Phoenix (STN) – Confidence doesn’t have to come first, but trust does, say two Valley nonprofit leaders.
During ‘Leading in the Moment’ on the October episode of ‘It Happens at STN,’ Monique Lopez, CEO of UMOM New Day Centers, and Shelby Pedersen, CEO of ICAN, talked about creating environments where people see more possibilities in themselves and in the mission. Each said there was no single moment when they realized they could lead at a higher level.
“I’ve had leaders and mentors in my life that I think on fondly that believed in me far before I believed in myself,” Lopez said. “I don’t think confidence comes first. I think over these years, putting in the hours and learning from people, being a sponge, then confidence comes when it comes.”
Lopez said that belief shapes how UMOM approaches family homelessness.
“It’s important to not let your beliefs limit what’s possible in your organization,” she said. “I’m not a person who’s just on blind optimism. I think it has to be paired with evidence.”
She pointed to the families UMOM helps move out of crisis and into permanent housing as that evidence.
“When I think about what feels impossible, I go back to ending family homelessness is possible,” Lopez said.
Pedersen described how ICAN, which focuses on academics, youth development, and workforce development in out-of-school time, hit a roadblock. In 2024, 450,000 Arizona kids lacked access to those programs. By 2026, that number had grown to 650,000.
“Just doing more is not adequate,” she said.
That realization led Pedersen into conversations with organizations typically seen as competitors. “I can’t imagine doing anything more valuable with my time right now than directing it to sector-level change and impact,” she said.
Trust, Pedersen said, is what makes that kind of change possible.
“It’s not a step in the plan. It is the work,” she said of relationships. “At the end of the day, the vision and the mission don’t happen if the trust isn’t there.”
Pedersen urged leaders to start with their people. “I have never experienced change that didn’t start and end with people,” she said.
Lopez encouraged leaders facing big problems to ask a different question: “What would it take to get it done?”
