Bridget Burns

It was a huge challenge to build that. And then also I needed to raise all the money for it to work. exist. And thankfully, the idea was right. The people were right. And they were responsive and excited. And honestly, it's only the momentum has just accelerated from then. Now we have 17 institutions. And I say that, but I stopped counting

It was a huge challenge to build that. And then also I needed to raise all the money for it to work. exist. And thankfully, the idea was right. The people were right. And they were responsive and excited. And honestly, it's only the momentum has just accelerated from then. Now we have 17 institutions. And I say that, but I stopped counting

the number of institutions who were asking to join the alliance at 120. And I stopped counting within six months of announcing the alliance. So it's not a question of we could be massive and have all kinds of institutions, but it was about figuring out who first we needed to actually do the thing to actually accomplish our goals.

the number of institutions who were asking to join the alliance at 120. And I stopped counting within six months of announcing the alliance. So it's not a question of we could be massive and have all kinds of institutions, but it was about figuring out who first we needed to actually do the thing to actually accomplish our goals.

of figuring out how to innovate together and scale up what works, hold each other accountable, and produce dramatically more graduates, especially from low-income backgrounds. But the big challenge I ran into after that was, how do you figure out who to let in when you've already built something that's successful?

of figuring out how to innovate together and scale up what works, hold each other accountable, and produce dramatically more graduates, especially from low-income backgrounds. But the big challenge I ran into after that was, how do you figure out who to let in when you've already built something that's successful?

Because then you run into the problem of people want to be a part of something that's successful. They like the image of it, perhaps. They like the PR and the marketing, and it looks really great. But we needed to figure out who else out there is a worker bee.

Because then you run into the problem of people want to be a part of something that's successful. They like the image of it, perhaps. They like the PR and the marketing, and it looks really great. But we needed to figure out who else out there is a worker bee.

Who else is interested in doing like the really hard stuff and not just drawn to the fact that we will have been very effective at telling our story and amplifying the importance of this work. So that's to this day still one of the biggest problems I face is that vetting issue of who else to let in because this could continue to grow.

Who else is interested in doing like the really hard stuff and not just drawn to the fact that we will have been very effective at telling our story and amplifying the importance of this work. So that's to this day still one of the biggest problems I face is that vetting issue of who else to let in because this could continue to grow.

But we have to actually deliver on the outcomes while we're doing it.

But we have to actually deliver on the outcomes while we're doing it.

So I think that a lot of the time we just have no intentional strategy about change. We expect change to happen. And then we don't think about the very human experience of, okay, I come into my office every day. I've worked an entire career with the hopes of being able to see a window. I've worked in a cubicle most of my life.

So I think that a lot of the time we just have no intentional strategy about change. We expect change to happen. And then we don't think about the very human experience of, okay, I come into my office every day. I've worked an entire career with the hopes of being able to see a window. I've worked in a cubicle most of my life.

It's a huge deal to finally have an office that I, maybe I don't have a corner office. Maybe I just have a window I can see. And now you got to come in here and you're telling me that we're going to be moving our department because we need to do a better job.

It's a huge deal to finally have an office that I, maybe I don't have a corner office. Maybe I just have a window I can see. And now you got to come in here and you're telling me that we're going to be moving our department because we need to do a better job.

We need to combine departments because of a need to do data sharing and also to make sure that we're aligning our systems and process with this other department. What I know. is that you just told me that I'm going to have to give up this office that I've worked for. You're completely ignoring the things that matter to me, the experiences that have been valuable to me.

We need to combine departments because of a need to do data sharing and also to make sure that we're aligning our systems and process with this other department. What I know. is that you just told me that I'm going to have to give up this office that I've worked for. You're completely ignoring the things that matter to me, the experiences that have been valuable to me.

You haven't, for a second, given me an opportunity to even offer ideas based on the, let's say, 20-year career I have. Let's say I have some expertise to contribute. Instead, you just come in with this pipe dream of an idea. You know what the solution is, and you give people no opportunity to to add to it, to make it feel like it's an idea that they could be excited about.

You haven't, for a second, given me an opportunity to even offer ideas based on the, let's say, 20-year career I have. Let's say I have some expertise to contribute. Instead, you just come in with this pipe dream of an idea. You know what the solution is, and you give people no opportunity to to add to it, to make it feel like it's an idea that they could be excited about.