Watchen Nyanue is the Founder and CEO of I Choose the Ladder, a career development agency that works with corporations to develop and retain black female talent. She was also the Senior Vice President of Marketing partnerships at Chicago Sky WNBA and the Co-founder of the Little Doebahyou activity box. Her career has led her to work with prominent companies, including Yahoo, Comedy Central, and Time.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Watchen Nyanue’s childhood in Liberia
- The leadership lessons Watchen learned from her father
- How Watchen’s education transformed her perspective of the world
- Why validation is a key component of career success
- Understanding the work done at I Choose the Ladder
- Developing black female talent in corporate America
- The best ways to grow diversity organically
- Watchen’s advice to black women entering the business world
In this episode…
Historically, black women have dealt with enormous biases in the corporate world, dealing with both racism and sexism. The tide is beginning to turn, but much work is left to do. Some corporations that promote diversity are either not diverse themselves or don’t have a deep understanding of it. Watchen Nyanue, however, has both.
Born in Liberia, Watchen has experienced firsthand the difficulties of being an immigrant and a black woman. She has worked in several fields and knows the corporate framework that limits most minorities. She has dedicated her career to helping others like her navigate the current business landscape.
Dov Pollack invites Watchen Nyanue, the Founder and CEO of I Choose the Ladder, onto the Next Wave Leadership podcast to talk about her work and her life’s story. They begin with her childhood, her introduction to privilege at university, and why she started her organization. They also talk about validation in careers, developing black female talent, and why talent alone isn’t enough.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
- I Choose the Ladder
- Watchen Nyanue on LinkedIn
- Dov Pollack on LinkedIn
- Next Wave Leadership
- Dov’s email: [email protected]
- The Posse Foundation
Sponsor for this episode…
Founded by Dov Pollack, Next Wave Leadership is an executive coaching firm focused on helping CEOs, executives, and emerging leaders to deepen their executive presence, differentiate their voice, and embrace the plot and promise of their story.
To know more about what we can do to help you grow as a leader, visit our website at NextWaveLeadership.com or send us an email at [email protected].
