The Iowa Idea: Matthew Gilbert

“It knew it just required me to continue to learn.”

Matthew Gilbert joins me on this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast. Matthew, a native of Waterloo, IA is a descended from generations of servant leaders. he is the founder and President of Iowa C.O.R.E. Inc., Economic Development Chair for the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, and a servant-leader on local, state, and national boards, commissions, and committees. Matthew enjoys mentoring youth, volunteering, and holistic wellness. Also, Matthew is related to Anne Carter, a DEI pioneer, and early guest of the podcast. Matthew frames his “vision is to develop compassionate leaders who demonstrate a mentality reflecting greatness, influence change, and commit to generational impact in historically disenfranchised communities of color.”

We discuss Matthew’s journey growing up in Waterloo, changing course from elementary education to becoming a lawyer, to sharing his time and talents to build communities, ecosystems, and helping black families build generational wealth. We talked about his quest to slay the philanthropic dragons to unlock the power and potential of our communities.

We dig into what it means to be a black man in Iowa and how Matthew channels his love of humanity to improve the wellbeing of residents and communities in Iowa. We explore the power of continuous learning and the need for our current systems to be more empathetic and future focused.

I always appreciate Matthew’s energy and passion and loved his framing of the importance of healthy infrastructures for black and BIPOC communities, which was a completely different take on my standard stuck/unstuck prompt.

In our conversation, Matthew referenced Abena Imhotep’s powerful TEDx Talk, which is linked in the show description.

It was an honor having Matthew join me on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

A native of Waterloo, Iowa; Matthew R. Gilbert, Esq. descends from generations of servant leadership. The Furgerson – Harris – Nash families are well known for advancing civil rights, education, health and equity for African American communities in Iowa.

An advocate, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder that values cooperation, justice, and historic preservation; Matthew is differentiated by a complement of executive strategies, transactional expertise, and transformative resilience.

An experienced advisor for elected officials, public figures, business owners, faith-based leaders, and public-private partnerships; Matthew’s mission is to coach and advise families, businesses, and communities in creating generational wealth by leveraging legacy and impact.

Matthew is Founder and President of Iowa C.O.R.E. Inc., Economic Development Chair for the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, and a servant-leader on local, state, and national boards, commissions, and committees. Matthew enjoys mentoring youth, volunteering, and holistic wellness.

“My vision is to develop compassionate leaders who demonstrate a mentality reflecting greatness, influence change, and commit to generational impact in historically disenfranchised communities of color.”

Links

Matthew’s website – www.mrgreatnessofficial.com

Abena Imhotep’s TEDx Talk

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).