Legal As A Strategic Partner, Not The Dept. of 'No'

Legal shouldn’t be the brake pedal on your mission. We sit down with two seasoned leaders—Anne Garcia, SVP and General Counsel at The Ohio State University, and Trent Stechschulte, Chief Legal Officer at I Am Boundless—to show how legal and compliance can be the engine for trust, speed, and sustainable growth. From personal paths that span litigation, healthcare, and university governance to building departments from scratch, they reveal what great counsel actually does: translate dense rules into workable steps and align decisions with culture and strategy.

We unpack the real remit of legal teams—governance, contracts, risk management, crisis navigation—and how a “pathfinder” mindset replaces the old “office of no.” Anne and Trent highlight the power of early involvement, especially when stakes are high and reputations are on the line. 

Compliance gets the spotlight it deserves: investigations, auditing, corrective actions, and the culture that encourages reporting without fear. We explore why under-investment invites silence, retaliation, and costly enforcement, and how boards can use benchmarks and transparent metrics to fund what truly protects the mission. 

If you’re a nonprofit executive, board member, or program leader, you’ll walk away with practical steps to stay proactive: Enjoy the conversation—and if it sparks an idea, share it with your team. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: where do you need legal as a partner, not a gatekeeper?