R.O.G. Return on Generosity

86. H Walker - ”Add To” vs. ”Fitting In”

86. H Walker - "Add To" vs. "Fitting In" 
“If we work eight hours a day, that's a third of our life. I've always squashed the idea that a third of my life did not identify me.”
Guest Info:
H Walker serves as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He is responsible for leading the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.
Walker joins Boys & Girls Clubs of America from an extended career with global brands like The Coca-Cola Company, IBM, McDonald’s Corporation, and the United States Postal Service, where he served in numerous organizational culture and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leadership roles in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Walker’s work helped transform DEI educational experiences, corporate strategies and structures and inspired senior leaders, staff, membership organizations, franchisees, and suppliers to challenge their own knowledge and truly embrace DEI as a mindset and a way of managing change.
Favorite Quote:
“Love is the gift of the servant leader.” — Lee Bolman & Terrence Deal
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Seven (7) ways to “Be” from H’s wisdom:
Be a sentient leader, one who feels, is perceptive and responsive.
Be additive to your current culture instead of figuring out how to “fit in.”
Be selfish. Embrace the “Sanity of selfishness.”
Be the Questioner, approach situations with humble inquiry, instead of judging.
Be mutually adaptive. How can you flex and flow with others?
Be business savvy. Approach Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work as a business initiative. 
Be human. You’re a human being, worthy of respect, dignity and love. So is everyone else.
Resources:
H Walker on LinkedIn (in/ElementsOfH)
Boys & Girls Club of America - H Walker: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
PRSA: H Walker
Humble Inquiry, Second Edition: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling
Coming Next:
Episode 87: We will be joined by Cathleen Quigley, transwoman engineer, performer, philanthropist, and activist. 
Credits:
H Walker, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

85. Michele Meyer-Shipp - Who Am I Missing?

85. Michele Meyer-Shipp - Who Am I Missing? 
“We offer job prep skills, interview training, resume support, mock interviews, mentorship, alumni networks for women who come through our program…(our) sole job are the women we serve.”
Guest Info:
Michele C. Meyer-Shipp was announced as CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide, the leading global nonprofit employment resource for women, on January 12, 2022. Michele will lead the organization's 145 affiliates in 23 countries as it continues its mission to help women achieve economic independence through a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to thrive in work and life. She will begin her new role on February 16th.
Michele joins Dress for Success from Major League Baseball, where she served as Chief People & Culture Officer. While at MLB, Michele led the human resources, diversity and inclusion, and office operations functions for the League Office with an emphasis on launching new programs and policies to recruit and develop talent, advancing diversity and inclusion efforts, and enhancing workplace culture. She also served as a senior advisor to the Commissioner as well as leaders across 30 major league baseball teams and multiple Minor League teams.
Prior to MLB, Michele served as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at KPMG LLP, where she led initiatives relating to talent recruitment, development and retention, supported the efforts of leaders across KPMG's 85+ national offices, and managed a portfolio of external strategic partnerships. Previously, she served as Global Chief Diversity Officer for both Prudential Financial and the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Michele spent the first decade of her career practicing employment law in both the private and public sectors, where she advised clients on optimizing talent and implementing equitable workplace initiatives. Meyer-Shipp is a graduate of Rutgers University and Seton Hall University School of Law.
Michele is a sought-after speaker and has served as a Yahoo! Finance News Contributor and been featured in top media outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Savoy Magazine, Black Enterprise, CORE Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Diversity Woman Magazine, Quartz, Inc., and more. She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including The Network Journal's "25 Influential Black Women in Business" (2021), Core Magazine's “100 Most Influential Blacks Today” (2021), Black Enterprise's "Portraits of Power" (2020) and Business Insider's "38 Power Players of Consulting" (2020). She is a member of the Boards of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) and the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation.
Favorite Quote:
Live Life to the Fullest!
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Start off team meetings with a check in. How are you doing? Really.
Consistently ask yourself: Who am I missing? In this gathering, who else should be here? In this discussion, whose voice am I missing? 
Resources:
Michele Meyer-Ship Bio
Michele Meyer-Ship on LinkedIn (in/MMeyerShipp)
Michele Meyer-Ship on Twitter (@MMeyey_Shipp)
DressForSuccess.org
Dress For Success on LinkedIn
Dress For Success on Twitter (@DressForSuccess)
PR Newswire: "Meyer-Shipp to focus on helping women thrive in work and life"
Coming Next:
Episode 86, we will be joined by H Walker, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Credits:
Michele Meyer-Shipp, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

84. Ron Tite - What Generous Leaders Think Do and Say

84. Ron Tite - What Generous Leaders Think Do and Say
“If monopoly, the most pure capitalist board game, the definition of capitalism, believes we need to be more generous as leaders toward people beyond our offices than certainly we can.” 
Guest Info:
An entrepreneur, speaker, and best-selling author, Ron Tite has always blurred the lines between art and commerce. He has been an award-winning advertising writer and Creative Director for some of the world’s most respected brands including Air France, DoorDash, Evian, Johnson & Johnson, Intel, Microsoft, Volvo, and many others.
 He is founder and chief creative officer of Church+State, host and executive producer of the hit podcast, “The Coup”, and executive producer of the documentary film, Fresh Water (Crave, 2021). He has written for television. Wrote and performed a hit play. Created a branded art gallery. And published an award winning comedy book with the cast from CBC Radio’s hit show, “This is That”.
In demand as a speaker all over the world, Ron speaks to leading organizations about creativity, disruption, branding, and leadership.
 Ron’s first book was, (Co-written by Scott Kavanagh and Christopher Novais), was published by HarperCollins in 2016. His most recent book, Think • Do • Say: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy Busy World, hit store shelves in October of 2019.
Ron sits on the advisory boards for the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival and the Institute for Health & Human Potential.
Favorite Quote:
"Truth and trust in an organization means there's no meeting before the meeting." —  `Suzie Welch
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
What do you think? Meaning what is your bigger purpose, your “why”, your values and beliefs.
What do you do? What are the actions you take, things you prioritize that honor what you think.
What do you say? Take a scroll and audit your posts, tweets and articles. Hear the words you use when communicating with others. Do they echo your purpose and express it in meaningful ways? 
This week, invest some quality time considering what you believe. With respect to that belief – what actions are congruent and activated? Lastly, think about the messages you share, the stories you tell and the impact you make with your words. It matters. Trust matters. You matter.
Resources:
RonTite.com
Ron Tite on Twitter (@RonTite)
Ron Tite on LinkedIn (in/RonTite)
ChurchState.co
Everyone's an Artist (or at Least They Should Be): How Creativity Gives You the Edge in Everything You Do
Think. Do. Say.: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy, Busy World
Think. Do. Say. Audiobook
Ron Tite - Named "Top 10 Creative Canadians", Innovation Expert and Bestselling Author
Coming Next:
Episode 85: we will be joined by Michele Meyer-Shipp, CEO Dress for Success Worldwide
Credits:
Ron Tite, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

83. Pamela Slim - Shape the World Through Your Work

83. Pamela Slim - Shape the World Through Your Work 
“You have to really know how to tell the story about how your experience has really crafted for this work that you want to do. I call Body of Work the love letter to creation. It really centers what it is that you're building and being very deliberate about what you want to bring to life. And then everything else is secondary.”
Guest Info:
Pamela Slim is an author, business coach and the co-founder with her husband Darryl of the Main Street Learning Lab in Mesa, Arizona.
A former corporate director of training and development at Barclays Global Investors, Pam focused her first decade in business as a management consultant, working with large companies such as HP, Charles Schwab, 3Com, Chevron and Cisco Systems.
Since 2005, Pam has advised thousands of entrepreneurs as well as companies serving the small business market such as Keap, Progressive Insurance, Constant Contact and Prezi. Pam partnered with author Susan Cain to build and launch the Quiet Revolution.
Pam has written three books: Escape from Cubicle Nation (named Best Small Business and Entrepreneur book of 2009 from  Porchlight Books), Body of Work (2014 with Penguin Portfolio) and her latest, The Widest Net (2021 with McGraw Hill, named Best Marketing & Sales Book of 2021 by Porchlight Books).
In 2016, Pam launched the Main Street Learning Lab in Mesa, Arizona, a grassroots, community-based think tank for small business economic acceleration. http://pamelaslim.com/ke
In The Widest Net, she explains how to build strong diverse relationships, identify and connect with new partners, expand markets, generate leads, and find new customers in places you may never have considered. With this book as a guide, you’ll learn how to connect with potential clients and customers using the true breadth of the marketplace, which she calls an ecosystem of living connections.
The Widest Net shows how to:
Search outside your own lens/bias/routine/history to target ideal customers.
Attract the interest and attention of new leads by learning more about them authentically.
Develop products and services suited to these customers.
Sell through a trusted reciprocity framework where your customers become part of your ecosystem and you each help the other grow.
Build and sustain loyalty and trust with new customers.
Nurture a diverse and resilient customer base by identifying and adjusting to the ideal customer target over time.
Pam is frequently quoted as a business expert in press such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Information Week, Money Magazine and Psychology Today.
Favorite Quote:
"We all need each other."
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Questions to contemplate:
What are your values? The core beliefs you have about what matters most.
What are your ingredients? Skills, experiences, perspectives, hidden talents? 
How can you leverage them? 
What makes you uniquely positioned in your organization and in the market?
What are you creating? What are you investing in that will last long beyond your tenure. How can you center on what you are creating?
What do you need? To make the creation work. To get exposure for it. To improve it.
What’s the work you want to do?
Where are your customers? What ecosystem (AKA watering holes) do you want to join?
What impact did you want to make?
Looking back – What impact have you already made? 
What matters most are the ways we purposefully bring our full self: values, ingredients, creations, desires, all of it into the work for a mission greater than ourselves.
Resources:
PamelaSlim.com
The Main Street Learning Lab
The Widest Net
Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together
Escape From Cubicle Nation
Pamela Slim Bio
Open letter to CEOs, COOs, CIOs and CFOs across the corporate world
Coming Next:
Episode 84: We will be joined by Ron Tite.
Credits:
Pamela Slim, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

82. Kimberly Brown - Next Move, Best Move

82. Kimberly Brown - Next Move, Best Move
“I really believe in giving back, like you are where you are for, with whatever attributes that got you there, whether it's sponsors or mentors or your own grit, how can you give back? How can you be generous by short-cutting someone else's success?”
Guest Info:
Kimberly Brown is a career + leadership expert whose mission is to help women and people of color navigate the workplace, make more money and become industry leaders. Her leadership development company, Manifest Yourself, LLC, provides organizations with tailor-made solutions to hire, develop, engage, and retain women and people of color. Through her experience as a career development adviser in some of the nation’s top universities and diversity + inclusion professional in a Fortune 100 company, she has learned that there is so much more to career + leadership development besides having a high paying job; it's about creating actionable strategies that enable professionals to do more, be more, and achieve more.
Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You’ll Love is the highly anticipated, career planning and advancement book by Kimberly Brown (Cummings), that was released in June 2021.
Kimberly has had the opportunity to speak to and create workshops for many organizations, including the New Jersey Conference for Women, Ellevate Network, Urban League, Princeton University, Salesforce and National Sales Network, among others. Her work has been featured on Forbes, Blavity, MONEY Magazine, TeenVogue, Glassdoor, Fox 5, and more. She is also on the Board of Directors for The Power of You Teens organization.
Kimberly is a graduate of Long Island University and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Science in Counseling.
Favorite Quote:
“You must believe in yourself and your vision. When you do this, you will manifest the life you desire.”
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
1. Mentor and share your wisdom with others.2. Identify your Sponsors. Be sponsorable. 3. Believe in yourself and your vision. Turn your limiting beliefs into liberating truths. 
Resources:
www.KimberlyBOnline.com  
Manifest Yourself
Next Move, Best Move book and description
Kimberly on LinkedIn 
Kimberly’s Bio
Buy Next Move, Best Move 
Coming Next:
Episode 83: We will be joined by Pamela Slim.
Credits:
Kimberly Brown, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

81. Tara Collingwood - Nutrition to Fuel Your Mission

81. Tara Collingwood - Nutrition to Fuel Your Mission
“​​It's difficult to change some of those behaviors. Get into the why. Find out what's motivating you to make this behavior change. That's super powerful.”
Guest Info:
Tara Collingwood is a nationally recognized expert and spokesperson on nutrition, fitness, and health promotion and is quoted in a variety of media including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and websites. Tara was the co-host of Emotional Mojo, a national television show where she was the resident nutrition and health expert from 2013-2015. She is a past National Media Spokesperson for the professional organization of 80,000 Registered Dietitians, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).  Tara appeared regularly as the “Diet Diva” on the national morning television show, The Daily Buzz for 10 years until the show ended in 2015. Tara is the author of Pregnancy Cooking & Nutrition for Dummies (2012) and co-author of Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies (2014) and All In One Pregnancy (2016).
Tara is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Tara is a nutrition and movement performance coach at the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute where she teaches senior executives how to manage their energy. Tara was the team dietitian for the Orlando Magic NBA team for eleven years and University of Central Florida (UCF) Athletics for twelve years.                                                                               
Tara owns Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting, LLC in Orlando, FL. A dynamic speaker, she motivates groups large and small on various topics such as achieving a healthy weight, preventing disease, maximizing energy, aging well, enhancing sports performance, pregnancy nutrition, and creating a positive body image.
As a consultant, she has worked with numerous companies including Walt Disney World, Rodale Publications, Tupperware, Canyon Ranch Spa, Rosen Hotels, Vijuvia Life Centers, United Behavioral Healthcare, and others. As the official nutritionist for runDisney for three years, she offered nutrition tips to runners on the runDisney blog as well as at the EXPO for all Disney races. Tara was a health blogger and the Healthy Eating Expert on the health information website www.healthline.com for five years.  Tara has previous experience improving the diets of senior executives through her work with the Rippe Health Assessment at Advent Health Celebration. She has also overseen numerous weight loss research projects.
Tara graduated from Purdue University earning a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major of Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness, and Health. She continued on at Purdue, earning a Master of Science Degree (MS) in Health Promotion, specializing in health behavior and worksite wellness programs. She is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) in the state of Florida. Tara holds a Board Certification as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). Tara is also a Certified Personal Trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM-CPT).  Tara was inducted into the Purdue University Alumni Hall of Fame in the School of Nutrition Science in 2013 for her many accomplishments in the field of nutrition.
Volunteering is something important to Tara as evidenced by her continued commitment to the Restoration Ministries for Women. For six years, Tara gave a lecture biweekly to a group of women who are on a six-month rehabilitation program after their release from prison. She taught them how to eat right and exercise in order to feel their best to beat their addictions and get their lives on the right track. Tara has served as the Co-Chair of the Silent Auction for the American Cancer Society’s Orlando Chapter. She is a Past President of the Dietetic Association in Orlando and served as the Awards Chair for the Florida Dietetic Association. She has received numerous awards including the esteemed Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year from the Florida Dietetic Association.
Tara appears frequently as an expert on various television stations and shows including ivillage Live, Orlando NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox stations, Central Florida News 13, CW Network, Ivanhoe Broadcast News, and The Golf Channel. She has been quoted in over 1000 various print and online publications including the Associated Press, New York Times, and the Orlando Sentinel as well as various magazines including Women’s World, Self, Fitness, Shape, Women’s Health, Her Sports, Men’s Health, People, Vegetarian Times, Runner’s World, Club Business International, Cooking Light, Family Circle, Fit Pregnancy, American Baby, Prevention, and more. She has been quoted on various websites including webmd.com, ediets.com, aol.com, usnews.com, cnn.com, msnbc.com, and more. Tara is an avid runner and has completed one ultra marathon, eighteen full marathons including the prestigious Boston Marathon four times, as well as countless half marathons and other races. Tara lost her husband Stephen Gidus to cancer in 2012. She married John Collingwood in 2015 and they are busy raising her two sons, Basil (14), Levi (12), and two stepsons Maxim (18), and Samuel (16).
Favorite Quote:
"That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." — Nietzsche
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
All of us have something to improve. It could be our physical fitness, emotional wellbeing, mental health or spiritual direction, meaning clarify about the purpose of our lives.
What’s something you really want to change or improve?
What is the reason you want to change it or improve it?
Your homework this week is to choose one thing, then ask yourself the “five whys”. Drill down to find the heart of the matter. Once you get there, write it down. Set your goals based on your “why”, your truth and your purpose. Do the planning and preparation needed to set up for success.
Resources:
DietDiva.net
Coming Next:
Episode 82: Our special guest is Kimberly Brown.
Credits:
Tara Collingwood, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

80. Sharon Browning - Listening: An Act of Love

80. Sharon Browning - Listening: An Act of Love
(Listening) “It's a very tiny thing, but it is foundational to all relationships. It's foundational to social change and transformation. We're not moving anything unless we listen. It really is a macro skill that very often gets treated as a micro skill. I love it because it's small.”
Guest Info:
Sharon Browning, Esq. coordinates JUST Listening, a social enterprise fostering personal and  social change and transformation through the practice and teaching of mindful listening and communication skills. The work of JUST Listening is twofold: the facilitation of training workshops, retreats, and ‘difficult’ conversations, focusing primarily on those working with marginalized individuals and groups, and the training for and supervision of Listening projects in which volunteers JUST Listen to people on the social margins. She is an attorney, teacher, trained spiritual guide, and motivator.
Favorite Quote:
For the bottom line belief: Love is all there is.
For action/activism: “Make the world work, for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.” —  Buckminster Fuller
And I would add…Do this with relentless compassion and radical humility.
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Every conversation can change the world. Especially if we listen.
What gets in the way of us Just Listening? 
Our Inner monologue
Our Socio-cultural filters
Our Ego
Other key takeaways include:
How do we define “we”? Only plausible definition is the earth and all living things on it.
What would it mean for you to live with Relentless compassion? 
What would that look like to live with Radical humility?
Last and most importantly: love, love, love.
Resources:
JustListening.net
Coming Next:
Episode 81: We will be joined by Tara Collingwood
Credits:
Sharon Browning, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

79. Fred Maahs - Universal Design for Leadership

79. Fred Maahs - Universal Design for Leadership
“My utopia is someday, we're not going to be having this conversation. Access - just is. People with disabilities - just are, and everything is normalized…People with disabilities aren't, “the others”. We're not just a slice of the demographic. We're just part of society and not thought of differently.”
Guest Info:
Fred Maahs, Jr. is a passionate and recognized leader in the international disability community and in corporate America.  He is also a renowned champion for diversity and inclusion. 
After more than 30 years as a corporate executive, Fred founded FJM Solutions, LLC in 2019 and Maahs Travels in 2021.  As a consultant, Fred is focused on underserved and underrepresented populations, especially people with disabilities. He is an accessibility travel and tourism expert and internationally recognized keynote speaker who finds solutions for “Fostering Inclusion Universally.”  Also, in 2019, Fred joined Tarita Davenock and Travel for All as a partner and Chief Operating Officer.  Travel for All is headquartered in Canada and provides global, accessible and inclusive travel experiences tailored to the unique needs of each traveler.  In 2020, Fred was named Editor of a new digital magazine, Melange Accessibility for All, and he served on President Joe Biden’s Campaign ‘s Disability Policy committee. In addition, he is currently working with individuals throughout Central America and the Caribbean to plan and present at the 5th Continental CBR Congress of the Americas and the Caribbean.
Fred is a Board Director and a Past Chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities, was a Director and Past Vice Chair on the National Easterseals Board of Directors where he led the Marketing and Development Committees, served on the Board Development Committee for The Arc of the United States and was chosen to lead the Corporate Sponsor Council for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.  He serves on the Advisory Committee for 360-Access, and he also serves on the Disability:IN (formerly known as the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®)) Disability Equality Index Advisory Committee and its Honorary Advisory Board for the America’s Disability Rights Museum on Wheels.  He also serves on the Advisory of the Board Committee for Voiceitt, and the Advisory of the Board Committee for GesturesUp, both are Israeli-based IT startups focused on helping people with disabilities to communicate more effectively and to live more independently.
Fred has served on three panels at the White House regarding issues that impact the lives of people with disabilities. He has presented on the issues faced by people with disabilities when traveling by air to the United States Department of Transportation.  Invited by the King Foundation, Fred delivered a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2013, along with Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Carter, as well as a number of renowned celebrities and civil rights leaders. On that day, Fred represented the nation's disability population during the "Let Freedom Ring" Celebration commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This was the first time that the disability population was included in the anniversary events.
Fred has been the subject of many publications and articles for his accomplishments as a person with a disability and for being a devoted champion for the disability population.  Fred has shared his personal and professional journey with countless audiences around the world during events that include the inaugural Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit in 2019, the New Jersey Conference on Disability and Employment, the National Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C., the Annual National Convention for The Arc, the Ruderman Foundation Summit for Inclusion, the Digital Arts Festival for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Center for Corporate Citizenship Leadership Series and Annual Conferences, and in numerous worldwide publications. He has delivered keynote speeches and participated in Town Hall and panel discussions on numerous topics that impact people with disabilities.
In 2019, he represented Travel for All during the inaugural Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit in Dubai, sharing the stage with accessible tourism experts from around the world. In early 2020, he traveled to Israel and worked with Israel’s Ministry of Tourism to assess and promote accessible tourism in Israel on behalf of Travel for All. Late in 2020, Fred was invited back to Dubai to assess and report on accessibility for hotels, resorts, museums, parks, and historic sites.
In 2019, Fred received the “Belief in the Power of Young People Award” from City Year, presented to him for “extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment to ensuring all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential and building the next generation of leaders.”  In March of 2019, Comcast NBCUniversal announced the Fred J. Maahs, Jr. Assistive Technology Grant Fund. The fund, named in Fred’s honor for building the partnership with Easterseals and for his service on the Easterseals National Board of Directors, supports a variety of technology programs and services, from braille-equipped handheld computers to augmentative communication devices. In May of 2019, Fred was recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as a “Defender of Youth” for his unparalleled commitment to youth in America, to ensure all kids have a path forward. Fred was selected as the “2015 Humanitarian of the Year” by the The Buoniconti Fund - the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, for all of his work and advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities across the country. He was chosen by the Governor of Delaware as Employee of the Year in 2002 and was the first recipient of the John Jefferson Memorial Courage Award in 2002. He has also received numerous marketing and communications awards throughout the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey area.
He has been involved in many community-based volunteer efforts for Easterseals, served as Vice Chairperson for the Mayor of Wilmington’s Access Wilmington Committee, and served on the Winterthur Museum and Gardens Access Advisory Board. 
Fred has worked for some of the country’s largest Fortune 50, 100, and 500 companies.  He joined Comcast in December of 2007 and until April, 2019 was the Senior Director, Community Impact, Comcast Corporation, and Vice President, Comcast Foundation.  He was responsible for the strategic leadership of Comcast’s national strategic partnerships with organizations including City Year, Easterseals, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Arc, numerous relationships with Native American organizations, and a variety of diverse partnerships at the corporate and regional level.  In addition, he helped to create and then served on Comcast’s Joint Diversity Council and was an Executive Champion of the MyAbilities Network – one of Comcast’s Employee Resource Groups.  Fred began his career at Comcast responsible for the company’s national signature employee engagement programs - Comcast Cares Day, a world-wide annual day of community service, and the annual United Way Employee Giving campaign, as well as the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program.
From 2004 to 2007, Fred worked for ARAMARK where he assumed the newly created role of Director of Community Relations with a focus on developing and implementing the company's Star Teams initiative - a strategic, company-wide employee engagement program. This initiative encompassed more than 12,000 managers across North America and the UK and focused on strategic Star Team activities with an overarching goal to build business and enhance company image. His strategic leadership and successful teambuilding abilities led to millions of dollars in new business, stronger relationships with clients and local national and international communities, new career opportunities for employees, as well as increased employee participation in community service activities.
Prior to joining ARAMARK, Fred was the Director of Communications for Easter Seals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore from 1998 to 2003, where he was responsible for all media, public and government relations, as well as internal and external communications for 13 locations throughout Delaware and Maryland. He also served on the National Easter Seals Communications Committee.
During his career in financial services for some of the nation’s largest and oldest financial institutions, Fred served as Vice President of Marketing for CoreStates Bank of Delaware. While there, he was responsible for internal and external communications to customers and employees, event marketing and promotional programs for new national account acquisition, and marketing programs for 610 regional bank branches.  Prior to that, he worked for Bank of New York (Delaware).
He also served as one of the founding members of the National Advisory Council for the Arts for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  He served on the Community Involvement Roundtable at the Center for Corporate Citizenship, Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. He served on United Way Worldwide’s Global Corporate Leadership Advisory Council, is a former member of United Way of Southern New Jersey and Greater Philadelphia’s Employee Campaign Cabinet, and served as the first Co-Chair of the Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Council.  In addition, he served as a WICT mentor and as a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Beyond School Walls program in Philadelphia.
He received his B.S. in Business Management from West Chester University, an A.S. in Business from Widener University, is certified in Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership from the Center for Corporate Citizenship at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and resides in Wilmington, Delaware.
Favorite Quote:
“Never let anyone tell you that you can't” — Fred Maahs, Jr.
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Four Ways to Think Differently:
Use your lived experience to recognize the needs and engage to ensure others are included.
Expand your definition of “we”. Become a “For All” leader.
Challenge your beliefs about people with Disabilities. Recognize the toxicity of ableism.
Don’t let anyone tell you can’t. Including you.
Resources:
Travel-For-All.com
ReadMelange.com/accessibility
MaahsTravels.com
Coming Next:
Episode 80: We will be joined by Sharon Browning, Founder - JUST Listening.
Credits:
Fred Maahs, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.