On this episode of I So Appreciate You, Melanie and Nadege reflect on the season and celebrate Nadege as she shares the news of her departure from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and prepares to take on her new role as CEO of the San Antonio Area Foundation.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert talk to Sheletta Brundidge about why showing up as your authentic self matters.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert talk to Bethany Lacktorin about the opportunities and challenges of managing an arts organization in a rural town.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert talk to special guests, Carmen Giménez and Ruby Oluoch, about the dos and don’ts of succession planning.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert talk to special guest, Rammy Mohamed, about how her fashion brand bridges her communities together.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert talk to special guest Andrea Yoch about how Aurora FC is paving the way for inclusivity in sports.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert chat with Seena Hodges about why it’s not enough to be an ally and how we can transform into equity accomplices, both in the workplace and in our communities.

On this episode of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss mission-based investing and the values of a diverse team in the investments industry with Chief Investment Officer for the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, Shannon O’Leary.  In her role, Shannon and her staff help steward the Foundation’s $1.7 billion in assets, ensuring that those dollars aren’t invested and/or supporting any issues or causes that may detour our grantmaking work. Shannon is...

In the first episode of Season 3 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert chat with Allison Hohn, executive director of Naturally Minnesota, about what it takes to establish a thriving and equitable ecosystem for food-based entrepreneurs in our state. Naturally Minnesota is an initiative to support and accelerate Minnesota's ecosystem for food and agriculture entrepreneurship and innovation. Through her work, Allison provides venues for new food and agriculture...

I So Appreciate You! is back for its third season starting September 19. Listen along as co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert continue their sometimes raw, sometimes funny and always uniquely insightful discussions with some of today’s changemakers.

Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert take a Seinfeld approach to their final episode of the season by unwinding and talking about nothing; well, nothing in particular and “doing” nothing.  Instead of tackling sometimes tough and complex issues that arise in the workplace and philanthropy, they take time to address the commonalities their guests had this season. One theme that emerged is the pressing need for creative people to create time to rest and decompress.

In this episode of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation with Anishinaabe artist, advocate and cultural educator Adrienne M. Benjamin. In addition to Adrienne, they also take time to discuss this complex topic with another surprise guest, Dr. Eric Jolly, president & CEO of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. As Reconciliation Advisor for Minnetonka, Adrienne is working to bridge the gap between...

In a time when the information we consume is often curated or reinforced by what we like on social media or the news outlets we follow, Mukhtar Ibrahim is working to shift the narrative by giving immigrants and communities of color the kind of committed, responsive news coverage that we all deserve.  In this episode of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert explore the complexities of journalism and the importance of intentionally changing the dominant narrative...

In season 2, episode 5 of I So Appreciate You!, we discuss the value social media has as a tool for connection while also having implications on private life. Our special guest is Sarah Edwards, CEO of Some Great People and co-founder/CEO of Fashion Week Minnesota. Sarah is obsessed with the word “sonder” – the profound feeling of realizing that everyone has a life as vivid and complex as one’s own – and it makes sense given that she loves community and bringing people together. As a...

Lulete Mola’s passion for activism and social justice stems from her love of her family and community. Before co-founding the Black Collective Foundation MN as a result of the pandemic and social uprising in Minnesota, Lulete started her own youth-led organization, worked for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and participated on many boards including Minnesota Council of Foundations and the VoteRunLead National Advisory. In episode 4 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and...

In episode 3 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert talk about mobile apps, entrepreneurship and healthy work and personal life boundaries with special guest Andre Creighton, co-founder and chief financial officer of TurnSignl. What makes for the perfect mobile app? Our co-hosts discuss the most valuable apps on their phones and then dig in with Andre about why he and his co-founders were moved to create TurnSignl. After the murder of close family friend...

Many times, leadership transitions are unexpected, and if a succession plan is in place, the process is handled behind closed doors. In contrast, Jamie Millard, executive director of Pollen Midwest, is leading her own transition out of the organization she has been leading for the last nine years with a years-long, transparent and participatory transition process that can offer many organizations a new way to think about leadership transition. Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert...

Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss the importance of a heart-based approach to philanthropy, as well as their value of the arts, creativity and finding your passions with writer, philanthropist and arts supporter Margaret Wurtele.

Nadege Souvenir welcomes new co-host Melanie Hoffert to I So Appreciate You! with a few this or that questions revealing Melanie’s love of black licorice. The pair openly talk about their friendship, Melanie’s writing career and how they are forever bonded by Melanie’s new kitten Lucy Lake. Listen to learn the dual meaning behind Lucy Lake’s name (hint: it also has a connection to Melanie’s new book).

In this bonus episode to close season 1 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Pahoua Yang Hoffman reflect on the season and discuss Pahoua’s upcoming career transition as she leaves the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

I So Appreciate You! co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua, along with special guest Christophe Beck, President and CEO of Ecolab, explain the concepts of “mirroring” and “bridging” and discuss how leaders, particularly white leaders, can create more inclusive workplaces.

I So Appreciate You! co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua explore what happens when organizations transition from white leaders to leaders of color in a thoughtful dialogue with special guest Duchesne Drew, President of Minnesota Public Radio.

In this week’s episode, ISAY co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua discuss the importance of intentionally creating learning opportunities and pathways that allow people to build knowledge and skills for roles that haven‘t been accessible to everyone. They are joined by Meredith Leigh Moore and Brandon Williams, who share their career journeys and discuss how people can own their career narrative and gain experience to ladder up into new roles.

ISAY co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua, along with special guest Philomena Morrissey Satre, Director of Diversity & Inclusion and External Strategic Partnerships at Land O'Lakes, explore aging in the workplace and how this unaddressed diversity and inclusion issue affects employees.