The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
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From Warrior to Coach: Carnadi Ford's Passion to Serve
Today meet Caranadi Ford, also known as Nadi Ford. Carnadi spent 10 years in the Navy as a Cryptologic Technician Maintenance where he spent the majority of his career in a Direct Support role on both surface ships and submarines. He now works for Boeing as an Export Compliance Engineer and spends his free time volunteering as a High School Assistant Football Coach, Head Strength Coach, and FCA Character Coach at Independence High School.
Tell us about your personal/professional journey.
Seven days after I graduated high school, I did what I had dreamed about since I was 13, which was joining the United States Navy. I spent 10 years as a Cryptologic Technician Maintenance, where I spent most of my career in a direct support role traveling around the world supporting our systems that were deployed in the fleet. After spending 10 years in the Navy, I decided to leave the Navy due to some family issues. After the Navy I became a government contractor, basically doing the same thing I did in the Navy, I was just now doing it in a civilian role.
Lifting weights has always been a big part of my life. However, later in my life, I yearned to use my passion for lifting to help others. Around the fall of 2013, a good friend of mine who works for FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) asked if I would be willing to meet with a local high football coach who was looking for an FCA Character Coach. I agreed and that conversation has led me to spend the last 11 years volunteering as a High School Football Coach, Strength Coach, and FCA Character Coach.
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?
There are two key moments that led me to where I am today. The first would have to be the meeting with Reed Prosser who was the head football coach at Heritage High School. That meeting was the starting point for me discovering my passion for coaching and mentoring our young athletes. Coach Prosser saw something in me and asked me to not only be his FCA Character Coach but also their strength coach, which led me to become an assistant football coach. I did this for 5 years at Heritage High School and then was brought on board at Independence High School when they opened the school 6 years ago because they heard of the difference I had made in the culture and the lives of the athletes and coaches at Heritage High School.
One of the things that has helped me be so successful in developing deep and meaningful relationships is volunteering as a strength coach. When people work together, it has a way of bringing down the walls that people tend to put up to hide their true selves. I use that opportunity to get to know the person and not just the athlete. I ask deep, difficult questions to better understand and help with the struggles that they might be dealing with.
The second key moment in my life was a little over a year ago when I signed up to attend Boulder Crest’s Warrior PATHH program. I had not realized the trauma that I was still carrying around from my time in the Navy until I attended Warrior PATHH. At Warrior PATHH, I learned about Post Traumatic Growth which teaches how to face trauma positively and healthily so that instead of just going through it, I could grow through it. They taught me that we will all struggle and gave me the practice to struggle well. The practices have not just helped me to struggle well, but I’ve used them to help those that I coach and mentor. A recent example of this had to do with a former athlete whom I continued to mentor while he was in college. He was playing football for a Division 1 football program, which was a childhood dream of his. Unfortunately, he had a serious injury that forced him to step away from the sport he loved, which he had played all his life. I used the gratitude practice that I learned from Warrior PATHH to help pull him out of his depression and it gave him hope for his future.
Where does your passion to serve come from?
I believe that my passion to serve developed from multiple sources. First, I think it was developed from my parents and my Christian background. I was raised in a church, which taught us about servant leadership, and that teaching was backed up by my parents who were constantly serving others and they made sure that my sister and I were always involved.
Second, my passion for serving is rooted in my trauma. When I am helping others, I am not overwhelmed with my depression. Being a servant leader has become a positive coping mechanism for me.
How can GlobalMindED advance your goals as an inclusive leader?
My goal in life is to make a difference in the lives of our youth. To create a legacy of young people who will become effective servant leaders. I believe that there are three ways that GlobalMindED can help me reach that goal and they all stem from connections. First, I would love to be connected to individuals who would be interested in being mentored by a person with my background. Second, it would help if I could get connected with organizations that work with our youth so that I can help where it is needed. Lastly, I am working with a group of people to develop a training facility that will train the complete athlete. We would not just train the body, but the mind and soul, as well, so that they can not just be successful on the field or court, but also in the classroom and life. So, it would be great to get connected with people or organizations that would be willing to give me some guidance and direction on this.
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Highlights from the 2023 GlobalMindED Annual Conference this past June:
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PBS12 Denver filmed and live-streamed the 2023 GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Awards on June 7th as well as our main stage plenaries and presentations on June 8th. You can find them all individually on the GlobalMindED YouTube channel.
2023 GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Award Winners' introductions and acceptance remarks:
Miriam Calderon, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE: Inclusive Leader - Early Childhood Education
Dr. David Miyashiro, Superintendent, Cajon Valley Union School District, Inclusive Leader - K-12 Education
Carrie Billy, CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium: Inclusive Leader - Higher Education
Afua Bruce, Founder & Principal, ANB Advisory Group: Inclusive Leader - Government
Dr. Elena Rios, President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association: Inclusive Leader - Health & Wellness
Hassan Salem, Head of Commercial Banking, US Bank: Inclusive Leader - Banking & Finance
Greg Robinson, James Webb Space Telescope Project Director NASA (ret): Inclusive Leader - Space & Aerospace
Mary Nichols, Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment, Inclusive Leader - Energy & Sustainability
Michael Campbell, General Manager, Education Division, Intel: Inclusive Leader - Technology
Diego Mariscal, CEO & Chief Disabled Person, 2Gether-International: Inclusive Leader - Entrepreneurship
Mario Carrera, President & CEO, CLLARO: Inclusive Leader - Media & Arts
Nasruddin Rupani, Chairman, Ibn Sina Foundation: Inclusive Leader - Foundations & Funders
Rosanna Durruthy, VP, Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, LinkedIn: Inclusive Leader -Global Impact
Kimberly Bryant, Founder & CEO, Black Innovation Lab; Black Girls Code: Inclusive Leader - Non-Profit
Click below to see Insights from GlobalMindED Leaders:
View the Main-stage Presentations:
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View the Sessions from our United Nations Event: Transforming Financial Boundaries |
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Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley and James Rhee, Founder/Owner, red helicopter
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Michael Maquet-Diafouka, Managing Director, Global Family and Institutional Wealth, UBS, Chris Marsh, Managing Director, Private Wealth Advisor, UBS,Janet C. Salazar, Chairman & President, Foundation for the Support of the United Nations
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Tyler Naha, Student, Denver East High School, Dr. Mary Papazian, Exec. VP, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Dr. Philomenta Mantella, President, Grand Valley State University, Dr. Yustina Saleh, Managing Director, Innovation Solutions, The Burning Glass Institute, Alfonzo Alexander, Chief Ethics & Diversity Officer, National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
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Dr. D'Andre Weaver, Chief Digital Equity Officer, Digital Promise, Michael Woods, President, Woods Capital, the Honorable Dr. Kimberly McClain, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department HUD, Preston James, II, Co-Founder and CEO, Divinc, Gaby Rowe, Founding Principal, Grow Associates
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Dr. Craig Jonas, Founder and CEO, CoPeace, Victoria Vasques, Owner & Chairwoman, Tribal Tech LLC, Sachin Chaudhry, Founder and CEO, TrustCircle and BringChange Foundation, Kyle Hybl, President & CEO, El Pomar Foundation, Beth Cobert, Acting President, Markle Foundation
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Dr. Denise Lujan, Director, Entering Student Experience, University of Texas at El Paso, Javaune Adams-Gaston, President, Norfolk State University, Dr. David Miyashiro, Superintendent, Cajon Valley Union School District, Gina Fratarcangeli, Managing Director, Google, Shital C. Shah, Sr. Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Education
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Sam Lalanne, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion |
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Would you like to give to support our student programs? You can scan the QR code below or go to our website to support our year-round programs. GlobalMindED is a 501(c)(3).
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Thank you to all of the Sponsors, Speakers, Students, and Attendees at GlobalMindED 2023
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