About Ascend with Claire Oliveros - Real Stories. Bold Leadership.
Welcome to Ascend with Claire Oliveros. I’m Dr. Claire Oliveros, Filipina American Founder and CEO of Claire Oliveros Consulting, LLC and the NARRA Leadership Institute. I am a women’s executive coach, educator, mother, and spouse. As a former community college president, I created this podcast to amplify and uplift real stories and bold leadership of Filipina and Women of Color leaders, change makers, and visionaries navigating transitions, shedding old expectations, and rising into leadership that is bold, rooted, and healing. Each episode is an invitation for reflection, creativity, and liberated leadership in action.
She Carried Fire: Filipina Revolutionaries, Mothers, and the Leaders We Are Called to Be | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 9
What does it mean to lead in the tradition of Filipina revolutionaries?
In this Women's History Month special, Dr. Claire Oliveros honors three Filipina revolutionary women the history books left out: Gabriela Silang, who led an army at 32 while grieving her assassinated husband. Melchora Aquino — Tandang Sora, the Mother of the Nation — who sheltered revolutionaries at 84 and never gave up a name. And Maria Lorena Barros, poet and MAKIBAKA founder, martyred at 28, whose movement became GABRIELA — the powerful alliance of Filipina women still organizing today.
This bridge episode from Season 1 to Season 2 connects their revolutionary legacy to the NARRA Method™ and to the living movements of GABRIELA Philippines and GABRIELA USA. And, includes an Ingat Ka Micro Meditation.
Content note: discusses colonization, political violence, and the Marcos dictatorship.
1 Jan 2026
Year-End Leadership Reflection: Unexpected Lessons for Filipina Leaders | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 8
What do you do when the year hands you lessons you never asked for — but needed more than you knew?
In this reflective episode, Dr. Claire Oliveros shares her honest year-end review of 2025 — a year filled with unexpected challenges, profound growth, and hard-won clarity as a Filipina American leader, entrepreneur, and executive coach.
Dr. Claire explores the importance of acknowledgment, reflection, and gratitude in leadership — and models the kind of honest, grounded reflection she invites her clients and community to practice.
Topics covered:
• Year-end leadership reflection practices for Filipina and Women of Color leaders
• Acknowledging challenge and growth without bypassing the hard parts
• What 2025 taught Dr. Claire about leadership, community, and herself
• How to carry unexpected lessons into intentional next steps
• Bridging Season 1's RISE UP Method™ into Season 2's NARRA Method™
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes in Season 2 coming soon.
16 Dec 2025
Progress Over Perfection: Leading with Intention as a Filipina Leader | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 7 Season Finale
What does intentional progress look like for Filipina American leaders and Women of Color who are done waiting for perfect conditions to step fully into their power?
In this Season 1 finale, Dr. Claire Oliveros brings the RISE UP Method™ full circle with the Progress pillar — exploring what it means to move forward with intention, measure what matters, and embrace growth over perfection.
Dr. Claire reflects on the journey of Season 1, the lessons from each pillar of the RISE UP Method™, and what it means to keep ascending even when the path is nonlinear.
Topics covered:
• The Progress pillar of the RISE UP Method™
• Progress over perfection for Women of Color leaders
• Setting intentions and measuring growth in liberatory leadership
• Reflecting on the full arc of the RISE UP Method™ across Season 1
• What's coming in Season 2 — the NARRA Method™
A Season 1 finale for Ascend with Claire Oliveros — the podcast for Filipina American and Women of Color leaders navigating transitions and rising into bold, rooted leadership.
25 Nov 2025
Leading Through Solidarity: How Filipina Leaders Uplift Community | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 6
What does it mean to lead not just for yourself, but in service of your community — through solidarity, collective care, and the spirit of bayanihan?
In this episode, Dr. Claire Oliveros explores the Uplift pillar of the RISE UP Method™ and why community is not separate from leadership — it is the foundation of it.
Drawing on Filipino values of kapwa and bayanihan, Dr. Claire makes the case for a model of leadership rooted in solidarity, mutual support, and the deep belief that we rise by lifting others with us.
Topics covered:
• The Uplift pillar of the RISE UP Method™
• How solidarity and collective care strengthen Filipina leadership
• Bayanihan and kapwa as leadership frameworks, not just cultural concepts
• What it looks like to lead through community rather than hierarchy
• Why Women of Color leaders must build and invest in each other
This episode is part of Season 1 of Ascend with Claire Oliveros.
5 Nov 2025
Excavating for Liberation: Clearing What Blocks Your Leadership | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 5
Before you can rise, you have to excavate — clearing the internalized narratives, old wounds, and colonial conditioning that stand between you and your most liberated self.
In this solo conversation, Dr. Claire Oliveros explores the Excavate pillar of the RISE UP Method™ and why deep, intentional inner work is essential for Filipina American leaders and women of color executives who are ready for real transformation.
Dr. Claire discusses how excavation creates the space needed for healing, liberation, and bold leadership — and what it looks like to do this work in practice.
Topics covered:
• What excavation means in the context of liberatory leadership
• How colonial conditioning, trauma, and old narratives block authentic leadership
• The Excavate pillar of the RISE UP Method™
• How to create space for healing and transformation as a Filipina or Woman of Color leader
• The connection between inner excavation and collective liberation
Part of Season 1 of Ascend with Claire Oliveros — a podcast for Filipina American and Women of Color leaders.
27 Oct 2025
The Art of Sustaining Leadership: Women of Color on Leading Without Losing Yourself | Ascend Ep. 4
How do Filipina American leaders and women of color sustain themselves — mentally, spiritually, and professionally — while leading in systems not designed for them?
In this conversation, Dr. Claire Oliveros sits down with Paloma Concordia, Founder and CEO of the PapaLodown Agency, to explore the complexities of leadership for Women of Color. Together they unpack what it truly means to sustain your leadership without sacrificing your identity, your community, or your wellbeing.
This episode explores the Sustain pillar of the RISE UP Method™ — and why rest, boundaries, and community care are not luxuries but leadership necessities.
Topics covered:
• Sustaining leadership as a Woman of Color and Filipina American
• The intersection of identity, community, and executive leadership
• How Paloma Concordia built PapaLodown Agency on her own terms
• The Sustain pillar of the RISE UP Method™
• Collective care, bayanihan, and the art of leading from wholeness
Guest: Paloma Concordia, Founder/CEO of PapaLodown Agency
20 Oct 2025
Igniting Courage for Filipina Leaders and Women of Color Executives | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 3
What does it take to ignite courage as a Filipina American leader — and what stands in the way?
In this solo episode, Dr. Claire Oliveros explores what courage looks and feels like for Filipina American leaders and Women of Color executives in higher education and beyond. She unpacks the internalized barriers rooted in colonial history, cultural expectations, and institutional pressure that can silence our boldest selves — and offers a path forward.
This episode explores the Ignite pillar of the RISE UP Method™, inviting leaders to reconnect with the fire of their purpose and lead with radical authenticity.
Topics covered:
• Why courage looks different for Filipina and Women of Color leaders
• How internalized colonialism and institutional culture suppress bold leadership
• The Ignite pillar of the RISE UP Method™
• Practical ways to activate courage in your leadership today
Part of Season 1 of Ascend with Claire Oliveros, a podcast for Filipina American and Women of Color leaders navigating transitions and rising into bold, rooted leadership.
11 Oct 2025
Reclaiming Space as a Filipina Leader: Owning Your Voice in Executive Spaces | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 2
What does it mean to reclaim space as a Filipina American leader or Woman of Color executive — and why does it matter now more than ever?
In this powerful episode, Dr. Claire Oliveros explores the first pillar of the RISE UP Method™: Reclaim. She dives deep into what it means to take up space unapologetically, shed the weight of colonial expectations, and step fully into your leadership identity.
Drawing on her 30+ years in higher education leadership — including serving as a community college president — Dr. Claire shares the personal and collective stories of women who have had to fight to be seen, heard, and valued in rooms not built for them.
Topics covered:
• What it means to reclaim space as a Filipina or Woman of Color leader
• How colonial narratives shape how we show up (and shrink) in leadership
• The RISE UP Method™ pillar of Reclaim — and how to activate it
• Stories of bold reclamation from Filipina American women in leadership
This episode is part of Season 1 of Ascend with Claire Oliveros, focused on the RISE UP Method™.
3 Oct 2025
Why Filipina Leaders Ascend: Reclaiming Your Truth in Leadership | Ascend with Claire Oliveros Ep. 1
What if leadership wasn't about fitting in — but about pausing long enough to hear your own truth?
In this inaugural episode of Ascend with Claire Oliveros, Dr. Claire Oliveros introduces the vision and mission behind this podcast: to amplify the real stories and bold leadership of Filipina American women and Women of Color executives navigating identity, transition, and legacy.
Dr. Claire shares why she created this space, what it means to truly ascend as a Filipina leader, and the personal and collective calling that brought this podcast to life.
Whether you're a Filipina American in higher education, a Woman of Color in executive leadership, or a change maker ready to rise this episode is your invitation.
Topics covered:
• Why authentic leadership matters for Filipina American women
• The vision behind the Ascend podcast and RISE UP Method™
• What it means to lead from identity, not in spite of it
• The role of community, kapwa, and collective healing in leadership
Listen to the full series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube
1 Oct 2025
Filipina Leadership Podcast | Ascend with Claire Oliveros – Real Stories. Bold Leadership.
Are you a Filipina American leader, Woman of Color executive, or change maker navigating transitions, shedding old expectations, and rising into leadership that is bold, rooted, and healing? Welcome to Ascend with Claire Oliveros.
I'm Dr. Claire Oliveros - Filipina American mother, spouse, and Founder/CEO of Claire Oliveros Consulting LLC and the NARRA Leadership Institute. I am a former community college president turned executive coach and your host. Each episode amplifies the real stories and bold leadership of Filipina and Women of Color leaders and visionaries.
Through the RISE UP Method™ — a framework rooted in liberatory leadership and Filipino cultural wisdom we explore what it means to lead with courage, reclaim your voice, and build a legacy grounded in who you truly are.
Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It's your time to Ascend.
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