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Let's make the second half of your year a strategic success. Introducing FIT(lite) - A quick guide to Key Opinion Leadership. For nearly a decade, we've helped leaders execute their vision by developing actionable public relations strategy that builds intentional community. Here's something you could do this weekend to step into the next quarter aligned and ready to impact your industry and your goals. For the full guide, visit: https://lnkd.in/gQKpggez

This one's for the doers.

Introducing LAUREL's source request platform. For our journalists, editors, producers, hosts and creators, we invite you to share your inquiries for expert sources. Tell us what you're writing about! The requests are published each Sunday in our weekly newsletter, The LAUREL Edit (link to subscribe in comments). Need an expert to provide comment on a trend? Have an idea for a segment on your show? Looking for podcast guests? Start here. We have a growing network of media-ready experts who drive our innovation economy forward every day. And thank you for the work you do to keep us informed, connected and better equipped for the future.

Here's your invitation to meet innovators and get press opportunities delivered to your inbox every Sunday. Our next issue launches in a few hours. See you then!

Know of an innovator who's building something more people should know about? Nominate them for a feature in Rising ICONS. Rising ICONS is a leadership profile series that celebrates people contributing to the innovation economy. Leaders featured are nominated by their community and have reported an uptick in both investor and journalist interest following their feature in the series. Whether you or someone you know, we're bullish on the future and care to support the people building it! https://lnkd.in/gGvwY5Er

Meet our next Rising ICON. Jametta Raspberry is founder at House of Gristle and executive director of Roots for the Home Team, a nonprofit organization that connects youth with community gardens and culinary innovation. Her experience as a chef makes iteration and improvement paramount to her leadership style. Approaching nonprofit leadership through an introspective lens is having a big effect on partnerships and industry conversations and the future of youth who participate. "Sometimes I am unaware of my shortcomings until I enter a major project. The end result may be bright and shiny, but the journey can be rough and unstable. It’s important for me to focus and fix those things internally before I try to teach someone else. It’s a constant cycle of work." Learn more about Jametta's founder journey and leadership story here. We're rooting for her rise! mentioned: Nadege Souvenir, Black Enterprise Magazine cc: Derek Dingle

Meet our next Rising ICON. Athena Adkins is a force for systems change and equity. As the president of BetterWorld Partners, a consultancy that expands organizational capacity through narrative change, intercultural development and leadership training, she leads a team to prepare individuals for the systems changes they aim to affect. "Equity happens when systems are changed to create space and potential success for those of us who haven’t previously had access. The trick is that people change those systems. To JUST train for equity is to show people how a giant complex sensitive piece of machinery works… and then never give them a chance to try it." Learn more about Athena's leadership journey here. We're rooting for her rise! mentioned: Teen Vogue cc: P. Claire Dodson, Beth Zemsky MAEd, LICSW

Meet our next Rising ICON. Nina Axelson is the founder of Grid Catalyst where she earns the self-proclaimed title "energy matchmaker" for startups. A tireless proponent of women in leadership, she was inspired to launch and lead the organization after serving as VP of Sustainability and Outreach at Ever-Green Energy. She's always kept the future in site, working toward big global environmental goals by 2034, most recently supported by funding from the state to create the Minnesota Energy Alley initiative. "When I left my very stable and fulfilling job in 2021, I was asked by many folks why I would do something so foolish. My answer was simple - I knew that I could make a bigger difference someplace else. I know that I’m providing a resource and service to our state that no other organization was providing and that by building our collective work, we will make sure Minnesota has access to the best technologies and innovators to address climate change. It’s personal, but it’s the collective work and impact that matters. " Learn more about Nina's founder journey and leadership story here. We're rooting for her rise! mentioned: V3 Sports, Shawntera H., Scott Friesen, Bethany M Owen, Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Annie Levenson-Falk, Jodi Slick, Zahra Hargens Iliff, Elizabeth Turner, Grace Arnold, Michelle Gransee, Sheletta Brundidge cc: Adele Peters/alex pasternack at Fast Company