In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk to Michelle Flores Vryn, the Chief Development Officer of OneStar. She has worked in almost every area of development: major gifts, institutional giving, membership, capital campaigns, consulting, special events, and annual giving. Before joining OneStar as the Chief Development Officer, she worked in international fundraising, led the communications and development team at a nature center in Houston and, as a board member,  helped launch Exploration Green—a 200-acre green space for conservation, recreation, and flood detention in Greater Houston.Michelle is passionate about mentoring Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit professionals and creating better workplace cultures where they can thrive. She helped form the inaugural Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee for EarthShare of Texas and is active on committees with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Global and the Donor Participation Project. The topics we cover:What innovation means in the nonprofit spaceIdeas are cheap; execution is costly. The need for emphasis on idea execution, not just idea generation, and how to encourage nonprofits to implement ideas.How gamification, badges, and incentives could promote friendly competition and impact of nonprofitsBetter to try and fail than not try at all. How to get nonprofits more comfortable around risk and recognize that failure is part of success.Creating psychologically safe teams in the nonprofit world.How to measure success of an idea and the indicators that tell whether an idea is a success or failureWhen to seek external advice and why nonprofits need to listen more to internal staff over external advisors and consultantsTo learn more and connect with Michele Flores Vryn:Michelle Flores Vryn LinkedInResources mentioned:How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business, by Douglas W. Hubbard - https://www.amazon.ca/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Business/dp/1118539273If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!Support the show