Pulse

Kathy Szenda Wilson and Maria Ortiz Borden Recognized for Their Dedication! We’re proud to share that our co-executive directors, Kathy Szenda Wilson and Maria Ortiz Borden, have been featured in recent articles by Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave, highlighting their commitment to early childhood education and support for childcare providers in Calhoun County. ?? Kindergarten Readiness Success With the dedication of local leaders and programs, kindergarten readiness rates in Battle Creek have climbed from a potential 30% to 54.9%! ?? Empowering Childcare Providers Through the Child Care Back Office (CCBO) initiative, Kathy and Maria are helping remove administrative burdens for childcare providers, so they can focus on what matters most—caring for children. ?? Advocating for Business Recognition Maria highlights the importance of recognizing home-based childcare providers as small business owners, shifting mindsets and strengthening the industry. Read the full articles here: ?? Kindergarten Readiness Programs: bit.ly/43apW36 ?? Back Office Support for Childcare Businesses: bit.ly/3D6SSyo Their leadership is making a lasting impact, and we’re proud to see them recognized for their work! #PulseInTheNews #KindergartenReadiness #ChildcareSupport #EarlyEducation #OurPulse

? Team Spotlight: Meet Dr. TaShawna Mandoka! ? Dr. TaShawna is one of our talented Engagement Specialists, supporting facility-based childcare centers with licensing, training, and professional development. She’s a champion for quality care in early childhood education! ?? Fun Fact: TaShawna loves the holidays—especially October through January—when the feeling of togetherness brings her great joy. ?? Motto TaShawna Lives By: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa We’re inspired by TaShawna’s dedication to creating change and modeling the future we want to see. ?? ?? Say hi to Dr. TaShawna in the comments and follow us for more team stories! #MeetTheTeam #PulseTeam #EarlyChildhood #Leadership

? Team Spotlight: Meet Angela Layne! ? Angela is our incredible Project Coordinator at Pulse, ensuring everything runs smoothly—from ordering supplies to managing website updates and coordinating key events. Her organizational skills and dedication are second to none! ?? Fun Fact: Angela became a grandma at 39 and now has four little ones who call her Grandma. ?? Motto Angela Lives By: “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” We’re so grateful for Angela’s unwavering commitment to making a difference for children and families. ?? ?? Leave Angela a shoutout in the comments, and follow us to meet more of our amazing team! #MeetTheTeam #PulseTeam #Leadership #BehindTheScenes

Join Kathy Today for APAOH’s Webcast on Child Care Planning Today, our very own Kathy will be a featured speaker in APAOH's webcast series, discussing an important topic: Planning and Zoning for Child Care. If you're passionate about creating child-friendly communities and ensuring access to quality childcare, you won’t want to miss this session! ?? Join us live and hear Kathy share valuable insights. ?? Register here: https://lnkd.in/dASQziGy #ChildCare #UrbanPlanning #Zoning #CommunityDevelopment #Webcast

? Team Spotlight: Meet Denise Rucker! ? Denise serves as an Engagement Specialist at Pulse, providing vital support to Family Child Care Providers. Her work helps create a meaningful impact for families and children across the community. ?? Fun Fact: Denise loves couponing, traveling, and shopping at Ross Stores—always on the hunt for a great deal! ?? Motto Denise Lives By: “Treat others as you want to be treated.” Her passion and dedication make her a pillar of support for the providers and families we work with. ?? ?? Drop a comment to say hi to Denise, and follow us for more team spotlights this week! #MeetTheTeam #PulseTeam #FamilySupport #CommunityImpact

? Team Spotlight: Meet Maria Ortiz Borden! ? Today, we’re excited to introduce Maria, our Co-Executive Director at Pulse. Maria works tirelessly as a facilitator and coach, focusing on improving outcomes for children and families in the early childhood sector. ?? Fun Fact: Maria loves creating unique gifts with her Cricut and is often spotted at local arts & craft fairs showcasing her creativity! ?? Motto Maria Lives By: “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” – Octavia Butler Maria’s dedication and vision make a lasting impact on our work and the communities we serve. ?? ?? Leave a comment to say hi to Maria, and don’t forget to follow us to meet more incredible Pulse team members this week! #MeetTheTeam #PulseTeam #Leadership #CraftingPassion #BehindTheScenes

As we face the evolving political climate and the executive orders that affect so many of us, we reaffirm our dedication to protecting and uplifting children, families, and communities. These challenges remind us of the strength in unity and the power of collective action. We stand with every family navigating uncertainty, every organization striving to provide care and support, and every community fighting for their rights and futures. Together, we will push forward—advocating, collaborating, and holding fast to our shared values of equity, justice, and opportunity for all. This is our promise: to fight for policies and systems that honor the dignity and potential of every child and family, no matter the obstacles. When we stand together, we cannot be silenced, and we will not be stopped." Let’s continue to uplift one another and stay united for the sake of what matters most. ?? #FamilyFirst #Solidarity #CommunityStrength #AdvocacyMatters

? Team Spotlight: Meet Kathy Szenda Wilson! ? Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Kathy, our Founder & Co-Executive Director at Pulse. Kathy is a trailblazer in fostering agency, creating traction, and transforming mental models to support systemic change. ?? Fun Fact: Outside of work, Kathy loves to explore new places, host parties, and curate beautiful spaces for people to enjoy. She even officiated her 5th wedding in 2023! ?? Favorite Part of the Job: Helping others see the systems that hold problems in place and weaving actionable, sustainable collaboration. ?? Motto Kathy Lives By: “Movements are born of critical connections rather than critical mass.” – Grace Lee Boggs We’re so honored to have Kathy leading the way at Pulse! ?? ?? Show Kathy some love in the comments and follow us to meet more incredible team members this week! #TeamSpotlight #MeetTheTeam #PulseTeam #Leadership #BehindTheScenes

Introducing the Pulse Team! We’re thrilled to kick off a special series to help you get to know the amazing people behind Pulse. Over the next few days, we’ll be spotlighting each of our team members—sharing a little about who they are, what they do, and what makes them passionate about their work. Stay tuned as we celebrate the talented individuals who drive our mission forward, one story at a time. ?? Don’t miss a post—follow us for updates, inspiration, and a behind-the-scenes look at our incredible team! #MeetTheTeam #PulseTeam #BehindTheScenes #TeamSpotlight #WeArePulse

We’re proud to share that our Co-Executive Directors, Kathy and Maria, had the honor of speaking at the National Child Care Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C. this week! Their presentation focused on the critical work being done to address childcare challenges and create innovative solutions that benefit families and communities. Representing Pulse at a national level is a testament to the impact of our mission and the dedication of our team. A huge thank you to the organizers and attendees for fostering such important conversations. Together, we’re building a stronger future for childcare. #ChildCareInnovation #PulseForward #Leadership