RAISE Podcast

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Tara Jones, senior vice president for advancement at the University of Memphis and president of the University of Memphis Foundation.Tara shares her journey in higher education fundraising, from getting her start at Auburn University to leading advancement at the University of Memphis. She reflects on the role philanthropy can play in helping universities meet the needs of their students, strengthen their communities, and create opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.The conversation explores donor relationships, student support, mentorship, scholarships, and the importance of understanding what motivates people to give. Tara also shares the story behind a transformational gift from a longtime Memphis donor and how his personal connection to the university helped shape his philanthropy. Throughout the episode, she discusses what it takes to build meaningful relationships with donors and keep the mission at the center of fundraising.

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Betsy Chapin Taylor, CEO of Accordant.Betsy shares her journey from aspiring journalist and healthcare professional to becoming one of the leading voices in healthcare philanthropy. She reflects on building fundraising programs across community hospitals and academic medical centers, launching Accordant, and helping healthcare leaders recognize philanthropy as a strategic source of revenue and impact.The conversation explores healthcare fundraising, donor stewardship, principal giving, board engagement, and the importance of focusing resources where they can drive the greatest results. Betsy also discusses the evolving role of philanthropy in healthcare, how organizations can better align fundraising with strategic priorities, and why the future belongs to teams willing to embrace focus, data, and meaningful donor relationships.

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Shana Hocking, founder and CEO of Hocking Leadership.Shana shares her journey from discovering fundraising during her first month at Columbia University to building a career in higher education advancement at institutions like The University of Alabama, The Wharton School, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She reflects on being rejected from more than 100 jobs early in her career, developing innovative donor engagement programs like Wharton Women in Leadership, and learning how philanthropy creates meaning and opportunity for donors and students alike.The conversation also explores leadership, organizational culture, and the future of advancement work. Shana discusses launching Hocking Leadership, writing One Bold Move a Day, building a following through years of LinkedIn content creation, and helping advancement leaders navigate change, invest in people, and prepare their teams for the future of philanthropy.

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Sally Bryant, CEO of Bryant Group.Sally shares her journey from growing up in a small farming community in Eastern Washington to discovering advancement work through a senior-year internship at Washington State University. She reflects on how that experience sparked a lifelong career in philanthropy, leading her into early development roles and ultimately becoming a chief advancement officer in her twenties at Marymount California University.She discusses the importance of mentorship and early leadership lessons, including learning from influential leaders who shaped her understanding of empathy, communication, and team culture. Sally also shares how she navigated a period of consulting work followed by an unexpected eight-year chapter at Mary Kay, where she developed deep skills in recruiting, rejection, and relationship building that later translated directly into her leadership philosophy.The conversation continues with her return to the Bryant Group, where she ultimately took over and expanded the firm into a full leadership consulting and executive search practice focused on advancement professionals. Sally highlights the importance of helping organizations strengthen both hiring and leadership development, and why talent strategy must support the full lifecycle of advancement teams.She closes by reflecting on current trends in advancement hiring, including the growing need for leaders who understand business models and technology while maintaining strong human-centered leadership.

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Luigi Amendola, Vice President for University Advancement at Loyola University Chicago.Luigi shares his story as a first generation American and first generation college student whose parents immigrated from southern Italy to Illinois by different routes. He talks about feeling out of place in high school, finding his voice and identity at Lewis University, and how living in a Christian Brothers residence hall with international students and eating alongside the brothers expanded his perspective. Along the way, mentors like the Christian Brothers and business faculty member Father Kevin Spees helped him raise his sights and see new possibilities.Luigi recalls qualifying for federal work study, leaving a late-night job in campus fast food, and stumbling into an office role in the advancement office. He describes the moment he realized that “not for profit” did not mean “no revenue,” how an internship at the Advocate Charitable Foundation became his first full-time role, and why the mission and purpose of philanthropy drew him into the profession. After several years in health care, he moved into higher education and began to connect the impact of education on individuals and family dynamics with his own lived experience as a first generation college graduate and now as a parent of a college freshman.Luigi talks candidly about the negative headlines surrounding higher education and why, despite real challenges, he is convinced that the value of higher education remains strong over a lifetime. He explains why he pursued an MBA while working as a development officer, describes the tradeoffs of moving from a large public research university to his alma mater Lewis and then to Loyola, and reflects on building teams, elevating fundraising results, and leaving places stronger than he found them.At Loyola, Luigi shares his focus on being excellent at the fundamentals and bringing a steady, consistent presence to his team. He emphasizes clarity of goals, consistent outreach, purposeful engagement, and the discipline of stopping work that does not move the mission forward. He likens advancement to a long game that compounds over time, talks about stewarding donors connected to Sister Jean, and describes Loyola’s quiet campaign and strong positioning in a challenging higher ed landscape. Luigi closes by reflecting on the collegial nature of the advancement community and his openness to informal networking and conversations with colleagues across the sector.