Hart & Hustle Podcast

The Critical Gap in Youth Development: Filling the 18-24 Age Void with Community & Care | Chicago Youth Boxing Club

Unlock the transformative power of community and resilience with Noah Pickens from Chicago Youth Boxing Club. Noah shares how he transitioned from an educator obsessively focused on individual impact to leading a boxing gym that serves hundreds of youth each year — and the surprising lessons he learned about engagement, trust, and creating lasting change. This is the story of building a space where community magic happens — and what mission-driven leaders can learn from it.  ⚠️ In this episode, you'll learn:  ✅ How to foster trust and rapport in challenging environments to boost participant retention  ✅ Creative strategies to make content relevant and impactful on everyday life  ✅ Fundraising lessons from running a long-standing community organization  ✅ The importance of meeting young people where they are, especially in underserved areas  ✅ Practical steps to scale a mission-driven community space in a resource-constrained setting  This episode is for visionaries and mission-driven leaders who want to deepen community impact, expand program reach, and sustain meaningful engagement in high-need areas. 👤 ABOUT NOAH PICKENS:  Noah Pickens is the Executive Director of Chicago Youth Boxing Club, a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering youth through boxing and community development. With a background in education and a passion for social impact, Noah leads with a focus on rebuilding youth pathways, especially for underserved youth and young adults.  🔗 Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-pickens-05724027b/  🔗 Organization Website: https://cybc.com https://chicagoyouthboxingclub.org  🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE:  Hart & Hustle delivers weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders tackling real-world challenges in healthcare, education, and community services. Hosts Keenan Hart and Efrain explore practical strategies and inspiring stories to help you scale your organization’s impact.  🔗 CONNECT WITH US:  FRANSiS™ Website: https://fransis.ai  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fromfransis  #NonprofitLeadership #YouthDevelopment #CommunityImpact

Why Building More Housing Won’t End Veteran Homelessness—And What Will | We Soldier On

Veteran homelessness is a complex challenge—yet organizations like Soldier On show us it's solvable. Casey DiCicco, Communications Director, and Bruce Buckley, CEO/President of Soldier On, share how their mission-driven work over the past 30 years transforms lives, one veteran at a time. This is the story of relentless dedication and innovative support systems—and what mission-driven leaders can learn from it. ⚠️ In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How to measure impact through personal stories, not just numbers ✅ The crucial role of building trust and meeting veterans where they are ✅ Ways to combat stigma and improve access to veteran resources This episode is for mission-driven leaders seeking practical strategies to expand program reach and deepen community impact. 👤 ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Casey DiCicco: Communications Director at Soldier On, leading outreach and advocacy efforts to end veteran homelessness.  Bruce Buckley: CEO/President of Soldier On, guiding the organization’s mission to provide comprehensive support to veterans.  🔗 Organization Website: https://wesoldieron.org  🎙️ ABOUT THE HOST:  Efrain Lozada hosts Hart & Hustle, delivering weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders in healthcare, education, and community services. Efrain uncovers actionable strategies to solve real-world problems and scale your impact.  🔗 CONNECT WITH US:  FRANSiS™ Website: https://fransis.ai  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fromfransis  #VeteranSupport #MissionDrivenLeadership #NonprofitImpact

Why Supporting Kids During Critical Hours Can Change Their Entire Future | Sue Gabriel

Unlock the transformative power of youth programs with Sue Gabriel, director of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem. She shares how a safe, engaging environment for kids isn’t just about after-school fun—it sets the foundation for resilience, leadership, and lifelong success. This is the story of how decades-old organizations like the Boys and Girls Club continue to shape future leaders — and what mission-driven organizations can learn from their ongoing impact. In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to prioritize safety and belonging in youth programs to foster trust and development  ✅ Strategies for securing sustainable funding while expanding service reach  ✅ The importance of culturally connected staff in building resilience and empathy among youth  ✅ How to pivot quickly in challenging times without losing mission focus  ✅ The role of leadership skills and resource access in closing opportunity gaps for underserved children  This episode is for nonprofit leaders and social sector professionals dedicated to amplifying program impact and nurturing the next generation of leaders.  👤 ABOUT SUE GABRIEL:  Sue is the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem, a dedicated leader with over 25 years of experience in social services. Her work focuses on building resilient, capable youth who are prepared for tomorrow's challenges.  🔗 Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-gabriel-261266gab/  🔗 Organization Website: https://bgcgs.org  🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE:  Hart & Hustle brings weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders in nonprofit, healthcare, and community service sectors. Hosts Keenan Hart and Efrain uncover practical insights to help you scale your impact and lead with purpose.  🔗 CONNECT WITH US: FRANSiS™ Website: https://fransis.ai  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fromfransis  #NonprofitLeadership #YouthDevelopment #CommunityImpact

Mission-Driven Leadership in Higher Education: How Doane University Grows Through Relationships

John Frost, VP of Enrollment Management at Doane University, shares how one conversation — and one person who believed in a student before she believed in herself — sparked a ripple effect that changed three generations and an entire workplace. In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How to shift your team from "order takers" to "dream makers" — and why this changes everything about community engagement  ✅ The enrollment and outreach framework Doane uses to meet people where they are through relationship-first communication  ✅ Why leading with purpose — not metrics — is the most powerful retention and growth strategy for any mission-driven organization  This episode is for mission-driven leaders who want to reconnect with why they do this work and build the kind of community trust that multiplies impact long after the first conversation. 👤 ABOUT JOHN FROST:  John Frost is the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing at Doane University, a 153-year-old liberal arts institution in Crete, Nebraska. A former TV news journalist, John made a deliberate pivot into higher education to move from telling people's stories to influencing them. Under his leadership, Doane has grown its student body toward the 1,000-student mark through a relationship-first enrollment model that prioritizes human connection over transactional recruiting.  🔗 Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-frost-m-s-74b57042/  🔗 Doane University: https://www.doane.edu  🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE:  Hart & Hustle brings you weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders solving real problems in healthcare, education, and community services. Every week, host Efrain Lozada sits down with nonprofit executives, operations directors, and innovators to uncover practical strategies you can implement in your organization. Subscribe for weekly insights on nonprofit leadership, operations, and scaling mission impact.  🔗 CONNECT WITH US:  FRANSiS™ Website: https://fransis.ai  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fromfransis  #MissionDrivenLeadership #NonprofitLeadership #HigherEducation

He Chose Missions Over Easy Paychecks for 15 Years. Here's What It's Built. | Tymon Graham

Tymon Graham, VP of Student Affairs at Florida Memorial University, shares how he's spent 15 years building student access, institutional trust, and mission-driven leadership across three cities — and why he keeps choosing the hard institutions on purpose.  In this conversation, you'll learn:  ✅ How FMU's scholarship portal is closing the funding gap for students who would otherwise leave money on the table  ✅ Why Tymon measures team success by how empty the waiting room is — not how busy his staff looks  ✅ What 15 years of intentional, institution-hopping leadership builds in a person — and how to apply that portfolio mindset to your own career  This episode is for mission-driven leaders who want to reconnect with why they chose this work — and get practical tools for serving their communities more effectively. 👤 ABOUT TYMON GRAHAM:  Tymon Graham serves as Vice President of Student Affairs at Florida Memorial University (FMU) in Miami Gardens, Florida — the only HBCU in South Florida and the birthplace of the Negro National Anthem. A 15-year veteran of higher education who has worked across Washington D.C., Jacksonville, and Miami, Tymon oversees both enrollment management and student life, including counseling services and the university's acclaimed marching band. In his first year at FMU, he launched a scholarship portal that delivers weekly funding opportunities to every student in the database.  🔗 Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtymonmgraham/  🔗 Florida Memorial University: https://www.fmu.edu  🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE:  Hart & Hustle brings you weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders solving real problems in healthcare, education, and community services. Every week, host Efrain Lozada sits down with nonprofit executives, operations directors, and innovators to uncover practical strategies you can implement in your organization. Subscribe for weekly insights on nonprofit leadership, operations, and scaling mission impact.  🔗 CONNECT WITH US: FRANSiS™ Website: https://fransis.ai  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fromfransis  #HBCULeadership #MissionDrivenLeadership #NonprofitLeadership