5 Minutes with Wole Akinbi
Authored by half full, llc
One of the things you’ll hear us say often at half full, llc, is that we’re “people before professionals.” To us, that means everything from knowing our people to celebrating whole-selfness to keeping the person at the center of the workplace.
Last year, we kicked off our “5 Minutes With” series, spotlighting our incredible team and giving you the chance to get to know each member a bit better; check out Michelle Lemoi’s 5 Minutes piece here!
Today, we’re so excited to sit down with Wole Akinbi, our Community Liaison who recently celebrated nine years with half full, llc. Be sure to connect with Wole here and dive into our catch-up below!
As half full's Community Liaison, what does your day-to-day look like? What does the term "Community Liaison" mean to you?
When I first started, my title was Project Manager. In that role, I assisted Rebecca with logistics and coordination of details for the clients we had at the time. From recruiting volunteers to ordering lunch and taking and finalizing session notes, I did it all. With the “half” in the business being about earning a profit and working with clients, the “full” has always been about having the means to give or pay it forward as a business (dive deeper here). In 2016, my role shifted a bit. As I found out, Rebecca and I shared a passion for youth development. We both had positive camplike experiences as teens and wanted to provide a similar experience for RI youth.
Since the business had provided a Forward (Retreat) or two for youth in the past, we decided to revive that concept and bring it to the youth of the Ocean State! Summer of 2016 saw our first cohort of the half full “Youth Forward,” now known as the “Youth Forward Leadership Experience’', an overnight personal development experience for high school-aged youth. Half full covers all expenses and offers the experience to participants at no cost.
Our other requirement for the Youth Forward was to target young people who struggled with self-confidence, were faced with challenges other young people didn’t have, those who were not considered the “go to leaders” of the school. Even those who were often said to be disruptive in the classroom and needed some extra TLC. This required me to get active in the community and visit dozens of schools, youth-focused non-profit organizations and community events across the state. I spent many days on the road doing presentations on the Youth Forward trying to recruit students from all over the state. That traveling led to the formation of many community relationships which evolved over time into the creation of the Smith Hill Partners’ Initiative (SHPI) and half full’s participation in other give back initiatives.
You recently celebrated nine years with half full, llc — congrats! Our readers would love to know... how did you first come to half full and what's been the most meaningful part of your journey at half full so far?
In July of this year, I will be celebrating 10 years with half full, llc. I was introduced to this business through an email forwarded to me by a mentor of mine who knew I was in the market for a new job. The email said half full, llc and its Founder/President Rebecca Twitchell was looking for a Project Manager on a survey project. I sent in my resume and cover letter, had an interview with Rebecca, and we connected in many ways!
First, we were both Smith Hill kids. She grew up on Zone Street or Z Block for the locals. If you know you know! I grew up about six blocks away on Goddard Street or “G Street” for those of you who also know. We both knew some of the same people and had never crossed paths before which was a sign! On top of that, we had similar values and a strong passion for community. That was all I needed to see to decide to work here. At the end of my interview, I told Rebecca my goal was to be hired full-time once the summer concluded. That was in July 2015. It’s January 2025, and I’m still here! Being a part of this business’s growth has truly been a blessing!
In the present day, my role has morphed into Community Liaison which entails all the things mentioned above, AND managing anything that isn’t client-related to the business. I moderate/host the monthly SHPI meetings, I’m the Resident Liaison for Smith Hill in the Thriving Communities Program through the USDOT, I’m on the Resident Advisory Council through the Central Providence Health Equity Zone, a DID Fellow for Providence College, and much more! No day is the same for me as Community Liaison. I have days where I’m constantly on the phone and sifting through emails, connecting folks in my networks to one another to solve challenges. On other days, I’m thrust into design conversations with the rest of the team on client gigs. Even if it’s on my calendar, I never know what a given day is going to look like, and that’s why I love what I do!
When those things aren’t happening, I’m sitting at my desk, thinking forwardly about new ways to improve and enhance the experience of community-related events, like our Youth Forwards, neighborhood clean ups, turkey drive, block party etc.
When you reflect on your favorite project/community initiative you've led, what comes to mind?
As I mentioned above, Smith Hill is the neighborhood where myself and Rebecca grew up and home to our headquarters. Because we have such close ties to Smith Hill, a great deal of our philanthropy is given back to this community! Which leads me to my favorite project of 2024…
The Smith Hill Turkey Drive, which took place the Saturday before Thanksgiving! The Smith Hill Turkey Drive is an annual event where several partners in the neighborhood buy and give away turkeys and gift cards to families in need during the Thanksgiving Season. We raised funds and solicited sponsorships from local partners who work in the Smith Hill Area. In 2024, we had the largest impact on residents by providing 950+ turkeys to residents in Smith Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods! The previous year we gave away 750 turkeys. Over a 200-turkey increase! Which adds pressure to crack 1,000 in 2025! A challenge I’m ready to accept.
Not only that, but we had volunteers from Providence College, R.I. State Police, Providence Police and Fire, both the SHPI and SHARP groups, One Neighborhood Builders, and other folks from the neighborhood! Not only was that the largest number of turkeys we gave out to date, but to hear the appreciation from our neighbors was EVERYTHING! My heart is still full.
What advice would you give to companies who are looking to infuse corporate service and community impact more meaningfully into their workplace?
I would urge all companies to tap in with the neighborhood associations or community groups in the areas that impact their companies! Find out what the challenges are in the area through those groups and designate some of your staff to engage in solutions with them. For instance, half full has partnered with three organizations during my tenure that I feel have some of the best missions on the planet!
In many ways, these three agencies are the most unique at what they do. One focuses on food insecurity, the second works statewide to combat community violence on all fronts and the third builds literal homes to provide marginalized families with a place to call home!
To have worked with these agencies has made my work feel like a necessity for this business. I honestly cannot believe companies don’t prioritize a community footprint the way that half full does. If I had a quarter for every time someone said to me “wait, this is your job,” or my favorite: “I can’t believe you guys get paid to do this!” I’d have enough quarters to trade them in for $10 bill! Our clients and partners love/trust because we’re authentic. We don’t beat around the bush or tell them what they want to hear. We’re consistent with our messaging. And most importantly, we walk the walk!
When you are not nailing it with your community work, you're lighting up the room with your facilitation style. What strengths do you rely on when you are in front of a client and trying to help them overcome obstacles to move forward?
Humor, humor, humor, a speckle of vulnerability and more humor! Laughter calms everybody down. I’m a professional stand-up comic, outside of half full, so utilizing jokes to loosen up our clients is key! A little openness about my story helps relax the crowd as well. Humor is my No. 1 tool though!
Final question...which half full value most resonates with you and why?
Our value to listen to understand. Comprehension is 100% communication to me. We can speak all day on 10 different platforms, but if our message is lost upon our audience, then what are we even doing? That is why asking for clarity in conversation in all scenarios is key. I need to make sure what I’m saying is understood, and I also don’t want to misunderstand what a client is sharing with the group.
“Stay curious in all facets of life, be bold enough to ask what somebody meant by the statement. Validate their statements once you’ve come to an understanding. That’s how we build stronger connections and trust with our fellow humans.”