Perrin Associates Kicks off
Oishei Lunch & Learn Series
Written by Ekaete Bailey
Video by Alex Felix (Earthbound Films)
Images by Paul Knight (Deer Crest Productions)
To mark the beginning of a lunch and learn series curated for Buffalo East Side organizations, Perrin Associates hosted a mix-and-mingle event at Deco Lounge on Wednesday, May 20th. Held at 69 Delaware, a stunning Art Deco high-rise originally built in the 1920s, the space buzzed with community, camaraderie, and excitement as professionals connected over light fare.
A Black-owned, woman-owned consultancy and training company, Perrin Associates is working with Oishei as a partner in building out its racial equity framework, providing comprehensive training to nonprofits. “The work of nonprofits in our community is essential,” Tanya Staples, Principal Consultant at Perrin Associates, said. “So often there is a different measuring stick for Black organizations, and those that are smaller are often underfunded and under-resourced.”
Perrin Associates’ training series is intended to support leaders and their organizations, particularly those who serve the East Side of Buffalo, with practical tools to strengthen their leadership and board governance. “It’s about building trust and strengthening systems,” Ms. Staples said.
In the middle of the two-hour event, Ms. Staples introduced Pam Ross, Leader of Community Impact from the John J. Oishei Foundation, and the newest members of the Oishei team: Jerrell Mason, Community Impact Program Director, Joy, Restoration, Resilience and Individual Power; and Saira Siddiqui, Community Impact Program Director, Organizational Power. Mason and Siddiqui will each be heading up a piece of the Oishei racial equity framework.
Jerrell Mason is a lifelong resident of Buffalo’s East Side and brings a rare combination of lived experiences, advocacy, execution, and compassion. A leader who is both confident and humble, Mason understands he will be learning in this role, and he is open to allowing the community to guide his strategy. “Not everyone on the East Side is prepared to be at the table. It’s my job to get them prepared.”
Siddiqui, a proud resident of the East Side, brings a unique perspective to her role as a first-generation American and the child of immigrant parents. An artist and community builder, Siddiqui found the evening event full of anticipation. “I’m excited about the energy. I’m excited to be here with so many people doing so many amazing things.”
Ways to take action
Ideation by Aitina Fareed-Cooke
“This Lunch and Learn series is about more than gaining new information. It is a chance for East Side organizations to strengthen their leadership, build relationships, and gain practical tools that support the work they are already doing for their communities.”
For Funders & Institutions
It might look like exploring more flexible and equity-centered funding approaches that give East Side organizations room to build their leadership, governance, and infrastructure over time.
There may be value in spending more time in rooms like this, listening to what leaders say they need and adjusting expectations and “measuring sticks” accordingly.
Some funders may choose to deepen partnerships with Black-owned, community-rooted consultants and trainers who are already trusted by the organizations they serve.
For Our Neighbors
One way to engage might be staying connected to organizations that are part of this series and showing up to public events, conversations, or collaborations they host.
Sharing your perspective with local nonprofits, whether as a participant, volunteer, or advisor, can help ensure that programs and strategies reflect what is really happening in East Side neighborhoods.
Supporting East Side-based initiatives, from nonprofits to small businesses and creative projects, can help strengthen the community ecosystem that this work depends on.
For Community Leaders & Educators
Build partnerships with local nonprofits so students can learn from organizations doing real community work.
Create service-learning or project-based opportunities that help students connect classroom learning to leadership, civic engagement, and nonprofit work.
Introduce students to nonprofit leadership, board governance, and community impact as meaningful ways to contribute to their neighborhoods.
Encourage students to think critically about equity, access, and representation in the systems that shape their communities.
For Artists & Storytellers
Storytellers might choose to highlight moments like this mix and mingle, where community, leadership, and possibility come together in one room.
There may be opportunities to collaborate with Perrin Associates, East Side organizations, or Oishei to document how leadership, governance, and racial equity work unfold over time.
Creatives can lean into narratives that show East Side professionals and organizations not only responding to need, but shaping vision, strategy, and systems for the future.