Yolanda Sanders on Altadena Roots, Youngest of 12, UC Berkeley, From Morrison & Foerster to General Counsel of Gap Inc., Navigating Grief, and Her Next Chapter as CEO of Journey to Lead

What does it take to rise from the youngest of 12 children in Altadena, California, to Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Gap Inc., and now Chief Executive Officer of Journey? In this episode of *No Boxes, Just Verses*, host Shannon Nash sits down with legal executive, workplace strategist, and CEO **Yolanda Sanders** to explore how access, community, and personal resilience shape transformational leadership. From walking to the library every Friday with her mother to venturing to UC Berkeley, balancing big law litigation with motherhood, battling a life-threatening autoimmune disorder, and steering an 80,000-employee global retailer through the COVID-19 pandemic amid profound personal loss, Yolanda shares the hard-won wisdom behind her journey. She also discusses how Journey is democratizing executive sponsorship and opening doors for accomplished women to expand their impact across industries. Yolanda Sanders is the first Chief Executive Officer of Journey, a leadership organization dedicated to accelerating the impact of accomplished women by connecting them with influential champions, peer cohorts, and high-level leadership development. Prior to leading Journey, Yolanda spent more than two decades at Gap Inc., serving as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, where she led the global legal department, oversaw brand legal operations for Athleta, and spearheaded the enterprise-wide task force responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in her career, she clerked for a magistrate judge in the Northern District of California, practiced complex litigation and employment law at Morrison & Foerster, and founded a consulting practice specializing in workplace strategy, executive coaching, and organizational investigations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a law degree from UC San Francisco Law (formerly UC Hastings).  Key Takeaways: - Access to education serves as a primary pathway out of poverty when backed by intentional family encouragement and consistent community support. - Stepping away from familiar environments allows emerging leaders to shed family expectations and discover their authentic identity. - Skepticism from peers can serve as fuel to prove capabilities rather than a deterrent to pursuing ambitious goals. - Building deep, intentional community in academic and professional spaces provides the essential foundation to sustain long-term career growth. - Career growth rarely follows a straight path, requiring leaders to adapt to non-linear opportunities and personal family transitions. - Prioritizing personal health and maintaining firm boundaries is required to avoid depleting the personal energy needed to sustain executive work. - Unlocking executive opportunities for accomplished women relies on deliberate access and executive sponsorship rather than a shortage of talent. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast!  CONNECT WITH YOLANDA SANDERS: LinkedIn Journey to Lead Leadership Summit (Feb 3-5 2027) Playlist CONNECT WITH SHANNON: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Shannon | LinkedIn NBJV Theme Song: No Boxes Just Verses by Thane Kreiner (Suno)