Marlia Fontaine-Weisse, Vice President of Service Delivery with Tangible Development

Marlia Fontaine-Weisse is the Vice President of Service Delivery with Tangible Development , a Latham-based company that does immersive work in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for organizations. Marlia moved to the Capital Region from Ohio and has embraced everything the area has to offer, personally and professionally. She joined the Board of Directors of Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, an organization that addresses economic poverty and chronic underinvestment in Albany’s South End, West Hill and Arbor Hill neighborhoods. Liking the way TACR meets the needs of community members with comprehensive solutions that improve the lives of children, adults and families, Marlia took on a committee work that utilizes her DEI expertise and impacts workplace policies.

She talks about her career path and what she does when she’s not at the office.

I’m drawn to the kind of work I do by…My lived experience as a Black woman helps me to navigate systems that were set up to prevent me from succeeding.

I am also ‘deeply connected’ to the employee experience. I became interested in the concept of ‘ikigai’ which loosely translates to a sense of purpose or reason for being. The Westernized version of ikigai is rooted in the overlap of what you love to do, what you are good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world needs. Ikigai is at the center.

I’ve connected to my purpose for existing. My work speaks to organizational development and culture. It involves seeing and focusing on the whole person. We as leaders have to focus on what that feels like for employees.

When I have 30 minutes of free time you can find me….crocheting, or thinking about what I would like to crochet. I’ve crocheted a lot of purses that I use. I love the granny square. After I finished my first one, I realized what had been missing from my crocheting experience. You can build around a granny square and feel accomplished. Crocheting informs my creativity. I become inspired when I create designs. The granny square (one complete square within a larger piece) helps me to break big projects down into smaller parts. I can complete one, or two and see a full piece. I don’t feel overwhelmed by the enormity of big tasks or projects because I see the granny square within. I can see how that perspective helps with a lot of life’s tasks too.

The best advice I received came to me from ?….. quotes that I’ve liked. I live my life in quotes! The unattributed quote “Do the things today that others won’t so tomorrow you can have the things others can’t” resonates with me.

I am also inspired by former Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks. He said ‘If attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?” and it is a reminder to reflect and check my attitude in every moment.

I define success as …doing the right things to achieve your goals. You may stumble along the way, but as long as you learn from those experiences and stumble forward, you are moving and growing toward your goals.

Right now I’m watching… I am rewatching Lie To Me. Tim Roth is a behavioral scientist who watches people to evaluate whether they are being honest or lying. It is an absolutely fascinating show about human nature.?

Expect to see more great insights from Marlia as she continues her work with Tangible Development!