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Why I Created the Global Day of Impact
Why I Created the Global Day of Impact
Why I Created the Global Day of Impact For most of my career, I have worked at the intersection of people, purpose, and…
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Michael Coates posted thisFor most of my career, I’ve worked at the intersection of people, purpose, and business. I’ve seen something consistently across companies, industries, and roles. Organizations are doing meaningful community impact work throughout the year. What we don’t often experience is impact together. Most efforts happen separately. Different causes. Different days. Different calendars. All valuable, but largely invisible to one another. Lately, I’ve been thinking about a simple question. What would happen if, in addition to the work companies already do, there was one coordinated day where organizations of all sizes showed up for their communities at the same time? Not doing the same thing. Not for recognition. Just acting together. I’m curious how others think about the power of collective action at scale, especially across DEI, ESG, HR, and executive leadership. Would love to hear your thoughts.
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Michael Coates reacted on thisI recently shared an article on a leadership idea I’ve been thinking a lot about. As a Black executive who has worked across nonprofit leadership, corporate DEI, and community impact, I’ve seen firsthand how much meaningful work companies already do throughout the year. What I keep coming back to is this question. What if, in addition, there was one coordinated day where organizations of all sizes showed up for their communities at the same time? Not doing the same thing. Just acting together. I’m curious how leaders in this group think about the power of collective action at scale, and what becomes possible when impact is visible, shared, and experienced together. Feel free to share. https://lnkd.in/eCVwrX_s
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Michael Coates shared thisFor most of my career, I’ve worked at the intersection of people, purpose, and business. I wrote this article to share why I created Global Day of Impact and an idea I believe has real potential. One coordinated day where companies of all sizes take action for their communities together, while continuing the great work they already do throughout the year. This is not about replacing existing efforts. It is about alignment, shared momentum, and the power of collective action. I’d genuinely love thoughts, feedback, and conversation.
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisWhite Coats- The Future Looks So Bright. Student Doctors. #TheBlackJoy
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked this"It changed my whole perspective about life and about what I could actually do because someone believed in me." A young man is going from working at a Wendy's restaurant to attending Yale University this fall, after his bosses at the restaurant chain saw his potential and helped fund his education. https://lnkd.in/eXFNApF2
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisHere's our funding and opportunties list for August! Below is a list of funding, fellowship, and accelerator opportunities open for underrepresented founders (all U.S. based)—totaling over $2,000,000 in support throughout the month of August. Be sure to share this list with your networks and tag Founders who need to see these resources! 🚨 2027 Camelback Ventures Fellowship — Total Funding: $50K. Applications open this month. Be the first to know ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2R5cFC2 💰 Literary Arts Fund — Innovation Project Grants — Total Funding: $1M. Deadline for Application: 8.17.2026. More Information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eTpR9dUm 💰 Promise Venture Studio — Imagine Award 2026 — Total Funding: $20k (up to 10 awards). Deadline for Application: 8.28.2026. More Information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e_-jAVq8 💰 Panorama Global — Innovative Postsecondary Models Fund RFP — Total Funding: $750k–$1M per grant. Deadline for Application: Rolling. More Information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gmnwSU6e 💰 LAUNCH Accelerator — Total Funding: $125k for 7% equity. Deadline for Application: Rolling. More Information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e8WZMg_r 💰 Verizon — Small Business Digital Ready Grant — Total Funding: $10k. Deadline for Application: Rolling. More Information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dKTpaseF 💰 DIV Fund — Small Business Grant — Total Funding: $10k. Deadline for Application: Rolling. More Information ➡️ https://www.div.fund/apply 💰 Kickstarter x Google — Next Wave Fund — Total Funding: $10k pledge + free Google AI training. Deadline for Application: Rolling. More Information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/edE8Rh8v 💡 Should you want to be the first to know when the Camelback Fellowship application opens subscribe to our newsletter — https://lnkd.in/g2R5cFC2 Follow Camelback Ventures for monthly posts like these! #CamelbackVentures #Funding #businessfunding #opportunities #accelerators #fellowship #grants #grantopportunities #Founders
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisA The Wendy's Company manager who survived a shooting in his home in Brazilian and fled to the United States has been accepted into Yale University. Thalles Winner DeSouza, now 23, survived a shooting inside his family's home in Brazil in 2016, prompting his mother to relocate the family to the United States. He arrived on Cape Cod at age 13 speaking no English and began working at a local Wendy's during high school, eventually being promoted to shift manager. He earned straight A's, served two terms as student body president, and started a religious club before transferring to Bunker Hill Community College. He earned a full scholarship to Yale University, where he begins classes this fall, planning to major in political science on a pre-law track with law school as his long-term goal. He shared his story publicly in a viral July 28, 2026 Facebook post thanking El-Sehrawey and Smily's son, Terry Smily, for the investment in his education. When he told his bosses he planned to leave for construction so he could earn more money for college, they made him a different offer. Franchise owners Usama El-Sehrawey and the late Ernest Smily told him: stay at Wendy’s, and they would make sure he went to college. They set aside extra money for every hour he worked and ultimately paid for three years of tuition at Cape Cod Community College. DeSouza earned straight A’s, served as student body president for two years, and started a religious club on campus. This fall, he heads to Yale on a path toward political science, human rights, and law school. “Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you,” he said. “I’m living proof of that.” This is what happens when employers see potential instead of just a worker. This is a young man who refused to let violence or circumstance define his future, and leaders who chose to invest in him. This is Trade NOT Aid-An Alpha Sirius Brand in human capital: believing in people, investing in their education, and creating pathways that turn potential into lasting opportunity. To @Thalles Winner DeSouza, Usama El-Sehrawey, and the Smily family: Congratulations on this powerful journey. Your story is a reminder of what belief and opportunity can unlock. The question I want you to sit with today: Who believed in you when you were still becoming, and what would it look like for more of us to invest in the potential of the people around us the way these Wendy’s owners invested in Thalles? May this be a reminder that one person’s belief can change a life. Let’s celebrate Thalles Winner DeSouza while pushing for more leaders who invest in people, not just positions. P.S. If this story of a Wendy’s manager accepted to Yale after his bosses funded his education inspired you, Take Action. Someone right now grinding through tough circumstances needs to know belief and opportunity still change lives. Via New York Post. #BeliefComesFirst #TradeNotAid #TheAfricanCFO #BelieveInPeople #BlackExcellence
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisFailure is a teacher. If you have success, you did it right, so there is probably nothing to learn. But if you have failure, there is something to learn. You have to make the most of your failures. Over time, I developed an instinctual reaction to failure. My instinct now is to view failure as a puzzle that will give me gems if I can solve it. The puzzle is simply this: What would I do differently in the future so as not to have that result? When you solve that puzzle, you write the lesson down. That is where principles come from. #RayDalio #Principles #GrowthMindset #ContinuousLearning
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisIt seems to me that most people are hooked on news items that last about a day or two and are then forgotten about, as other news items replace them, while failing to see how things are evolving and why. That’s not good for anyone. There are big cycles unfolding almost exactly how they have repeatedly unfolded in the past, and they are being missed. If you’re interested in seeing these big cycles presented in an entertaining way, I am offering an overview of them here in my 5-minute animated video, Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order. And if you'd like to see a more complete picture, you can watch the full 45-minute version here: https://lnkd.in/gj7QpZrp
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisOne of my favorite principles, learned through experience, is that pain plus reflection equals progress. I developed a habit of viewing pain as a signal of a problem. If you treat that problem as a puzzle to solve, it ultimately yields a gem in the form of a great principle. I learned to value painful experiences because they became my best learning experiences and led to the most significant advances. Learning from direct encounters with reality is a much better way to succeed in life than simply remembering what others try to teach. You can watch the full speech at Long Island University here: https://lnkd.in/eTnv4Zqt
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Michael Coates liked thisMichael Coates liked thisWhen entering this second phase of life, you are almost certainly making the mistake of thinking you know more than you actually know—especially if you got good grades in school. You were taught that success is a matter of learning what you were taught and not making mistakes. That probably made you a bit arrogant, like I was when I graduated. But it is living life and encountering your realities that will truly teach you. The question is, will you learn? You can watch the full speech at Long Island University here: https://lnkd.in/eTnv4Zqt
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Toshira Maldonado, M.Ed., CPE, CD
The lives of Black Mothers and birthing people depend on safe, appropriate, and respectful care practices. The diversification of the Perinatal workforce is imperative to ensure culturally congruent care and practice. In New Jersey the Perinatal workforce remains predominantly white while racism (not race) continues to be a leading driver of poor maternal outcomes for Black women regardless of socioeconomic status. The NJ Maternal Mortality Review Report for data tracked from 2019–2023 asserts that 27.6% pregnancy related deaths attributed in part to interpersonal, systemic, and structural racism in conjunction with race related cardiovascular issues and hemorrhages connected to inadequate care. According to the PNAS research study, racial bias is prevalent in the perception of pain and is also associated with racial bias connected to recommendations in how pain is managed for Black birthing people. The lack of diversity in the Perinatal workforce is also a systemic symbol of the power imbalance reflecting who holds decision making power to treat or withhold treatment and remove bodily autonomy. There lies a 55% birth rate in New Jersey comprised of racial groups other than non-Hispanic White, and during 2021-2023, 50.6% of Black births was covered by Medicaid followed by AI/AN births at 48.4%. The biological impact of weathering, Obstetric racism and widening gaps in care remain a stressful reality for minorities and a challenging fight for advocates and leaders in Perinatal Health policy to change the trajectories and uplift the importance of restoring respect for humanity in patient care. #endobstetricracism #endblackmaternalmortality #birthequity
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Sheena Collier
We didn’t build Boston While Black to scale to 100,000 people. The city told us it needed to. Here’s what the last five years have made clear: • 100,000+ people have attended BWB events — from Summits and Family Reunions to intimate conversations and gatherings. • 4,000+ members joined because they found community, opportunity, and a place where they could truly belong. • 20,000 people show up for the BWB Family Reunion — one of the largest cultural gatherings of Black people in New England. • Multi-year partnerships with Delta Air Lines, The TJX Companies, Inc., DraftKings Inc., and Entrada Therapeutics — not one-offs, but long-term commitments rooted in trust and shared purpose. But the most important part isn’t the scale. It’s the pattern. Every time we design a space with belonging at the center, the same thing happens: People show up. People stay. People build roots. Not because they’re looking for an event — because they’re looking for a place. And Boston has become the model for what that place can look like. The data makes something very clear: the desire for belonging isn’t a Boston story. Black people across cities are looking for places where they can feel rooted, connected, and seen. Boston folks: what do you want to see next? Everyone else: what would belonging look like in your city?
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