Alumni Spotlight: Kalin Tate

Our second alumni spotlight for October 2020 is Kalin Desiraye Tate, a graduate of Shaw High School (2014) in Columbus, GA and of Spelman College (2018). She currently works as a Marketing Coordinator for Civic Entertainment Group, a Seacrest Global Company in New York City. During high school, Kalin served on the 21CL Youth Advisory Board, which has evolved into the 21CL Youth Ambassadors, and has recently been nominated to serve as a member of 21CL Junior Board of Directors. “21CL put me in touch with people who would eventually change my life.” – Kalin Tate

Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now.

I am a Marketing Coordinator for Civic Entertainment Group, A Seacrest Global Company in New York City. I work with various Entertainment Brands such as HBO, Lifetime and Audible to execute above and beyond Marketing Campaigns through brand partnerships and Real-Life Experiences.            

How did participating in 21CL transform you and lead you to where you are now?

Attending Leadership Unplugged: A CNN Experience, catapulted my interest in all things media. During my time at Spelman College, I interned for CNN in Creative Marketing, for Bleacher Report and for Turner Sports which are all sister organizations. It was truly amazing to see it all come full circle! While at Leadership Unplugged I met one of the executives in the CNN Sports department, and I reached out to him to tell him thank you for his time. He connected me with one of his colleagues, who went on to eventually write my recommendation letter for college.  21CL put me in touch with people who would eventually change my life.

How did 21CL prepare you for your next steps? Going into college and taking on leadership roles, heading into a new era of professionalism, etc. What skills/tools/perspectives have helped you along the way?

21CL taught me the importance of networking and valuing every connection I have made. My college roommate and I met at Leadership Unplugged, we stayed in contact, and even received the same scholarship to Spelman! Maintaining that connection turned into a Sisterhood for a lifetime. During my time at Spelman, I was crowned Miss Morehouse College where I eventually ran an event on maintaining professionalism and proper interview attire. All thanks to 21CL, I had the confidence and knowledge to believe in myself and that put me in the right rooms for the greatest opportunities.

Which programs did you participate in, and when? What skills did you gain or improve through those programs?

I participated in Leadership Unplugged, the WarnerMedia-sponsored summer leadership institute now known as the WarnerMedia Institute for Future Leaders, in 2012 and served on the Youth Advisory Board for the 2012-2013 term (now known as Youth Ambassadors). Being on the Youth Ambassadors taught me about collaboration and working with many different personalities to execute a project. YA alone taught me about leadership especially by just being a member. Leadership doesn’t always mean being the President or VP of a club, but it means embodying and setting an example everywhere you go.

What was a memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peers, speaking in public for the first time, etc.?

At the Leadership Unplugged final presentations, I realized that I enjoyed presenting with a team in front of clients and peers. All the jobs I pursued in Marketing were client facing roles so I could present to high-end clients. Luckily, it’s what I get to do now everyday!

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? if so how? And have you recently learned something else about leadership? Please share!

I met so many different personalities during 21CL; it taught me that as a leader I needed to love and accept everyone as they are. Each of us brings something unique to the table and has a different prospective that helps ensure EVERYONE is represented. When I am looking for new colleagues on a project, I think of what can they bring to the table? How do they work with others? Working with many different types of people at 21CL showed me how important it was to appreciate all of the diverse backgrounds, and it is okay to disagree because it may lead to an even better idea overall!

Alumni Spotlight: Kiah Davis

Our second Alumni Spotlight for May 2020 is Kiah Davis, a graduate of Fayette High School (2010) and of Georgia Institute of Technology (2013). She currently works as Operations Transformation Leader at Equifax and is a new member of the 21CL Junior Board of Directors. 

 Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now.

As an Operations Transformation Leader at Equifax, I lead large cross-functional initiatives that reduce cost, optimize processes, increase speed to revenue and improve the customer experience.

How did participating in 21CL transform you and lead you to where you are now?

21CL taught me winning strategies in personal branding, corporate America navigation and servant leadership. I was able to have my first overnight experience at my alma mater (Georgia Tech) through my participation in the summer leadership institute, CNN Leadership Unplugged (now known as WarnerMedia Institute for Future Leaders). 21CL provided me with a platform to dream bigger and create a plan to achieve my goals.

How did 21CL prepare you for your next steps? Going into college and taking on leadership roles, heading into a new era of professionalism, etc. What skills/tools/perspectives have helped you along the way?

21CL taught me the importance of rolling up your sleeves and really getting engaged in whatever org/activity/job that you’re a member of. At Georgia Tech I was a Resident Adviser, Vice President of the Minority Recruitment Team, worked 20 hours a week my entire tenure and was a serial volunteer. Based on my learning from 21CL I knew that it was important to not just obtain an education but to really immerse myself within the overall Tech experience. 21CL emphasizes the importance of relationships and networking which is something that I’ve always kept front of mind since then. Building strong relationships and always being willing to “jump in” has helped me in all realms of my life (personal, professional, extracurricular). Another call out is the power of beginning with the end in mind. Earmarking time to reflect and develop strategic plans can make all the difference when it comes to performance and results. Just because one is documented doesn’t mean that pivots aren’t allowed but having something to anchor, to help to really keep first things first while managing various projects with all of life’s many moving parts.

What was a memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peers, speaking in public for the first time, etc.?

It was really powerful being around so many talented students from all across the state at the programs that I participated in. When you’re younger (& pre-social media) you learn about all of the countries in the world and even all of the states within the US however it’s very easy to get caught in your own “little world.” The schools in your district, the friends you’ve already met and the experiences that you’ve already had. 21CL initiated my thirst for becoming a true global citizen and dreaming beyond what I could currently see & adventures yet to come. Since then I’ve traveled to 26 countries across 6 continents.

Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? if so how? And have you recently learned something else about leadership? Please share!

21CL is an organization that focuses on servant leadership. That quality, along with effective communication, are skills that I leverage on a daily basis. I find that being transparent with stakeholders of all levels, concisely sharing the value prop and doing your part to get a job done (despite if it’s technically your “role”) goes a long way with earning people’s respect and trust. I look forward to continue sharpening this skill set through new challenges professionally and beyond.