Hanna Kirlin, PSM, MPH

I attribute much of my success to my parents, who taught me early that service is something you do, not simply something you talk about. I grew up volunteering alongside my mother, picking up trash on the roadside and participating in organizations like Keep Gastonia Beautiful and the United Way, and watched my father balance his career as a podiatrist with twenty years of service on city council. They showed me the importance of showing up, working hard, and contributing to the community around you.

I also credit a willingness to keep learning and to take on challenges even when I don't have every answer at the outset. Much of my career has required me to step into complex situations, learn quickly, bring the right people together, and figure out a path forward. I am naturally curious, persistent, and not afraid of hard work and difficult conversations. Combined with the example my parents set, those qualities have shaped both my career and my approach to leadership.

More than anything, I think success comes from doing work with purpose and intent, treating people well, and leaving the organizations and communities you serve stronger than you found them.

The best career advice I’ve received is to never be afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” You don’t have to be the person in the room who knows everything; you need to be willing to ask good questions, listen to people who know more than you do, and then do the work to find an answer.

That advice has served me throughout my career because I’ve worked across very different fields, from public health and housing to philanthropy and government. Every new role has required me to learn something new, and some of the best opportunities I’ve had came from being willing to step into something before I felt completely ready.

I’ve also learned not to confuse leadership with having all the answers. Good leadership is often about bringing the right people together, understanding what each person brings to the table, and creating a path forward. Be curious, be willing to learn, and don’t let not knowing something yet keep you from taking the opportunity.

My advice is to be willing to ask. Ask for the meeting, the introduction, the opportunity, or the chance to learn something new. Reach out to people whose work interests you, even if you have never met them. Use LinkedIn, professors, colleagues, professional associations, and the people already in your network. Most people are much more willing to share their experience and help than we sometimes assume.

I would also encourage young women not to wait until they feel completely qualified before pursuing an opportunity. Some of the most important growth in my career has happened because I was willing to step into something new and learn along the way. You can be confident in what you bring to the table while still acknowledging what you have left to learn. Be curious, ask questions, build genuine relationships, and advocate for yourself.

One of the biggest challenges in grants and community investment is that funding and services are often fragmented. Government agencies, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, schools, and other community partners may be working toward many of the same outcomes without always knowing what others are doing. That can lead to duplicated efforts, gaps in services, and programs that become difficult to sustain once a particular funding source ends.

I also see that as one of our greatest opportunities. Grants can be much more than a source of funding; they can be a catalyst for bringing organizations together around shared needs and measurable outcomes. Better communication, data sharing, and collaboration can help us identify where resources already exist, where the true gaps are, and where partnerships make more sense than creating another standalone program.

For me, the goal is not simply to secure more grant dollars. It is to pursue the right funding, use it responsibly, and build programs and partnerships that can create value beyond the life of a single grant.

Integrity, honesty, and accountability are incredibly important to me, both professionally and personally. If I don’t know something, I’m comfortable saying that and then doing the work to find the answer. If I make a mistake, I own it. I believe trust is built by being honest about what you know, following through on what you say you will do, and taking responsibility when things don’t go as planned.

I also place a high value on boundaries. I care deeply about my work and take my responsibilities seriously, but I don’t believe that being committed to your career requires being available every hour of the day. I want to be fully present when I’m at work and equally present for my family and my life outside of it.

Ultimately, I want to do meaningful work, do it well, and do it with integrity, without losing sight of the people and parts of life that make the work meaningful in the first place.