The5 – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Levon Williams, Change Agent and Capacity Builder of Rooted in Equity, joins The5 to talk about being an Inclusive Change Catalyst.  

Levon Williams (he/him) is a consultant, facilitator, change agent, and capacity builder. He is a passionate thought partner & institutional organizer, guiding organizations through the process of transformative change as a part of his consulting firm Rooted in Equity.

Levon was formerly a Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) Senior Fellow for the American Alliance of Museums’ Facing Change Initiative, working directly with boards of directors to create more inclusive and equitable board cultures. He also served as a Lead Mediator at the Community Justice and Mediation Center in Bloomington, Indiana where he was trained in Community Mediation and Restorative Justice practices.

Since 2019 Levon has collaborated with nonprofit & philanthropic leaders and staff in support of operationalizing their equity, inclusion, and antiracism goals and disrupting systems of oppression. Levon holds master's degrees in Nonprofit Management and Arts Administration from Indiana University. Implementing adaptive Leadership strategies, systems thinking, and self reflection in service of collective liberation are his jam.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Joy Nathan, Executive Director of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, Antisemitism Advisory Commission, joins The5 to talk about Engaging State Organizations/Commissions for Support.  Joy brings her immense experience working with groups across the state through partnerships, funding and more.

Joy is a proven executive with a demonstrated track record of achieving results. A recognized leader in managing nonprofit and political organizations, and strong relationship builder with a focus on donor solicitation and strategic implementation. 

Joy has been the Executive Director of the THGAAC for nearly 5 years (almost the same amount of time as NMBL has been around).  In her role with the THGAAC, she leads the fulfilment of THGAAC's duties in supporting public education and awareness of the Holocaust, other genocides, and antisemitism in Texas by: * Conducting a biennial study and submitting a report on antisemitism in Texas to the governor and the Legislature * Providing advice and assistance to public and private primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in Texas meeting with and providing information and assistance to public and private organizations * Compiling a list of volunteer speakers who have agreed to share their knowledge and experiences regarding the Holocaust and other genocides annually coordinating events in Texas * Memorializing the Holocaust and other genocides and soliciting volunteers to participate in commemorative events * Collaborating with groups to support efforts to recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day and making recommendations on whether it should be a state holiday

Prior to her time at the THGAAC, Joy has held roles with Food+City, Shalom Austin, and AIPAC.  Joy received her BA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from The University of Texas - Austin.  

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

The5 with Eric Moraczewski welcomes Kyle Ogden, President & CEO of The Thanks-Giving Foundation.  Kyle joins The5 to talk about Building a Profoundly Caring Community.  Something most, if not all, nonprofits are focused on but maybe aren't always aware of.  Kyle talks about being intentional with gratitude and caring, as well as the Foundation's five key functions of Building a Profoundly Caring Community.

Kyle became the President and CEO of The Thanks-Giving Foundation because he wanted to do something important in the bigger civic context, and build something sustainable for the citizens of Dallas.

The Thanks-Giving Foundation is a platform that can influence the future of the community, and he believes his contribution of time, effort and resources can make a real difference as an accelerant of positive change. The physical and programmatic enhancements made are being noticed, and he is proud that the vision will deliver a place of importance within the nonprofit landscape.

Before joining The Thanks-Giving Foundation, Kyle was the Chairman, President and CEO of Carroll Company. Kyle received a Bachelor of Business Administrations degree in honors business and a Master of Business Administration degree in accounting and finance from the University of Texas at Austin, and went on to earn his CPA license.

In his spare time, he enjoy golf, baseball and travel. He and his wife have four adult children.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Tom Etling, Managing Partner of Etling Strategy Partners (ESP), joins The5 to talk about Brand Strategy Management.  Tom talks about how a nonprofit can and should utilize their brand strategy to maximize their impact on the community. 

ESP’s model is the product of more than 25 years of client-side and agency CEO, COO and CMO leadership and learnings from our team.

Prior to founding ESP, Tom Etling was Chief Strategy Officer for Paradigm and previously created the marketing advisory practice at Brown Smith Wallace (now Armanino). From 2015 to 2020, Tom served as Chief Executive Officer and Partner at Dovetail, a St. Louis-based brand communications agency. There, he led brand strategy, stakeholder engagement and issues management for clients in diverse industries such as: healthcare, higher education, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, public sector, tourism and more.

Prior to joining Dovetail, Tom was Chief Executive Officer for St. Patrick Center, one of the country’s leading advocates for ending homelessness. Tom led the creation and implementation of a regional plan that balanced innovative solutions with long-term financial viability. In his other public role as Vice President of Marketing at Bi-State Development, Tom led marketing, revenue generation and customer experience for the organization’s core business units, including the Gateway Arch, Metro Transit and St. Louis Downtown Airport.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Ron Watermon, Founder, Owner, and CEO of STORYSMART, joins The5 to talk about Documentary Filmmaking for Nonprofits.  In this talk Ron gets into how to own your channels and enhance your nonprofit through storytelling with a touch of stories from Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, Lou Brock, and Blues Music.

Ron Watermon is the founder, owner and CEO of STORYSMART® a premium nationwide filmmaking storytelling service that enables discerning clients to have their stories professionally produced in a cinematic way by professional filmmakers while retaining their intellectual property rights. STORYSMART®'s mission of providing Filmmaking For ALL™ and Storytelling For ALL™ emanates from the fundamental value that everyone matters and deserves to be remembered. Nothing is more enduring that great storytelling on screen. STORYSMART® provides Hollywood Quality filmmaking and storytelling consulting services, functioning essentially as a high-end work-for-hire ghostwriting services specializing in cinematic storytelling rather than being limited to traditional book publishing. STORYSMART® provides a unique set of customizable services ranging from story preservation digital archive services like those used by Oprah Winfrey, Bon Jovi and Billy Graham, to story development, screenwriting, licensing, and documentary filmmaking.

Prior to founding STORYSMART Ron worked for the St. Louis Cardinals in Communications and Government Affairs for 16 years.  Ron holds his BA in Communications and Political Science from Lindenwood University and his JD from St. Louis University.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Derek Ozkal is a Senior Program Officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.  Derek joins The5 to discuss AI for Nonprofits.  This engaging session takes us through a number of topics getting into understanding AI, preparing for the future, and even weaving in brief mentions of Taylor Swift and Skynet.

Derek Ozkal is a senior program officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he leads problem-based grantmaking initiatives on workforce development, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. He collaborates with various stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs to foster equity and impact through research, evaluation, and learning. He manages a diverse portfolio of research projects and provides thought leadership on topics such as the changing nature of entrepreneurship, the impact of technology on labor markets, the decline of business dynamism, and the development of a holistic and inclusive research community. He is skilled in research translation, relationship building, budget management, and operational processes.

Before joining the Kauffman Foundation, Derek was the research director for the Kansas City Business Journal, where he covered and analyzed various economic topics and industries. He earned an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Truman State University. He is a cross functional leader and a passionate advocate for advancing more inclusive economic prosperity.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Michael Shepherd, Managing Partner of The Shepherd Group, joins The5 to talk about Public Relations for Nonprofits.  Public Relations often gets overlooked by nonprofits as they focus on their mission, but building awareness of the brand is critical for both mission and donations.  Hear from Michael on critical points that a nonprofit should consider to grow the awareness of their nonprofit.

Financially savvy advisor to the C-suite with extensive experience in branding and corporate communications. Unique value proposition: The ability to increase enterprise value through alignment of comms strategy with business goals.

The increasing complexity of marketing communications has made it exceedingly difficult for internal marketing departments to stay on top of new and emerging platforms and technologies. Internal training programs can’t keep pace with the evolution of the marketing tech stack - particularly in the lower middle market. Second, More often than not, it’s not the core business of the company. People are dragged into areas that are not their core expertise.

Using research and data-informed insights, I develop strategy and content that supports targeted business outcomes. I work with clients to identify key success metrics up front and utilize post-launch analytics to track results and refine messaging throughout the life of the campaign. The end result is better ROI - and accountability.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Dion Brown, Executive Director/Acting President of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), joins The5 to talk about Transitional Leadership.  Transitional Leadership is quite different than operating day-to-day, status quo and having the right insights and path to success is critical.  Dion walks listeners through The5 key steps to successfully navigating transitional leadership in our episode here.

Dion Brown was named the Executive Director/Acting President of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) by NMAAM’s Board of Directors on August 2, 2023. He formerly served as NMAAM’s Chief Operating Officer for 15 months prior to this appointment.

Former roles include:

• Chief Operating Officer o National Museum of African American Music (Nashville)
• Managing Director of Nonprofit Services o NMBL Strategies (St. Louis)
• President and Chief Operating Officer o National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati)
• Founding Executive Director o National Blues Museum (St. Louis)
• Executive Director o B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center
• (Mississippi)

During Brown’s Chief Operating Officer role at National Museum of African American Music, he oversaw the Operations, Education & Exhibitions, Marketing, and Guest Services teams. During his tenure, he led the overall reorganization and identified cost savings of over $300K while growing staff. He created the vision for two exhibitions – the 50th Anniversary of the Hip Hop Travelling Exhibition and the rotating exhibition for the museum’s lobby honoring Nashville’s own talent. Brown also curated and led the historical Block Party on Broadway for Juneteenth’s 2023 Celebration.

At NMBL Strategies, Brown oversaw the Grand Opening of the American Black Holocaust Museum and led role in obtaining an 8-figure donation. He managed the development of the organization’s Strategic Plan. also served as Interim Director for a Missouri nonprofit for 6 months. At the nonprofit, he restructured the staff and delivered realistic budget expectations while leading the search for the permanent Executive Director.

While serving as President and COO at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Brown reduced the budget by $1.8M, led the creation of over 100 programs, built collaborative partnerships with the Cincinnati Police Department, African American Chamber, Jewish Federation, YMCA, and local universities to name a few. He also created new revenue streams to include opening a gift shop on site.

As the Founding Executive Director of the National Blues Museum, upon arrival, Brown had nine months to start and complete the build-out of the $13M museum with a staff of one person - and within 60 days he hired a complete staff. Brown created, produced, and hosted the National Blues Museum drive time radio program on a local station in St. Louis and livestreamed productions of Friday and Saturday concerts held at the museum. He created multiple partnerships and outreach programs with the Metro area public schools, universities, and hospitals. Brown created several panel discussions and teen summits to target audiences the museum was not accustomed to engaging with.

At the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, Brown directed the overall management of this $15M institution and balanced the budget in his first year and increased revenue by over $200K. He led the effort to retire $1.1M in debt and raised over $750K in the first year and secured a $400K donation to start an endowment. He worked extensively with the Board of Trustees, Directors and Managers to complete the institution’s first strategic plan. Brown established three new educational programs and secured over $118K in funding to support these programs. He revamped the Art of Living Smart Summer Camp which is now a year-round program that includes afterschool and spring camp. Brown also through audience development, created programming that was lauded by the county and city officials as an asset to the community because it was all inclusive. Finally, he was presented with a Proclamation signed by the Lt. Governor of Mississippi for the museum’s success and also recognized by the Delta Business Journals “Top Business Minorities”.

Brown is:

• An Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer;
• An experienced educational programmer and a proud team builder, working with staff and board members alike to adopt culturally responsive strategies and navigate challenging situations;
• Retired from the United States Air Force after 21 years of service.

Brown holds two degrees from Southwestern College in Kansas - a Master of Science in Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources. He also has a certificate of fundraising from the IUPUI School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis, IN.

Finally, Brown is a former Board member of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM).

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Michael Friebele, Associate Principal at Perkins Eastman, joins The5 to talk about Designing Your Nonprofit.  Michael gets into basic design principles a nonprofit should apply to their process whether they are working through new architecture, a new website, or new logo, or any other piece that requires design.  Ultimately, as Michael discusses design's role should provoke support for the organization. 

Michael is based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Dallas, Texas. A native of Saint Louis, Missouri, Michael has channeled his professional and personal experiences as a critical medium throughout his work in architectural design, involvement in the community, and experience in journalism. After receiving his Master in Architecture from Kansas State University, Michael located to Dallas where he has spent seven years working in markets across the globe. Michael’s work focuses on connections, from physical to historical, as a means of informing performance driven and client centered design. In addition to his work in architecture, Michael is a self-taught writer, having contributed to such publications as Texas Architect, The Architects Newspaper, and D Magazine. Within the community, Michael currently serves on the Dean's Advisory Council for the Kansas State College of Architecture, Planning, and Design as well as the Board for DOCOMOMO's North Texas Chapter. Michael served on the Board of Directors for AIA Dallas in 2017, is a member of the Texas Architect Publications Committee, and has volunteered with the Dallas Festival of Ideas, Design Future Dallas, and Life in Deep Ellum. Michael, was recognized with the 2017 Associate Award from the American Institute of Architects and the 2016 Associate of the Year from AIA Dallas.

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.

Kristen Sorth, Director of the St. Louis County Library, joins The5 to talk about Partnerships.  Kristen uses her years of experience partnering with various organizations across the St. Louis region to discuss how partnerships have evolved and how new partners are developed.

Kristen Sorth has been the Director of the St. Louis County Library for the past 10+ years after working in a variety of other positions with the Library for 15 years prior.  Kristen's background in HR and Admin started with the Missouri Department of Economic Development after earning her Undergrad and Master's from the University of Missouri-Columbia in Public Administration.  Kristen also earned her Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The5 is a celebration of the work being done by nonprofit professionals, highlighting valuable tips and methods that nonprofits should be utilizing.  The5 is aptly named as NMBL Strategies celebrates our 5 year anniversary.  Host Eric Moraczewski leads guests on a journey of topics that are of deep importance to the guest and discusses how nonprofits and nonprofit leaders can benefit from the experience and expertise.