The Power of Possible: Leadership Edition

In this Unscripted Leadership episode of the Power of Possible, Dr. Tashion Macon invites listeners to take a deeper look at where Chanda Smith Baker’s leadership was first shaped. Their conversation traces back to her childhood. Growing up among neighbors with diverse lived experiences and in a family that welcomed disagreement taught Chanda to listen, question assumptions and stay connected to others.

Chanda opens up about stepping into her first CEO role during a season marked by personal loss and community crisis, and how those experiences pushed her into a more honest, vulnerable way of leading. This is a grounded, unfiltered conversation about what it looks like to lead in community, to carry complexity and to keep showing up with intention, even when the path isn’t clear.

What is The Power of Possible: Leadership Edition?

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation exists to bring communities together, harnessing collective energy to make the biggest dreams possible for our state.

In The Power of Possible: Leadership Edition, Foundation President and CEO, Chanda Smith Baker, invites listeners into an honest exploration of leadership as a daily practice — one shaped by values, lived experience and courageous decision-making.

Drawing from her journey as a seasoned executive and nationally recognized thought leader, Chanda examines how leaders hold vision in uncertainty, stay anchored to purpose and expand what’s possible for the people they serve.