Together we can do so much
The Let Her Lead program provides women with the necessary tools, resources, and social capital to become the leaders our modern world needs. This one-of-a-kind program offers tracks for both aspiring leaders and established leaders to learn together, grow their networks, and challenge each other.
Working with experts in the areas of confidence, communication, finance, empathetic leadership, and bias – we are empowering women to embrace their unique strengths, abilities, and ideas for change.
Keep scrolling to learn more about our flagship leadership program & meet our 2023 cohort
Meet Our 2023 Cohort Members
Aspiring Leader Cohort
Coy Kindred | Coy Kindred Consulting
Driven by “Her Why,” Coy: mother of four and sister of many, redefines her own family narrative and showcases the resilience and capability of women to overcome obstacles. She believes in amplifying women’s voices, recognizing their exceptional leadership, and highlighting the significance of a supportive community in building a better world. With a pursuit of a Certified Family Life Educator credential, Coy solidifies her education and practical experience in equipping and empowering family members to enhance well-being and strengthen interpersonal relationships through educational and strengths-based approaches.
“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne
Angelee Day | UT Research Park
Angelee is the Chief Operating Officer of the University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farm. She is also a Planner Director Board Member of the East Tennessee Meeting Professionals, and President of the Young Women Youth Organization in her church community. She is a fiercely independent, stubborn, kind, caring, opinionated soul who is a mother to five wonderful, equally stubborn, children, wife to her handsome, hilarious best friend of 13+ years, and a lover of animals as she has two dogs, two cats, and a hamster. She loves pretty much all food, but Mexican is her favorite, especially with a Dr. Pepper over crushed ice. She has either taught dance or taken dance classes for over 20 years in almost every genre you can imagine, and though it is no longer her career path, dance will forever be her passion and happy place. She believes in life-long learning in all aspects of life, loves to laugh, and finds humor in almost everything.
“Stop acting like you are afraid of your own power and start moving as your highest self, completely and unapologetically” – Jet van Wijk
Rachel Baker | YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley
Rachel is a person that loves connecting with and leading other people. She desires to grow as a leader because she knows what it has meant to her (everything) to have exceptionally dedicated, compassionate, kind, strong leaders at one time that led her and saw the value in her. She is someone who is not afraid to say what needs to be said, to love big and share truths, even when it’s hard. She sees the ache of injustice in her community, country, and world and wants to find others to link arms with, to fight with, to know we’re leaving this place a little bit better than we found it. She cares deeply about the young people coming after her and the culture and society we’re creating for them to grow up in.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Jaleria Rivera | SpaceCraft
Jaleria is a human obsessed with creating space for co-liberation, equity, and creativity. The titles and achievements are the icing on the chocolate cake. She is a courageous self-starter excited to learn and grow alongside other curious and brilliant minds. She also plants many seeds. For years, she has poked holes into Knoxville’s soil and planted herself into countless social and creative groups. She poured her time, energy, and creativity into nurturing a community that prioritizes artist equity, intentional design, and artful gatherings. She plants seeds because she values co-liberation for herself and others to live a fulfilled and creative life.
“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” – Jerzy Gregorek
Rainey Rawles | Naughty Pine Woodworks
Rainey Rawles is an artist, woodworker, and founder of Naughty Pine Woodworks, a company that creates luxury, handcrafted furniture and accessories designed to empower people to explore their desires with confidence and joy. Prior to embarking on Naughty Pine, she spent nearly a decade in the arts field as an exhibition designer, fabricator, and art handler in various museums and galleries in the southeast. A woodworker for ten years, she is committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse industry by breaking down barriers in traditionally male-dominated trades by offering knowledge and support to fellow women and LGBTQ+ community members. Her business is located at Able Trade, a collaborative workshop nestled in the heart of the Old City, where she works alongside other business owners and teaches classes to the Knoxville community. Rainey envisions a future where desires are explored without reservation, and where woodworking becomes a gateway to empowerment. When she’s not inhaling sawdust, she enjoys cross-stitching and watching horror movies.
“Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” – Ms. Frizzle
Abby Hassler | Piper Communications
Abby is the Director of Creative Strategy at a strategic communications firm specializing in clean energy and technology. She produces Energizing Tennessee, a podcast about Tennessee’s clean energy sector. She completed her Master of Arts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where her research explored issues of identity, motivation and power dynamics for adult English language students and their teachers at Centro Hispano, a Knoxville nonprofit. She has been a volunteer English teacher at Centro Hispano since 2017. She wants to use her multi-media storytelling skills and teaching experience to lift others around her, particularly young women, to create a more equitable community.
“how you love yourself is
how you teach others
to love you”
― Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey
Big Thank You to Our Volunteer Mentors
Bonnie Casamassima | Intuitive by Nature
Jasmine Newton | Javon Renee Portraits
Leslie Batchelor | Sparrow Health System
Lina Evans | Bank of America
Shelby Ooten | Inhabit
Victoria Frankel | Validity Communications
Established Leader Cohort
Amy Moden | YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley
Amy’s resiliency throughout her life has shaped her into who she is today. Every challenge and obstacle she has faced would appear to be the “events” that would hinder her progress and future. But, amazingly, she found that these “events” are what created a tenacity, determination, and resiliency that sharpened her into discovering the woman she is. She did overcome those barriers, which created momentum as she moved forward in life. She would not have such a true connection and empathy for people, nor would she understand the necessity of failing or feeling fear and “doing it anyway”. Who she is represents something so much bigger than herself. It has ultimately led her on a path of kindness, bravery, inspiration, and an attitude that you truly can do anything you set your mind to.
“Courage gives us a voice and compassion gives us an ear. Without both, there is no room for empathy and connection.” – Brene Brown
Porschia Pickett | Wesley House Community Center
Porschia has had the privilege of serving in the non-profit field for over a decade. Throughout her professional journey, she has served as a resource for youth and community members, with her track record of success ranging from organizations across Knoxville and East Tennessee. As a result of her hard work and dedication towards community engagement and empowerment, Porschia has been honored by organizations across the city of Knoxville. In 2022, Porschia was awarded “Young Professional of the Year Award” by the United Way of Greater Knoxville at their inaugural Change Awards. In 2021, Porschia was honored with the inaugural “Mentor of the Decade Award,” formally named “The Porschia Clark Pickett Mentor of the Decade Award” for serving as the first and only individual to serve 10 consecutive years as a mentor for Girl Talk, Inc. She recently completed the 2022-2023 Haslam Consortium for Social Enterprise Effectiveness (CSEE) Certificate. Beyond her resume, titles, and achievements – she is a servant! Wherever she is called, she serves and does it with a willing heart. She always strives to leave communities better than she found them and absolutely loves empowering those she serves and gets to serve alongside. She strives to be a life-long learner, while also leaving a lasting impact on her community.
“Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best.” – St. Jerome
Emma Moran | Degreed
Emma is a data-driven marketing & operations leader with experience across multiple industries, including nonprofit organizations, higher and secondary education, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and high-growth startups. Nonprofit education and entrepreneurship have taught her how important it is to be an organization that’s customer-focused and values-driven. In her day-to-day work, she leads marketing GTM operations in the tech industry and is passionate about women’s equality in the workplace. She also serves on the leadership team for Young Professionals of Knoxville (YPK) and has always had a heart for purpose-driven community, leadership development, and mentoring.
“The only constant in life is change.” – Heraclitus
Kirby Deal | The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee
Kirby is an experienced Executive Director with a history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Over the span of her professional career to-date, she has received multiple accolades, including the Consortium for Social Enterprise Effectiveness Certificate in 2021, the YWCA Tribute to Women 2021 Emerging Leader Honoree, and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce 2022 Young Professional of the Year Finalist, to name just a few. She is someone who wants a life dedicated to bettering the community she has chosen for all people, but especially marginalized groups. We are at a point in history where many women have rights and opportunities that they have never had before; however, there are extreme disparities in these opportunities – including racial bias, lack of representation, and lack of affordable housing and childcare, among others which she is addressing in her work.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Jaime Conry | Insight Strategic Wealth
Jaime leverages her passion for excellence, attention to detail, and 10-plus years as an accountant—including time as an auditor at Ernst & Young—to develop meaningful, effective portfolios and financial plans for her clients. She is a Karma Yogi at heart and always leads with “How Can I Help” in every situation. She has been in many leadership roles in her 40+ years on this planet and has always been defined as an old soul. She has a thirst for knowledge and always has 5 books beside her bed at some level of completion. She meditates twice a day and goes on silent retreats often. She has never been your typical accountant (every personality test she has taken has said that) but she absolutely loves numbers because 1+1 always equals 2.
“If you think you’re enlightened, spend a week with your family.” – Ram Dass
Rachel Dellinger Stallings | Covenant Health
Rachel Dellinger Stallings is an energetic public relations and communications professional at Covenant Health. She is passionate about people, storytelling and cultivating community connections. She is a Knox.Biz “40 Under 40” honoree and recipient of the 2022 YPK Impact Award for “Outstanding Young Professional.” She is a founding member of the Knoxville Rotaract Club and a past president of the Young Professionals of Knoxville. She currently volunteers with the Cancer Support Community of East Tennessee. Outside of work, you can find her spending time in nature or attending a live performance and supporting Knoxville’s arts and culture scene. Her personal mission is to uplift others through her faith, conduct, and leadership.
“When given the opportunity to aim for success or value, always choose value. If you wake up each day and focus on how to add value – to your family, neighbors, customers, community, and ultimately the world — the success will follow. And you will be happier!” – Sara Blakely
Big Thank You to Our Volunteer Coaches
Alysia Bullock | Incite HR
Berta Medina | Dreamers Succeed
Dr. Dasha Lundy | Know County & The Women
Booth Andrews | The Booth Andrews Company
Jennifer Gamble | Leadership Coach & Consultant
Erika Biddix | Aught
About The Program
- A dual-cohort program that brings together aspiring women leaders and established leaders in a 12-week development program led by subject-matter experts and supported by professional mentors & coaches.
- Aspiring leaders will work on establishing a foundation of confidence, communication skills, and financial literacy – the bedrock of what an effective leader needs – while giving them opportunities to grow their social capital and pursue personal development.
- Established leaders in the program will grow their skillsets in empathetic leadership, active listening, and unconscious bias – all skills needed for modern-day leaders – while giving them opportunities to apply their learnings in a safe space.
- Throughout the program, cohort members will be brought together every 4 weeks for group activities to put their learnings into practice and build their connections with other women leaders.
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Other Elements of the Program
- All participants will receive professional photos of themselves done by photographers connected to the Let Her Speak community.
- Each participant will be matched with a professional coach who carries significant experience in leadership development. The goal is to not only have an “outside-the-program” perspective for participants but also a safe space for discussion and a connection to women outside their immediate community.
- At the end of the program, people in the community will be invited to a storytelling event where cohort participants will take the stage to share their stories and vision for how they can create a positive impact using their unique skills & position.
- Aspiring leaders in the program will also receive a $1,000 – $2,000 stipend to pursue their leadership goals.
Find more details in the Let Her Lead information packet:
Which Cohort is for You?
ASPIRING LEADER TRACK
- Deep-dive sessions on Confidence, Communication, and Financial Literacy led by subject matter experts
- Activities and Outings with Existing Leader cohort to put classroom work into real-world practice
- Access to Professional Mentors & Certified Coaches
- Speaking opportunity at Let Her Speak Community Event
- Qualifications: minimal experience leading teams, projects, or organizations; new to a leadership position or preparing to take on a leadership position
ESTABLISHED LEADER TRACK
- Deep-dive sessions on Empathetic Leadership, Active Listening Skills, and Unconscious Bias
- Activities and Outings with Aspiring Leader cohort to put classroom work into real-world practice
- Access to Peer Mentors & Certified Coaches
- Speaking opportunity at Let Her Speak Community Event
- Qualifications: several years of experience leading teams, projects, organizations, or initiatives; 8+ years into career with aspirations to make a lasting impact on the community
Meet the Facilitators
Gina Lisenby | Revelation Road
Gina Lisenby is the founder of Revelation Road, a coaching and experiential training company.
She is recognized as an inspirational leader and for her intuitive approach as a coach, facilitator, and trainer. She has 25+ years in leadership, personal development, employee engagement, culture transformation, and learning design methodology.
Gina is on a mission to help more people experience the empowering benefits of coaching so that they live with greater purpose, confidence, and fulfillment. She passionately coaches executives, both emerging and established leaders, and individuals leading in their lives. Through her understanding of how coaching impacts the brain, she helps people tap into their personal resourcefulness and capacity to create long-term change and results.
Certified in Conversational Intelligence, a methodology based in neuroscience, Gina works with organizations and teams to improve the quality of their conversations, to foster greater trust, connection, and success. She believes conversations, even the difficult ones, are most powerful when they are used to create equity, drive change, and ignite innovation.
Gina holds an ACC through the International Coaching Federation, and a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Michigan State University. Her professional coaching certification was earned through the Co-Active Training Institute. Gina would tell you that one of the most meaningful acknowledgements she has received is being called a “people-whisperer”. She resides in beautiful Knoxville, TN with her partner, John, and their dog, Ladybird.
Catherine Porth | Let Her Speak
Catherine is the Founder of Let Her Speak where she curates women-empowered events, conducts female-focused research, and develops leadership-growth education. She founded Let Her Speak originally with the purpose to share the stories of women who often get overlooked and forgotten. Her mission is to bring more visibility and support to all women in business. She believes that through community, research, and education – more women will rise to leadership positions.
Catherine will often say that she started Let Her Speak for 6 reasons. Every reason is tied to a life lesson that helped her realize her own personal mission of ensuring every woman feels seen, heard, and valued.
Having started her career in Corporate America and in a male-dominated industry – it took her nearly a decade to not only find a community of women who were supportive of each other but to also understand just how powerful having a village can be.
That village is what helped her build the confidence she needed to leave a job that brought her no joy, to start over again in a new career, to speak up and share her story, and to build a platform and movement she could share with any woman who has felt ignored, overlooked, and forgotten.
Catherine has over 15 years of experience in service, business development, training, and insights research. She has worked in a broad range of industries including financial services, workplace design, and technology startups. For every role Catherine has had, one thing that remains consistent is that she takes on an “owner’s heart” with every business she works for or with. She believes her wide range of experience and passion for the entrepreneurial community has made her uniquely effective in working with entrepreneurs who have to wear all the hats as they build their businesses.
Catherine holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business. Born and raised in Iowa, she has called Knoxville, TN home for the last 6.5 years with her husband, dog, and rabbit.
The Let Her Lead Program would not be possible without the support and funding from our Founding Partner
Thank you Schaad Companies for believing in our vision and mission!
Applications for the 2023 Let Her Lead Program have officially closed
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