In this episode, Kim and Adrienne sit down with Karen Freeman Wilson, President & CEO of the Chicago Urban League, to unpack the real dynamics of collaboration among Black women in leadership. Together, they explore the difference between true allyship and “coopetition,” the myths of scarcity culture, and what it takes to build collective power rooted in grace, honesty, and action.

Karen shares wisdom from decades of public service—including her time as Mayor of Gary, Indiana—and offers a blueprint for moving from performative support to courageous, transformative sisterhood. This conversation is a masterclass in leading with clarity, confronting competition with compassion, and creating space for Black women to rise together.

In this episode, we unpack what it really means for Black women to carry excellence everywhere—at work, at home, and in community—while constantly being told they’re “too much,” “too loud,” or “too ambitious.” When brilliance is both celebrated and punished, how do Black women navigate systems that reward mediocrity yet demand their mastery?

We’re joined by Nicole Robinson, CEO of YWCA Chicago, to explore the emotional, professional, and personal cost of being exceptional in spaces not built for us.

Together, we ask: What does it look like to define excellence on our own terms? How do we transform it from a burden into a launchpad?

A conversation about truth-telling, resistance, and reclaiming power—because Black women aren’t just meeting the standard; we’re setting it.

In this special live episode, recorded at Becoming Together, a two-day gathering hosted by Chicago Women in Philanthropy and Become, hosts Kim Casey and Adrienne Johnson sit down with Dr. Dominica McBride, CEO of Become and author of Becoming a Changemaker. Together, they unpack what it means to reclaim sisterhood and redefine leadership through healing, connection, and collective power. From confronting the exhaustion of our current moment to embracing rest as resistance, this episode invites listeners to reimagine how women can show up for one another—and lead from a place of authenticity, wholeness, and liberation.

Learn more about Chicago Women in Philanthropy at https://www.cwiponline.org

Learn more about Become at https://becomecenter.org