Equity Institute: First in Equity Outcomes for Nebraska Nonprofits

This is a guest blog from Mynesha Spencer, Human Relations Strategist at All of Us Together Co. who works to advance human harmony across various professional industries by creating inclusive strategies and equitable outcomes. This blog is estimated to take 3 minutes to read.

In a time when organizations are being called to lead with greater courage, compassion, and accountability, the Equity Institute—created by All of Us Together Co. and sponsored by Weitz Family Foundation—has emerged as a transformative equity incubator for nonprofit leadership across Nebraska.

The 2025–2026 pilot cohort brought together 12 visionary leaders, including 10 C-suite executives and senior leaders from organizations spanning education, health care, arts and culture, human services, fundraising, and community engagement. Over the course of 12 months, participants committed themselves to the rigorous work of equity-centered leadership through monthly sessions focused on dialogue, reflection, systems change, and practical implementation.

Facilitated by Equity Institute Founder, Mynesha Spencer, the program created a brave space and collaborative learning environment where leaders deepened their understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion while building the framework, processes, and procedures necessary to create measurable organizational transformation. Through lectures, workshops, case studies, peer discussions, subject matter expertise and hands-on application, cohort members developed strategies to strengthen equitable practices within their workplaces for the communities they serve.

What distinguished this inaugural cohort was not simply participation, but matriculation—the intentional evolution of each leader through disciplined learning and customized curriculum, courageous self-examination, and active implementation. Participants left the program not only more informed, but more equipped to advocate for systemic change, cultivate belonging, and lead with equity at the center of decision-making.

Equity Institute was intentionally designed as a technical assistance program and support initiative for Weitz Family Foundation grantee organizations seeking to deepen their equity work while navigating limited financial capacity. By combining professional development with practical systems-management tools, the institute offers a sustainable pathway toward long-term organizational transformation across Nebraska’s nonprofit sector.

We know that leaders have a choice between two decisions everyday: to make excuses or to make a difference. We proudly recognize the graduates of the inaugural 2025-2026 Equity Institute pilot cohort for choosing the latter:

• Courtney Baughman, Learning for All
• Tommy Calloway, Nebraska AIDS Project
• Justin Dougherty, Autism Action Partnership
• Casey Logan, Film Streams
• Teresa Mardesen, SHARE Omaha
• Marisa Mathews, College of Saint Mary
• Kimberly Norman-Collins, Completely KIDS
• Rebekkah Roberts, Together
• Erika Sieff, BLUEBARN Theater
• Fran Sillau, Circle Theater

As the inaugural cohort concludes, Equity Institute stands as a powerful example of what is possible when organizations invest intentionally in people, practice, and purpose. Equity Institute is evidence of what nonprofit executives are capable of when they choose courage over comfort and development over discussion. The ripple effects of this work have already and will continue to extend far beyond the classroom—shaping narratives, policies, cultures, and communities throughout Nebraska for years to come. We anticipate welcoming Cohort II of Equity Institute this summer!