What does it actually imply to be an ally—not simply in title, however in on a regular basis motion? On this particular episode of What One Factor?, we have fun the inaugural Sensible Allies cohort with candid conversations about management, mentorship, and advocacy. Leonard Hoops (President & CEO, Go to Indy), David Stevens (Co-founder, Olympian Assembly), and Mike Might (President, Brightspot Incentives & Occasions) be a part of host JT Lengthy to unpack how allies transcend lip service—strolling folks via the door of alternative, not simply as much as it.
From hiring daring school grads and advocating for accessibility, to amplifying psychological well being conversations and crediting others within the room (and past), this episode is filled with sincere tales, management knowledge, and motion steps for anybody who needs to be a greater mentor, sponsor or ally.
That includes particular company:• Leonard Hoops and his accessible imaginative and prescient for Indy• David Stevens on utilizing your energy for good• Mike Might and Bree Richards on paying it ahead—early and infrequently
Editor’s observe: This episode of What One Factor? was transcribed by Otter.ai and edited flippantly.
JT Lengthy Welcome to a particular version of the Sensible Conferences What One Factor? podcast. After asserting our first cohort of Sensible Ally winners, we knew it was time for a frank dialog about what it actually means to be a mentor, sponsor, and ally—the correct means. Becoming a member of us first is Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Go to Indy, and considered one of our inaugural Sensible Ally honorees. Congratulations, Leonard!
LH Thanks, JT. It’s actually an honor—one meaning quite a bit to me. Understanding that I’ve helped girls in our trade maximize their potential and success is extremely rewarding.
JL You’ve constructed a superb group in Indy, lots of whom are Sensible Girls winners. Let’s begin with allyship. What does being an ally imply to you?
LH Truthfully, I want I may say I method it with some type of strategic intentionality, however actually, I simply consider in serving to folks. All of us see life via totally different lenses—whether or not it’s gender, potential, or background—and that variety is highly effective. Supporting individuals who face roadblocks, whether or not they’re girls, folks with disabilities like my son who has cerebral palsy, or members of the LGBTQ+ group, simply appears like the correct factor to do.
JL You’re additionally deeply concerned—PCMA board member, volunteer—you stroll the stroll. How does that assist carry all the trade?
LH Visibility brings accountability. Being in a public management function provides me a platform to advocate—whether or not it’s for ladies, for accessibility, or for equity typically. I’ve at all times believed that persons are the muse of any group, not simply the numbers in a P&L. Empowering them to succeed each day is the actual backside line.
JL Let’s discuss mentorship. I hear should you hadn’t chosen hospitality, you would possibly’ve been a comic?
LH (Laughs) I did stand-up in highschool and school. I did OK at it, however in the end, I used to be too emotionally well-adjusted—and admittedly, a little bit scared. I studied journalism and needed to be a sportswriter. That path led me into company PR after which into hospitality.
JLAnd girls performed a key function in your early profession?
LH Completely. Patricia Rex, my first boss in a company job, noticed one thing in me. When she retired, I took over her division. Later, Marion Holt McLean, CEO of the San Jose CVB, introduced me into the trade and promoted me a number of instances. I owe quite a bit to them—and I attempt to pay that ahead daily.
JL How do you mentor inside your group immediately?
LH: Most of our group is girls, which is fairly typical for mid-to-large DMOs. I’ve at all times felt totally different not directly—rising up quick, ethnically blended, born in Trinidad—and people experiences made me extra conscious of what it means to really feel like an outsider. Mentoring, for me, consists of studying simply as a lot as educating. I study from my direct experiences, from junior employees, even from folks like Susie Townsend on my group, who’s a Sensible Girls Corridor of Famer. It’s mutual development.
JL And out of your perspective, that extends to sponsorship and accessibility too, proper?
LH Positively. My son Cannon has cerebral palsy and doesn’t stroll or communicate, however he’s graduating highschool quickly with honors. Dwelling that journey has opened my eyes. At Go to Indy, we’ve built-in strong accessibility options on our web site. It’s a relentless work in progress. We nonetheless have to do extra for folks on the spectrum or with invisible disabilities. True inclusion isn’t one-size-fits-all.
JL: That’s unbelievable. So let’s wrap with our signature query. What’s one factor somebody can do to be a greater ally, mentor, or sponsor?
LH Be intentional. That’s one thing I credit score my spouse Doreen for educating me. Intentionality means taking the time to suppose past your self—to ask what another person wants, to think about what they’re going via. We’d like extra of that. We have to put ourselves in different folks’s footwear, particularly in a world that usually feels so divided. That, I consider, is the place actual allyship begins.
JT LongI’m right here with David Stevens, co-founder of Olympian Assembly and a Sensible Ally honoree. Congratulations, David.
David Stevens Thanks. It’s actually an honor and humbling to be included on this inaugural cohort.
JL It’s well-deserved. You’ve supported so many individuals. Let’s dive into allyship, mentorship, and sponsorship. You’ve launched numerous careers. How do you outline the distinction between these roles?
DS Being a real ally goes past empathy. It’s about utilizing your voice when others don’t have one. Lots of people with inherent privilege don’t understand how a lot weight their phrases carry. That’s why it’s so essential—when somebody’s not within the room—you say their identify anyway. You communicate up for them.
JL Completely. Do you’ve gotten an instance?
DS Sure, one stands out. I used to be nonetheless in company when a brand new CMO requested me what my greatest problem was. I informed her: “Utilizing my energy for good.” She was confused at first. So I shared a narrative—me, two feminine coworkers, and an government have been deciding on a venue for the vacation occasion. All of us shared concepts. Ultimately, the exec mentioned, “Dave, you’re the skilled. What do you suppose?” I gave my opinion, and that’s what we went with.
JL And that modified the room.
DS Precisely. The vitality shifted. The others had been there longer than me, and whereas I used to be the occasion professional, there was an unconscious bias at play. That second caught with me. I made it my mission to go away an impression in order that subsequent time, that exec would respect the function of an occasion skilled—no matter gender.
JL That degree of consciousness is highly effective. What about mentorship? You’ve labored with some superb folks.
DS I had an exceptional mentor—Marin. Regardless that I’d already been a VP, led groups, and run my very own enterprise, working together with her was transformational. Once I launched Olympian Assembly full-time, I noticed how a lot I’d realized from her. We even helped create a brand new occasion class: wellness at occasions. That didn’t exist earlier than.
JL And now everybody’s speaking about it.
DS Proper? At first, it was exhausting to not really feel territorial when others began replicating what we have been doing. However then I noticed—if no one follows, perhaps the class wasn’t value creating. Like Coke and Pepsi—you develop the market by rising the class. A rising tide lifts all ships. So now, I have fun the amplification. We’d like extra voices advocating for wellness at occasions.
JL You’ve additionally been outspoken about psychological well being, significantly males’s psychological well being. That may be a troublesome topic.
DS For certain. There’s this fantasy that asking for assistance is weak point—particularly for males. I grew up with a father from the Biggest Technology. He was born in 1922. So I absorbed that mindset: suck it up, preserve going. However the pandemic modified that for me. In mid-2020, I used to be spiraling. My co-founder, Ari, requested, “What are you doing in your psychological well being?” I mentioned, “Lifting heavier weights.” I wasn’t open to something “woo-woo” like crystals or meditation.
JL Did that change?
DS Massive time. My firm provided Headspace free of charge. I gave it a strive, and it shifted every part. Meditation helped reframe how I approached my psychological well-being. And now I say this: test on the individuals who appear the strongest. They’re typically those nobody checks on. Have a look at Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain—they have been on the peak of success. We are able to’t assume somebody is OK simply because they appear robust.
JL Particularly now. Planners are going through numerous stress—tariffs, provide chain points, psychological exhaustion. And but, they adapt.
DS That’s what planners do. We plan for the worst and hope for the perfect. In case you’re somebody who thrives in rinse-and-repeat conditions, this will not be your trade for lengthy. The planners who thrive now are versatile, strategic, and proactive.
JL Like sourcing native when tariffs hit?
DS Precisely. Purchase native, assist the group. Collaborate with cooks. Drop bananas from Costa Rica—use what’s obtainable. Planners who adapt and collaborate will thrive.
JL Let’s wrap along with your “one factor.” What would you inform somebody who needs to be an amazing ally, mentor, or sponsor?
DS Communicate up for individuals who aren’t within the room. If somebody provides you an amazing concept and you’ve got the platform—share the concept and give them credit score. Let the perfect concept win, and carry up the particular person behind it.
JT Lengthy I’m right here with Mike Might, president of Brightspot Incentives & Occasions, and Bree Richards, senior sourcing supervisor. Mike, congratulations on being named to the inaugural Sensible Ally cohort!
Mike Might Thanks! It’s an actual honor—particularly being a part of the very first group. In an trade dominated by girls, being acknowledged for supporting feminine management means quite a bit to me.
JTL And Bree, you’re right here as somebody who has grown beneath Mike’s mentorship. How did the 2 of you first meet?
Bree Richards That was over 10 years in the past. I used to be in school, had one semester left, and actually didn’t know a lot about this trade. However I boldly emailed Mike immediately—no concept what I used to be doing! He invited me into the workplace, gave me a full tour, defined the trade, and launched me to the group. I left pondering, “I need to do that.” And I’ve been right here ever since.
MM That boldness—taking initiative—is likely one of the issues we search for. Bree created her personal alternative. She didn’t watch for one thing to come back to her.
JL And she or he’s grown with the corporate since?
MM: Completely. She began simply out of faculty and has been promoted 5 instances—from coordinator to senior supervisor. She’s an amazing instance of why we spend money on folks from the bottom up.
JL Why do you make time to answer chilly emails from school college students?
MM Two causes—one philosophical, one sensible. Philosophically, I consider in giving again. Individuals ignored my emails once I was job searching, and I bear in mind how that felt. Virtually, we’re a 90-person firm. We don’t have an enormous recruiting division. Discovering expertise this manner helps each them and us. Our identify says it—we need to be a vibrant spot in folks’s lives.
JL Bree, how have you ever paid that ahead?
BR I am going again to my alma mater, Abilene Christian College, to talk to enterprise courses. I introduce college students to this trade—most of them have by no means heard of it. We’ve even employed a couple of interns and full-time workers from these visits. I additionally assist onboard new hires and practice our group, sharing what I’ve realized.
JL Mike, does Brightspot have a proper mentorship program?
MM: It’s principally casual. We assign a “buddy” to new hires, however what we actually emphasize is modeling mentorship each day. COVID made that tougher—distant work cuts down on these informal, teachable moments. However we push for face-to-face collaboration on Tuesdays via Thursdays. It helps create studying alternatives in actual time.
BR That makes a distinction. While you’re promoted right here, you’re supported—not simply thrown into the hearth. We’ve got construction, paperwork, folks prepared to assist. And we’re inspired to affix exterior teams—SITE, IRF, advisory boards. That publicity is one other type of mentorship.
JL What about reverse mentorship—studying from junior group members?
MM Positively. Generational variety is an underrated type of inclusion. Youthful group members deliver new tech, new traits, new views. It helps us keep related. We’re studying from one another on a regular basis.
JL Let’s speak about sponsorship. How does that take a look at Brightspot?
MM Sponsorship is extra intentional than mentorship. It’s about advocating for somebody after they’re not within the room. One type of that’s ensuring folks attend trade occasions. We assist it with time and funds. It helps them develop and builds our future leaders.
JL Bree, how does that assist really feel out of your aspect?
BR It makes an enormous distinction. I’ve had alternatives to attend conferences, be a part of younger chief applications, and study from others throughout the trade. That type of funding builds confidence—and loyalty.
JL Let’s wrap along with your “one factor.” What would you say to somebody who needs to be an amazing ally or mentor?
MM Comply with the platinum rule: Do unto others as they would have finished unto them. Perceive what another person values and provides to assist their development.
BR Create margin for these moments. Mentorship takes time. You would possibly miss a guidelines merchandise immediately, however you’re constructing belief and long-term success. And should you’re the one in search of mentorship—be daring. Attain out. Be clear. Most individuals in our trade can be honored to share what they know.
