Today we’d like to introduce you to BiNi Coleman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been entrepreneurial, with projects dating back to my teens. The first business I helped incorporate, launch, and market was my brother’s construction company, and I quickly found that I had a knack for the technical in addition to the artistic, helping numerous small business endeavors with contracts, presentations, proposals, and business administration, in addition to the more artistic elements of marketing and graphic design. I had aspirations of becoming a corporate executive for some huge global giant while also developing my own business enterprise(s). I always loved and enjoyed business from an executive/management perspective.
What I didn’t anticipate was my calling for youth and community work. Early in my time at the University of Texas at Austin, I was shown a video about a summer camp called Kids Across America, and I absolutely knew that was where I was supposed to be that summer, despite never having had kids on my radar. But I followed my inner voice and, in the process of plunging into a world in which I had zero experience, I learned I had a natural gift for working with youth — and people in general. As I returned each year, I quickly became a leader and director over operations, helping to supervise 60+ staff — and back at home, I became more and more involved with groups in the community, to the point where I spent more time volunteering with youth and families that at my day job.
Around 2004, I made the difficult move of admitting to myself and others that the youth and community work had become my passion and calling — the one job I never got tired of — and if I could get paid to do this work, I’d do it full time. It was difficult because the general sentiment was that I had so much potential in the business world…. why would I give all that up to work in the community? It didn’t matter. I knew what I knew, even if it meant giving up my corporate aspirations and income earning potential. This was more important. I could live, eat, sleep and breathe this and never get bored.
I took the plunge, and my first job in this community-serving sphere was as a site coordinator of the federally funded afterschool program at Reagan High School in Austin (now called Northeast Early College High School). This school had once been a major powerhouse and somehow, over the years, had drifted into critical low-performing status. Student and parent engagement in extracurricular activity was almost zero when I arrived and had been for years. Morale was low among students…very low. There was a lot of work to do. I almost didn’t get hired because the principal looked at me and didn’t believe I could relate to the students. Then I dropped off a rap CD that I had created in 1998 (that’s a whole story in itself!), and he hired me instantly.
Things moved fast from there. I quickly turned around a struggling program and made it a nationally recognized program. Promotion came quickly — from the program supervision level to supervising multiple campuses, to multiple large grants, to consulting and monitoring state and federal grants, to engaging in systems improvement efforts and coalition work to get systems coordinating better to achieve greater positive outcomes for youth and families.
This trail of experience and success has brought me to where I am today. I know over 200 nonprofits in Central Texas, major corporations, funders, and a broad array of systems, from education and workforce to health, government, faith-based, and more. My work is now agnostic of industry area, as I’ve learned that process is the key, regardless of the subject matter, to moving initiatives forward successfully and getting catalytic results.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This road has been anything but smooth. Even though I’ve been blessed to have a great deal of success in the endeavors I’ve taken on, it takes a LOT of work! I cannot even quantify the level to which I’ve sacrificed income — either based on principle or due to institutional discrimination. I cannot tell you how many times people have looked at me and made their determination about what I know (or couldn’t know) and how I don’t fit into their work world. The times I’ve been pushed out of leadership positions for initiatives that I undeniably moved into existence, but suddenly was discredited and dismissed when things got sexy and others wanted to stand in the spotlight — and then, after so much hard work, to watch those same initiatives unravel and move back into non-existence due to their inability to manage these efforts forward. The betrayals. The unwillingness to give timely credit where credit was due. Those who say all the right words out in public forums but have worked against me behind the scenes. All this, in a line of work that is supposed to ultimately be about helping people. I could grasp it if this were corporate America, where competition is king…. but in a sphere that centers around children, youth, and families? These dynamics have been most disheartening, particularly for a person who has sacrificed much to contribute to this sphere.
I’ve also noticed that groups who say they want diversity will invite you to their table to get POC representation, so they can report that they are achieving diversity, and they love when you volunteer a lot of time on unpaid committees, where they will hold you accountable for deliverables they somehow got you to sign up for… However, they can never fathom you being a leader to them. If you look at the landscape of executive directors, CEOs, and coalition leaders across Austin and Central Texas, it is still a very white world. They will accept our hard work, for which we sacrifice income earning potential and time for our families and self-care, but when it comes time to place us in positions of true leadership and influence, here come all the explanations for why we aren’t “the right fit” for the job. And if you look deeper, there are all kinds of institutional policies and mindsets that continue to filter out historically marginalized populations from such positions and/or proper compensation for such positions. One example of many: “We need someone with executive director experience to fill this executive director position — someone with an established track record of success in such a position.” So….how do you establish such a track record in a region where the majority of executives are not people of color and use such rationale to continue the cycle? I once received a job that I was courted for — even invited to help edit the job description — yet, when I was hired, I found that the job position had been demoted about three levels, and the pay was $25k less per year than the white woman I was hired to replace. Not taking anything away from her tremendous skill set, but my skill set was more relevant to the future of the position, and I was uniquely equipped to take the work where it needed to go, yet I was paid less and given a far lesser title for it. I stayed and did the work, for the cause, but when you work every day and struggle with cost of living in an unaffordable city like Austin, it is an every day reminder that you have been deemed “lesser than” by the power structure that continues to reinforce inequity — ironically, an institution that uses the words “equity, diversity and inclusion” constantly and profusely, in an effort to demonstrate that they uphold and work actively toward these values.
So yes, I have painfully experienced the repercussions of groups and leaders who say the right things but whose actions do not align with their words. And unfortunately, this often translates to diminished advancement potential and quality of life. BUT… I’m still here! And thanks to a few amazing allies (yet the unfortunate demonstrations of blatant racism recently in the media), I’ve broken through the glass shield a bit over the past year. It is my hope that continued allyship, getting to know each other, and embracing of cultural perspectives will move us into a new era of enlightenment and action.
As you know, we’re big fans of 212 Catalysts. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
212 Catalysts was founded in 2019 with the mission to help organizations and collaborative initiatives make a positive impact in society. The vision is that our projects achieve undeniable positive community transformation with a measurable impact that everyone can feel. 212 Catalysts helps businesses to identify and achieve real, measurable outcomes through the following services: • STRATEGY: Strategic planning/refresh; Development cycle/grants/fundraising; Continuous improvement; Data-outcomes/impact analysis; Training & technical assistance
• OPERATIONAL SUPPORT: Systems set-up/improvement; Contract admin support; Outsourcing of business processes; Project management; Finance, audits & reporting
• CONNECTING DOTS: Forging new partnerships for corporations
• FACILITATION: Convening and action planning processes to inspire and move work teams toward that “extra degree” that makes the difference
• SIGNATURE PROGRAM: The African American Leadership Institute (AALI) increases civic awareness and leadership opportunities in Central Texas. AALI participants have opportunities to make connections and foster equity, opportunity and a higher quality of life for all of Austin’s citizens. It also engages corporations to connect and explore best practices that can improve their ability to attract, equip, retain, and promote more Black professionals. AALI started as a potential client relationship with the founder, Heath Creech, but through a series of events, turned into 212 Catalysts becoming the fiscal and operational arm to implement the AALI program, which is currently being incubated as a dba under 212 Catalysts.
For 25 years, 212 Catalysts Founder and CEO Sabine “BiNi” Coleman has aided a long list of organizations – large and small – through processes of systems improvement, achieving measurable impact, and catalytic growth. 212 Catalysts assisted organizations to secure over $500,000 in its startup year (2019) and over $3.7 Million in 2020, translating to over 84,000 families reached with vital services and resources and 1:30 average ROI for this line of work. The organization’s current pipeline of projects for 2021 is valued at over $16 Million. BiNi and 212 Catalysts have extensive experience in cross-sector collaborations, having spearheaded or advised initiatives such as the Texas Partnership for Out-of-School Time (TXPOST), the African American Leadership Institute (AALI), the African American Men’s Health Initiative for Austin/Central Texas, the South Dallas Supportive Housing Development, and the Ready by 21 Coalition for Austin/Travis County.
For more about the meaning behind “212”, view this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEeEqkEjAQ
It is our ability to help clients identify that “extra degree” that makes the difference in moving from good to great or from great to achieving undeniable, measurable, catalytic results. Our inimitable competency and ability to achieve such results — and our willingness to assist with strategy and then walk alongside organizations to ensure the success of their initiatives through development, project management, and operational support — differentiates us from the typical consultancy. We assist with any aspect of the business cycle, from board engagement to mission, as well as the less glamorous aspects of stewardship such as finance and data, which are highly essential for sustainability, buy-in, and growth over time.
I am most proud of that fact that we have not had to market or promote 212 Catalysts at all to obtain new business. We are constantly receiving invitations to engage in contracts and collaborations, which has kept us remarkably busy and growing steadily over time. This means our reputation and work are speaking for us and driving increased demand for our services, which is evidence that we are accomplishing our mission and vision.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Best advice received, which I have used over and over with 100% success, is “keep it simple.” Particularly in helping organizations to navigate adverse circumstances, the ability to boil tricky situations down and focus on the “main thing” has proven effective in walking through many a minefield.
One of the most important things I’ve learned is to not count any income as received — and no deal as done — until a contract is executed AND the funds CLEAR the bank. If this is not happening, you are not in business…. you are volunteering with hopes of being in business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.212catalysts.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/212catalysts/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/212catalysts/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/2catalysts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ2ZnRkdpC8
Image Credits
Andrew Sterling Keep it Digital, LLC / Mike McLennan
