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Black History Month Reflections: A Love Letter to Black Women LeadersFebruary 17, 2026 By Bianca Anderson | CEO ProInspire Earlier this month, we launched the second cohort of the Fellowship for Liberated Futures. And with it, we named something the social sector has avoided for far too long. A system that relies on burnout, especially the burnout of Black women, is …
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ProInspire CEO Shares Year-Opening ReflectionsJanuary 20, 2026 By Bianca Anderson | CEO ProInspire What 2025 Revealed Across the social sector, 2025 surfaced patterns that were difficult to ignore. Political shifts and executive actions placed many organizations on the defensive. Philanthropy grew more cautious. Investments in racial equity lea…
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Our Vision for the FutureIn a moment when racial justice commitments are being rescinded and equity work is under siege, ProInspire is deepening its resolve. For over 15 years, we’ve worked alongside leaders and organizations in the social sector who refuse to accept that burnout, inequity, and extraction are inevitab…
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“It’s Everything, Everywhere, All At Once:” Rethinking the Check-In QuestionJuly 31, 2025 By Rosie Aquila | Program Manager, ProInspire These days, when someone asks me, “How are you?” my brain short-circuits. Not because I don’t have feelings, but because I have too many. The question lands fake or out-of-touch, and the only honest answer I can muster is either a dee…
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Liberatory Practice and Racial Equity: Three Perspectives on Leadership in Disruptive TimesMay 29, 2025 Written By: Bianca Anderson, Ericka Stallings, Jas Hall, Kristen Lucas, Nikki Dinh, and Shannon Ellis This is a collaborative knowledge product of CompassPoint, Proinspire, and Leadership Learning Community Introduction In 2025, the social good sector stands at …
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ProInspire Pulse Check: Sector SurveyIn this shifting political and funding landscape, ProInspire is committed to understanding the most urgent needs of nonprofits, funders, consultants, and movement leaders in this current climate so we can better design responsive resources, tools, and community support. We invite you to take our Sec…
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Rest in Practice: Emerging Lessons from our Rest FellowshipFebruary 28, 2025 At the start of the fellowship, many fellows carried a deeply held belief that “their worth was tied to productivity.” These sentiments were underscored by themes of our focus groups from our first in-person retreat that made space for self-exploration to guide personal reflect…
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Resourcing Ourselves Through Challenge and ChangeA Message to Our Network February 27, 2025 By Bianca Casanova Anderson | CEO, ProInspire I had the unique opportunity to spend the first two weeks of the Trump administration in Tanzania with a group of friends. I embarked on the trip filled with expectation, knowing I would not return the same—…
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Change is a Portal Towards PossibilitiesDecember 19, 2024 “All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.” – Octavia Butler How do you resource yourself to be adaptable in transition? Through their creative medium of choice, our staff members Rosie Aquila, Neriel David Pon…
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Centering Care in Our ApproachDecember 17, 2024 By Camille De La Rosa This fall we released our Thriving Leaders & Communities report, featuring the insights and recommendations of 58 senior BIPOC leaders representing 39 cities across the United States. A year in retrospect since our three TLC convenings, I’m…
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Rest as the Way Forward: Black Women Reclaiming Rest in the Big EasyDecember 16, 2024 By Rachel Leonidas A month before the elections, the Black women and femmes of the Fellowship for Liberated Futures (FFLF) gathered in New Orleans to delve into the elusive concept of rest. Our second in-person retreat, Rest and Freedom Dreaming, was more than just an escape�…
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ProInspire Information Session: A Recap for PhilanthropyEarlier this summer, ProInspire hosted an information session for foundations to share more about our approach to consulting and culture transformation and the ways we build with philanthropy towards a thriving, equitable future. If you’re curious about our work and missed the session—or want to…
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A Journey Exploring Rest and Repair: Introducing Fellowship for Liberated FuturesA Restorative Program Co-created by Dr. Chera Reid, The Chisholm Legacy Project and ProInspire FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERachel Leonidas, [email protected] April 17, 2024 Dr. Chera Reid, The Chisholm Legacy Project, and ProInspire announce the launch of Fellowship for Liberated Futures, …
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Looking Ahead: Honoring Our History, Imagining PossibilitiesDear ProInspire Community, As we embark on this new year, I reflect on where we have been as an organization. The past year was a pivotal year for ProInspire marked by our theme, “being and becoming.” This resonated with us as a team because we were in a period of transition, planning for …
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Farewell Message from ProInspire Founder Monisha KapilaDear ProInspire Community, This is my final note to you in my role as co-CEO at ProInspire. I am deeply indebted to each member of the ProInspire community for your unwavering support, and for shaping me into the leader I am today. Leading this organization has been the honor of a lifetime and the h…
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How Sabbaticals Can Support Succession and TransitionFinalized on October 25, 2023 | Published November 28, 2023 By Monisha Kapila Last month I returned from my second sabbatical at ProInspire. This sabbatical is unique because I am in my final six months in this job (I announced in January that I will be completing my tenure at ProInspire this Decemb…
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“Self to Systems” Learning Series 2023Class is back in session! Join us for our free 2023 “Self to Systems” Learning Series! Through four 45-minute sessions in October and November, journey with ProInspire Director Namira Anani and additional guest hosts through our “Self to Systems” Leadership Model for Race E…
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Being and Becoming: Isabelle Moses to serve as ProInspire’s new co-CEOSeptember 20, 2023 ProInspire is pleased to announce that Isabelle Moses will serve as ProInspire’s new co-CEO alongside our current co-CEO, Bianca Anderson, starting in 2024. This marks a pivotal moment in ProInspire’s journey, as this shift follows our founder’s transition at the end of …
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Meet Catalyst Collective Cohort 2ProInspire Announces the 2023-2024 Catalyst Collective Cohort Our community for executives of color grows. We’re thrilled to officially announce Catalyst Collective Cohort 2, drawn from our continued partnership with Kresge Foundation’s Arts and Culture & Human Services grantees! Th…
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Honor Our Voicesby the Asian American staff members of ProInspire (Namira Anani, Monisha Kapila, Camille De La Rosa, Neriel David Ponce, and Monica Biswas) June 6, 2023 As AANHPI Heritage Month came to a close last week, the Asian American staff members of ProInspire are honoring our voices by sharing our stories, …
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Lessons Learned for Why a Teams-Based Approach Can Advance Equityby Monica Biswas and Rosie Aquila Monica and Rosie have partnered on the design and facilitation for three of ProInspire’s team-based cohorts. These reflections and learnings stemmed from their experiences, observations, and feedback from participants in these programs. April 20, 2023 ProInsp…
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Not Just Surviving, But ThrivingProInspire Exploring How We Step Towards Organizational Resilience by Ashley Bernal March 31, 2023 “Give Light and People Will Find the Way” – Ella Josephine Baker In my experience as a social scientist and advocate for racial justice, I’ve observed that racial equity is ana…
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Our Message to Founder Monisha KapilaMarch 8, 2023 Dear ProInspire Community, As ProInspire celebrates its 14th anniversary, we are reminded of the journey that has brought us to this point. Over the years, ProInspire has transformed and grown, largely due to our founder and co-CEO Monisha Kapila’s vision and hard work. Las…
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A Special Message from the Founderby Monisha Kapila February 28, 2023 It is with much pride and happiness that I am announcing my transition from the co-CEO role at the end of 2023. This weekend marked ProInspire’s 14th anniversary. I still remember the seedling of an idea that formed in 2008 and led me to launch ProInspire o…
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Rest as Resistanceby the Black Women at ProInspire February 15, 2023 The 2023 Black History Month national theme is Black Resistance. In celebration, the Black women at ProInspire gathered to dream and reflect on how rest is their resistance. Each of them shares their resistance practices, personal reflections, …
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Read Black: Books by Black Authorsby The ProInspire Team February 17, 2023 In honor of Black History Month, the ProInspire team shares their favorite books by Black authors. We encourage you to add these books to your collection to commemorate the achievements of Black Americans throughout history, spark conversation, challenge your…
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Being and BecomingOn the Dawn of Transformation by Bianca Anderson February 15, 2023 ProInspire co-CEO Bianca Anderson expands on what “Being and Becoming” looks and feels like as the co-CEO of our growing organization in the midst of its own beautiful transitions. Enjoy the fourth and final blog ins…
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Reimagining Leadership: The Co-CEO Model at ProInspireby Bianca Anderson and Monisha Kapila January 17, 2023 Since publishing our Leadership Model for Race Equity Impact in 2021, our work has centered around supporting organizations and leaders with embodying practices that accelerate race equity in both outcomes and experience within their organizatio…
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Together We Thrive: 5 Elements that Define a Thriving OrganizationProInspire Director Monica Biswas shares insights from her work with organizations this year. She explores 5 elements she has observed across thriving organizations. Enjoy the third blog installment in our Thrive Through the Season and into 2023 campaign. In terms of commitment, thriving organizatio…
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Get On Board: How Centering Relationships Can Guide GovernanceIn the following Q&A conversation below, our Board Co-Chair Nancy Withbroe explores how the core commitment of Centering Relationships helps to guide board governance at ProInspire and shares tips around how other boards can use this core commitment. This is the second blog installment in our Th…
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Succession is Not a Dirty WordLet’s talk about succession planning. Given my Founder identity, I often think about how the organization thrives beyond me. This question isn’t exclusive to Founders, as we know that Executive Director transitions in general can lead to instability in organizations. But when I bring up successi…
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Meet the Catalyst CollectiveThe Catalyst Collective consists of two cohorts of 10 leaders each, drawn from our partnership with Kresge Foundation’s Arts and Culture & Human Services grantees. We are proud of the inaugural members of The ProInspire Catalyst Collective! We are also excited to announce that The Ca…
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Leading Organizations: Aligning Values ResourceAbout Leading Orgs for Race Equity Impact At the core of leading organizations is a commitment to aligning values by establishing congruence between stated racial equity beliefs and values and actual organizational policies and procedures. Aligning values sets the foundation to interrupt white domin…
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Leading Systems: Collective Reimagining ResourceAbout Leading Systems for Race Equity Impact At the core of leading systems is a commitment to collective reimagining by taking the risk to envision and pursue together what is possible beyond what any one individual or organization knows or has experienced. It requires deeply understanding two prim…
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Leading People: Centering Relationships ResourceAbout Centering Relationships for Race Equity Impact At the core of leading people is a commitment to centering relationships by prioritizing people over productivity and cultivating a culture of belonging that supports authenticity. It requires building trust and honoring the experiences of others …
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Leading Self: Exploring Identity ResourceAbout Leading Self for Race Equity Impact At the core of leading self is a commitment to exploring identity by devoting time to an ongoing practice rooted in self-awareness and self-compassion. It acknowledges the importance of understanding not just our own identity and lived experiences, but also …
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Leadership Model Lunch and Learn Core Commitment SeriesNow that you’ve downloaded our Self to Systems publication, it’s time to explore what’s core to our Leadership Model. Class is in session! Join us for our Lunch and Learn Core Commitment series. We’re serving up tools to help you learn, adopt, engage, and better understand the four core …
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Collective Reimagining and the Complex Work of Leading SystemsBy Monica Biswas and Cecilia Belser-Patton | Edited by Rosie E. Aquila From April 2021 to February 2022, a team of facilitators from the organizations ProInspire, Community Wealth Partners, JUST Systems, and Lassiter & Associates co-designed and led the Spark Heartland program. Funded by the Kau…
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How we’ve worked on Aligning Values at ProInspireBy Kristen Lucas As Chief Operating Officer at ProInspire, my role is to shape our policies and processes to help us deeply live our organizational values. It’s the difference between our core values being posted on social media and being actually realized in all that we do. While this work has fu…
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Part II: Exploring Identity with Founder Monisha KapilaPart two of this series picks up with a conversation Monisha has with a new cohort of ProInspire fellows in 2014. If you missed part one, read the complete blog here. In August 2014, I was sitting around a conference table with the new cohort of ProInspire Fellows. We had 15 fellows in the DC [&hell…
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Part I: Exploring Identity with Founder Monisha KapilaPart I of a two-part series on Exploring Identity with ProInspire’s Founder Recently, I had the opportunity to join the Catalyst Collective, a community of practice hosted by ProInspire for senior leaders of color, at the inaugural group’s final convening. Members shared stories about how th…
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Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity ImpactWe’re excited to introduce our newly released… Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity Impact This model is based on research ProInspire started five years ago and supports individuals and organizations in identifying how their practices can create and sustain racially equitable e…
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This #GivingTuesday- We’re Saying Thank You!Your unwavering support and investment in our mission and vision of ProInspire have helped us expand our capacity to activate leaders and accelerate racial equity. Last year on #GivingTuesday, you responded to our appeal for support and helped us raise $42,000 to improve our internal capac…
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Supporting BIPOC-owned BusinessesThe reality of the pandemic has disproportionately impacted BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) business owners already contending with an existing economy mired with social and systemic inequities. Supporting small BIPOC-owned businesses and vendors, who often give back to their local commun…
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: “Where I’m From”Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15- October 15) honors the cultural traditions and background of those who trace their roots back to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. In celebration, we take a moment to uplift the rich heritage…
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Chronicle of Philanthropy Publishes Op-Ed by Co-CEO Bianca AndersonIn her op-ed, How MacKenzie Scott’s Gifts to Leaders of Color Fuel Transformation, published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Co-CEO Bianca Anderson shares her reflections as a recipient of Scott’s unrestricted generosity and investment in BIPOC-led work. Bianca reflects on …
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Race Equity and Leadership: ProInspire Responds to the Generous Gift from MacKenzie ScottJune 15, 2021 “We are excited to share that ProInspire has received a one-time transformational gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This unrestricted gift is the largest in our organization’s history and opens up the possibilities for us to deepen investments in ProInspire’s infrastructu…
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Relief, Grief, and the Power of CommunityWhat does Derek Chauvin’s verdict remind us about awareness, action and accountability? To be clear, justice for George Floyd would have been for him to be alive. This week, we joined countless people around the world in a collective sigh of relief as the verdict was read. It pains us that w…
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Bianca Anderson Promoted to Co-CEOFrom The Desks Of Isabelle Moses, Outgoing Board Chair & Nancy Withbroe, Incoming Board Chair We’re pleased to announce a leadership update at ProInspire – As of April 1, 2021, Bianca Anderson now serves as Co-CEO alongside ProInspire’s founder, Monisha Kapila. Bian…
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Message from the CEO April 2021Message from the CEO It has been one year since the COVID pandemic really hit us – highlighting interconnectedness around the world and racial inequities pervasive in our country. Those first three months felt like a blur – many of us (including me) set up temporary workspaces in our bed…
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In Reflection and Solidarity: Anti-Asian HateThis Women’s History Month, we are celebrating the amazing and dynamic women on our team and around the globe. Every day, we are dedicated to highlighting and supporting all women who are leading in the social sector and accelerating equity at all levels. However, we cannot begin to discuss equity…
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A Decade in the Making Series: Sunsets, Shifts & Spinoffs: Making Difficult Program DecisionsProInspire programs bring people together to advance leadership and equity. Whether they participate in a one-day convening, a two-day training, a months-long cohort or a yearlong fellowship, participants across all of our programs express appreciation for the space to come together, discuss importa…
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A Decade in the Making Series: What it Takes to Build CommunityProInspire programs bring people together to advance leadership and equity. Whether they participate in a one-day convening, a two-day training, a months-long cohort or a yearlong fellowship, participants across all of our programs express appreciation for the space to come together, discuss importa…
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A Decade in the Making Series: There is Power in CollaborationProInspire programs bring people together to advance leadership and equity. Whether they participate in a one-day convening, a two-day training, a months-long cohort or a yearlong fellowship, participants across all of our programs express appreciation for the space to come together, discuss importa…
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A Decade in the Making Series: Get Clear on How Organization Change HappensProInspire programs bring people together to advance leadership and equity. Whether they participate in a one-day convening, a two-day training, a months-long cohort or a yearlong fellowship, participants across all of our programs express appreciation for the space to come together, discuss importa…
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A Decade in the Making Series: ProInspire’s Race Equity JourneyProInspire programs bring people together to advance leadership and equity. Whether they participate in a one-day convening, a two-day training, a months-long cohort or a yearlong fellowship, participants across all of our programs express appreciation for the space to come together, discuss importa…
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A Decade in the Making Series: Be Intentional about Setting the Stage for Learning and GrowthProInspire programs bring people together to advance leadership and equity. Whether they participate in a one-day convening, a two-day training, a months-long cohort or a yearlong fellowship, participants across all of our programs express appreciation for the space to come together, discuss importa…
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A Decade in the Making Series: Letter from the CEO2019 marks ten years since I launched ProInspire, and it amazes me how much has happened in that time. In the decade since our founding, ProInspire has had the opportunity to work with more than 5,000 leaders and 500 social impact organizations to advance leadership and equity. While our work is ong…
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Our Leadership Competency Model JourneyBy: Monisha Kapila As you may have read on this blog before, ProInspire is conducting research to develop a leadership model that centers equity. The model will define key competencies for social sector leaders, highlight how race equity is part of these competencies, and identify where bias can sho…
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ProInspire’s New Board Members, Board Officers, and Network Leadership CouncilWe are excited to welcome ProInspire’s new Board Members and Officers and the new ProInspire Network Leadership Council members and Co-Chairs. …
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Announcing ProInspire’s Updated Theory of ChangeFebruary 20, 2019By: Monisha Kapila When I reflect on the past 10 years, it becomes clear that our greatest asset is the ProInspire community of over 3,000 people and almost 500 organizations working to advance social impact across the sector. These partnerships have given us a deeper understanding …
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ProInspire’s Programs and Activities in 2019ProInspire’s Programs and Activities in 2019 By: Monisha KapilaFebruary 20, 2019 As I shared with our updated theory of change, we are going to be focused on programs and activities that advance our mission, “activating leaders at all levels to accelerate equity at the individual, organizat…
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A Summary of ProInspire’s 2019 Impact CallA Summary of ProInspire’s 2019 Impact Call February 5, 2019 Alumni, partners, program participants, donors, and other members of the ProInspire community joined CEO Monisha Kapila and staff members for our 2019 Impact Call on January 31st. The Impact Call offered a chance to learn more about …
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ProInspire named a 2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofitsProInspire named a 2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits January 9, 2019 Happy 2019! We are starting this year by sharing some exciting news from last month: for the fourth consecutive year, ProInspire was named a Top-Rated Nonprofitby Great Nonprofits, the leading provider of …
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Harmony for the Holidays: Advice on holding difficult conversationsBy Kristen Lucas and Andrew Plumley Stephen Colbert and SNL have joked about them; NPR has asked listeners to call-in about them. At home or in the workplace, we’ve all found ourselves in conversations where disagreement is sure to follow the introduction of certain topics. While conventional wisd…