038 | Your Wellbeing Is Your Voice

For Our Edification

At one point, Kimberly O'Neil was concerned that she would lose her voice, both figuratively and literally. Heavily committed to community work and education, Kim dedicates her life to empowering people to lift their voices to fortify the causes they care about. When her wellbeing was threatened by COVID-19 and workplace bullying, she realized that she had to take care of herself, too. Kim shares personal leadership stories and thoughts to encourage each of us to take care of ourselves so that we can do what we do best.

Eddie also shares candid thoughts about the impact of Antoinette "Bonnie" Candia-Bailey, a university vice president who died by suicide in January of 2024 on the heels of workplace bullying allegations.

Warning: This episode includes comments about self-harm. If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

About this episode's guest, Kimberly O'Neil

• Website: justkimonline.com
• TED Talk, Your Voice Is Your Currency: https://youtu.be/no_QblQ27h4

A native of Queens, New York, Kim is the CEO and founder of Giving Blueprint and the creator of Cause Studio, a collaborative nonprofit initiative, to provide cost-friendly training and resources that aid the social sector in reducing the number of failing startup nonprofit organizations.

Having grown up with community work, Kim understands that a community’s voice is its currency and must be used in order to affect real change. As an authority in the nonprofit space, she frequently speaks publicly, teaching organizations how to cultivate long-standing relationships and partnerships to support communities.

She is an award-winning professor, executive leader, and social good expert with an impressive list of accomplishments.

• She served as the youngest African-American woman city manager in the United States.
• Kim is a former veteran senior government and nonprofit executive who has led activities that have generated more than $20 million for community initiatives. She has also mentored organizations to collective revenue-generating activities in excess of $1 million annually since 2015.
• She is experienced in negotiating major urban economic development projects and has impacted public policy decisions while lobbying in New York City and on Capitol Hill.

Kim's awards and honors include: the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas award for Social Innovation, a Business Journal Minority Business Leader, the Association of Women Business Owners-DFW Chapter Entrepreneurial Spirit Mentor, Outstanding Associate Faculty of the Year for Collin College, one of Frisco Style Magazine's Faces of Higher Education, and she was featured in Plano Magazine's 2018 Girl Boss issue.

The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

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