Creating Opportunities for Women
Pamela Radisek is passionate about empowering women. After finding it difficult to secure a job while pregnant with twins, she launched her own career coaching business to help women move forward in their careers or get back into the workforce.
“I deal with a lot of women who are discouraged, who are told no, who are told they don't belong, or they aren't welcome; and we find a way to switch the lens for them. I knew that if I wanted to truly make a difference, it was great to do it person by person. But what really needed to happen was a better understanding of the systematic issues,” said Radisek. 
As her business and her twins grew, Radisek added a new challenge to her plate; pursuing ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´’s online Master’s in Organizational Leadership (ORGL) program. 
“I realized that the curriculum lined up with my vision, and I thought that it would help me grow this company better if I had a broader understanding of what my heart was telling me, said Radisek. 
While continuing to build her business, Radisek also took on a volunteer leadership role with the Junior League of Cleveland managing a scholarship committee dedicated to supporting women whose education had been interrupted. It was in these dual roles as entrepreneur and volunteer that she began applying her ORGL coursework in real time. 
“I know my ROI was 15 minutes later when I could immediately put something into work. Theoretical is great, but practical application is key,” said Radisek. 
Radisek’s work with the scholarship committee became a showcase for her evolving leadership philosophy. She redesigned the entire application process, moved it online and made it more accessible by applying systems thinking which she learned in her courses. 
“Looking through a systems lens from all the things that I learned in Foundations of Leadership and Imagine, Create, Lead, of how do you look at a system and realize it’s not about the worthiness of a project, it’s about the system that you’re changing.” 
Radisek continued, “There's a bigger systemic issue here: we had built a scholarship for women without listening to the women that we serve. And that needed to change.”
Her approach was collaborative and based on a practice she learned in class. She engaged past winners, applicants and nonprofit partners to better understand the needs of the women the organization aimed to serve.  
“One of the things I did when I learned about dialogic practice was realizing I couldn’t just come up with the questions myself. I needed to talk to previous winners, to applicants who didn’t get the scholarship, and to the nonprofits who know the women we’re trying to reach.” 
Using another skill from her coursework, appreciative inquiry, Radisek created processes to ensure fairness and alignment with the Junior League’s mission. 
“I co-created the first training for judges so they could better understand the rubric. I included implicit bias training, which had never been done before. We set up surveys for judges, applicants, and winners. The work was under pressure, but it was necessary.”  
Her hard work paid off. 
“We had a 300% increase in applicants. We had 150% increase in regional applicants, which means that we're getting more women that are local. We gave away $30,000 in scholarships over the last two years. That number three years ago was negligible. So, the work that I've done in my classes has an immediate effect.” 
Radisek is exploring new avenues to drive meaningful change, guided by a refreshed perspective on leadership and a deep commitment to social innovation.
“As I near the completion of this program, my philosophy has grown deeper, more grounded, and more honest. I lead with greater clarity, curiosity and conviction, recognizing that sustainable leadership requires inner work, clear communication, and the courage to say no. This shift has allowed me to reframe my leadership from service to sustainability.” 
To anyone considering the ORGL program she says this: 
“If I can do it, you can do it. And I believe in you. Tell the world that I believe in them.” 
For her leadership seminar, Radisek’s project outlines her work on the scholarship program from rebranding to succession planning; a virtual training for incoming chairs; and a separate training for new committee members to support onboarding and continuity. See her coursework in action .
“I deal with a lot of women who are discouraged, who are told no, who are told they don't belong, or they aren't welcome; and we find a way to switch the lens for them. I knew that if I wanted to truly make a difference, it was great to do it person by person. But what really needed to happen was a better understanding of the systematic issues,” said Radisek. 
As her business and her twins grew, Radisek added a new challenge to her plate; pursuing ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´’s online Master’s in Organizational Leadership (ORGL) program. 
“I realized that the curriculum lined up with my vision, and I thought that it would help me grow this company better if I had a broader understanding of what my heart was telling me, said Radisek. 
While continuing to build her business, Radisek also took on a volunteer leadership role with the Junior League of Cleveland managing a scholarship committee dedicated to supporting women whose education had been interrupted. It was in these dual roles as entrepreneur and volunteer that she began applying her ORGL coursework in real time. 
“I know my ROI was 15 minutes later when I could immediately put something into work. Theoretical is great, but practical application is key,” said Radisek. 
Radisek’s work with the scholarship committee became a showcase for her evolving leadership philosophy. She redesigned the entire application process, moved it online and made it more accessible by applying systems thinking which she learned in her courses. 
“Looking through a systems lens from all the things that I learned in Foundations of Leadership and Imagine, Create, Lead, of how do you look at a system and realize it’s not about the worthiness of a project, it’s about the system that you’re changing.” 
Radisek continued, “There's a bigger systemic issue here: we had built a scholarship for women without listening to the women that we serve. And that needed to change.”
Her approach was collaborative and based on a practice she learned in class. She engaged past winners, applicants and nonprofit partners to better understand the needs of the women the organization aimed to serve.  
“One of the things I did when I learned about dialogic practice was realizing I couldn’t just come up with the questions myself. I needed to talk to previous winners, to applicants who didn’t get the scholarship, and to the nonprofits who know the women we’re trying to reach.” 
Using another skill from her coursework, appreciative inquiry, Radisek created processes to ensure fairness and alignment with the Junior League’s mission. 
“I co-created the first training for judges so they could better understand the rubric. I included implicit bias training, which had never been done before. We set up surveys for judges, applicants, and winners. The work was under pressure, but it was necessary.”  
Her hard work paid off. 
“We had a 300% increase in applicants. We had 150% increase in regional applicants, which means that we're getting more women that are local. We gave away $30,000 in scholarships over the last two years. That number three years ago was negligible. So, the work that I've done in my classes has an immediate effect.” 
Radisek is exploring new avenues to drive meaningful change, guided by a refreshed perspective on leadership and a deep commitment to social innovation.
“As I near the completion of this program, my philosophy has grown deeper, more grounded, and more honest. I lead with greater clarity, curiosity and conviction, recognizing that sustainable leadership requires inner work, clear communication, and the courage to say no. This shift has allowed me to reframe my leadership from service to sustainability.” 
To anyone considering the ORGL program she says this: 
“If I can do it, you can do it. And I believe in you. Tell the world that I believe in them.” 
For her leadership seminar, Radisek’s project outlines her work on the scholarship program from rebranding to succession planning; a virtual training for incoming chairs; and a separate training for new committee members to support onboarding and continuity. See her coursework in action .