Description

Nonprofits working to address poverty often operate within a cross-cultural context, where a significant cultural gap exists between those experiencing poverty and those seeking to alleviate it. This divide can limit the effectiveness of well-meaning organizations and their programs. One underutilized yet powerful strategy is narrowing this gap.

This interactive workshop centers on a cultural intelligence self-assessment, helping participants explore their motivation, knowledge, strategy, and actions for building meaningful partnerships with the communities they serve. Participants will learn how to enhance their approach to poverty alleviation and collaborate more effectively across cultural and socio-economic lines.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain insights into personal cultural values through self-assessment.
• Identify cultural assumptions that influence cross-cultural communication, interaction, and building partnerships.
• Enhance strategic thinking, adaptability, and motivation in diverse environments.
• Understand how cross-cultural awareness can expand perspectives and inspire innovative solutions in non-profit work.
• Recognize team strengths and areas for growth and develop an action plan for continuous improvement in poverty alleviation practices.

Cost: Free for nonprofits serving Osceola County, $70 Members, $140 Non-Members

Lunch will be provided

Note: This workshop may not be used as an elective towards the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership.

Instructor: Mariam Mengistie

Mariam Mengistie is the founder of Culturally Aligned Leadership, a training and consulting firm that equips nonprofits to carry out sustainable poverty alleviation work. She integrates cognitive, emotional, and cultural intelligence frameworks to explore the root causes of poverty and design strategies that are both effective and contextually grounded. Through customized workshops, Mariam prepares nonprofit practitioners, leaders, and funders to engage cross-culturally with greater sensitivity and impact.

Mariam brings extensive experience in international poverty alleviation and advocacy. She has served as a Program and Communications Manager for various regional and international organizations in Ethiopia, where she played a key role in building networks among local NGOs, UN agencies, and government institutions involved in relief, rehabilitation, and development initiatives. Her passion lies in bridging the gap between policy, community action, and long-term sustainable outcomes.

With over 30 years of hands-on experience, Mariam has dedicated her career to advancing sustainable development policies, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, and fostering strategic partnerships for systems-level change. Her work spans grassroots efforts in Ethiopia to high-level advocacy in venues such as the European Parliament in Brussels and Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Across all her endeavors, she remains focused on creating meaningful, community-led solutions.

Mariam holds a Master of Arts in Politics of Alternative Development Strategies from the Erasmus Institute of Social Studies in The Netherlands. She has worked as a Development Aid Policy Adviser and Advocate to members of the European Parliament. Today, she continues to shape local and national policy through her service on various committees and boards, including the Orlando Mayor’s Committee for Food Security and Bread for the World—a Christian voice urging elected officials to end hunger both locally and globally.