49: How to Build Trust and Resilience with Stakeholders in the Community Supply Chain with Simone Hardeman-Jones

She Supply Chains Podcast
Oct 19
2 min read

Regenia Sanders — **Simone Hardeman-Jones**

What happens when philanthropy flips the script — and the community leads the way?

In this episode, we sit down with Simone Hardiman Jones, Executive Director of Greenlight Fund Twin Cities, whose career journey from public policy to nonprofit leadership reflects a lifelong commitment to empowering communities. Simone shares how she’s redefining philanthropy through a model that centers local voices, trust-building, and collaboration across sectors. Instead of focusing on top-down solutions, she believes lasting impact comes from the people most affected by the issues — a philosophy that’s reshaping how economic mobility and social change are approached in cities across the country.

Simone walks us through the Greenlight Method, a five-step process — Discover, Scout, Select, Invest, and Measure — that helps identify and scale innovative programs that meet real community needs. Her insights reveal both the power and the challenges of scaling social innovation, from aligning stakeholders to measuring long-term impact. Throughout the conversation, Simone emphasizes that building trust isn’t a one-time effort; it’s about consistency, transparency, and the willingness to admit when you don’t have all the answers. It’s a refreshingly honest take on leadership that blends data-driven strategy with human-centered empathy.

Beyond her professional journey, Simone reflects on how humility and adaptability have shaped her leadership style. She opens up about personal moments of growth — learning to listen more deeply, embracing hard lessons, and finding balance in the pursuit of meaningful change. Her story is a reminder that community transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but through persistence, partnership, and purpose. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about what it means to lead with intention — and to invest in the power of people.

In this episode, we discuss:

(03:40) Simone’s Journey in Public Policy
(10:07) Community-Centric Philanthropy and Listening to Local Voices
(13:58) Building Cross-Sector Collaboration for Greater Impact
(16:54) The Greenlight Method: Discovery, Scout, Select, Invest, Measure
(22:25) Why Trust Takes Time — and Consistency
(24:58) Scaling Innovative Solutions That Last
(25:25) Balancing Readiness and Impact in Community Programs
(30:14) Simone’s Vision for the Future of Greenlight Fund
(35:10) Leadership Lessons in Humility and Adaptability
(40:45) Hero, Hardship, and Highlight: Personal Reflections

🎧 Listen in for a conversation that challenges the traditional view of philanthropy — and inspires a new kind of leadership rooted in empathy and action.