The Fearless Futures Podcast: Recent Episodes
Fearless Futures
We know inclusion and equity work is really hard. This podcast will take you through a deep analysis of core topics for individuals committed to designing equity into their ecosystems for their people and products. Hosted by FearlessFutures.org Founder, Hanna Naima McCloskey â a passionate and skilled facilitator and educator â Fearless Futures has served daring companies across sectors from the largest tech platforms in the world to small creative agencies. We believe in creating policies, practices, and cultures where people have their freedom, legitimacy, dignity, safety, and belonging. https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
In this special episode, Sable is joined by the other two members of the Fearless Futures Leadership Team, Sara Shahvisi, Chief Programmes Officer and Hanna Naima McCloskey, CEO and Founder.
In this 3-way conversation, they explore some of the issues front of mind as they lead Fearless Futures. If you’ve always wanted to see what’s going on behind the Fearless Futures curtain - tune in!
Taking risks and taking accountability in the pursuit of equity can be nerve wracking! How does one reconcile the two without losing momentum in the process?
In episode 11, Sable Lomax, our Chief Relationships Officer, is excited to engage in a deep dialogue with Jeremiah Chan, Head of Patents, Licensing and Open Source at Meta, about what it takes to take meaningful action for inclusion in spaces where we are most energised, and how to keep moving forward in the face of failures, setbacks and pressure.
Sable Lomax, our Chief Relationships Officer, is thrilled to be in conversation with Hasan, ABC at XYZ. This episode makes space to discuss the personal missteps, discomfort and courage it takes to look inwards before we start and while on the path to equity.
Many of us can relate to the uncertainty, trepidation and fear before taking action for equity, realities that are also shaped by our identities and positionality - this discussion will explore it all with honesty.
This isn’t to be missed!
In episode 9, Twanya Hood Hill from Tech Soft 3D and Fiona Mullan from Bloom and Wild join Sable Lomax, our Chief Relationships Officer, for an energising conversation on how HR and Talent connect to the equity and inclusion agenda.
How do HR and Talent teams lead from behind, with humility? How do we build accountability around our inclusion and equity ambitions for company leaders? How do we not fixate solely on recruitment when aiming to building equity across our organisation? Tune in to discuss all this, and more!
In episode 8, Joi Torres (she/her), Unity’s Senior Inclusion Program Manager, joins Sable Lomax (she/her), our Chief Relationships Officer, to examine the positives and negatives of representation when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion work.
Representation can make people feel seen and recognized, but can it be a powerful tool and simultaneously a limiting one for marginalised people? Who ultimately gets to be represented in workplaces, and to whose benefit? How does ‘identity politics’ and ‘elite capture’ play out in companies and in the mainstream?
Tune in to learn more about these, and more!
In episode 7, Ebele Okobi - a values-led, transformational leader and advocate - joins Sable Lomax, in conversation on all things ‘disrupting power’!
In this jam packed session, Ebele will tell us why there is no pipeline problem, how to build an ERG with purpose and power and how to push back on narratives that can take hold in companies like the quest for limitless free speech and the demand for political diversity. You’ll leave feeling ready for the challenges ahead and re-committed to the practice of courage.
Episode 6, brings Fearless Futures’ Chief Relationships Officer Sable Lomax together with Mark Watson Managing Director of International Agency Services at the Marketing Store Jonathan English, Managing Director of Skelton Productions.
They explore the almost oxymoronic relationship between structure and creativity, the quick wins that don’t always mean we’ve won when it comes to equity in our products, what to do about gimmicky social justice in so-called creative outputs and in light of all this - what we do when we make mistakes.
In episode 5, Fearless Futures’ Chief Relationships Officer Sable Lomax is joined by Megan Kollar Dwyer, Senior Director, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Zendesk. Megan shares the core steps to building a robust DEI team, the pitfalls and mistakes that can happen and how to avoid them; as well as practices to remain ambitious when engaging with leadership who might want an easier road than the one DEI leaders have set out for the company.
They also turn to institutional performative allyship - asking whether it can ever be avoided!
In this episode, Fearless Futures’ Chief Relationships Officer Sable Lomax is joined by the much loved ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, Christopher Miller, their Global Head of Activism Strategy.
In this episode they discuss why there can’t be a risk-free stand for justice, why the customer may not always be ‘right’ in the conventional sense when it comes to living out your company values, how the ‘Silence is Not an Option’ press release emerged, and the ways that Ben & Jerry’s incorporates its external radical communication into their day to day work as an ice-cream company - and much, much more.
In this episode, Fearless Futures’ Chief Relationships Officer Sable Lomax is joined by Zack Rubinstein who is the Director of Inclusion Learning at Expedia and Rachel Luff who is the Global Inclusion Learning and Strategy Lead at Expedia.
In this conversation, alongside exploring their internal education efforts for staff to build foundational literacy, they dive into the all-popular term ‘allyship’, including what it is and isn’t - as well as why self-proclaimed allies seem to get tired so quickly…
Sable, Zack and Gemma also discuss the implications of banning ‘political’ discussions at work, as well as the thorny flip side of what ‘free speech’ means in the workplace.
In this episode, Fearless Futures’ Chief Relationships Officer Sable Lomax is joined by Nancy Lengthorn, Global Chief Inclusion and Culture Officer at MediaCom. Together they discuss why the common refrain that senior leaders already “get it” when it comes to inclusion and equity is not the response we might hope it is.
They also explore that while a business case may be fashionable, taking a moral stand may be harder yet necessary and why diversity and inclusion teams who think that this work is about ‘making everyone happy’ might never reach their goal when doing this work effectively. Tune in for this and much more!
In our opening episode, Fearless Futures’ Chief Relationships Officer Sable Lomax is joined by Lauren Von Stackleberg, Chief Equity Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Tate & Lyle where they explore all things diversity and inclusion strategy. They look at the value and challenges of mainstream inclusion and equity tools, such as employee surveys and employee resource groups, as well as how to avoid the hyper-reactivity that emerges from D&I teams. Sable also asks: in the wake of the Black Lives Matter uprisings in 2020, Chief Diversity Officer roles have abounded - is that what’s needed and what, if anything, has changed? And finally, did white people ever read the books on all those reading lists?!
In the spirit of equity, the proceeds from ticket sales of this live video broadcast went to Black and Pink National, a US-based prison abolitionist organization offering programs and support for people impacted by incarceration and oppressive systems.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey discusses what ingredients we require in pursuit of equitable company ecosystems. She dives into the three elements that play an impactful role.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey explores fragility and the inverse, accountability. She dives right in with breaking down white fragility and offers a deeper exploration of the feelings behind fragility.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey shares insight on the power of representation and the potential pitfalls of relying on it when doing inclusion and equity work.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey talks about why people invest so heavily in the business case, the implications of doing so, and the dangers of relying on research.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey challenges unconscious bias and discusses the problem with using unconscious bias as the framework with which inclusion and equity work is done within companies.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey explores five words that are widely used in the inclusion and equity context in companies.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey digs in to uncover a shared definition and understanding of the term oppression as well as describing the ingredients for a system of oppression.
To learn more or get in touch visit us at Fearless Futures
You can access the transcript for this episode here.
This week Hanna continues with the Q&A answering the following listener question, "What about political diversity?" To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript -
Featured in the episode:
Hollywood Ten: https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/hollywood-ten
Harsha Walia interview on âThe Interceptâ: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/intercepted-with-jeremy-scahill/id1195206601?i=1000509519978
President Clinton state of the union from 1995: https://youtu.be/1IrDrBs13oA
Obama immigration spend: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/07/obama-immigration-enforcement/1815667/
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
This week Hanna continues with the Q&A answering the following listener question, "In my company, people often feel that they are being silenced when it comes to inclusion issues, they say there isn't space for debate. What do you make of that? Should there be more debate to bring people into the conversation?" To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript -
Featured in the episode:
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
This week Hanna answers two listener questions. Question one, "We speak a lot about the importance of dominant groups standing up for equity. Not leaving the work solely to groups that are persistently placed at the margins of society. Being in a dominant group though brings access, comfort and the very tangible benefits. So why question all of that? In your experience, what's the most effective way to start breaking this inertia?" Question two, "How do you engage with people who aren't ready?" To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://cleofearlessfutures.medium.com/fearless-futures-podcast-q-a-episode-1-dominant-groups-standing-up-for-equity-people-who-are-1d4c863ca417
Featured in the episode:
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey discusses what ingredients we require in pursuit of equitable company ecosystems. She dives into the three elements that play an impactful role. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-7-what-now-transcript-f02bee7385b5
Featured in the episode:
Craig Gilmore ("Fear of Analysis") - https://youtu.be/-FYWxTgG7fg
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey explores fragility and the inverse, accountability. She dives right in with breaking down white fragility and offers a deeper exploration of the feelings behind fragility. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-7-fragility-and-accountability-transcript-cdf3f55e9b17
Featured in the episode:
Robin DiAngelo's book White Fragility - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/566247/white-fragility-by-robin-diangelo/
Mia Mingus (Transformative and Disability justice advocate) - https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/about-2/
Lea and Stass of Spring Up - http://www.timetospringup.org/
Sarah Schulman (queer activist) - https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/sarah-schulman-conflict-is-not-abuse.html
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey shares insight on the power of representation and the potential pitfalls of relying on it when doing inclusion and equity work. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-5-relying-on-representation-192011449692
Featured in the episode:
Laverne Cox's documentary - http://www.disclosurethemovie.com/
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey talks about why people invest so heavily in the business case, the implications of doing so, and the dangers of relying on research. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-4-business-case-brigade-5ad0cf6ff776
Featured in the episode:
Hanna Naima McCloskey's Sifted article "Stop making the business case for diversity" - https://sifted.eu/articles/diversity-business-case/
Harvard Business Review article - https://hbr.org/2017/03/teams-solve-problems-faster-when-theyre-more-cognitively-diverse
British Slaveowners 1833 reparations - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/project/context/
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey challenges unconscious bias and discusses the problem with using unconscious bias as the framework with which inclusion and equity work is done within companies. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-3-unconscious-bias-transcript-b6a762cf1913
Featured in the episode:
The Guardian article "Unconscious bias: what is it and can it be eliminated?" - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/02/unconscious-bias-what-is-it-and-can-it-be-eliminated
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey explores five words that are widely used in the inclusion and equity context in companies. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-2-is-inclusion-the-goal-transcript-441fc654a38b
Featured in the episode:
Percentage of Black South Africans - https://www.statista.com/statistics/1116076/total-population-of-south-africa-by-population-group/
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
On this episode, host and Fearless Futures CEO, Hanna Naima McCloskey digs in to uncover a shared definition and understanding of the term oppression as well as describing the ingredients for a system of oppression. To learn more or get in touch with Fearless Futures visit https://www.fearlessfutures.org/
Transcript - https://medium.com/fearless-futures/fearless-futures-podcast-episode-1-what-is-a-system-of-oppression-transcript-cbc6e2d6ff5
Featured in the episode:
Disenfranchised African Americans of voting age - https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/6-million-lost-voters-state-level-estimates-felony-disenfranchisement-2016/
Fundamental Rights Agency Group - https://fra.europa.eu/en/data-and-maps/2020/lgbti-survey-data-explorer
Health guidelines for gender recognition - https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/05/27/new-health-guidelines-propel-transgender-rights
Transition-related healthcare during the pandemic - https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/COVID19%20_Impact%20LGBTI%20people.pdf
Hungary's state of emergency - https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/03/hungary-seeks-ban-legal-gender-recognition-transgender-people
Sweden's law on sterilization - https://reproductiverights.org/press-room/sweden-drops-law-forcing-sterilization-of-trans-people
Kimberlé Crenshaw (Black feminist legal scholar) - https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/20/18542843/intersectionality-conservatism-law-race-gender-discrimination
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/
Welcome to the world of Fearless Futures! The Fearless Futures podcast will take you through a deep analysis of core topics for individuals committed to designing equity into their ecosystems for their people and products.
Podcast production by https://www.mayziemedia.com/