We’re excited to release The Power of Possible: Leadership Edition, a brand new, binge-worthy content series on all things leadership.

In this 8-episode series, Foundation President and CEO Chanda Smith Baker joins Dr. Tashion Macon for an honest exploration of leadership as a daily practice — one shaped by values, lived experience and courageous decision-making.

Drawing from her journey as a seasoned executive and nationally recognized thought leader, Chanda examines how leaders hold vision in uncertainty, stay anchored to purpose and expand what’s possible for the people they serve.

This is the opening episode of the Power of Possible: Leadership Edition, an eight-episode leadership podcast and video series featuring conversations between leadership coach Dr. Tashion Macon and the Foundation’s President and CEO, Chanda Smith Baker. Created for this moment — and for the leaders navigating it — the series offers listeners candid conversations on leadership growth as it happens, in real time, shaped by lived experience, tested by uncertainty, and strengthened through relationships.

In this first episode, Dr. Tashion Macon sits down with Chanda to explore what it means to lead with possibility. Chanda reflects on how growing up in North Minneapolis shaped her perspective as she watched strength, creativity and resilience take root in places often overlooked. Those experiences helped her understand that possibility isn’t defined by circumstance; it’s something leaders can see, cultivate and carry forward in the way they show up. This conversation offers an honest look at leadership as an ongoing journey of growth and self-discovery.

Throughout the episode, Tashion and Chanda reflect on the idea that leadership isn’t something you switch on for certain moments — it’s who you are everywhere. They underscore the importance of self-awareness, strong relationships and staying grounded in your values, especially when navigating challenges. At its core, the conversation expands the idea of possibility beyond individual success, emphasizing how stepping into your own potential can create pathways for others. With reflections on humility, humor and the realities of leadership along the way, this episode sets the tone for the series: a powerful, grounded invitation to lead with intention and to keep stretching what feels possible — for yourself and for the communities you belong to.

In this Unscripted Leadership episode of the Power of Possible, Dr. Tashion Macon invites listeners to take a deeper look at where Chanda Smith Baker’s leadership was first shaped. Their conversation traces back to her childhood. Growing up among neighbors with diverse lived experiences and in a family that welcomed disagreement taught Chanda to listen, question assumptions and stay connected to others.

Chanda opens up about stepping into her first CEO role during a season marked by personal loss and community crisis, and how those experiences pushed her into a more honest, vulnerable way of leading. This is a grounded, unfiltered conversation about what it looks like to lead in community, to carry complexity and to keep showing up with intention, even when the path isn’t clear.