Ep. 2 - Meet Our Host, Siobhan Neilland - LEAP Leaders Unplugged Podcast

In this intro episode, Dawn Gagye interviews our Host, Siobhan Neilland, about her background with both for-profit and non-profit work globally! Siobhan Neilland is a globally recognized thought leader in Talent Acquisition, Leadership Development, and IDE&B Organizational Development. With a remarkable skill set as a sought-after speaker, social entrepreneur, author, and philanthropic leader for OneMama.org International Health Center, Siobhan’s passion lies in fostering inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging in every aspect of her work and company. She champions advocacy for candidates throughout the interview process, working towards building Fortune 500 organizations that embrace inclusion and engagement within their diverse hiring practices, particularly for leadership and executive positions.

Siobhan envisions a future where inclusive organizations thrive and every individual feels valued and significant. Having experienced the privileges of privilege and the challenges of stigma in her own life, she fearlessly redefines the notion of true belonging and authenticity. Her mission extends beyond the workplace and into our families and communities. Siobhan openly shares her powerful and unforgettable personal journey with clients and audiences, challenging assumptions and inspiring meaningful action for a more inclusive and engaging tomorrow.

Drawing from her vast experience working with leaders to develop their leadership, technology, and sales teams, Siobhan accompanies them on their inclusive leadership journey. Through groundbreaking conversations bridging geographical, demographic, and cultural differences within organizations, she provides invaluable insights from years of working on IDE&B initiatives with various leaders. Using organizational development strategies, talent acquisition turnkey solutions, keynote presentations, executive coaching, and senior leadership sessions, Siobhan educates and empowers leaders to embrace their role as catalysts for change.

One of Siobhan’s notable contributions is the development of customer-facing inclusive diversity events and interview coaching programs for leadership roles, exemplified by the LEAP (Leadership Engagement Advancement Program) methodology. This program, implemented in organizations such as AWS/Amazon, aims to significantly increase the success rate of onsite-to-offer conversions by 30-57% globally when hiring top-tier diverse leadership. A core component of this initiative is the LEAP to Success Virtual Leadership Interview Lounge, which provides interview behavioral coaching to diverse leadership candidates, supporting them throughout the interview process.

Beyond her work at LEAPahead Talent Solutions, Siobhan leads a fulfilling life as the CEO and Founder of OneMama.org International Health Center. This non-profit organization has spent the last 17 years establishing health centers that provide essential pre- and post-natal healthcare, malaria treatment, and HIV prevention in small rural communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Siobhan generously donates her time and resources to this meaningful cause. OneMama is dedicated to supporting communities where families live on less than $1.25 a day and face challenging conditions during childbirth.

In addition to her nonprofit efforts, Siobhan has demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit by creating social entrepreneurial companies within the JOY=Success Social Funding Platform (Fighting For Your Joy and the JOY of Others). These ventures, built upon the platform's seven pillars, aim to em