Torchbearer: Natalie Poindexter. Black-American. Austin, Texas
Torchbearer: Natalie Poindexter
Profession: Public Health; Grant/Strategy Consultant
Organization: Authentic Inclusion
"I think when you work in trauma - we all hit this pivotal moment of (asking),'Can we do this long term?'"
When Natalie Poindexter decided to get into the healthcare world, she was motivated to change the hospital experience for black and brown people in the United States. That passion motivated her to explore many roles in the healthcare industry - She spent time as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), to working in Trauma Centers and even in the healthcare technology space. But at some point she felt her time would be better spent making change from another angle.
Natalie made a strategic decision to shift her focus to working with businesses in their search for funding, particularly grant funding. As she shares, this is her way of investing in the people and organizations that are poised to influence and change the world. "It's a lot about demystifying the idea of grant funding and grant access."
She continues to passionately and strategically pursue more inclusive, authentic leadership and systems, not just in healthcare, but across industries - you can call her a disruptor, and she's proud of it!
"It's okay to ask questions. It's okay to be disruptive. Not everybody is going to win at it. But if we don't ask these hard questions, when are we ever going to get real answers?”
On This Episode
In our podcast we talk about:
Embracing her talent as a strategiest
Deciding to walk away from the healthcare industry
Why she decided to help businesses and individuals find funding through grants
How not to be intimidated by the grant world
Being known as a disruptor
How a serendipitous moment with Mark Cuban opened doors
Why she started the Net-Do Community