Who is Seena Hodges?
When I was a toddler learning to talk, my first words were a complete sentence: "I do it." I'd insist on dressing myself, even if my shoes ended up on the wrong feet and my shirt was inside out with the tag hanging out the back. I was CONVINCED my way was the RIGHT way.
It took me years to realize that "I do it" without listening, learning, or letting others contribute isn't actually doing it right at all. This realization shaped everything I do to this day. Now, I'm a connector who helps people and organizations overcome their fears to examine their own "I do it" moments; I guide them to understand that real change happens when we create space for others.
My work, which I love and do with absolute JOY, has taken me from Broadway to boardrooms, from utility companies to nonprofits, and has appeared in places like Good Day Chicago, Black Enterprise, and the Wall Street Journal. Along the way, I served as Editor at Large for Twin Cities Business, became the first person of color to helm the Walker Art Center's Board of Trustees, and released my first book, "From Ally to Accomplice: How to Lead as a Fierce Antiracist". Throughout this journey, I've discovered that learning is one of those things I would never stop doing. I picked up a master's from Columbia University in New York City, became a certified administrator of the Clifton Strengths® and Intercultural Development Inventory®, and am both a Certified Public Manager and a PhD student in Management and Public Service at Hamline University in the School of Business.
Ultimately, I'm an activist, a philanthropist, a businesswoman, and an intersectional feminist who loves to connect about the world we live in and how to make it a better place, the plight of historically underrepresented communities, and how to get off your ass and make a difference.
I serve my community in many ways as a Trustee at the Walker Art Center, a board member for the Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable (MWER), a member of Women’s Presidents Organization (WPO), a member of The Links, Incorporated, and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.
Supporting people who want to do the hard work gets me up every morning—well, that and my ridiculously cute dog, Garvey, who insists on his morning walks.