Emily Barbo, Co-Director of Marketing & Communications
Members of the YNPN Boston Leadership Team play a vital role in helping to develop a stronger, higher impact nonprofit community in the Boston area. Being a part of the Leadership Team also provides members with unique opportunities to grow their personal and professional networks while increasing their technical and leadership skills in a supportive and collaborative environment.
As we recruit new members for the Leadership Team, we are excited to introduce you to some of our current members who are sharing what being a part of the YNPN community means to them. Emily Barbo is co-director of our Communications and Marketing Team and works as a communications manager at the Boston University School of Public Health. Below, Emily tells us more about her involvement with YNPN Boston.
What made you decide to join YNPN?
I’ve been passionate about mission-driven work since I was a young girl learning about community service through my church. It made sense to me that I could make this dedication to health and happiness of others my career. As I grew up, I became frustrated by the false narrative I encountered that in order to “do good” I would have to sacrifice financial success and “suffer” at a nonprofit. The other side of that narrative was that in order to be “successful” (aka financially successful), I would have to “sell my soul” in the for-profit sector. I joined YNPN Boston because I believe I can be a bridge between these two sectors, which have a lot more to learn from each other than people realize. I believe deeply in investing in people, and therefore the long-term success of mission-driven organizations. And I am thrilled that I found the YNPN Community.
What do you like most about being a Leadership Team member?
Being an Leadership Team (LT) member has given me the opportunity to be exposed to and learn from a vastly diverse network of perspectives and lived experiences. I’ve been fairly insulated in the world of marketing and communications. Being on the LT has given me the opportunity to learn new languages – it’s super exciting stuff!
How has serving as a Leadership Team member helped to advance your professional goals?
As a board member and a co-director, I am in the unique position to serve as a strategic thinker and as a staff member immersed in daily operations. Because of this, I’ve been developing a kind of dexterity – moving between the balcony and the dance floor – which has given me an appreciation for not only managing how YNPN operates, but why. These are exactly the muscles I was hoping to develop as a member of the YNPN community, and I think this experience is already making me a better manager in my current position, as well as a better partner to the leaders in my organization.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience as a Leadership Team member?
I applied to YNPN almost exactly a year ago at the start of the pandemic with no expectation that I’d get the position. I recognized that given the multiple public health crises we were (are) living through, I was going to need a community to help me get through it, and that I wanted to be part of a support system for others. I consider it a great privilege to be in this role, and I feel very fortunate to have found this community where I’ve both received and provided support. If you are thinking about joining us, give it a try. I guarantee you will get so much more out of it than you expect.
If you’re interested in learning more about joining YNPN Boston’s Leadership Team, please click here.