Jun 26, 2025
SIE CEO, Amanda Kuffoh speaks at Harvard on Legacy, Leadership, and Empowering Change through Purpose. Here’s what we learned:
INSIGHT
INSIGHT
INSIGHT
Key insights from Harvard's workshop on authentic influence and lasting change
This past week, I had the incredible honor of speaking at Harvard's Legacy and Leadership panel: The Art of Authentic Influence — a gathering designed to unpack the intersection of purpose, leadership, integrity, and lasting change.
As the CEO of Social Impact Engineer (SIE), I spend much of my life building infrastructure for change-makers behind the scenes. But this panel offered a space to reflect, in community, on the deeper "why" behind our work.
The energy in the room was intimate but powerful. Students, community leaders, aspiring social entrepreneurs, and established professionals came together not just to listen, but to engage. The workshop format was intentionally designed to spark authentic reflection and bold action—and it delivered. Below are some key reflections, takeaways, and challenges we explored together.
This past week, I had the incredible honor of speaking at Harvard's Legacy and Leadership panel: The Art of Authentic Influence — a gathering designed to unpack the intersection of purpose, leadership, integrity, and lasting change.
As the CEO of Social Impact Engineer (SIE), I spend much of my life building infrastructure for change-makers behind the scenes. But this panel offered a space to reflect, in community, on the deeper "why" behind our work.
The energy in the room was intimate but powerful. Students, community leaders, aspiring social entrepreneurs, and established professionals came together not just to listen, but to engage. The workshop format was intentionally designed to spark authentic reflection and bold action—and it delivered. Below are some key reflections, takeaways, and challenges we explored together.
This past week, I had the incredible honor of speaking at Harvard's Legacy and Leadership panel: The Art of Authentic Influence — a gathering designed to unpack the intersection of purpose, leadership, integrity, and lasting change.
As the CEO of Social Impact Engineer (SIE), I spend much of my life building infrastructure for change-makers behind the scenes. But this panel offered a space to reflect, in community, on the deeper "why" behind our work.
The energy in the room was intimate but powerful. Students, community leaders, aspiring social entrepreneurs, and established professionals came together not just to listen, but to engage. The workshop format was intentionally designed to spark authentic reflection and bold action—and it delivered. Below are some key reflections, takeaways, and challenges we explored together.
This past week, I had the incredible honor of speaking at Harvard's Legacy and Leadership panel: The Art of Authentic Influence — a gathering designed to unpack the intersection of purpose, leadership, integrity, and lasting change.
As the CEO of Social Impact Engineer (SIE), I spend much of my life building infrastructure for change-makers behind the scenes. But this panel offered a space to reflect, in community, on the deeper "why" behind our work.
The energy in the room was intimate but powerful. Students, community leaders, aspiring social entrepreneurs, and established professionals came together not just to listen, but to engage. The workshop format was intentionally designed to spark authentic reflection and bold action—and it delivered. Below are some key reflections, takeaways, and challenges we explored together.
Defining Legacy in a World That Moves Fast
The first question posed to the audience was deceptively simple: "In one word, how would you describe the kind of legacy you want to leave?" Words like "empowerment," "impact," "freedom," and "integrity" surfaced. It was a reminder that we are all driven by something deeper than resume lines or social media accolades.
As I shared with the audience, I don’t define legacy by longevity alone. Legacy is about what outlives you in people, systems, and collective momentum. It’s about whether your values show up in the way you treat your staff, make decisions, invest in people, and challenge systems—not just in your mission statement.
Authentic Leadership Requires Accountability
Authentic leadership is not just about showing up as yourself. It’s about holding yourself accountable to the self you say you want to be. I shared that accountability is not an attack; it’s a gift. It’s how we stay aligned with our purpose even when it gets hard—and especially when we’re in positions of influence.
We explored questions like:
What practices keep you grounded?
Who in your life can tell you when you’re out of alignment?
How do you ensure your leadership reflects your values?
For me, integrity means walking away from opportunities that don’t align with our principles at SIE—even when those opportunities are lucrative or high-profile. Leadership is lonely when it’s performative. But when it’s rooted in values, it builds community.
Purpose Is a Path, Not a Position
One of the biggest myths we challenged during the panel is that you need to be in a formal leadership role to create impact. You don’t. Purpose is not reserved for executives, entrepreneurs, or influencers. Purpose shows up in how you move through the world: how you care for others, how you challenge injustice, how you steward your gifts.
As part of the interactive session, attendees completed the sentence:
"My legacy is to ________, by ________, and I will start by ________."
This exercise forced clarity. It stripped the performance and got us to the core. Some legacies were about transforming education, others about healing family cycles. What mattered was specificity and ownership. You don’t need a five-year plan to start. You need your next faithful step.
Lessons from My Journey
When asked about defining moments in my leadership journey, I shared a truth I think many in the room felt: that often, our greatest clarity comes from our greatest resistance. Some of my most pivotal growth moments came not from praise, but from pain—from being misunderstood, from advocating for myself and others in difficult environments, from walking away when I needed to preserve integrity.
I also shared how building Social Impact Engineer has been a living lab in legacy. Every service we offer—from program design and infrastructure planning to social impact PR and platform strategy—was born from patterns I saw in the philanthropic and nonprofit world. Patterns of underinvestment, poor leadership structures, lack of strategy, and ego over impact. I wanted to disrupt that. And I wanted to offer high-profile individuals a better blueprint for building meaningful change.
What We Left With: Action + Intention
The event closed with a challenge: "If you could ask everyone here to take one action toward creating meaningful change, what would it be?" My ask was simple:
Build a personal accountability circle. Whether it’s one person or five, choose people who can lovingly check you, affirm you, and remind you of your purpose when you forget.
The participants left with their own action plans, new collaborators, and clearer language for their purpose. And I left reminded that legacy is not a solo project. It’s built in community.
Final Reflections
If there's one thing I hope people take from my time on the panel, it’s this:
You don’t have to be perfect to start. You just have to be honest.
Leadership, legacy, and impact are messy, evolving, and deeply human. But if you lead with intention, accountability, and purpose—you will leave something real behind.
And if you ever need support along the way, SIE is here to help you build it.
Defining Legacy in a World That Moves Fast
The first question posed to the audience was deceptively simple: "In one word, how would you describe the kind of legacy you want to leave?" Words like "empowerment," "impact," "freedom," and "integrity" surfaced. It was a reminder that we are all driven by something deeper than resume lines or social media accolades.
As I shared with the audience, I don’t define legacy by longevity alone. Legacy is about what outlives you in people, systems, and collective momentum. It’s about whether your values show up in the way you treat your staff, make decisions, invest in people, and challenge systems—not just in your mission statement.
Authentic Leadership Requires Accountability
Authentic leadership is not just about showing up as yourself. It’s about holding yourself accountable to the self you say you want to be. I shared that accountability is not an attack; it’s a gift. It’s how we stay aligned with our purpose even when it gets hard—and especially when we’re in positions of influence.
We explored questions like:
What practices keep you grounded?
Who in your life can tell you when you’re out of alignment?
How do you ensure your leadership reflects your values?
For me, integrity means walking away from opportunities that don’t align with our principles at SIE—even when those opportunities are lucrative or high-profile. Leadership is lonely when it’s performative. But when it’s rooted in values, it builds community.
Purpose Is a Path, Not a Position
One of the biggest myths we challenged during the panel is that you need to be in a formal leadership role to create impact. You don’t. Purpose is not reserved for executives, entrepreneurs, or influencers. Purpose shows up in how you move through the world: how you care for others, how you challenge injustice, how you steward your gifts.
As part of the interactive session, attendees completed the sentence:
"My legacy is to ________, by ________, and I will start by ________."
This exercise forced clarity. It stripped the performance and got us to the core. Some legacies were about transforming education, others about healing family cycles. What mattered was specificity and ownership. You don’t need a five-year plan to start. You need your next faithful step.
Lessons from My Journey
When asked about defining moments in my leadership journey, I shared a truth I think many in the room felt: that often, our greatest clarity comes from our greatest resistance. Some of my most pivotal growth moments came not from praise, but from pain—from being misunderstood, from advocating for myself and others in difficult environments, from walking away when I needed to preserve integrity.
I also shared how building Social Impact Engineer has been a living lab in legacy. Every service we offer—from program design and infrastructure planning to social impact PR and platform strategy—was born from patterns I saw in the philanthropic and nonprofit world. Patterns of underinvestment, poor leadership structures, lack of strategy, and ego over impact. I wanted to disrupt that. And I wanted to offer high-profile individuals a better blueprint for building meaningful change.
What We Left With: Action + Intention
The event closed with a challenge: "If you could ask everyone here to take one action toward creating meaningful change, what would it be?" My ask was simple:
Build a personal accountability circle. Whether it’s one person or five, choose people who can lovingly check you, affirm you, and remind you of your purpose when you forget.
The participants left with their own action plans, new collaborators, and clearer language for their purpose. And I left reminded that legacy is not a solo project. It’s built in community.
Final Reflections
If there's one thing I hope people take from my time on the panel, it’s this:
You don’t have to be perfect to start. You just have to be honest.
Leadership, legacy, and impact are messy, evolving, and deeply human. But if you lead with intention, accountability, and purpose—you will leave something real behind.
And if you ever need support along the way, SIE is here to help you build it.
Defining Legacy in a World That Moves Fast
The first question posed to the audience was deceptively simple: "In one word, how would you describe the kind of legacy you want to leave?" Words like "empowerment," "impact," "freedom," and "integrity" surfaced. It was a reminder that we are all driven by something deeper than resume lines or social media accolades.
As I shared with the audience, I don’t define legacy by longevity alone. Legacy is about what outlives you in people, systems, and collective momentum. It’s about whether your values show up in the way you treat your staff, make decisions, invest in people, and challenge systems—not just in your mission statement.
Authentic Leadership Requires Accountability
Authentic leadership is not just about showing up as yourself. It’s about holding yourself accountable to the self you say you want to be. I shared that accountability is not an attack; it’s a gift. It’s how we stay aligned with our purpose even when it gets hard—and especially when we’re in positions of influence.
We explored questions like:
What practices keep you grounded?
Who in your life can tell you when you’re out of alignment?
How do you ensure your leadership reflects your values?
For me, integrity means walking away from opportunities that don’t align with our principles at SIE—even when those opportunities are lucrative or high-profile. Leadership is lonely when it’s performative. But when it’s rooted in values, it builds community.
Purpose Is a Path, Not a Position
One of the biggest myths we challenged during the panel is that you need to be in a formal leadership role to create impact. You don’t. Purpose is not reserved for executives, entrepreneurs, or influencers. Purpose shows up in how you move through the world: how you care for others, how you challenge injustice, how you steward your gifts.
As part of the interactive session, attendees completed the sentence:
"My legacy is to ________, by ________, and I will start by ________."
This exercise forced clarity. It stripped the performance and got us to the core. Some legacies were about transforming education, others about healing family cycles. What mattered was specificity and ownership. You don’t need a five-year plan to start. You need your next faithful step.
Lessons from My Journey
When asked about defining moments in my leadership journey, I shared a truth I think many in the room felt: that often, our greatest clarity comes from our greatest resistance. Some of my most pivotal growth moments came not from praise, but from pain—from being misunderstood, from advocating for myself and others in difficult environments, from walking away when I needed to preserve integrity.
I also shared how building Social Impact Engineer has been a living lab in legacy. Every service we offer—from program design and infrastructure planning to social impact PR and platform strategy—was born from patterns I saw in the philanthropic and nonprofit world. Patterns of underinvestment, poor leadership structures, lack of strategy, and ego over impact. I wanted to disrupt that. And I wanted to offer high-profile individuals a better blueprint for building meaningful change.
What We Left With: Action + Intention
The event closed with a challenge: "If you could ask everyone here to take one action toward creating meaningful change, what would it be?" My ask was simple:
Build a personal accountability circle. Whether it’s one person or five, choose people who can lovingly check you, affirm you, and remind you of your purpose when you forget.
The participants left with their own action plans, new collaborators, and clearer language for their purpose. And I left reminded that legacy is not a solo project. It’s built in community.
Final Reflections
If there's one thing I hope people take from my time on the panel, it’s this:
You don’t have to be perfect to start. You just have to be honest.
Leadership, legacy, and impact are messy, evolving, and deeply human. But if you lead with intention, accountability, and purpose—you will leave something real behind.
And if you ever need support along the way, SIE is here to help you build it.
Defining Legacy in a World That Moves Fast
The first question posed to the audience was deceptively simple: "In one word, how would you describe the kind of legacy you want to leave?" Words like "empowerment," "impact," "freedom," and "integrity" surfaced. It was a reminder that we are all driven by something deeper than resume lines or social media accolades.
As I shared with the audience, I don’t define legacy by longevity alone. Legacy is about what outlives you in people, systems, and collective momentum. It’s about whether your values show up in the way you treat your staff, make decisions, invest in people, and challenge systems—not just in your mission statement.
Authentic Leadership Requires Accountability
Authentic leadership is not just about showing up as yourself. It’s about holding yourself accountable to the self you say you want to be. I shared that accountability is not an attack; it’s a gift. It’s how we stay aligned with our purpose even when it gets hard—and especially when we’re in positions of influence.
We explored questions like:
What practices keep you grounded?
Who in your life can tell you when you’re out of alignment?
How do you ensure your leadership reflects your values?
For me, integrity means walking away from opportunities that don’t align with our principles at SIE—even when those opportunities are lucrative or high-profile. Leadership is lonely when it’s performative. But when it’s rooted in values, it builds community.
Purpose Is a Path, Not a Position
One of the biggest myths we challenged during the panel is that you need to be in a formal leadership role to create impact. You don’t. Purpose is not reserved for executives, entrepreneurs, or influencers. Purpose shows up in how you move through the world: how you care for others, how you challenge injustice, how you steward your gifts.
As part of the interactive session, attendees completed the sentence:
"My legacy is to ________, by ________, and I will start by ________."
This exercise forced clarity. It stripped the performance and got us to the core. Some legacies were about transforming education, others about healing family cycles. What mattered was specificity and ownership. You don’t need a five-year plan to start. You need your next faithful step.
Lessons from My Journey
When asked about defining moments in my leadership journey, I shared a truth I think many in the room felt: that often, our greatest clarity comes from our greatest resistance. Some of my most pivotal growth moments came not from praise, but from pain—from being misunderstood, from advocating for myself and others in difficult environments, from walking away when I needed to preserve integrity.
I also shared how building Social Impact Engineer has been a living lab in legacy. Every service we offer—from program design and infrastructure planning to social impact PR and platform strategy—was born from patterns I saw in the philanthropic and nonprofit world. Patterns of underinvestment, poor leadership structures, lack of strategy, and ego over impact. I wanted to disrupt that. And I wanted to offer high-profile individuals a better blueprint for building meaningful change.
What We Left With: Action + Intention
The event closed with a challenge: "If you could ask everyone here to take one action toward creating meaningful change, what would it be?" My ask was simple:
Build a personal accountability circle. Whether it’s one person or five, choose people who can lovingly check you, affirm you, and remind you of your purpose when you forget.
The participants left with their own action plans, new collaborators, and clearer language for their purpose. And I left reminded that legacy is not a solo project. It’s built in community.
Final Reflections
If there's one thing I hope people take from my time on the panel, it’s this:
You don’t have to be perfect to start. You just have to be honest.
Leadership, legacy, and impact are messy, evolving, and deeply human. But if you lead with intention, accountability, and purpose—you will leave something real behind.
And if you ever need support along the way, SIE is here to help you build it.
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BUILDING BLOCKS
Social Impact Engineer is a strategy and execution partner helping purpose-led leaders and organizations turn bold ideas into real-world change.
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Website by Good Good Studio
2025 Social Impact Engineer, All rights reserved.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Social Impact Engineer is a strategy and execution partner helping purpose-led leaders and organizations turn bold ideas into real-world change.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Website by Good Good Studio
2025 Social Impact Engineer, All rights reserved.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Social Impact Engineer is a strategy and execution partner helping purpose-led leaders and organizations turn bold ideas into real-world change.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Website by Good Good Studio
2025 Social Impact Engineer, All rights reserved.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Social Impact Engineer is a strategy and execution partner helping purpose-led leaders and organizations turn bold ideas into real-world change.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Website by Good Good Studio
2025 Social Impact Engineer, All rights reserved.