Archana Jayaram stepped in as CEO of Brooklyn Community Services just as one of New York City's oldest nonprofits entered its 160th year. Her first move wasn't a bold new vision. It was a question: "What do you need?"
Founded in 1866, BCS now serves more than 14,000 Brooklynites a year across housing, mental health, education, and workforce development. Archana shares how she's honoring that legacy while listening her way toward what comes next. 🩵
In this Possible in Practice episode, you'll hear:
- How to lead change inside a long-standing institution by starting with the people who do the work
- Why the people closest to the problem are the ones who know what they need, and how BCS stays community-centric at scale
- What young people in Brooklyn said they actually need for their mental health, and why it surprised everyone
You'll walk away with a listening-first playbook for leading through legacy, change, and chaos. 🩵
Episode Highlights:
- (2:16) Archana's story: West Virginia roots and the power of mutual aid
- (3:30) Inside the government–nonprofit partnership
- (7:03) BCS's founding story: guided by history, not bound by it
- (10:09) Staying community-centric while serving 14,000 people
- (13:04) What young people said about mental health
- (16:38) Leading change inside a legacy institution
- (20:41) A donor who doubled his gift without being asked
- (24:01) Build a ladder out of chaos: the one good thing
Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/749
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