CEO Yvette Holmes Named ‘10 To Watch’ by United Way

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10-to-Watch

We congratulate our CEO Yvette Holmes on being selected for the 2025 “10 to Watch” cohort by United Way of the Greater Triangle!

Under Yvette’s thought-driven, community-centered leadership, Southeast Raleigh Promise continues to uplift residents along Southeast Raleigh’s Rock Quarry Road corridor. Her work alongside neighbors, partners, and funders toward strategic, equitable solutions propels the organization’s mission to ensure every Southeast Raleigh resident has access to the opportunities to grow, thrive, and prosper, and exemplifies what the Purpose Built Community model she leads stands for.

This year’s cohort is a “dream team” of changemakers in 10 high-impact organizations in the Greater Triangle led by Black and Latinx leaders. The initiative invests in each leader and organization over two years and, in collaboration with Leadership Triangle, offers rigorous leadership development opportunities. In addition to funding, the program offers a pipeline of community support, and shared talent and best practices, as well as collective learning and growth pathways rooted in collaborative problem-solving, and self-directed learning.

Joining Yvette:

  • Leslie Covington – The Carying Place
  • Keiyonna Dubashi – Profound Ladies
  • Monica Daye – Stand Up Speak Out of North Carolina
  • Christine Cotton – PORCH
  • Ja’Nell Henry – Black Farmers Market
  • Donna Carrington – Community Empowerment Fund
  • Marlon Torres – NC Arts In Action
  • Danielle Buckingham – Pauli Murray Center
  • Dosali Reed‑Bandele – The West End Community Foundation, Inc.

A few key themes expected are entrepreneurial vision; compassionate community leadership; navigating challenges of shifting landscapes, diversified funding, and creating space for self-care; and the complexities of distributive leadership and empowering staff and boards.
The program facilitators are:

  • Dr. Terrance Ruth, a NC State University professor, former Justice Love Foundation President, leader in Mission Triangle’s coaching practice, former NC NAACP Executive Director, and nonprofit leadership fellow.
  • Lila Leff, founder of Umoja Student Development Corp., former Chief Program Officer at Chicago CRED, and a leadership development expert in education and workforce who is now partnering locally with Leadership Triangle.

Please join us as we rally behind Yvette Holmes and the entire 2025 10 to Watch cohort! Their leadership fuels equity, transformation, and community-driven change across the Triangle.