Baranda Fermin

I had the wonderful privilege of connecting with dozens of leaders over the years through my different platforms - teaching, mentoring, interviewing, developing programs for nonprofit organizations, advising, and just networking. So it is saying A LOT when I say that Baranda Fermin is probably one of the most dynamic individuals I have encountered. If I was to use an analogy to describe Baranda, they are like the blooming bright, tubular flower to which hummingbirds naturally tend to gravitate. Hummingbirds just can’t help themselves because they produce the nectar of the gods.

So one asks, “What is it about Baranda?” I couldn’t tell you because it is something you feel, the inexplicable magnetic energy that you sense when a person walks and talks within a space. Their energy is infectious, sometimes without their knowledge. In the two years I have known them via Iliff School of Theology, they have struggled through some dark periods of doubt and insecurity about their strengths. And I never knew why because I was mesmerized by their power. Baranda is a great example of why I absolutely believe that people should know and own their strengths because it is the source of their power, their embodied presence. By becoming aware of their power, Baranda has been able to see what I have beholden all those years. And what a sight - to see a person come into their own. This is the reason why I love mentoring powerful people.

Now, I could basically talk to Baranda about everything … but I wanted to understand is what allowed them to fully embrace their move from an institutionalized job to working on their own. Mind you, this is not a move I would recommend for everyone but Baranda has so much creative energy, I knew that no one job could fully utilize their gifts. So I was curious as to what allowed them to make that shift. I knew it was only a matter of time but I wanted them to reflect on the ‘trigger.’

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I loved connecting with them through this opportunity.

Baranda Fermin, PhD. (they/them) is the owner and curator of HoneycOHM Collective a creative center of healing and wellbeing. They are a writer, speaker, yoga teacher, pastor and community curator. Their professional work builds the human capacity and organizational potential for transformative change, leading to whole, healthy, loving and creative relationships and communities. As an accomplished leader in the fields of community development, nonprofit leadership, higher education, as well as equity and access, their expertise has shifted the way that communities engage in development, change agents create strategy, and leaders measure outcomes. Dr. Fermin holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University; a master’s in Human Development from Teachers College, Columbia University; a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from The University of Oklahoma; and a Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology. Their favorite things on earth are their kid Montgomery, tacos, yoga and music.