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 one of few women spearheading an investment team in a predominantly white male-dominated industry.  As a result of this lack of diversity, Shannon has made it her mission to meet with managers in the industry and advocate for change.  “One of the most dangerous things in this industry that leads to problems and leads to additional risk is the lack of diversity on these teams leading to group think,” she says.  In addition to her work advocating for change in the investments space, Shannon also pens a bi-weekly newsletter to share her experiences working in a male-dominated industry and sharing advice for readers wanting to create change themselves.

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 business owners to connect with like-minded people, find support for their ventures, and learn how to access resources like investment capital. When establishing a product for distribution, Allison says food entrepreneurs must keep the following things in mind. “Your product has to taste good, you have to have a good brand and you have to have a point of differentiation.”  Allison also shares her insights on creating greater access and equitable opportunities for entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture space, what she hopes is here to stay after the pandemic shook up the industry, and how someone can take their product from idea to shelf. Links Naturally Minnesota

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.