, state policy, nonprofit consulting, and elected office. Beginning as a middle school teacher in Chicago, Lo...

From educator to organizational designer and education advocate, Jenai Emmel shares how a life shaped by service, spirituality, and public education led her to reimagine leadership, storytelling, and systemic change in schools.

Jenai Emmel is the founder of Byrd and the Center for Education News, where she works at the intersection of organizational design, culture, and public education advocacy. With a 25-year career spann...

From first-generation student to transformative education leader, Oscar Wang shares his journey of reshaping college access in Philadelphia while building a life defined by curiosity, empathy, and impact.

Oscar Wang, the founder of College Together, is an Asian-American social entrepreneur dedicated to creating flexible, student-centered pathways to higher education. A graduate of Haverford College, he has spent over a deca...

From surviving early loss to building mission-driven strategies, Cecilia Paz Aguilar shares how turning pain into purpose shaped her leadership, creativity, and commitment to sustainable growth.

Cecilia Paz Aguilar is the Founder of Rozas Rising, a business development and event strategy firm that helps leaders and organizations bring ideas to life through connection, clarity, and execution. With a background as an educator...

From immigrant roots to industry-leading influence, Nicole Smart shares how purpose, identity, and intentional leadership shaped her journey into DEI, executive coaching, and transformative workplace culture.

Nicole Smart, Founder and Principal Consultant of Smart EDI Solutions LLC and the coaching platform Purpose Tracks, brings over a decade of cross-sector experience rooted in advancing equity, leadership excellence, and...

From journalist-in-training to nationally recognized employment strategist, Natalie Holder shares how a lifelong instinct to protect others evolved into a career dedicated to equity, courage, and transformational allyship.

Natalie Holder, President and CEO of QUEST Employment Initiatives, LLC, joins Ron to share the journey that shaped her into one of today’s most respected voices in employment strategy and workplace inclus...

From fourth-generation New Yorker to nationally recognized education leader, Dr. Rahesha Amon shares how her identity, heritage, and lived experiences shaped her purpose-driven journey in transforming schools and developing the next generation of teachers.

In this episode, Dr. Amon reflects on her deep New York City roots, describing how Harlem, her family’s African lineage, and the energy of the city molded her resourceful...

From professional athlete to principal to purpose-driven founder, Kash Hameed shares how his journey from basketball courts to classrooms led to creating a movement that’s redefining how communities approach youth mental health and wellness.

Growing up in Schenectady, New York, Kash found his way out of limited opportunity through basketball. His talent took him from Iona College, where he earned Hall of Fame honors and led...

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...