In Episode 16, guests Jasmine Hayes and Will Hornsby, with host Stacey Moss, explore how inclusive leadership and the active engagement of community voices are crucial in driving equitable change.

When we use data irresponsibly, we risk missing important groups of people. Sometimes, the data we have might not show the full picture. Leaders and communities can create fair and effective solutions when they collaborate to fill these gaps.

The Value of Different Perspectives

Passionate leadership and diverse perspectives are essential for long-lasting change. Including a wide range of voices in decision-making leads to better outcomes for everyone. Leaders can design programs that truly address the community’s needs by actively engaging with those most affected by child welfare policies. This approach provides a clearer understanding of the challenges and fosters sustainable and just solutions.

Building a Brighter Future Together

We aim to strengthen families and support children as they grow and thrive in settings that promote their well-being. We work closely with partners at all levels—federal, state, and community—to learn from them and to align our efforts. This partnership is about achieving meaningful impacts and fostering long-term, sustainable change.

Listen to the episode to hear more.

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Meet Our Guests

Jasmine Hayes, Portfolio Lead, Tailored Technical Assistance, ICF

Jasmine is an experienced executive director in child welfare and education, bringing over 20 years of expertise in program and policy development, implementation, and change management at federal, state, and local levels. Currently leading the Capacity Building Center for States at the Children’s Bureau, she focuses on supporting public child welfare agencies in achieving equitable outcomes. Jasmine has a strong background in managing complex national projects, providing training, and fostering interagency collaboration. Previously, she was Deputy Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and a program administrator for the District of Columbia’s Child and Family Services Agency, where she launched innovative prevention programs. Jasmine holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Toronto.

Will Hornsby, Senior Vice President of Delivery at Public Knowledge®

Since 2022, Will has been the Senior Vice President of Delivery at Public Knowledge®, formerly the Co-Vice President for Region 1. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for business development efforts to assist state and local child welfare and human services agencies. Will assist clients with a better understanding of the effectiveness of their programs and how best to implement needed improvements in their practice, policies, and procedures. He has 28 years of public sector child welfare and human services experience on the local, state, and federal levels. Will received his master’s degree in social work from the University of Alabama.

About the Podcast

Launched in 2023, the Igniting Impact Podcast highlights our client’s and partner’s important work. We hope that this podcast drives impactful conversations that foster connections and progress in the field.  One of our core values at Public Knowledge® is Impact. We created this podcast around this fundamental principle because it is essential to our work. Impact to us means, “We approach every engagement with our energy focused on identifying the right goals, outcomes, and strategies. And we each have a personal responsibility to make a positive impact on our projects and our world.”