Real Talk Ep. 8

Описание: Today’s conversation is deeply personal to me.

I first met Dr. Therese Lask through a frontline fundraiser bootcamp with Academic Impressions. What began as professional development turned into something much more formative. After the training ended, we continued with one-on-one coaching. We talked about fundraising, yes — strategy, relationships, institutional culture — but we also talked about leadership, resilience, identity, and the questions that surface when you step into greater responsibility.

When I later transitioned into a Director role in the Office of Alumni Relations, Therese became something every emerging leader hopes to find and rarely does: a mentor outside the walls of my institution. She had legitimate professional credibility in my field — deep experience in university advancement, alumni engagement, and leadership development — but she wasn’t embedded in my immediate environment. That distance created something invaluable: safety.

Therese gave me space.Space to test ideas.Space to name fears.Space to hold ambition without apology.

And in that space, I was always met with thoughtfulness, wisdom, insight, and encouragement.

Therese brings more than encouragement — she brings substance. She’s a higher education leader with decades of experience spanning student affairs, enrollment management, university advancement, and human resources. She has served as a consultant with Academic Impressions, partnering with institutions like NYU, Auburn, and the University of Colorado system. She previously led alumni engagement initiatives at Colorado State University and has directed multi-million-dollar federal grant programs.

Today, she is the founder of The Athena Institute, where she designs and facilitates leadership development programs centered on inclusive leadership, trust, motivation, coaching for performance, and building resilient team cultures. Her work blends systems thinking with strengths-based philosophy — and it’s deeply human.

Therese, I am so, so grateful for you — and I’m honored to welcome you to Real Talk.

Thank you for being here.