Holly Woodbury, MPA, CFRE

Pure joy! Grateful to build and dream alongside these fierce women. 💜 Madeline Pumariega, Julia Quinn, Kerry-Ann Royes, Natalia Zea, you're doing serious stuff out there...leading the nation's largest public college, finding and funding solutions to the world's most pressing challenges, improving the lives of all youth in Miami, empowering women and eradicating racism, ....but the truth is, you're also just really great friends and partners.

Miami used to bleed talent. Top graduates would get into college outside the city and never come back. Founders were told that in order to get investments, they'd need to build elsewhere. Companies weren't moving here, talent wasn't staying here. And with all the scandals happening in city hall, our best and brightest sure weren't inspired to lead here. The future of Miami required a change. 25 years ago, the Miami Fellows program was birthed to figure out what it would take to inspire top talent to stay here, build here, and lead here. The change didn't happen by accident. 📍 It happened because of a long list of higher education leaders and leadership programs that obsessed over building a new generation of leaders committed to the future of this place...armed with the context and connections to actually solve problems. 📣 It happened because a long list of OGs hyped up this place long before we actually delivered upon our promise. That 305 Ride-Or-Die energy wasn't just empty promises and social media fluff pieces. It jump started our growth. It made people feel proud to be part of something. Weekly meetups grew from a dozens to hundreds to thousands of people. 💰 It happened because of catalytic "ecosystem" investments. A shift from making a few big bets on big shiny winners...to making dozens of smaller bets on groups of people whose work would interact together and create an environment that was ripe for growth. We saw Knight Foundation do this with entrepreneurship. We saw Dan Lewis do this with Arts Access. Collaboration became stylish here, and all boats rose. 🎤 It happened because we had elected leaders hyping us on a global stage. 🏝 It happened because COVID enabled people to work from anywhere, and all of a sudden, people wondered why they weren't somewhere warm and beachy. 📈 It happened because our tax laws attracted businesses to relocate. 🌎 It happened because our multilingual, culturally fluent population was a great home base for international work. It happened. Last week as we launched class 12 of the Miami Fellows, I could not stop thinking about how different this moment is for our community. How much more prepared we are to seriously tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. And how much I love all of the people who have stood up over the last few decades committed to being part of the next wave of leadership. If you build it, they will come. To the new class...we have high expectations of you. To the alumni...thank you for proving what's possible. And to all of the people who hustled to turn the tide in Miami over the last few decades, standing ovation to you. We're not done, but the change is real. Here's to the future of Miami. One that we co-write together.

Last night, Be Strong International had the privilege of honoring Angelica Santibanez. Angie, since day one you have shown up with authenticity and heart. Thank you for being a gentle force that makes our children, families, and communities stronger. We truly adore you. And thank you to Fernanda Jorgensen, MPH and the PhilanthropyMiami team for creating a space where we can celebrate the individuals who stand at the heart of meaningful change in south Florida. Here's to celebrating good people and good hearts all 2026.

I’m deeply grateful to be recognized by Philanthropy Miami at the 2026 Once Upon a Donor: Donor Next Door. This honor reflects a belief I hold close: philanthropy isn’t just about large gestures, it’s about showing up consistently, listening closely, and investing in the people and communities right around us. I want to congratulate my friend, Sara Barli Herald on receiving the Hank Raattama Community Champion Award. I also thank The Women's Fund Miami-Dade for nominating my friend, Ann Machado CTS CSP and me. Miami’s nonprofit and civic leaders inspire me daily with their commitment, creativity, and heart. Being part of a community that leads with generosity and purpose is truly a privilege. Thank you to PhilanthropyMiami for this meaningful recognition, and to all the partners, neighbors, and change-makers who make this work possible. Let’s keep building a Miami where opportunity and compassion live next door to everyone. #PhilanthropyMiami #DonorNextDoor #CommunityImpact #GivingBack #MiamiPhilanthropy #Leadership #Gratitude

We are thrilled to have these CJS champions with us here in Geneva! A warm welcome to the Honorable Sidney Butcher, Immediate Past Chair, Lucian Dervan, Founding Chair of CJS Global WCCI, Paula Edgar, Esq., CJS Diversity Fellow & Special Advisor, & Melba Pearson, current CJS Chair.

Huge thank you to Radical Partners and The Miami Foundation for inviting me as a guest for last week's Capacity and Community Building session! I had the pleasure of representing Be Strong International and sharing strategies and tools alongside so many amazing leaders to help nonprofits make this year’s Give Miami Day campaign successful. Miami’s generosity is unmatched and when we come together, we make magic happen. If you want to be a part of the magic, find a nonprofit that's close to your heart, one that you would like to see Miami shower with love and generosity this Give Miami Day. P.S. Early Giving starts November 15. 💜

Miami will be known as the most generous city on earth. 🏝️ Mark my words. And how fun it is to remind us of our legacy on the front page of Miami Today Newspaper. Giving trends are plummeting across the nation (volatile markets and divisiveness can do that) but we continue to see more people in Miami stepping forward in unity, co-creation, and love. November is coming…watch us give like we’ve never given before. Get ready to join in. This is who we are. 🪩💜 We speak 128 languages. Creativity is in our blood. And we’re generous beyond belief.

I am incredibly honored and emotional to share that I’ve been named one of ten L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth for 2025. Out of over 4,000 applications, I was one of ten women chosen, and I’m still pinching myself. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this work for more than a decade, alongside an amazing team of musicians, friends, and family who believed in this mission from the start. When Lauren and I founded Mind&Melody as college students with just $300 in the bank, we never imagined it would grow into something that’s now brought more than 13,000 music sessions to life, transforming not only people living with neurological conditions, but also the musicians who lead with empathy and heart. I’ve always dreamed of winning this award. I remember discovering Women of Worth in our early days and thinking, “Maybe one day…” And here we are. As an immigrant from Venezuela who moved to the U.S. at the age of seven, this moment means even more. Music became my comfort zone, something I could turn to as I adjusted to a new world and learned English. Building Mind&Melody from the ground up, with no connections or even money, just a strong vision has been incredibly hard and rewarding. We’ve built a community where generations care for one another through music, where people come alive again, and young people learn that empathy isn’t weakness; it’s our greatest strength. In a world that often forgets this value, we’ve created a space where it spreads. I’ll never forget when a caregiver once told me:  “We’d gotten used to thinking of Alexandra as just a person with dementia. But the music sessions showed us there’s still something positive going on in Alexandra’s brain.” Moments like that happen every day. Through music, we restore dignity and remind people they are still worthy of joy, love, and connection. This award is a reminder that we all have worth. It’s something we’re born with, and sometimes it just takes practice to see it in ourselves and others. I’m so excited to keep exploring what’s possible when we focus on love, joy, and connection across generations, because that’s where real solutions and magic happen. 💫 And yes… I also got to live like a total celebrity for two days in LA  meeting the incredible Eva Longoria, Helen Mirren, and Aja Naomi King, who are every bit as kind, talented, and gorgeous as you’d imagine. Endless gratitude to the L’Oréal Paris team for putting such care, love, and energy into this program, and to the nine other honorees, whose work truly takes my breath away. Please check them out, they will inspire you! 💕 WomenofWorth.com #LOrealWomenofWorth #LOrealPartner L'Oréal