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Taran Cardone
Director for Learning Partnerships & Program Director for the Thrive Living-Learning Community at Virginia Tech
Professional Background
Taran Cardone is an experienced professional in the field of student affairs and higher education, currently serving as the Director for Strengths-Based Learning and Program Director for the Thrive Living-Learning Community (LLC) at Virginia Tech. With a robust commitment to transformative learning and holistic development, Taran utilizes their expertise in adult development theory, specifically the influential self-authorship concept by Dr. Marcia Baxter Magolda. This foundational knowledge drives their efforts to empower individuals in discovering their authentic selves while achieving their personal definitions of success.
In their current role at Virginia Tech, Taran is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of a strengths-based learning program, as well as the re-launch of Thrive as a vibrant hub for students to align their innate strengths with real-world needs. This initiative not only enriches the academic experiences of students but also fosters a community where personal growth and mutual support thrive.
Before joining Virginia Tech, Taran held significant positions at other respected institutions. At Lehigh University, they served as the Director of Student Life Curriculum and Residential Staff Development, where they played a crucial role in the development and implementation of the bLUeprint framework. This innovative program integrates essential learning outcomes across five core areas: Creative Curiosity, Identity Development, Collaborative Connections, Inclusive Leadership, and Professional Growth & Success. The curriculum assists students in maximizing their in-class and out-of-class experiences, helping them grow into well-rounded individuals.
Additionally, Taran's work at Miami University's Wilks Leadership Institute as Leadership Coordinator allowed them to oversee various programming initiatives aimed at enhancing student engagement and leadership development. Their background in student affairs also includes vital roles in career services, institutional diversity, organizational assessment, residence life, and human resources, all contributing to a comprehensive understanding of student needs and holistic development strategies.
Education and Achievements
Taran Cardone's academic journey laid a solid foundation for their successful career in higher education. They hold a Master’s Degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University, where they keenly focused on theories and practices impacting adult and student development. This advanced degree provided Taran with a thorough and practical understanding of fostering student success through engaging curricular and co-curricular initiatives.
Taran also earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Iona College, majoring in Speech Communication and Spanish, with a minor in Italian. This diverse educational background not only showcases Taran's versatility but also enhances their ability to communicate and connect with students from various backgrounds effectively.
Notable Achievements
Throughout their career, Taran Cardone has accomplished many significant feats in student affairs and higher education. Some of their notable achievements include:
- Implementing the strengths-based learning program at Virginia Tech to empower students in leveraging their unique abilities for personal and professional growth.
- Spearheading the launch of the Thrive Living-Learning Community, promoting a collaborative environment where students can connect their strengths to broader societal needs.
- Developing the bLUeprint learning outcomes framework at Lehigh University, enabling students to explore and enhance their academic and experiential learning.
- Actively engaging in transformative leadership initiatives, emphasizing spirituality, health, wellness, diversity, and social justice within the educational landscape.
- Contributing to the educational development of future student affairs professionals through teaching positions and involvement in community coordination at Miami University.
Taran's multi-faceted experience and dedication to student empowerment have positioned them as a leader in the student affairs community, with a passion for fostering inclusive and transformative educational experiences. Their commitment to professional growth, in alignment with diversity and social justice principles, truly sets them apart in their field.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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