The Podcast

Chanda has more than 20 years of experience working in, for, and with underestimated communities. At the Foundation, which she joined in 2017, Chanda oversees grantmaking programs, provides strategic direction to community initiatives and partnerships, and is the founder and host of the award-winning podcast Conversations with Chanda. Previously, Chanda spent 17 years at Pillsbury United Communities, a complex community-based nonprofit where she served in a variety of leadership positions before assuming the role of president and CEO in 2011. In addition to leading Pillsbury in pursuing bold strategies to address systemic inequities, Chanda has served on numerous nonprofit and philanthropic boards throughout her career, and her civic leadership has been recognized with several awards and commendations. She unwinds by spending time with family and loves to travel, shop, and watch football.

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Souphak helps welcome guests, manage the front desk, and record, edit, and sound-engineer the award-winning Conversations with Chanda podcast. An achiever and jack-of-all-trades, she constantly evolves, flexes into multiple roles and channels, and thrives in hungry and nimble environments. Sou earned a B.A. in business management at the University of St. Thomas. An avid reader, she enjoys learning about business, start-ups, marketing, technology, and the way of the future.

Darlynn provides high-level administrative support for grantmaking programs, community initiatives and partnerships, and the award-winning Conversations with Chanda podcast and event series. She has more than 25 years of experience in administrative and operations leadership. Previously, she served as vice president of innovations and collaboration at MACC, as a district director for former Congressman Keith Ellison, as principal and co-founder of the McClung Consulting, LLC, and as a director for two sizeable Minneapolis nonprofits. Her civic leadership includes serving on the boards of the YWCA Minneapolis and Appetite for Change. Darlynn is a native of Pittsburgh and holds an M.S. in public management and policy from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in business administration from Duquesne University. She is a wife and the mother of three sons.

John Cuoco joined the Minneapolis Foundation as the Multimedia Content Curator in July of 2021. He moved to the Twin Cities from Boston. John has spent his career working in television news as a reporter with stops in Texas, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. He is a strong believer in compelling and informative storytelling as an effective form of communication. His work in broadcast journalism earned him two Emmy Awards and a number of other nominations. John is looking forward to the personal and professional growth that comes from working at an organization like the Minneapolis Foundation. In his free time, John loves playing guitar, hiking, surfing, and his new hobby since moving to the land of 10,000 lakes, paddle boarding.

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Sarah helps implement the Foundation’s brand and digital communications strategies. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2018, Sarah spent almost a decade working in nonprofits, most recently as Youth Frontiers’ Communications and Marketing Manager. She is a graduate of both Augsburg University and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, connecting with friends and family, and playing with her corgi, Mose.

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