Keisha Leverette
Rhia Ventures
United States
Keisha is the Vice President of Development & Communications at Rhia Ventures, a social impact organization developing a vibrant market for reproductive health that advances equitable outcomes for women and other birthing people in the US. She oversees the fundraising strategy, focused on soliciting support from foundations, individuals, and family offices to achieve annual revenue goals and growth, and the communications strategy for Rhia. As she moves to a new role as the Chief Operating Officer, Keisha aims to level up her skills and expand her professional network, transitioning from a career as a fundraiser to operational leadership. The WLW fellowship allows Keisha to learn on the job within a supportive environment where she will have access to a robust network of women who serve as operational leaders in a variety of settings.
About
Me.
What is your story?
What drives your work?
A sense of justice and empathy drives me. I have the ability to feel the feelings and needs of others, which motivates me to help and support people. I strive to meet people where they are and relate to them on their own level; I want everyone not just to survive but thrive in whatever way makes sense for them. I feel that as a resident of this planet, I have an obligation to improve myself and my community.
Describe your biggest strength as a leader
I aim to lead with a generous spirit; I desire to create a stable, safe environment, to cooperate and create with others. I value integrity and so I strive to be an honest broker with my peers, my direct reports, and leaders. I have a talent for seeing potential problems and advocating for contingency planning.
Describe your biggest challenge as a leader
My biggest challenge as a leader has been that I’ve spent most of my career being promoted and hired for roles due to my work ethic, effectiveness, and success; however, I’ve not had the mentorship to help me navigate once I am in these roles/opportunities, to help me develop my brand, or understand many of the hard and soft skills I need to develop to go to the next level. I feel like I’ve been “winging” my entire career alone.
Another challenge directly relates to one of my strengths. My orientation is to address details, hence the ability to see potential problems. However, operating as a COO, particularly at an organization like Rhia, will require me to switch more frequently between systems thinking, managing across a complex enterprise, and tactical support for team and targeted strategies. I tend to seek or expect perfection as a baseline qualification, so I get frustrated or overwhelmed when I feel unable to perform at that level and have stayed in roles where I had mastery. So, one of my biggest challenges in leadership in this new role will be having patience and compassion for myself because I will be on a consistent learning curve.
About the
Organization
and the Project.
Sector
Not-for-profit
Website
Vision & Mission
Rhia Ventures' mission is to advance reproductive and maternal health equity by intentionally leveraging capital to center the needs, experiences, and perspectives of historically marginalized people in decision-making.
At Rhia, we envision a world where every woman and birthing person can thrive with full autonomy over their reproductive and maternal health.
Year Founded
2018
No. of Employees
8
Years in the Organization
2.5 years
Annual Budget (USD)
$2.952.936
Geographical Area Served
National, United States
Organizational /
Project Description
Rhia Ventures is in its sixth year of existence and has reached the growth stage of its lifecycle. Rhia exhibits the typical characteristics of an organization, where its growth has outpaced its capacity, systems, and revenue. We must focus on standardizing and deepening our programmatic work while measuring for effectiveness as well as formalizing our structure, systems, and processes. Our CEO must shift her focus to major external initiatives, thus requiring an internally focused leader who can build Rhia’s capacity to implement its growth plan. I am on track to step into the role of Chief Operating Officer at Rhia and serve as the internal leader.
Throughout the WLW fellowship, which will coincide with my first year as Rhia’s first Chief Operating Officer, I need to focus on leveling up my skills and expanding my professional network as I transition from a career as a fundraiser to operational leadership. While I can lean into my transferable skills that are well suited for a COO role, such as organizing, evaluating, ethical, and tactile, I do not have a network of peers in similar roles that I can seek out for support, advice, or counsel. It will be my job to define, build, and shape Rhia Ventures’ organizational culture, including shared goals and values, how employees work together, policies, procedures, and decision-making. This new role will require a skill set that I have, having worked for organizations ranging from 50 to over 100 years old. The WLW fellowship affords me the opportunity to learn on the job within a supportive environment where I have access to a network of women who have done this work in a variety of settings.
Why is this project important and timely?
What is the target population of your project?
My role at Rhia Ventures primarily serves women and birthing people in the US, specifically historically marginalized people, those who experience inequitable reproductive and maternal health outcomes due to social determinants of health that are largely outside of their control.
How will you know that you have achieved that impact? What data will you use to assess your impact?
I will be able to measure the impact of my effectiveness as the Chief Operating Officer and a strong, positive organizational culture at Rhia through metrics such as employee retention rates and number of applications for open positions, high scores on employee satisfaction surveys, increased philanthropic support, and direct feedback from the CEO, board and team through our performance management process inclusive of 360 reviews.
How do you anticipate this unique leadership education impacting you personally? What new skills are you hoping too develop & grow through this experience?
The outcomes of the WLW fellowship align perfectly with the skills I need to develop. 1) Amplify my performance and impact – I am a quiet team player, and I am humble; I do not typically champion my wins or aim to take credit for my ideas, but I understand that leads to me being overshadowed and sometimes pigeonholed in the role of a supporter when I am demonstrating leadership. 2) Tapping into a global network and building a network dedicated to my success – this skill I struggle with personally. I can do this for the organizations I work for (cultivating donor relationships), and I serve in other people’s networks, but I have struggled to build my own because it makes me feel transactional and disingenuous.
My challenges in developing those two skills directly prevent me from expanding my access to influences, funders, and platforms, investing in myself, my personal brand, and my career growth and sustainability. It is my hope that the WLW fellowship is the experience I need to help me hurdle these challenges.
Where would you like to see yourself professionally in the next 3 years?
I am committed to the organization and the work I am engaged with, particularly since I expect a significant shift and growth in my professional career over the next three years. Over the past two years, my career horizons have been broadened; having spent 15 years in traditional charitable fundraising, I’ve been exposed to fundraising associated with venture capital and impact investing. Over the next three years, I expect to understand the role of and develop the skills needed to be a successful, effective Chief Operating Officer. It will also mark five years into my tenure at Rhia Ventures and a good time to pivot and explore helping startup organizations/companies stand up their operations function. I would specifically like to work with organizations/companies founded by Black women and graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.