The Goddess Speaks

Missed our latest newsletter? Subscribe at the bottom of the page to get news from Minerva straight to your inbox! Charting the Path Ahead Dear Reader, Living near the nation’s capital has made me all too aware of the intersectional identities I hold—as a Black person, a woman, a Southern-born child raised in the Bible…

This piece is part of a series that builds on previous discussions, exploring how storytellers and communicators can approach inclusivity in their work. In our previous installments, we delved into participatory grantmaking and Design Thinking, both of which provide valuable models for communicators. Now, in this final piece, we explore how the principles of ethnographic…

We’ve permanently rolled out a four-day workweek at Minerva Strategies! As described in a previous blog post, we dedicated the first half of the year to a pilot phase where we explored a four-day week and our strategies for testing it with our team, assessing the impact on our clients, and thinking through whether this…

The Minerva team works hard to build a culture where everyone feels supported, well positioned to use their skills and talents, and comfortable being their authentic selves. Building the Minerva culture—and living it with our team—has been a largely joyful experience. But not every day is great, and sometimes less-than-optimal life and work experiences collide…

This Memorial Day, Minerva president Joy Portella and I had the privilege of attending Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi in Honolulu. The lantern floating event, which draws in upwards of 50,000 in-person attendees, is hosted by Nā Lei Aloha Foundation and our wonderful clients at Shinnyo-en.   For 25 years, Shinnyo-en has hosted the event on…

A few weeks back, part of the Minerva team attended the Measles & Rubella Partnership Meeting. Alongside our colleagues at Camber Collective, Minerva has been supporting the Partnership’s communications efforts for nearly a year now. The two-day event brought together major health organizations that have been steadfast in their commitment to a world free from…

Minerva sends out a quarterly newsletter featuring client news, Minerva musings, and more! Make sure you’re subscribed so you get the next one straight to your inbox. *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT| Dear Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot about breakdowns lately. I just turned 42, a wonderful age to be, but also squarely in “midlife.” I’m feeling my…

This piece is part of a series exploring how storytellers and communicators can approach inclusivity in their work. Late last year, we dove into how participatory grantmaking offers a model for communicators to follow. Below, we explore how Design Thinking offers a model for communicators to follow.  In my final semester as a graduate student…

During the summer of 2020, I hit a burnout-related wall—and I have a feeling I’m not the only one. Time was elusive; my schedule felt out of my control. I was afraid that if I took a vacation—the standard cure for burnout—it would pass by without benefit, especially because I couldn’t safely travel. I decided…

Minerva’s approach to communications planning with our clients If “having a plan” was a love language, it would most certainly be one of mine.  The Minerva team is often approached with knotty communications challenges, and we love rolling up our sleeves and getting creative. While it’s tempting to jump headfirst into the work, we like…