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Milano Harden - Change Agent, Freedom Fighter, Coffee Drinker

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What is the name your organization?

The Genius Group, Inc.

What type of work does your organization do?

The Genius Group, Inc. (TGG) provides organization strategy and grantmaking design support to private foundations and social change-minded philanthropists; as well as technical assistance and capacity building support to the grantees of foundation-funded initiatives.

TGG is thrilled to help foundations and nonprofits:
*use qualitative methods and tools to evaluate the effectiveness of their investments;
*envision a powerful future of greater impact, articulate catalyzing strategic directions for getting there, and execute a nitty-gritty plan with practical strategies for achieving their goals;
*deepen their abilities to leverage racial-ethnic diversity and social differences into increased team performance and more vibrant working conditions;
*co-design and facilitate strategic retreats that strengthen an organization's or key programs' effectiveness.

The Genius Group currently:

• directs the Southeastern Network of African Americans in Philanthropy’s (SNAAP!) Engaging Leadership in Ethnic Philanthropy project;
• co-directs the Change Agents in the American South project that is developing a leadership learning design for young adult (ages 20-40) change agents working in philanthropy, nonprofit organizations and community change/activism in the American South.

What area of the country do you work in?

Southeast, East Coast, Midwest and West Coast

Who do you work with?

TGG works with leaders of all kinds with an emphasis on philanthropic, social enterprise and nonprofit leaders working on social change and community building themes; and provides solutions in strategic planning, financial management, resource development, foundation fundraising, and diversity, inclusion and equity in organizations.

Clients include:
The Harvard Business School, Harvard University’s Office of the Assistant to the President; Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, Georgia Institute of Technology’s (Foundation Relations), The Pfizer Foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The Enterprise Foundation, the Mechanicsville Community Learning Collaborative; Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, Resource Generation, YES!, The 21st Century Foundation, Southeastern Network of African Americans in Philanthropy, The Leadership Learning Community, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

What is the main obstacle your organization encounters that prevents you from doing your work most effectively?

A paradigm that bigger is better, and older is wiser. TGG is a boutique strategy firm that employs an intellectually astute, racially diverse and deeply humanistic group of change agents. Our unique value is providing empirically grounded and organizationally customized analysis and solutions.

What do you hope to gain from joining the Rural Innovation Network?

Partnership, Rural Issue Dialogue, Information