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Welcome Back, Caylin Haldeman: A New Chapter with Next Stage

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We’re thrilled to announce Caylin Haldeman is rejoining Next Stage as our Director of Strategy.

Introducing Caylin

Caylin is no stranger to Next Stage; she was the firm’s first hire in early 2017. A fresh transplant from Philadelphia, Caylin had already established a deep commitment to helping nonprofits grow through work experiences in direct service, consulting and grantmaking with organizations like Broad Street Love, Frontline Solutions and the GreenLight Fund. She quickly found her roots in Charlotte and advanced in her role at Next Stage, playing a key part in many client engagements. She helped define the firm’s strategic direction and supported the design and implementation of early versions of Next Stage’s collaboration management platform Cultivate Impact™. 

During the pandemic, Caylin nurtured an interest in community-centered design and the intersections between social impact and technology. She joined fundraising software platform Flipcause in 2021, where she managed business development efforts, supported sales operations and built partnerships with small nonprofits across the country. Caylin then transitioned from partnerships into the product-design side of the tech-for-good space. She joined Resilia, a startup focused on nonprofit capacity building, as the company’s first UX Researcher. While there, she managed research strategy and operations and launched a cross-functional Voice of the Customer program.

Caylin’s core values of community, belonging and investment in local systems led her to seek opportunities more deeply rooted in Charlotte and the greater Southeast. Most recently, Caylin stewarded grantmaking processes and project management with the United Way of Greater Charlotte. 

In her new role as Director of Strategy, Caylin looks forward to merging her background in design and nonprofit organizational development to work alongside Next Stage’s talented team and lead initiatives focused on growth and innovation.

In Her Own Words

“I’m thrilled to return to Next Stage at this particular juncture in the company’s evolution. The landscape of social good work is continuously shifting, and I’m excited to join a growing team that has demonstrated a commitment to placing belonging, equity and courage at the forefront of our strategic initiatives,” says Caylin. “I admire Next Stage’s purpose — building belonging at the intersection of social good — and am eager to roll up my sleeves and contribute to this important work.”

Please join us in extending a warm welcome back to Caylin!

Bridging the Health Divide: The Power of Radical Collaboration

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While our nation’s health systems continue to make strides in the transition to value-based care, the glaring disparity between dollars spent on health care and the continued impact of social drivers on health outcomes persists.

Health care stretches far beyond the walls of clinics and hospitals, into people’s homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and communities. It encompasses the availability and access to housing, transportation, safety, education and employment. These factors are central to our health and well-being. 

At Next Stage, we see the opportunity to redefine our understanding of health by recognizing the importance of these nonclinical factors. Around 80% of health outcomes are influenced by factors outside of traditional clinical care, so our concept of health must become broader. 

A Tale of Two Zip Codes

As we expand our view of health, we must build consensus on the essential resources needed to create a more equitable and effective health system for all.

Let’s examine the health outcomes of two adjacent zip codes in North Carolina to explore how social drivers can influence health outcomes. The data visualization for neighboring areas in Durham County below marks a stark contrast in life expectancy.

  • Census Tract 6 has a life expectancy of 82.4 years while neighboring Census Tract 5 has a life expectancy of only 71.3 years.
  • Similarly, Census Tract 17.08 has a life expectancy of 80.4 years while nearby Census Tract 17.09 has a life expectancy of only 70.7 years.

A map that shows life expectancy of neighboring areas. Census Tract 6 has a life expectancy of 82.4 years while neighboring Census Tract 5 has a life expectancy of only 71.3 years. Census Tract 17.08 has a life expectancy of 80.4 years while nearby Census Tract 17.09 has a life expectancy of only 70.7 years.

For a closer look at these disparities, the Congressional District Health Dashboard offers a comprehensive comparison by district, highlighting the differences between adjacent census tracts.

Where you live significantly impacts your access to essential needs like fresh food, transportation, clean water, quality education, jobs and safe housing — all of which are shaped by public and private investment decisions. The consequences of these policy choices are evident in the dramatic life expectancy differences between neighboring zip codes. This reality underscores the critical need for thoughtful, well-coordinated efforts across county, city, and even state levels, supported by the private sector, to promote equitable community well-being.

We’ve been inspired by recent conversations around what’s happening in Mecklenburg County and the updated Chetty study, which saw Charlotte’s economic mobility ranking improve from 50th out of 50 for metro areas to 38th out of 50. This groundbreaking research further underscores geography’s critical role in shaping health and economic opportunities. 

Examples like these challenge us to reconsider our approach to public health and social policy, prompting the question: How can we effectively address the social drivers of health to bridge these gaps and create more equitable communities?

Collaboration Should Be the Rule, Not the Exception

While everyone needs good health and well-being, not everyone has equal access to the resources and conditions that make them possible.

This “have and have nots” construct isn’t unfamiliar — it’s been a key characteristic of society since the beginning of time. It’s a hard truth — one we’re likely to face when we venture through neighborhoods not too far from our own.

So what will it take to create a pathway for more of our neighbors, community members and loved ones to maximize their health outcomes? Authentic, radical collaboration.

People and entities who don’t typically engage with one another must collaborate in ways that challenge the status quo. By focusing on the human experience first, we can dismantle hierarchy and power dynamics. By slowing down to take the time to build authentic new partnerships, we can ultimately “go fast” when the time is right.

Meeting at the Intersection

Across the country, we’re beginning to witness some of these innovative partnerships among clinical providers, community-based organizations, local municipalities, civic organizations and residents. These individuals and organizations represent an unwavering commitment to the places where they live and the people they live with and around.

To increase health equity, Next Stage believes cross-organization collaboration and innovation are key parts of the playbook. That’s why we’ve partnered with organizations that deliver health solutions in creative and impactful ways to neighborhoods in need:

  • Next Stage served as a third-party assessment partner to ensure the quality of service deployment for Care Ring’s The Bridge project — a mobile health unit that removes a common health care barrier: transportation. 
  • In 2024, we’re partnering with the Office of Violence Prevention to facilitate community-driven action planning to help create a safer environment in the Sugar Creek I-85 Corridor.
  • Other partners in the health ecosystem include Constellation Quality Health in Raleigh, NC, and Piedmont Health Services, a multi-location community health organization headquartered in Carrboro, NC.

Next Stage, with its unique position at the intersection of various community stakeholders, is poised to help facilitate positive change by fostering collaborative solutions that can lead to better health outcomes for all.

That’s why, this fall, we’re launching our Impact for Health webinar series. This free five-part series will delve into innovative collaboration examples and the evolving health care landscape both locally and nationwide.

Sign up for our newsletter for updates and visit our website to learn more!

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Nimisha Patel joined Next Stage in 2024, having previously led The New Guard, a consultancy working with clients in health care, hospitality, real estate, nonprofits and technology. She previously served as National Director of Innovation & Design for Health Leads, a national leader in addressing the systemic causes of racial health inequalities. She also served as Associate Vice President at Duke Health where she led innovation design and implementation.

Jalah Blackmon is a public health educator who uses a social justice and health equity lens to empower underrepresented communities and challenge systemic barriers to wellness. She previously served as the Director of Innovation and Capacity Building at Care Share Health Alliance and as a Program Director at Charlotte Mecklenburg Food Policy Council. She’s the cofounder of The Black Light Foundation, a 501(c)3, family-led nonprofit focused on bringing light to dark places for individuals suffering from suicidal thoughts and mental health issues.

The Next Stage Team Welcomes Nora Hines

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Introducing Nora

We’re excited to introduce Nora Hines — Next Stage’s new Content Manager.

Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Nora developed a passion for supporting children with disabilities through volunteer opportunities with local organizations and nonprofits. These experiences inspired her to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

After graduating with her bachelor’s from the University of Notre Dame, Nora continued her education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While there, she worked part-time as an Academic Coach and Editor, assisting student athletes placed at risk of academic probation. This impactful experience sparked Nora’s love of writing and further fueled her desire to support public education systems — particularly those in historically underserved and under-resourced communities.

Upon receiving her master’s degree, Nora moved to San Jose, CA, and worked as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for a local school district. There, she supported the communication needs of children with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

In 2019, Nora relocated to Charlotte, where she continued her career as an SLP in Title 1 schools for both Cabarrus County Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. During this time, she also began pursuing opportunities to further her education and hone her skills in writing, editing and content creation.

In 2022, Nora began a part-time contract role with a professional writing and editing company, and in 2023, she opted to pursue this role, plus additional freelance opportunities in the content creation and management space, full-time.

In her former role as Lead Developmental Editor, Nora maintained internal style guides and edited case studies, technical blogs and customer reference stories for major enterprise technology clients. She also created a training curriculum and coached newly hired freelance writers and editors. Additionally, Nora leveraged her clinical expertise to support the content marketing needs of small businesses in the continuing education and health care fields. She developed editorial calendars, created social media content, wrote clinical blogs and designed email campaigns.

As Next Stage’s new content manager, Nora greatly values the opportunity to support the company’s efforts to amplify the impact of mission-driven organizations.

In Her Own Words

“I’m thrilled to join the dedicated team at Next Stage and begin this next chapter in my career,” says Nora. “I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I look forward to contributing to the company’s mission to support social good organizations in our community.”

A Movement Whose Time Has Come: Community Voice and Advocacy

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On June 27, Next Stage will present its fifth and final webinar on the power of community voice, with this one focused on its essential role in advocacy (Sign up here!). Of all the topics covered as a part of the series thus far, this one holds special interest for Helen Hope Kimbrough and Josh Jacobson, the team that has been presenting this content over the last three months.

Advocacy is defined as public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy. Advocacy is also the opportunity to:

  • Present a case for support through methods of data-gathering, comparative analysis and trend research, and storytelling to inform the process
  • Build and cultivate relationships, engaging partners in the community, giving them action steps and tools to join the conversation
  • Make a clear case of what you hope to achieve, outlining funding support, resources and next steps to impact the community

It seems everywhere we look these days, the voices of people who are being left out of public discourse are finding opportunities to be heard – the very definition of community voice. Helen and Josh are excited to share their enthusiasm for the topic in today’s two-part blog.

Inspired by the Foot Soldiers of Change


by Helen Hope Kimbrough

In the Charlotte community, there has been a movement of advocacy stemming from social justice – the act of right-sizing access and opportunities that should exist for everyone, not just a select few.

If you’ve ever attended a public forum or civic meeting, there are so many individuals and organizations coming forth to present matters and concerns that pain residents in our community. For instance, a mom who needs an affordable place to live for herself and two young children in a safe area, a family that needs quality and affordable childcare to work to pay their bills, an aging senior who needs a selection of healthy food options that are better suited for his healthcare needs. The stories go on and on.

Fortunately, we have foot soldiers who are on the ground and ready to carry the mantle (and message) to get folks the help and support they need. They are trusted advocates amplifying their voices to make a difference in the lives of others with evidence, data, compassion, and resources.

A Community Organizing Renaissance

In preparation for our next webinar on Community Voice and Advocacy, Josh and I almost didn’t include it. Yet, the more we talked about the collective community voices and their ability to disrupt systems in thoughtful, consistent, and innovative ways, we were inspired to examine it further and feature it as a part of our webinar series as a deepened approach.

And what we’ve witnessed is how trusted advocates have built and cultivated relationships with community leaders, public officials, and individuals while being diligent in earmarking time to meet with city, county, and state officials, learn more about grant opportunities and financial investment, ask the tough questions, plan follow-up discussions, and educate supporters on ways to engage and participate in the process. Plus, they’ve optimized tools such as thought leadership, social media, convenings, and public meetings to get their message across, leveraging community voice and advocacy.

We are witnessing a renaissance in community organizing by service providers who are proximate to the need, channeling a powerful message of advocacy that is in turn leading to policy change. It inspires me personally. I look forward to sharing these stories during our webinar next week.

Tackling the Monster Upstream


by Josh Jacobson

As I talk about the changes at Next Stage of late, I find myself summoning the metaphor of “bailing babies from the river.” Health and human service providers often describe their intervention work in this way – of being on the banks of a rushing river, rescuing drowning children as they pass heading downstream.

One’s career can be defined in this way, with success measured in the number of individuals one has “saved” from the rushing river. It takes doing that for a while before even thinking to look upstream, where if you squint, you can see a monster who is dumping children in the river. But whereas there are many of you downstream to try to save those children, it appears there are few upstream where the monster is causing the crisis in the first place.

This is the analogy often presented about advocacy and systems change, and it was one I had heard many times before. The monster is depicted as “the system” that allows some sort of policy – either public or corporate – that creates a negative downstream impact. But I will admit, it took a decade of doing this work at Next Stage for it to sink in. And now I feel called to make the main thrust of my work systemic in nature. It is no longer sufficient to bask in the “warm fuzzy” of downstream victories.

Disruption vs Status Quo

I had a conversation with a colleague recently where I tried to explain how this has manifested in my life, and why I feel so drawn to systems work. For the person downstream, there comes a point where you begin to question whether you are actually contributing to the problem – if in “bailing babies from the river,” you are also maintaining a status quo that helps to shift attention away from the monster creating the problem in the first place. You know that it is a life worth saving, but if you continue in your work, will the situation ever get better?

The fact that I am struggling with this more than two decades into a career in social good only serves to highlight my privilege. For the community leaders at the frontlines of this work, this trade off is a daily struggle. It is why the shift toward service providers building expressions of advocacy has been such an amazing trend to observe. Who better to amplify the voices of the oppressed than those who have direct knowledge from providing them services?

It is a space where community voice is the fuel that powers the disruptive efforts that lead to change. Helen and I look forward to sharing how your organization can participate in the movement when we get together next week.

Did you hear? Next Stage has made webinars a big part of its work. This spring, Helen Hope Kimbrough and Josh Jacobson originated a five-part series on the role of community voice to inform all aspects of the social good business model including program development, marketing, human resources management and advocacy.

Did you miss the memo? Don’t fret! Helen and Josh are repeating the series live this summer. Check them out here and sign up for the second wave of the series running through September.

The Next Stage Team Welcomes Wendy Orrego

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Introducing Wendy

The Next Stage team is thrilled to introduce Wendy Orrego – our newest member of the team serving as a Visual Design Manager.

Wendy is a skilled art director, graphic designer and project manager who uses visual design to communicate big ideas. From Guatemala City, Wendy most recently managed a team of designers at Tigo Guatemala, a Latin American telecommunications company. She has produced high-quality branding and digital design for nonprofit and private-sector organizations in both English and Spanish.

A graduate of Universidad Panamericana de Guatemala, Wendy holds a degree in Audiovisual Production and is passionate about using design to communicate clearly. An art lover, she uses shapes, colors and typography to visually communicate complex messages in a way that is simple, beautiful and easy to understand. 

Wendy was born and raised in Guatemala City where she lives with her husband. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her extended family, live music concerts and traveling the world (Amsterdam has been her favorite destination so far!)

In Her Own Words

I am very excited to join the Next Stage team and begin this new chapter in my journey. Having collaborated on visual and graphic design projects for nonprofits in the past I’ve learned firsthand the value of supporting social good organizations to amplify the reach of their impact. I believe Next Stage is the ideal place to continue growing and learning from a dedicated and passionate team on how to use my skills to better serve those organizations, the community, and the world.

I’m also excited to collaborate with a team across borders. I’m grateful for Next Stage’s trusting and expanding opportunities for Guatemalan talent. I look forward to building relationships with the team and learning from each other’s unique cultures and experiences.

¡Muy feliz de estar aquí!

Join us in welcoming Wendy to the team!

Embracing the Outsider: The Benefits of Hiring Beyond Industry Boundaries

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As I reflect on my major career shift two years ago from ministry to consulting, and how Next Stage welcomed this “social impact outsider,” to the team, I’m thinking about the mutual ways we’ve benefited from our pairing. I took a risk using my skills and interests in a new environment and, thankfully, it was met with opportunity. I don’t believe that’s the norm and I’d like to see more companies give it a go – for the benefit of someone looking to grow in a new direction and – as I’ll highlight – the benefit of their mission or business.

“Minimum Qualifications”

  • ​​A minimum of 3 years of relevant industry experience
  • Past role in sustainability-focused communications or in a communications role heavily focused on sustainability
  • Knowledge of financial analysis, business planning, marketing planning and execution within big-box format (event management role)
  • Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism or equivalent

The bullet points above were taken from current LinkedIn job listings for the Charlotte region. I don’t want to call out the company or job title but trust me when I say these “Minimum Qualifications” are unnecessary for the roles they aim to fill.

Why? Because there is so much potential for companies when they consider bringing in talent outside their industry. A common theme for today’s workforce is the struggle to keep employees engaged. And maybe one reason is that hiring managers are overplaying experience and downplaying interest when reviewing their candidate pools. (Or asking AI to do that filtering for them. Sigh.)

Three Benefits

I’ve seen – and experienced – many benefits of hiring from outside the bubble, but I’ll highlight my top three.

Fresh Thinking

Many companies talk about wanting to be “ahead of the curve” or “disruptive.” If that’s you, keep this in mind: On teams where every member shares the same background and experiences, it can create an echo chamber of ideas – not fertile soil where innovation can blossom.

In fact, one hint that it was time for me to move on from ministry communications after 13 years was that I could not come up with a new way to announce our Bible study offerings. I lacked fresh thinking and was struggling to overcome the status quo.

At Next Stage, my newness, curiosity and desire for context led me to ask (many!) questions of my teammates: Why is it done this way? Can you explain this terminology? What’s the vibe?

I brought these learnings to the communication I produced for Next Stage and our clients. I found opportunities to unpack what felt like insider language and new nuggets of insight to draw people in. When you’re “in it” for several years, it’s normal to take for granted that folks will understand XYZ about your program, product or mission. In many instances, I didn’t. I figured other stakeholders might not either, or they needed a refresher. Newness became my value-add to our engagements.

Transferable Skills That Get The Job Done

This seems like a good point to clarify that I’m not saying industry or degree experience isn’t useful, but that it shouldn’t be the most important thing for all jobs, or even listed as a minimum requirement that might hold good talent back from applying. For example, I hold a B.A. in Journalism from UNC, with a concentration in Advertising…from ye olde year of 2003. Folks, I never once had to use Photoshop to complete an assignment! My degree, while foundational for my training, now better indicates my interest than my aptitude for designer roles at an ad agency. (Shout out to Canva!) Meanwhile, there are applicants who pursued other degrees in college and then developed a passion for visual design. What sounds better for your needs?

More than industry, I believe intrinsic skills are universally valuable to an organization. Whether it’s communication, problem-solving, or leadership, candidates from outside your go-to hiring bullpen often possess transferable skills that can be seamlessly applied to new roles. Today’s ever-changing world needs workers who can adapt and navigate unfamiliar terrain so be sure you value those intangible qualities as you review a candidate.

Improved Diversity and Inclusion

Onboarding can be arduous, and I know everyone’s plates are already full. It’s tempting to hire someone who needs to learn less so you can get straight to it, but you might miss the opportunity to enhance the diversity of experience, knowledge and overall skillset of your organization if you go that route. Employees from different industries and perspectives can offer insights into customer needs and preferences from their work that can positively shake up “how it’s always been done” at your organization, providing the breakthrough you’ve been looking for in a program or initiative.

Many companies list DEI as a priority and hiring is a critical element of that focus – but the data proves that opportunity can be harder to come by for candidates who are from diverse racial backgrounds, neurodivergent, or who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. From a team culture perspective, embracing candidates from diverse backgrounds and industries fosters a more inclusive workplace culture where all employees feel heard, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.

For more on building a diverse, thriving workforce, sign up for our upcoming webinar, Community Voice & HR: Listening to Your Employees.

Open the Door

As we reflect on our own experiences and career journeys, let’s consider the benefits of opening doors wider to candidates from outside our industry – and being welcoming teammates to these candidates.

The rewards for both the individual and the organization are worth it.