Karen Pandy-Cherry didn’t wait for someone to hand her a megaphone, she picked it up herself. Raised in Belize and now leading from Tulsa’s historic Black Wall Street, Karen shares how early lessons in family, service, and leadership shaped her path to becoming the President and CEO of New Leaders Council. Her approach to leadership is rooted in building power and making sure others have access to it, too.

In this episode, Karen and Topher Williams get real about what it takes to stop watching from the sidelines and start making change right where you are. They talk about what happened when her dad told her she hadn’t led, she’d just done the work, and how that moment reframed her entire understanding of leadership. Karen also shares a story from her time working in a Florida prison that became a personal tipping point, one that pushed her into law school and set her on a course toward community-based activism.

Ever felt like you’re doing the work but don’t have the title to match? Or questioned whether your day-to-day life actually counts as movement-building? Karen reminds us that leadership isn’t about status. It’s how you show up and who you bring with you. And through the New Leaders Council, she’s helping more people recognize the power they already hold in their communities.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Karen Pandy-Cherry: Leadership, Activism, and Black Wall Street
01:13 What Is Black Wall Street and Why It Still Matters
04:03 Redefining Leadership: Power Sharing and Proximity
05:25 A Hard Lesson on Leadership from Her Father
08:55 The Prison Encounter That Changed Everything
14:24 From Law School to Movement Work
17:09 How to Start Making Change in Your Own Backyard
19:08 Inside New Leaders Council: Building a National Network
21:35 Rapid Fire: Reggae, Beach Days, and Participation Trophies

Connect with Karen Pandy-Cherry:
newleaderscouncil.org

https://www.instagram.com/karenpandycherry/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenpandycherry/

https://www.instagram.com/newleaderscouncil

https://www.facebook.com/karenpandycherry

https://www.amazon.com/Biographies-Karen-Cherry-Books/s?rh=n%3A2%2Cp_27%3AKaren%2BCherry

Connect with Topher Williams:

https://www.participationtrophypod.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/topher-williams-1a477264/

https://www.instagram.com/tophmcgoph/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm