Ep. 8: How Power and Social Capital Drive Innovation with Felecia Hatcher & Matt Haggman

We’re here to reimagine who qualifies as an innovator and to provide practical tools to help anyone discover their hidden innovator. Hosted by Leigh-Ann Buchanan, this podcast features dynamic conversations and solo episodes designed to help you learn how to use innovation more adeptly in your day to day life. New episodes drop every Tuesday.

Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition, and Matt Haggman, Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer of Right to Start unpack how power, relationships, and innovation intersect.

Tune in to this insightful discussion as we explore how understanding and navigating power structures along with cultivating meaningful relationships can shape our innovator identity. In sharing his experiences with power dynamics and the role relationships have played in his career, Matt emphasizes the importance of developing an intentional awareness of individual and community level barriers to accessing opportunity. Felecia also shares her insights on the impact of power imbalances while she reflects on the challenges and lessons learned in navigating formal and informal political structures. She highlights the importance of building social capital and how relationships can drive change.

Don't miss out on this engaging episode with Felecia and Matt today!

KEY POINTS:

- The importance of recognizing your innovator identity

- The impact of pivotal relationships in shaping your innovator journey

- Navigating barriers and building social capital in the innovation space

- Felecia and Matt’s top three innovator superpowers

- The transformative power of belief in yourself and your ideas

- Understanding the intersection of power, relationships, and innovation

- The role of political power in influencing the innovator's journey

- Cultivating intimate and trust-based relationships for innovation

- The significance of outside validation in affirming your innovative ideas

QUOTES:

"Innovation is built on having the ability to constantly listen very closely and carefully, and then take that into interesting and productive places." - Matt Haggman

"I'm confident enough that even if I have to go back and start from ground zero, that confidence of that skill set, that background, and the impact — I can build again. And that is innovation at its core as well." - Felicia Hatcher

"I hate the term networking because it is so transactional. When you think about relationships, they're not only unlocking opportunities for you, there are those that are cultivating intimacy." - Leigh-Ann Buchanan

GUEST RESOURCES

Matt Hagman

LinkedIn | @matthaggman

Felicia Hatcher

Website | www.feleciahatcher.com

LinkedIn | @feleciahatcher