ERG PowerTalk: Recent Episodes
Joe Santana
An inside look at the "secret sauce" ingredients that makes top performing company ERGs, BRGs and Councils Great, led by host and Supercharge Your ERG Author, Joe Santana!
Organizations have invested billions of dollars into ERGs, yet many still struggle to demonstrate measurable business value in areas such as revenue growth, customer impact, operational performance, or cost reduction. In this episode, I sit down with Sheryl Miller, Founder of Reboot Global and CEO of the ERG Leaders Summit, to explore how organizations are repositioning ERGs from internal activity centers into business contributors. We discuss a critical shift: moving ERGs closer to customer insights, innovation, product improvement, and strategic business priorities to improve growth, market reach, and organizational performance. If ERGs are to remain relevant in today’s environment, the future belongs to groups that evolve from support activity to measurable business impact.
Corporate ERGs are under increasing pressure to prove they contribute more than internal engagement activities and cultural programming. In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, Joe Santana speaks with Greg Jenkins, Founder and Principal of Greg Jenkins Consulting and a former U.S. Army leader with more than 28 years of experience leading teams in highly accountable, mission-focused environments. The discussion explores how ERGs can shift from being viewed primarily as support groups to becoming strategic sources of insight that help organizations improve customer reach, avoid costly blind spots, strengthen operational performance, and uncover growth opportunities. This episode reframes ERGs from internal support activities into practical business assets that can drive measurable organizational impact.
Organizations are spending hundreds of billions of dollars to better understand customers, workforce behavior, and emerging market shifts, while often overlooking the valuable human insights already within their own employee networks. In this episode, futurist economist and business trends analyst Bronwyn Williams shares perspectives drawn from advising multinational organizations, governments, and global institutions on demographic change, AI disruption, workforce evolution, and long-term value creation. The discussion explores how organizations that better understand evolving human needs, trust, behavior, and contribution may gain stronger advantages in revenue growth, customer loyalty, workforce resilience, innovation, and long-term market relevance. This episode reframes ERGs from support-oriented internal groups into powerful networks for business insights and value creation.
Most ERGs struggle to prove how their work drives revenue, reduces costs, or improves performance, which limits their influence and funding. Paolo Gaudiano, Chief Scientist at Aleria and ARC, brings decades of experience applying data and analytics to measure how workforce conditions impact financial outcomes. In this episode, he explains how shifting from representation metrics to measuring employee experience and its link to productivity and turnover can uncover significant revenue loss and cost inefficiencies. The discussion reframes ERGs from support functions into drivers of measurable business performance.
Critical business decisions are often made without frontline insight, leading to missed revenue, higher costs, and underperforming strategies. Mantej Singh, founder of Belonging Co. and a strategist advising government and corporate leaders, focuses on turning inclusion into measurable operational outcomes. In this episode, he explains how shifting ERGs from filtered, reactive input to independent insight engines enables organizations to improve performance, reduce inefficiencies, and make better-informed decisions. The discussion reframes ERGs from a support activity to a source of vital business intelligence.
Organizations continue to overspend on recruiting while missing lower-cost, higher-impact ways to attract qualified talent. Al Kushner, creator of the Link Vantage system and author of The AI LinkedIn Advantage, has helped executives and organizations drive six-figure growth through LinkedIn-based strategies. He explains that the key shift is activating employees and ERGs as visible, credible brand ambassadors to improve recruiting efficiency, reduce cost per hire, and increase talent quality. This episode reframes ERGs from support groups into strategic drivers of recruiting performance and business impact.
Many ERGs struggle to secure executive attention and funding because their work is not tied to measurable business outcomes such as revenue growth, cost reduction, or market expansion. Arias WebsterBerry, CEO of Ignite Funnels and WebsterBerry Marketing, brings experience helping organizations scale to six- and seven-figure performance through positioning and growth systems. He explains that the critical shift is moving from visibility to relevance by aligning ERG efforts to business priorities and using systems that translate activity into measurable results. This episode shows how ERGs can move from being viewed as support functions to being recognized as drivers of business performance.
Many inclusion efforts lose funding and executive attention because they fail to demonstrate measurable impact on revenue, cost, or market performance. David Casey, former Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health, brings over 25 years of experience scaling ERGs into enterprise-wide drivers of business results. He outlines a shift from internal activity to using ERGs as sources of market insight that improve product performance, customer relevance, and competitive positioning. This episode reframes ERGs from support structures into strategic assets that directly influence how the business grows and wins.
Most ERGs fail to secure sustained funding and executive attention because their work is not tied to revenue, cost reduction, or measurable business outcomes. Jim Morris, CEO of Jim Morris Consulting, advises Fortune 500 leaders on aligning inclusion efforts with business execution and performance. He outlines a shift from activity-based work to using ERGs as sources of market insight and innovation that drive growth, improve decision-making, and enhance operational efficiency. This episode reframes ERGs from internal support groups into business drivers that influence how the organization competes and performs.
Many ERGs struggle to gain the executive support and permission they believe they need to deliver meaningful, high-impact results. Janice Brathwaite, a leader from the original Black Caucus Group at Xerox in the 1960s, brings firsthand experience from the earliest days of ERG predecessors. She explains how these groups built real power and influence without budgets or formal authority by acting with courage, using available resources, and applying personal agency to address business-critical issues. This episode shows how to stop waiting for permission and start using the power you already have to drive results that get executive attention.
Many organizations struggle to secure funding and executive attention because their work is disconnected from the revenue, cost, and market priorities that drive business decisions. Karen Brown, former Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for multiple Fortune 100 companies and founder of Bridge Arrow, has led global strategies that delivered measurable business outcomes. She demonstrates how aligning internal perspectives to real business challenges can uncover missed market opportunities, improve execution, and drive growth, including identifying millions in untapped capital. This episode reframes the work from a support function into a direct driver of business performance and competitive advantage.
Many ERG efforts fail to secure sustained attention and funding because they are not connected to measurable business outcomes. In this episode, Andres Gonzalez, Vice President and Chief Belonging and Community Engagement Officer at Froedtert ThedaCare Health, shares how he repositioned ERGs to drive results across a large healthcare system. He explains how treating employee and community insight as strategic intelligence can improve market reach, patient access, and operational performance. This episode reframes ERGs from internal support groups into business drivers that influence growth and execution.
In this empowering episode of ERG PowerTalk, Dr. Jolander Headley—executive coach, author, and empowerment strategist—joins host Joe Santana to explore how ERG leaders can evolve their leadership for the challenges of the 21st century. Blending spiritual insight with strategic clarity, Dr. Headley emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, soul health, and inner healing as keys to leading with authenticity, resilience, and long-term impact. This episode offers ERG leaders a transformative roadmap for personal growth that drives meaningful organizational change.
In this compelling episode of ERG PowerTalk, guest Kenisha Coon—a nationally recognized DEIB strategist and PhD candidate—joins host Joe Santana to explore how ERGs can become healing-centered spaces for members coping with trauma. Drawing from her deep experience in child welfare, equity, and systems change, Kenisha shares practical tools and insights for recognizing workplace trauma, fostering psychological safety, and using lived experience as a leadership asset to drive lasting, empathetic support and systemic change.
What if equity wasn’t just a moral imperative but the key to your company’s competitive edge? In this episode of the ERG PowerTalk Podcast, host Joe Santana speaks with Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown, a nationally recognized equity strategist and CEO of KMB Consultancy, about how organizations that remove barriers and provide targeted performance support drive up productivity, innovation, and long-term growth. With over 20 years of experience advising Fortune 100 companies and public sector leaders, Dr. Brown shares actionable strategies your ERG can use to drive equity and optimize your organization's operational efficiency. So, if you're ready to transform your business into a competitive engine through the improvement of its equity, this episode is for you!
How do you prove your ERG’s value in business terms? In this episode of the ERG PowerTalk Podcast, host Joe Santana speaks with Dr. Eric Sandosham, business analytics expert and co-founder of Red & White Consulting Partners LLP, about measuring and demonstrating ERG impact. With experience leading Citi’s analytics team across 14 countries, Dr. Sandosham shares data-driven strategies to quantify ERG contributions, align with company goals, and secure executive buy-in. Don't miss this conversation if you want to turn ERG success into measurable business outcomes!
Can your ERG supercharge your company's outreach to top talent from your community and increase the power of its visibility within your organization? In this episode of the ERG PowerTalk Podcast, host Joe Santana speaks with Jimmy Hall, Co-Founder and COO of CultureHQ, about how ERGs can harness the power of video to amplify their external and internal impact. With experience helping companies like Microsoft, Verizon, and Comcast showcase their culture, Jimmy shares proven strategies for using video storytelling to engage employees, attract executive support, and elevate ERG visibility. Tune in to learn how authentic, employee-driven content can transform your ERG’s influence and make your mission impossible to ignore!
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be powerful engines of innovation, driving business transformation beyond advocacy. In this episode of the ERG PowerTalk Podcast, host Joe Santana sits down with Dr. Soren Kaplan—Wall Street Journal bestselling author, innovation strategist, and executive consultant—to explore how ERGs can foster creativity, influence company strategy, and create meaningful change. Drawing from his experience advising Fortune 1000 companies like Disney, Visa, and Cisco, Dr. Kaplan shares actionable strategies for leveraging innovation principles, Experiential Intelligence (XQ), and real-world examples to turn ERGs into strategic business assets. Don’t miss this insightful conversation—listen now and learn how to amplify your ERG’s impact!
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, we explore how to support and leverage neurodiversity. Our guest, Shea Hunter Belsky, is the Chief Technology Officer at Mantra and a dedicated advocate for neurodiversity who brings unparalleled expertise on the topic of neurodivergence to this insightful conversation.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, we delve into the work of public employer data platforms, like Glassdoor, and how your ERG can use these to improve your company's employer brand. Our guest, Dr Islam, is a seasoned expert in data analytics and organizational development. He is co-founder and VP of Consulting at Talent Metrics and brings over 15 years of experience in data analytics, training, and organizational development.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, we explore the themes of resilience and renewal with Jimi Okubanjo, an accomplished filmmaker, TEDx speaker, and resilience storyteller. Tune in to ERG PowerTalk and ignite your spirit of transformation today!
In the episode of ERG PowerTalk, the focus is on recognizing the often-overlooked impact of motherhood in shaping leadership skills. Valerie Cockerell, a prominent advocate in this space, challenges traditional notions by highlighting how motherhood enhances emotional intelligence and leadership capabilities in mothers and their children.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, we delve into the art of debating and how it empowers us as change agents within our organizations. Our guest, K. M. DiColandrea, renowned as Malcolm Gladwell’s debate coach, shares practical strategies for honing your debating skills and effecting positive change. Tune in to learn how to navigate complex dynamics and champion important causes effectively!
As an ERG leader, navigating opposition from the anti-woke crowd is essential to ensure the success of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Join us in this episode of ERG PowerTalk, where Jim Morris, the author of the anti-anti-woke field guide, provides insights and strategies to equip you with the knowledge and communication skills necessary to counter misconceptions and uphold the values of inclusivity in the face of opposition. Be prepared to defend and strengthen ERG initiatives in today's socio-political landscape.
In our fast-paced professional world, making connections is not just a skill but a survival strategy. Networking is the key to unlocking opportunities, gaining valuable insights, and fostering career growth. Join us in this episode of ERG PowerTalk as we delve into the art of networking with master networker Vern Schellenger, exploring the latest secrets to enhance your networking game for both personal and professional advancement.
In the opening episode of season 6 of ERG PowerTalk, we delve into the pivotal role ERG leaders play in steering companies toward true inclusion, especially in our rapidly evolving and diverse world. Laura Liswood, an advisor to world leaders, provides invaluable insights into what local leaders truly need from ERGs to navigate the complexities of fostering equity and inclusion in their organizations.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, Ben Brooks, CEO of a company that democratizes coaching, shows you why you need coaching and how you can secure it for yourself and your members.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, executive coach Karen Brown shares the secrets you can use to continuously build increasingly better, happier, and more successful versions of you.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, Dr. Jacqueline Kerr shares her insights and research on how you can avoid and fight burnout.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, international culture expert Lui Lui will explain how to build bridges beyond your community to expand your ERG's impact across your organization.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, Anna Garcia will take about her proven strategies for getting what you want for yourself and your ERG.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, self-proclaimed racist in recovery, Daniel Balmer, shares his insights and strategies for addressing racism in your workplace.
Deborah Levine is a leading expert in diversity and inclusion, with over three decades of experience working with organizations to create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. In this episode, she shares her insights on how resource groups can help bridge the gap between divided communities and create a more harmonious and productive workforce.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, Tonya Mckenzie, a Los Angeles County Commissioner and experienced leadership professional – shares her insights into the power of storytelling.
In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, Steve Garguilo, CEO & Founder of Cultivate, shares his insights and experience in building and maintaining strong ERG communities.
In this episode, I interview Jamar Jones, a hip-hop artist, speaker, author, and owner of Foureva Media. Jamar has enjoyed quite a journey to success which he attributes to changing his circle and changing his life. In this discussion, we will cover some of the insightful ideas in his book Change Your Circle and Change Your Life and how you can leverage your ERG to put them to work for you.
In this episode, I interview ESG expert Andy Behar, CEO of As You Sow. Learn how you and your community can make an impact in your company and beyond by leveraging your power as a stakeholder in our economy.
In this episode, CDO and author Jason R. Thompson shares his advice on how to avoid chasing impossible goals and how to make sure you set yourself and your team up for success.
Are you holding yourself back from reaching more significant levels of achievement? Check out this week's ERG PowerTalk with my guest hypnotherapist Luke Chao. He is an instructor and Director of The Morpheus Clinic for Hypnosis. He considers the core of his work to be helping others update their frames of thinking. Learn how to update your mind and leverage your ERG for greater success.
Organizations are not gender neutral. They are not race or ethnicity or orientation neutral either. Find out why this is true and how you and your ERG can stop these preference biases and correct them. Join me and my guest Yael Nevo an award-winning Gender Consultant and Founding Director of Gender Rise.
Can your ERG help your organization to become more people-friendly? Despite all the rhetoric about people first, most organizations are focused on profits. Unfortunately, without engaged people profits often fail to grow. Join me and my guest, Ervin (Earl) Cobb, Leadership and Business Management Consultant, Speaker, and Bestselling Author, to learn how you can help turn your company into an engaging people magnet.
Can your ERG help your organization to develop and display more inclusive mental health practices? Join me and my Amsterdam-based guest Vivian Acquah, DEI Coach, Consultant & Strategist, Inclusive Workplace Wellness Advocate, Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, and Trainer, to find out how.
According to our guest for this episode of ERG PowerTalk, inclusion is a set of habits. So how can your ERG help you create more inclusive habits in yourself and others? Join me and my guest Maureen “Mo” Berkner Boyt, Founder & CEO of The Moxie Exchange & Everyday Inclusion | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, to find out.
The world of work has gone through a complete upheaval. The result has been an unprecedented number of resignations. In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, our guests Lisen Stromberg and Corey Jones of PrismWork discuss how ERGs can help their companies weather the storm and thrive.
Most people can easily spot a polished diamond, but very few can find a diamond in the rough in a pile of stones. Likewise, when most organizations invest in talent, they are investing in already polished diamonds while letting savvier companies whisk away all their unpolished talent. Find out how to recognize and nourish all the talent in your ERGs in this episode of ERG PowerTalk with my guest LaPora Lindsey.
No one succeeds in their hero's journey all by themselves. In this episode of ERG PowerTalk find out how you can secure those precious guides and sages we all need to win! Join my guest author Michael Dumlao and me for an insightful look at the treasures hidden in plain sight all around you.
Equity is a word that is often used but rarely understood. What does it mean, and how is it the only means to truly create a world where inclusion works for everyone? Here are some clues: Equity is not a feeling or giving someone an advantage over others to make up for some structural deficit. So what is it? To get that answer and more, join my guest author Minal Bopaiah and me for this insight-pact episode of ERG PowerTalk.
Are you an ERG-aholic? That's right, an ERG-aholic. That's my name for the ERG multitasker that seems always to be running in circles, spinning their wheels fast, and not getting too far. You know it's true: ERG multitaskers work themselves to death and often achieve little rewards, and they are seldom appreciated for their efforts. ERG multi-achievers, however, do less and yet achieve much more. How do they do that? Join me and my guest author Lynn Yap in this episode of ERG PowerTalk to find out.
To pay and how to pay ERG leaders? Those are the two questions many companies are asking today? So, what are the facts? What are other companies doing? What are the general trends? Join me and my guest Jes Osrow of the Rise Journey and get some fact-based answers.
How valuable is your ERG to your CEO? How valuable can it be to your CEO? Want to find out? Join me and my guest, Catherine A. Jacobson, President and CEO of Froedtert Health, in this episode of ERG PowerTalk. Learn about the source of your ERGs true power in the eyes of your CEO and how to leverage it.
In this episode, Author, Entrepreneur, and Social Justice Champion Howard Ross shows you how to build inclusive ERG/BRG communities. Communities that fully satisfy our need to be with others like us, without creating an exclusive tribe that keeps us away from enriching diversity.
In this episode, trusted CEO adviser and NYT Bestselling Author Bob Rosen, shows us how to build the internal psychological foundation we need to become a successful 21st-century leader.
In this episode, Joseph Kwon, a Udemy instructor known as the Connection Counselor teaches you how to leverage your role as a resource group leader to practice and develop the executive presence that will propel you into higher leadership roles.
In this episode, Kelly Newman, Lead Facilitator for BlueEQ, teaches you how to be a better more engaging resource group leader and get more out of your life by increasing your emotional intelligence.
In this episode, Amin Venjara an ADP expert on AI discusses what you and your ERGs can do to keep biases from sneaking into your company through your artificial intelligence tools.
In this episode, Historian, Actor, Businessman, and Speaker Sylvester Boyd, shares hidden element of history and how we can leverage true history to remove barriers to the corporate ivory tower.
In this episode, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and President of The Relationship Center, Kim Olver, will teach you how to win the hearts and minds of people in your company toward inclusion by leveraging Choice Theory.
In this episode, Dez Thornton, a past President of the Georgia Chapter of the National Speakers Association and a current board member who trains and coaches CEOs, will teach you how to be a more powerful speaker even if you have little time to prepare and practice.
In this episode, bestselling author and organizational development consultancy CEO Moe Carrick talks about why ERGs need to bring everyone on the inclusion journey and how to do it.
In this episode, Julie Kantor, President & CEO of Twomentor will show you how to turn your ERG into a mentorship engine that propels your career and the career of all you members.
In this episode, Adam Shapiro, President of SalesReformSchool will teach you how to turn membership in your ERG which people need into the burning want that will have them signing up.
In this episode, Medical Doctor and peak performance expert Dr. Tharaka Gunarathne (Dr. T), shares his techniques for increasing your performance energy and focus.
ERGs need to be attractive and engaging in order to thrive and grow. In this episode, you will hear two group Chairs, Monifa D. Drayton from Atrium Health and Lynn Pellerano from MassMutual sharing the secrets that have helped them grow robust and highly engaged groups.
In this episode, we will talk with a management practice expert on the advice she gives leaders and department managers, which is also of equal value to informal managers like ERG leaders.
Companies spend billions of dollars a year on unconscious bias training programs in an effort to create greater workplace inclusion. In this episode find out how you and your ERG can provide a vital element of support toward success to these efforts.
ERGs and Learning and Development professionals have a lot to gain by forming mutually respectful and beneficial partnerships. In this episode, we will explore the specific ways of forming and sustaining these partnerships effectively with my three guests: Theo Bowling a diversity manager at Lowes Corporation, Kee Meng Yeo Adjunct Professor at Grand Valley State… Read more
ERGs and Supplier Diversity efforts have a great deal to gain by partnering. In this episode, we will explore the functions and needs of the supplier diversity manager in a corporation and how ERGs and their leader can benefit by supporting them.
In the last couple of years, many organizations have had to pay to retrofit physical space that was built without consideration of people with different ranges of physical, intellectual. developmental and sensory abilities. As technologies that will one day make working from home easier than ever are developed, we need to “bake-in” those considerations, instead… Read more
There is a huge opportunity for you to lead your company to a new level of inclusion and flexibility by starting with your ERG. In this episode learn from Dr. Inga Carboni of the College of William and Mary, Christian Baldia Constellation SAS CEO and Brian Vigeant CEO of CultureHQ how to apply the relatively… Read more
Have you ever felt that you needed something to spark your passion and get you up and moving forward? So did my guest in this episode of ERG PowerTalk. Simone Morris, who once found herself less than enthusiastic about her career,is currently the highly energized and dynamic CEO of her own company, Simone Morris Enterprises… Read more
Would you like to know how to leverage your ERG to acquire the 7 skills that can put you on your companies radar? Then join me and my guest Stephen Krempl, executive and expert on making yourself stand out in this episode of ERG PowerTalk. And learn how to stop being invisible. After my interview with… Read more
Since 2015 companies have been futilely spending about $721 million dollars per year and climbing towards $1.5 billion to achieve greater employee engagement. All of this investment, in the hopes that this will increase employee productivity. However, new research shows that there is another ingredient in addition to engagement that’s needed to spark this productivity and its one… Read more
Imagine you’re caught in the middle of a budget cuts and you’re asked “so what value does your ERG bring to the company?” The fact is that you are very likely bringing more value than you think, but if you can’t prove it you’re out of luck. Before that happens to you, join me and… Read more
If you are looking for more ways to keep your ERGs and other diversity groups going while respecting social distancing, this episode will give more then a dozen ways to do it. Join host, Joe Santana, and his panel, Shary Tran of Froedtert Health & Medical College of Wisconsin, Erica Fletcher of Avanade, and UK… Read more
An interview on the benefits and ways of engaging middle managers in D&I and ERG efforts with Andres Gonzalez of Froedtert Health, Rosanna Durruthy of LinkedIn and Dan Lester of Clayco.
An interview on the power and benefits of being a good steward of ERG resources and what it takes to succeed with Charlie Moore of Froedtert Health, Denise Reed Lamoreaux of Atos, Theresa Welbourne of eePulse and Neddy Perez of McCormick.
An interview on the benefits and ways employee network leaders can expand their national and global reach with Paul Martin of SONY Pictures Entertainment, Erica Fletcher of Avanade and Dwight Roache of Atrium Health
An interview on the power and benefits of partnerships between employee networks with Peggy Harris of Atrium Health, Dr. Benjamin F. Simmons of Atrium Health and Cheryl Kern of Lockheed Martin.
An interview with Arlene Cash from Atrium Health, followed by a panel discussion with Jewell P. Carr MD and Elaine Kressin from Manpower.
An interview with Jamie Schounard from Froedtert Health, followed by a panel discussion with Calvin Hung of Atrium Health and Marisa Chambers from Structure Tone.
An interview with Aaron Harper of Atrium Health, followed by a panel discussion with Diana Gueitsd from The Cleveland Clinic and Vanessa Nazario from RWJ Barnabas Health Hospital.
A how-to discussion with guests, Shary Tran of Froedtert Health, Nisha Pasupuleti of Atrium Health and Orly Lynn former US Head of Diversity and Inclusion at HSBC.
A discussion with guests: author Simon Morris, Theo Bowling of LPL Financial, David Casey currently with CVS and formally with Anthem and Tracie Taylor from Atrium Health.
Interview with Andres Gonzalez, Froedtert Health and Wisconsin Medical Center Vice President and CDO