Own Your Value (Part 2): An Interview with Fern A. Stroud

“You never know what’s on the other side until you leap with no fear of falling.” - Fern A. StroudEpisode Summary: Fern A. Stroud speaks about how learning to own her value in the workplace helped her transition into a new role, give back to the community and curate an event that celebrates Black excellence through Black winemakers, musicians and artists.Episode sponsored by: Madeleine Clarke (Become a sponsor: http://www.blackfemaleproject.org/donate)SHOW NOTESGUESTFern A. Stroud, a gifted musician and tenure of IT Software Development Project Management, Fern's life work is to bridge the gap between business, art, and community. Her vision has been realized through successful partnership, board service, and other initiatives including production of Black Vines - A Toast to Black Wineries and Diverse Art.Fern earned a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and completed a software development internship at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Palo Alto, California. She currently manages Big Data related efforts in Silicon Valley.HOSTDana E. Fitchett, BlackFemaleProject inaugural collection editor, is a justice-focused multi- and inter-disciplinary artist (dancer/choreographer/dance teacher, visual artist, writer); content and copy editor/proofreader; writer; not-for-profit professional. Dana is a mixed-race Black woman who uses her relationship to music, visual art, and movement as a sandbox for exploration of identity and issues of justice, and for seeking healing from racism and capitalism through the reimagination of possibilities.Follow: @def_artinmotionRESOURCESBlack Vines - A Toast to Black Wineries and Diverse Art, is an annual Black History Month wine tasting event honoring the contributions of Black Artists, Black Musicians, Black Business & Black Owned Wineries. Celebrating its 7th annual in 2018, founder Fern A. Stroud invites you to celebrate culture, art, and wine. Whether you're new to wine tasting, or a seasoned taster, this event is for you! Proceeds benefit Oakland Youth Aspire a Saturday youth program located at the historic DeFremery Park in West Oakland. Learn more at www.blackvines.net. Watch: https://vimeo.com/265905137.Oakland Youth AspireOakland Youth Aspire (OYA) enriches the lives of youth by creating a fun and welcoming environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle and fosters open communication, empathy, and the development of interpersonal skills. Their vision is to help youth aspire to live healthy and productive lives, and develop fundamental skills to reach their fullest potential. http://oaklandyouthaspire.org/LGBT Center OaklandThe Oakland LGBTQ Community Center is dedicated to enhancing and sustaining the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, our families and allies, by providing educational, social, and health related activities, programs and services. The creation of this new service in Oakland marks the first time in our city's history that an organization has ever opened a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, LGBTQ community center. https://www.oaklandlgbtqcenter.org/African American Vintners AssociationFounded in 2002, The Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) is a non-profit organization that provides a supportive network to African American vintners and wine industry professionals worldwide and to bring fine wine, education and the Wine Country Lifestyle to consumers. The AAAV annually holds wine tastings and seminars around the country to introduce consumers to the world of wine. http://aaavintners.org/Berkeley High School Jazz BandThe history of the remarkable jazz program at Berkeley High School goes back to the 1950s, and now includes four different bands and more. http://www.bhsjazz.org/rosters/Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzlVDlE72w Join Us:https://blackfemaleproject.org/subscribeFollow Us:Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackfemaleprojectFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackfemaleprojectLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackfemaleproject/