In this episode of the Courageous Public Health Podcast, Dr. Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo reflects on what it means to lead with courage, clarity, and curiosity inside systems that were never designed with everyone in mind.
From navigating identity as a Black Ghanaian-American woman in public health spaces, to challenging dominant narratives around data, leadership, and belonging, Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo shares a vision of public health rooted in dignity, care, and collective humanity.
This conversation explores curiosity as a form of resistance—and what becomes possible when we refuse to accept oppressive systems as the only way forward.
Meet Dr. Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo ✨
Dr. Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo is the Principal of TERSHA LLC and an award‑winning strategist, author, and systems leader who advances narrative sovereignty through data‑informed storytelling and relational governance. A multilingual systems thinker with more than two decades of experience, she integrates culturally responsive engineering design, research, and evaluation to strengthen mission‑aligned organizations and the communities they serve.
Her career spans leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, numerous philanthropic and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo’s expertise includes research, evaluation, artistic facilitation, economics, technical assistance, systems design, language access, accessibility, mobile healthcare, and community health workforce development. She has authored more than 70 academic publications and is widely recognized as a thought leader in innovative narrative strategy.
Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo is a 2022 Public Voices Fellow with AcademyHealth, an inaugural member of the Global South Arts and Health Envoy, Adjunct Faculty at Texas Woman’s University, a board member, leadership coach, and a nominee for the National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders Forum. Her work is grounded in cultural humility, human‑centered design, and a commitment to amplifying systemically underrepresented voices. She has also mentored and engaged MPH students through internships within my organization, supporting them in completing their capstones and publishing their first peer‑reviewed articles
With a PhD in Health Policy and an MPH from the University of Texas School of Public Health, Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo brings analytical rigor, narrative strategy, and lived experience as a diasporic Ghanaian-American woman of faith, wife, and mom to every partnership. She is currently focused on aligning institutional strategy with inclusive impact, deepening her expertise in AI ethics, and supporting organizations in building systems that reflect care, dignity, and collective purpose in order to save time, make money, and grow.
Conversation Highlights 🎙️
- Curiosity as Resistance — Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo reflects on how oppressive systems depend on limited imagination—and why curiosity is essential for challenging dominant narratives and creating change.
- Leading with Courage and Clarity — She shares why courage alone is not enough for leadership, and how clarity, presence, and curiosity shape the way she moves through systems.
- Narrative Sovereignty — Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo introduces her framework for understanding how data, lived experience, and stories come together to shape the narratives communities carry about themselves.
- The Soup We’re Swimming In — Together, we explore how oppressive systems become normalized—and the importance of community spaces where people can “get out of the soup.”
- Choosing Wholeness Over Shrinking — Dr. Attipoe-Dorcoo reflects on navigating systems not built with her in mind, and why authenticity, community, and alignment are essential forms of courage.
“Systems of oppression don’t want us to be curious.” — Dr. Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo
Stay in Touch 🔗
With Dr. Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo
LinkedIn ↗: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonattipoe-dorcoo/
Website ↗: https://evalu-ate.org/evaluator/attipoe-dorcoo-sharon/
Instagram ↗: https://www.instagram.com/koli.bosco/
Community Research for Liberation National Convening June 11-12, 2026 in Minneapolis, MN: https://www.researchinaction.com/convening
HEAPS article: https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/PEY6CJXGQQ5HZRUE6NQU/full
Children’s book: Koli and Bosco the Dog: 6. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koli.bosco/
TERSHA Pitchdeck: https://qr1.me-qr.com/mobile/pdf/af52d9d7-4f72-4d20-8953-52ef0229f5ad
TERSHA Capabilities Statement: https://qr1.me-qr.com/mobile/pdf/4bf882da-9f77-42f9-8daf-a92d28d0963f
With Dr. Kristi McClamroch
LinkedIn ↗: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-mcclamroch
Website ↗: https://www.CourageousPublicHealth.com
Follow for weekly reflections on courage and leadership ↗: http://eepurl.com/jcgQv6
Public Health Consulting to Support You 🤝
We partner with public health, healthcare, nonprofit, philanthropic, and government organizations to design and facilitate interactive workshops for women leaders in public health — turning courage into a leadership skill so it becomes an organizational strength.
If your organization would benefit from this kind of support, we’d love to connect. Reach out on LinkedIn ↗ or through our website ↗.
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