What does innovation in higher education look like when it centers community, access, and learning for the common good?

In this episode of iNNOVATION Insights, host Dr. Eulanda Sanders speaks with Dr. Lance Bennett, President and Founder of The People’s Institute for the Common Good, Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University, and higher education leader. Dr. Bennett shares his journey from community college student to scholar-practitioner and how early mentorship shaped his path into higher education leadership.

This conversation explores how communication studies, organizational leadership, and systems thinking inform Dr. Bennett’s work in designing community-centered learning spaces. He reflects on launching The People’s Institute to create open, accessible learning spaces beyond traditional universities—through programs such as community book clubs, virtual Lunch & Learns, and a distinguished speaker series.

⚫Key topics include:

◾Why community-based learning matters in the future of higher education

◾Lessons from launching a nonprofit learning institute

◾Building partnerships between universities and communities

◾Rethinking enrollment, access, and alternative education models

◾How higher education can respond to AI, workforce shifts, and ethics

◾Leading with values, imagination, and courage Whether you are an educator, higher ed leader, nonprofit founder, or community innovator, this episode offers a powerful lens on how to reimagine learning spaces for impact and equity.

Subscribe for more conversations with innovators shaping education, leadership, and community transformation.

⚫Connect with Lance

◾LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lancekylebennett/

◾Substack: https://substack.com/@instituteforcommongood

⚫Subscribe to iNNOVATION Insights News https://www.innovation-and-insights.com/contact

⚫iNNOVATION Insights - https://www.innovation-and-insights.com/

In this powerful episode of iNNOVATION Insights, host Dr. Eulanda Sanders sits down with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, founder of Identity Talk Consulting, educator, author, and global leader in culturally responsive, identity-affirming education. Kwame shares his journey from middle school math teacher to international consultant supporting educators across the United States and African countries.

This conversation explores how lived experience and cultural identity shape innovation in education. Kwame reflects on growing up as a first-generation Ghanaian American and how those experiences fueled his commitment to equity and empowering educators of color. He also discusses building Identity Talk Consulting and launching the Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE podcast to support culturally affirming classrooms.

Kwame introduces his award-winning book, Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom, and shares practical advice for educators seeking to become thought leaders, build a digital presence, and use content creation for professional growth.

⚫ In this episode, you will learn:

◾ How identity shapes teaching, leadership, and student engagement

◾ Why culturally affirming classrooms are essential for equity in education

◾ How educators can become innovators and content creators

◾ Lessons from building an education consulting business

◾ How to support teacher empowerment and anti-bias, anti-racist practices

◾ Why “learning to relearn” is essential for personal and professional growth

Kwame’s story is a powerful reminder that innovation in education is not only about new tools or technology, but about reimagining identity, power, voice, and belonging in learning spaces around the world.

⚫Connect with Kwame

◾Identity Talk Consulting Website – https://identitytalk4educators.com/

◾Learning To Relearn – https://learning2relearn.com

◾LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kwame-sarfo-mensah

◾YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kwamesarfo-mensah5785

◾Instagram: https://instagram.com/kwam_the_identity_shaper

⚫Subscribe to iNNOVATION Insights News https://www.innovation-and-insights.com/contact

⚫iNNOVATION Insights - https://www.innovation-and-insights.com/

How do gender policy, culture, and the global apparel supply chain intersect—and what does innovation look like inside that complexity?

In this episode of iNNOVATION Insights, host Dr. Eulanda Sanders sits down with Dr. Cydni Robertson, scholar, storyteller, and global researcher whose work explores gender inequality, political change, and labor conditions within the global fashion and apparel industry.

Dr. Robertson shares her journey from early experiences in fashion and textile education to earning her doctorate and conducting Fulbright-funded research in El Salvador, where she interviewed women working in apparel factories. She reflects on how witnessing labor conditions reshaped her research agenda and deepened her commitment to people-centered innovation in fashion systems.

⚫In this conversation, you will learn:

◾What Dr. Robertson discovered about women’s labor, opportunity, and resilience in global apparel supply chains

◾How Fulbright research and living abroad transformed her perspective as a scholar and educator

◾Why experiential learning and global research matter for fashion and textile education

◾How social sustainability goes beyond materials to include people, policy, and culture

◾Lessons for students and scholars interested in international research and ethical fashion systems

◾Practical advice for conducting research abroad, building community, and prioritizing safety

Dr. Robertson also shares insights on personal branding in academia, building community through social media, and how storytelling can expand the public impact of scholarly work. Whether you are a student, researcher, educator, designer, or innovator, this episode offers a powerful lens on how innovation emerges at the intersection of fashion, policy, culture, and lived experience.

⚫Connect with Cydni

◾LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cydnimrobertson/

◾TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.cydrobertson

⚫ Subscribe to iNNOVATION Insights News https://www.innovation-and-insights.com/contact