Building Community Between Austin Professionals and Next Generation of Leaders: Latinitas Promotes its First Engagement Director
Latinitas was founded almost 20 years ago to increase the representation of Latina and other girls of color in media, technology, as well as build transcendent leadership girls could apply anywhere. Austin’s official bilingual STEM/STEAM education nonprofit announces today the promotion of its current lead of all volunteering and engagement Bailey Pownall to Engagement Director, a first time position at Latinitas.
Pownall started at Latinitas as the engagement manager, using his deep sense of service, skills in relationship building and love for storytelling and branding to create compelling volunteer and partnership opportunities while inspiring change.
Some of his biggest achievements at Latinitas include systematizing its intern program with more proactive training, higher expectations and consistent guidance and communication to increase productivity and a feeling of being valued in their roles. Bailey has used his own network and knowledge of nonprofit, civic engagement and creative sectors to create new community and corporate partnerships. Bailey’s skillset is versatile and he helped develop Latinitas own organizational podcast: Unrepresented, on its 6th episode now, to interview and explore equity on the frontlines of advocacy, public leadership, other nonprofits, media, tech and more. He has contributed strategies to fundraising campaigns including our latest annual fundraiser theme. This year’s Purple Party for Chica Power will focus on partnering with the artists to develop public murals depicting Austin’s most important and courageous female leaders of color thanks to Pownall’s relationship and advocacy of Austin’s street art community. He has been integral in deepening corporate partnerships with companies like Dell, Atlassian, PIMCO and Oracle gleaning invaluable pro-bono support from each.
An Austinite born and raised and graduate of the School of Public Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Pownall has coordinated workforce development and homelessness support programs, voter turnout canvassing routes and founded The Honeycomb Group (THG) a nonprofit aimed to facilitate increased millennial giving to smaller, lesser known charities in Austin raising over $100K for causes. As a highly ambitious and creative engagement manager, Pownall has equipped the organization with like minded and enthusiastic volunteers, partners and interns to support our annual programming and long term vision to improve representation of women and BIPOC across innovative industries.
As Engagement Director, he will increase his portfolio of corporate and organizational volunteers, streamline new standard operating systems for better volunteer preparation and training and work closely and collaboratively with the Director of Development. He has also been selected as an Emerging Leader in training and will join other executives at his level to explore leadership and management strategies for the next 9 months.
Latinitas’ Startup Chica Conference 2020 committee co-chair and software engineer for H-E-B Laura Davila shared, “I first met Bailey last summer when he onboarded me to judge for the virtual summer conference, Future Chica. His guidance and friendly attitude helped me feel a part of the team and encouraged me to stay involved as a committee member ever since. I’ve seen him continue to champion Latinitas’ mission to empower and inspire chicas across the country, using his expertise to help connect partners across the community to this amazing organization. We are so lucky to have his enthusiasm to keep us going, and I’m thrilled to hear about his promotion to Engagement Director!”
Pownall is an 8th generation LatinX Central Texan, 4th generation Austinite and proud owner of June, his Australian Shepard. He is part of the Australian Shepards of Austin group, big UT baseball fan, art collector and occasional facilitator of art projects and is also member of the Texas Young Professionals Network, Member of Los Verdes and a new Austin FC fan.
