Kamy Twiggs-Taylor, director, Milestones Circle Program at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITwise: 2026 Educational Conference in Hollywood, Florida, March 24-26.
Twiggs-Taylor discussed how companies should reframe volunteerism as a structured leadership development tool rather than a “feel-good” activity. “Reframe volunteerism… as a professional development opportunity or a leadership development opportunity,” she said.
When intentionally designed, community engagement becomes a hands-on lab where employees build critical skills like coaching, problem diagnosis, and strategic thinking—capabilities directly transferable to managing teams and driving performance.
She illustrated this point with an HR professional who, through mentoring an entrepreneur, learned to identify root problems and guide higher-level strategy. Twiggs-Taylor emphasized aligning programs with clear learning objectives and business goals, enabling benefits such as stronger collaboration, succession planning, and leadership pipelines.
To demonstrate value to shareholders, leaders should track both participation metrics and deeper organizational outcomes like team effectiveness, retention, and internal mobility. Ultimately, purpose-driven initiatives can strengthen culture while delivering tangible enterprise value, she said.