You chose this work because it matters. But no one told you how to sustain yourself while doing it. 

You’re navigating a lot right now. How to be taken seriously without losing who you are. How to read the room when generational norms, communication styles, and unspoken expectations feel like a moving target. How to stay energized for work that genuinely matters to you — without quietly running on empty.

In this session Lisa Yarussi, former Chief Human Resources Officer and executive coach, and Professor Alex Rodriguez bring a coaching lens and a sociological lens together to help early-and-mid career nonprofit professionals understand their own capacity, navigate generational and workstyle difference with confidence, and build the habits that create longevity in mission-driven work.

Using the LAY-Up Capacity Framework™ and the ACTivate™ model, participants will explore capacity not as a buzzword but as a practical tool — across three levers that are unique to every person in the room: the personal lever, the relational lever, and the structural lever. 

Participants will:

• Reflect on their personal capacity lever: their energy patterns, workstyle, and the assumptions others may be making about them across generational lines, building awareness of where their capacity is strongest, and where it’s quietly leaking.

• Explore how generational norms shape perception, communication, and professional identity in the nonprofit workplace and develop tools to adapt their style across different settings while staying anchored in who they are. 

• Identify the unwritten rules, visibility strategies, and career habits that create longevity in mission-driven work. 

• Leave with one concrete commitment per lever and connections with peers who are navigating the same road.

Who should participate:

Early-to-mid career nonprofit professionals

Facilitators: Lisa Yarussi and Professor Alex Rodriguez   

Lisa is a Capacity Consultant, ICF-Certified Executive Coach, and creator of the

A.C.T.ivate™ Framework and the 3 Capacity Levers—a proven system for equipping leaders to thrive under pressure. With 20+ years as a progressive Chief Human Resources Officer within medical device manufacturing, distribution, media/entertainment, and services, she is a catalyst for leadership excellence; driving measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and operational performance.

Alex brings a multidisciplinary lens to understanding human behavior and workplace dynamics, with academic expertise across psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminology, and statistics. Known for creating inclusive learning environments, she is especially committed to elevating the voices and experiences of underserved communities. As a speaker, Alex blends research, storytelling, and practical strategies to help organizations examine the invisible norms and biases that shape culture.