When Vanessa McDowell-Atlas had the opportunity to transition from interim to permanent CEO of Madison’s YWCA in 2017, she turned to her mother for advice. The position would come with the pressure of becoming the first woman of color to lead the organization in its over 100-year history. Her mom, Candace McDowell, understood those challenges firsthand: In 1988, she became founding director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Multicultural Center.