Entrepreneurial Leadership

Families Forward Example: Teamworks
Kathy Carney from TeamWorks is on the GWDC and connects to its efforts on a regular basis. She also participated in a national meeting to discuss the roles of intermediaries. Kathy is also excellent at scanning the horizon, which is evident through TeamWork's connections with other Families Forward projects such as the West Central Initiative project. Key elements to Teamworks' success are:

A. Credibility among employers and peers from an earned reputation of excellence
B. A demonstrable continual effort toward self-improvement and strengthening the Teamworks "model"; and,
C. Palpable entrepreneurial energy that is very engaging

These elements create opportunities to engage others' in Teamworks' vision and success; and, give others reason to want to be connected to Teamworks.

Families Forward Example: Women Achieving New Directions
Similar energy and vision can be found in other grantees whose organizational structures are very different from Teamworks. WAND, a program in a division of a large nonprofit organization exhibits a very entrepreneurial style that, at times, seems well ahead of where its parent organization stands as a large, somewhat traditional, human service provider.

Families Forward Example: Hennepin Technical College
Another example is found in Hennepin Technical College - a team within the customized training unit at a large state-run educational institution. There is clear entrepreneurial energy here that seems significantly advanced for the larger institution. The strength of these programs/units is, in part, the sheer force of personality among the leaders involved; and, in part, the ability to identify a community need and create a viable and meaningful solution.