Brenda's Secret Sauce

Valerie F. Leonard
Published: June 8, 2015

Valerie F. Leonard

Ralph Murphy

Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development, will host the Nonprofit "U" blog radio talk show on Monday afternoons, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., on the BlogTalkRadio network, beginning June 22, 2015. Nonprofit "U" is a forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector, and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. The Nonprofit "U" blog radio talk show is the first series of its kind in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, and one of very few in the country.

"After talking with nonprofit stakeholders from around the City of Chicago and beyond, it's very clear that the time for this show is now", Leonard said. "Emerging nonprofit leaders don't always have access to the more seasoned professionals and policy makers in the industry" . As a result, Leonard says, "they operate in the dark and make a lot of unnecessary mistakes".

Nonprofit "U" will provide listeners the opportunity to ask questions by phone, social media or live chat. Leonard's goal for every show is to raise awareness of issues that impact nonprofits' ability to serve their clients and to provide actionable solutions. At the same time, leaders of organizations that serve nonprofits will have a better sense for how best to meet their needs.

Brenda Palms Barber, CEO of the North Lawndale Employment Network on Chicago's West Side, will be the featured guest on Brenda's Secret Sauce, the first episode of Nonprofit "U". Palms Barber moved to Chicago 15 years ago and started the North Lawndale Employment Network to assist returning citizens transition back to society through employment and other resources. She found a community that ranked in the top 6 in the state with respect to prisoners returning home. Today, her clients as a group have a recidivism rate of 6% compared to 43% for the country. Under her leadership, NLEN has grown from 2 to 21 employees, and provides job training and financial literacy to over 2,000 men and women. She launched the Sweet Beginnings social enterprise, which produces local honey and skincare products under the beelove brand, where 383 returning citizens have been employed, since 2007.

What's in Brenda's secret sauce? "Call-in to the show at (347) 884-8121 and find out", Leonard said. The show will stream live from BlogTalkRadio.com/nonprofit_u.

Keywords: BlogTalkRadio, Brenda Palms Barber, Capacity Building, NLEN, Nonprofit "U", Nonprofit Management, North Lawndale Community, North Lawndale Employment Network, Valerie F. Leonard