Event Dispatch: Celebrating Mission-Driven Leadership During Pride Week

In this series, students answer quickfire questions about events across campus.

Event: Social Impact Lab x SOM Pride Week Collab with Dr. Carla Smith
Hosts: Social Impact Lab, Out of Office, and Office of Community Engagement and Dialogue
Moderator: Phil Reilly ’26
Location: Classroom 4400, Evans Hall
Date: April 9, 2026

What was the event, and how did you hear about it? This was a facilitated talk with the CEO of the LGBT Community Center in New York City. The event was part of the Social Impact Lab weekly speaker series and co-hosted with Out of Office. I’m a Social Impact Lab regular and an Out of Office member—so for this event to miss me, I would’ve had to ignore multiple emails!

Who showed up? The talk attracted people from the Social Impact Lab, the LGBTQ+ community, the Out of Office club, and also people who were just broadly interested in the subject matter.

What happened? Dr. Smith talked about her experience as a person, as a leader, and as the CEO of this nonprofit organization. The conversation balanced her personal journey with the specific work the center is doing.

Key takeaway? A key takeaway was her emphasis on being in service to others, both generally and in this specific role. She spoke about showing up as a lesbian, as a Black person—and as someone who may understand or empathize with others despite having a different experience.

Who should go next time? Anyone interested in nonprofit leadership or how organizations’ missions are embedded in their practices and policies. Also people who don’t think they’re interested in mission-driven work or who don’t identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community! Fundamentally, this series is about good leadership, what your values are, and how you show up.