Race at Work with Porter Braswell: Recent Episodes
Diversity Explained / Porter Braswell
Race is a topic many of us struggle to talk about at work, yet it shapes so many of our career experiences and outcomes. But host Porter Braswell (Jopwell) is on a mission to create a safe space to share those stories – and learn from them. Hear leaders from business and government trace their personal journeys with race, equity, and inclusion. And learn from their mistakes and their triumphs.
The views expressed on this podcast are those of its hosts, guests, and callers.
After hosting Race at Work for its first three seasons, Porter Braswell, Founder and CEO of 2045 Studio, sits down as a guest on the podcast for the first time and shares how he began Race at Work back in 2020.
Porter also talks with Channa about early experiences from his career in finance that led him to discover his passion for uplifting professionals of color.
He then discusses his latest company, 2045 Studio, an organization that helps companies retain and promote their professionals of color by working with them to build inclusive workplace cultures.
Janine Ting Jansen, Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Lead at Organon talks about her 20-plus-years working in DEI, and shares how the field has changed over the past two decades.
Then, she discusses her background as a Mexican and Chinese American, first-generation college graduate, and native New Yorker, and shares how her identity and experiences have influenced the way she navigates corporate America.
Janine also gives advice to company leaders who want to support their diverse employees and explores why representation matters, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry.
Two Partners from True Search, Keri Gavin and Gina Barge, sit down with Channa to discuss the importance and implications of diversity in executive recruiting.
Keri starts off the episode by talking about the importance of investing in underrepresented talent and shares why companies need to be intentional when it comes to building inclusive organizations.
Next, Gina shares how the executive recruitment industry has evolved over the past 20 years when it comes to the sourcing and supporting of diverse talent.
Bertrand Kimper, Global Head of DEI at Kenvue, sits down with Channa to talk about how DEI practices are shifting as society evolves.
He discusses his experiences working and living in different countries, and explores how and why inclusive work cultures provide companies with distinct advantages, no matter where they're located in the world.
Bertrand also explains about the strategic pillars that guide his work at Kenvue and shares his hopes for the future of DEI at work.
While many are concerned about recent developments in artificial intelligence, Doug Melville, CEO of JODIE AI, talks with Channa about how his company is using the power of AI to create inclusive leaders who are prepared to navigate the complexities of today's changing workforce.
Doug also reflects on his journey as a Chief Diversity Officer, and shares what he learned throughout his professional journey as he explored different roles and cultures.
Camilo Becdach, a partner at McKinsey and Company, sits down with Channa to talk about the importance of mentorship and supportive networks for diverse professionals who are at the beginning of their professional journeys.
Camilo discusses his research exploring the underrepresentation of Latinos in Hollywood, both on-screen and in executive roles.
He also explains why it’s crucial for the film and television industry to take a data-driven approach, meet audiences where they are, and tell authentic stories.
Floss Aggrey, Randstad North America’s Chief Equity Diversity & Inclusion Officer, speaks with Channa about the importance of creating organizational cultures in which employees feel like they belong. Floss also shares the actions companies need to take in order to promote fairness and correct historical inequities in the workplace.
Later, she and Channa discuss the true meanings of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Floss emphasizes that the intent of DEI programs is not to exclude others, but to rectify imbalances and create workplaces where all employees can thrive.
Samira Ansari, Chief Creative Director at Ogilvy New York, talks about the changes she’s seen in the creative industry over the past 25 years when it comes to DEI.
Channa and Samira discuss how brands’ DEI efforts need to authentically represent culture when it comes to casting and hiring in order to be truly meaningful.
Samira also shares how diversity in creative agencies is vital for making campaigns that resonate with today's audiences.
Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer at Comcast Cable, sits down with Channa to discuss the importance of leaders who actively set their employees up for success.
Loren reflects on her experience as the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer at Comcast Cable and shares how her role has impacted the company over the past few years.
She also explores how her career in DEI and HR was shaped by challenges she witnessed her father face as the only Black police officer in her hometown.
Singleton Beato, Global Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at McCann Worldgroup, sits down for a candid conversation with Channa to discuss how corporate America’s perspective on DEI has evolved. Singleton and Channa also reflect on the challenges and progress they experienced in 2020 as Black women and DEI leaders. Singleton explains why discussions about race at work are so important, despite some leaders and organizations shifting away from these dialogues. She also shares strategies for integrating equity and inclusion into every step of the creative process.
Trisch Smith, Edelman’s Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, sits down with Channa to discuss the current DEI climate and how worrisome it is to see DEI funding diminishing across the globe. Trisch also shares her opinion on the current state of DEI efforts in corporate America and explains how systemic inequalities mean the goals set out by some organizations don’t have the infrastructure to be achieved.
2045 Studio is proud to present Season Four of Race at Work. Join us this season as host Channa Green and our guests examine the state of corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in what’s turning out to be its most controversial year since 2020. Tune in to learn from leaders at Fortune 500 companies who will inspire you to become a more inclusive leader at your organization. New episodes are available every Wednesday. 2045 Studio helps companies ensure their employees of color are seen, heard, and valued. Learn more at 2045studio.com.
Pfizer’s Chief Global Supply Officer and Executive Vice President Mike McDemott sits down with our new host, Channa Green, to discuss how leaders can become active and supportive when it comes to having conversations about race and inclusion at work. As you’ll hear Mike explain, it takes courage, practice, and persistence. Mike also explains why, despite a bumpy year for DEI in corporate America, he’ll continue to focus on promoting inclusion — not just for his employees, but for patients around the world. Race At Work is produced by 2045 Studio.
In the final episode of Race At Work Season 3, Porter chats with Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Managing Director & Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at BlackRock. They discuss the costly mistakes companies make when it comes to retaining employees of color and the milestones that indicate successful DEI initiatives.
BlackRock recently released its impact report and launched a 1 billion dollar fund to invest in businesses and projects owned, led by, or serving people of color. Michelle is also an author. Her most recent book, out now, is titled “Driven by Intention: Own Your Purpose, Gain Power, and Pursue Your Passion as a Woman at Work.”
In this episode, Porter chats with Deb Liu, CEO of Ancestry. They talk about why diverse teams in tech build better products - from design all the way through the review process, it all matters. And when it comes to talking about race at work, Deb thinks pretending it doesn’t affect the workplace only alienates your employees. Deb’s book “Take Back Your Power” is all about lessons from tech, leadership, and motherhood. It will be out Fall 2022.
In this episode, Porter chats with Tom Naratil, Co-President Global Wealth Management and President Americas at UBS. They discuss why for leaders, it’s not enough to just be supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion at your company, but you must be committed. Tom also talks about why empathy is an important skill for a leader to develop - he believes the more you work at it, the better you get.
In this episode, Porter chats with Erika Irish Brown, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Global Head of Talent at Citi. They discuss the elements needed for a DEI leader to thrive - like support from the top and having the human capital as well as budget resources - and how data can help stakeholders understand why DEI isn’t a “nice to have”, but an important business case.
In this episode, Porter chats with Jason Mayden, CEO of Trillicon Valley, a modern design collective. They discuss the record-setting projects he worked on at Nike, why he left a dream job to build Superheroic, and why the impact he aims to have with Trillicon is meant to be multigenerational. Jason’s forthcoming book “A Kids Book About Design” comes out this May.
This episode is the second and final part of Porter's conversation with Ryan Williams, co-founder of Jopwell. They share personal stories from the Jopwell journey, like a rejection from TechStars that led to a yes from Y Combinator, what it means to be Black founders in the tech space and the challenges they face when it comes to leading a diverse company.
This episode is part one of Porter's chat with Ryan Williams, co-founder of Jopwell. They talk about the origin story of how they met, what it was like working in finance as young Black men, and how their professional experiences led them to believe Jopwell was a much-needed platform.
In this episode, Porter chats with David Stiepleman, Co-President, and Co-Founder of the global investment firm Sixth Street. They talk about the reasons for the lack of funding for diverse founders. They also discuss why Sixth Street’s summer fellowship program is critical in their approach to diversifying their internal team and the private capital industry more broadly. Porter and David also discuss why it’s the responsibility of both the company and the broader industry to create spaces for employees to talk about race at work.
In this episode, Porter chats with Kwasi Mitchell, Chief Purpose Officer at Deloitte. They discuss why Kwasi’s role is crucial in creating frameworks for organizational purpose, which is the greater mission that helps companies Deloitte serves and its employees find purpose in their daily work. They also talk about creating pathways of success for employees and why it’s a passion for Kwasi.
In this episode, Porter speaks with Dr. Paula A. Johnson, the 14th President of Wellesley College. They talk about how classrooms need to be set up for discussions when it comes to highly charged topics amongst a diverse student body, why simple changes to job description wording can improve corporate recruitment on campus, and how COVID showed that living on campus is an equalizer for students. As a physician-scientist, Paula made a significant impact through her clinical and research work. Before joining Wellesley in 2016, she was a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard.
In this episode, Porter chats with Kim Davis, Senior Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs at the National Hockey League. They discuss the life-changing impact a sponsor made on Kim’s career and why the Rooney Rule - a policy started in 2003 by the NFL that requires teams to interview candidates of color for leadership roles - isn’t implemented in the NHL. Kim starts the show by recounting some of the overt racism she experienced early in her career.
To kick off season 3 of Race at Work, Porter chats with Jacqueline Welch, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at the New York Times about why representation matters at all levels of an organization. Jaqueline is the second Black woman to be on the New York Times masthead. They also discuss the 1619 project –– a long-form journalism initiative by the Times paper and magazine that reframes the history of slavery and contributions made by Black Americans. They get into the project's impact and how it's leveraged internally to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.
This is the second part of a two-part series exploring critical race theory (CRT) and its influence on diversity and inclusion efforts in workplaces and classrooms. Laura E. Gómez, a law professor at UCLA, teaches in the school’s Critical Race Studies Program, which uses CRT to explore how legal and other systems intersect with race in the U.S. In the final episode of Season 2, she tells host Porter Braswell that racism isn’t about individual prejudice, but rather about the messages our larger society gives us about our identities.
This is part one of a two-part series exploring critical race theory (CRT) and its influence on diversity and inclusion efforts in workplaces and classrooms.
Julia Carrie Wong is a senior reporter for The Guardian, and she’s been covering the ongoing debate around CRT in schools and federal employee trainings. CRT is an academic discipline that teaches that racism is deeply embedded into U.S. legal and political systems.
Wong talks with host Porter Braswell about what CRT is, efforts to ban CRT from classrooms, and why some institutions are resistant to making CRT a standard educational tool.
Don and Liz Thompson are leaders in their respective industries. Don had a long career rising through the ranks of McDonald’s, eventually becoming the company’s first Black CEO. Meanwhile his wife Liz Thompson was a rising executive in education and nonprofits – like City Year Chicago, where she was the founding executive director.
Throughout their careers, the Thompsons kept their community in mind. In 2014, they started the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education (The CAFE), an organization focused on college access and career attainment for the Black community.
They talk to host Porter Braswell about being intentional with their work, in order to build economic equity in the Black community whenever they had the opportunity. They also discuss breaking racial barriers while climbing to the top of corporate America.
Imagine a world in which Black business owners achieved economic parity, receiving the same funding as other founders. That, alone, would create 615,000 new Black-led workplaces, according to a new report from the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility.
That report examines the racial gaps that exist across the U.S. economy. Shelley Stewart III leads McKinsey’s research on Black economic mobility in the United States and is also a partner with McKinsey’s Private Equity & Principal Investors Practice. Stewart speaks with host Porter Braswell about some of the barriers Black Americans face in the U.S. economy, as workers, business owners, and consumers. They also explore how addressing representational imbalances could create greater economic equity.
Anne Chow is the first woman of color to be the CEO in AT&T’s history. She’s been with the company for over 30 years and throughout her career, she’s made it a point to have difficult conversations about race, equity, and inclusion at work.
She tells host Porter Braswell that unconscious bias is at the root of a lot of these race-related issues. They also discuss how she’s working to create a safe workplace for employees of color through leading internal dialogues and holding leaders accountable.
Stephen Satterfield is a food writer and the founder of Whetstone Magazine, the only Black-owned, print-based food publication in the U.S. He’s also the host of the hit new Netflix show, “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.”
Satterfield talks about the power of sharing Black narratives and the importance of understanding the origins of food and culture. He also tells host Porter Braswell why it was important to have an all-Black production crew, so that these stories could be told with the care and attention they deserve.
How should organizations support employees who experience racist incidents in their personal lives and how can those kinds of experiences affect their work?
In December 2020, jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold and his teenage son, who are Black, were attacked by a white woman who falsely accused Harrold’s son of stealing her smartphone. Captured on video, the incident made worldwide headlines as an example of racial profiling.
Harrold tells host Porter Braswell about the response he received from the music industry and how that incident has changed his career.
In every workplace there are leaders who can hold management accountable and speak to injustices happening inside – and outside – of their workplace. Even in industries dominated by people of color, like the NBA, there can still be issues of representation in management.
CJ McCollum plays for the Portland Trail Blazers and serves as the vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, which is the NBA’s player union. He talks to host Porter Braswell about how management can be supportive of race-related issues happening inside and outside of the workplace, as well as how he holds his team’s and the NBA’s leadership accountable on and off the court.
The advertising industry has come a long way from its former “Mad Men” era. But like many others, the industry is still coming to terms with its historic lack of diversity – especially among executives.
Carla Hendra, Ogilvy’s global CEO of growth and innovation, talks to host Porter Braswell about her experiences with power and privilege during her decades-long career in the advertising industry – and how those dynamics affect representation within the industry.
George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer sparked racial reckonings in many industries and workplaces.
Napheesa Collier, forward for the Minnesota Lynx, has been outspoken about police brutality and racism throughout her basketball career. She joins host Porter Braswell to discuss how her team and the WNBA have been using their platforms to fight for social justice.
The relationship between communities of color and the cannabis industry has historically been strained. But as more states move to legalize cannabis, the industry is increasingly facing its painful past.
Lanett Austin, director of Talent Management and Diversity at Curaleaf – the largest cannabis operator in the U.S. – joins host Porter Braswell to discuss the racial disparities in the cannabis industry and what a more equitable and inclusive future would mean.
Conversations about race can be hard to navigate – especially at work. That’s why we reached out to Devon Lee, a scholar-activist with a background in sociology; he’s also the director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs at Jopwell. He joins host Porter Braswell to answer some “uncomfortable” questions about race at work and lay the foundation for the show’s new season.
It’s rare for Fortune 500 CEOs to be publicly vocal about social justice issues. However, for Delta CEO Ed Bastian, speaking out and taking action have been part of his journey to become an inclusive leader.
He joins host Porter Braswell to discuss how CEOs and senior leaders can lead change in their companies to address internal and external racial justice issues.
What does it mean to be a consumer in America? Does race correlate to the type of service and treatment a customer receives in a store?
Deborah Yeh, Sephora’s Chief Marketing Officer, joins host Porter Braswell to discuss unconscious bias in retail and marketing, as well as how it affects customers and their relationship with brands. Previously, Yeh held marketing leadership roles at GAP and Target.
Charles Mah, chief evangelist at talent cloud company iCIMS, has more than 15 years of leadership experience in talent management at tech companies, such as Workday, SAP, and Databricks.
He joins host Porter Braswell to discuss the problems with traditional recruiting pipelines and how tech companies can improve their diversity recruiting. Mah also shares his own experiences building a career in the tech industry, as a talent leader with a non-traditional background.
What’s the difference between unconscious bias and a microaggression? How is diversity actually defined? And what’s problematic about using the term “minority”?
Doug Melville, VP, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Richemont North America, joins host Porter Braswell to answer questions about diversity, equity, and inclusion that can be awkward to ask at work. They define the terms we hear so often, address common misconceptions, and share their personal experiences with race at work.
Edith Cooper is the first Black woman to become a partner at Goldman Sachs. But she says she might have walked away from her finance career without the support of key mentors, who recognized her leadership potential.
She joins host Porter Braswell to talk about the role race plays at work, employee retention strategies, and the importance of having sponsors for one’s career.
Cooper led Goldman’s Human Capital Management division for a decade. She’s currently on the board of directors for Slack, Etsy, and Grain Management. Additionally, she’s the co-founder of a new professional development startup, called Medley.
Until 1961, women and people of color were barred from joining the Professional Golfers’ Association of America by the “Caucasian-only clause” in its bylaws. That limited who could work in the golf industry because the PGA of America is a trade organization for professionals who work in the business of golf at courses and clubs around the U.S.
Now, Sandy Cross, the Chief People Officer of the PGA of America, is working to build a more inclusive and equitable culture at the organization’s corporate level. Additionally, she’s leading conversations to educate golf’s frontline professionals on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
She joins host Porter Braswell to explain why she leads with inclusion when building more diverse cultures, the important role of language, and how the PGA of America is addressing past discrimination in golf.
Two days after the murder of George Floyd, Cisco held a virtual all-hands meeting on race for 30,000 employees. But that conversation was marred by racist comments posted by a handful of Cisco employees.
Fran Katsoudas, Cisco’s Chief People Officer, joins host Porter Braswell to discuss how she addressed this incident and held people accountable for their actions. She also explains how Cisco engages with race in a global context and shares her experiences as a Latina climbing the corporate ladder.
When U.S. Congressman Antonio Delgado was running for Congress in 2018, his race made national headlines after attack ads portrayed him as an outsider and a threat. A New York Times article from the election noted: “He’s a Rhodes Scholar. The GOP Keeps Calling Him a ‘Big-City Rapper.’” The congressman, who is Black, is the first person of color to represent his rural district in upstate New York, where the population is almost 90 percent white.
He joins host Porter Braswell to discuss the hidden obstacles he’s faced in his political and corporate career as a Black man operating in largely white spaces, how he engages with race in his work, and how he works across differences in Congress to find common ground.
Havas New York CEO Laura Maness is at the helm of one of the world’s most influential ad agencies. Earlier in her career, Laura focused on helping women rise in corporate America, and now, her perspective has widened to address the lack of representation of professionals from underrepresented communities in the ad industry.
She joins host Porter Braswell to discuss how having more representation is good for the ad industry, why breaking down systemic racism means looking at the language we use, and how to hold corporate leaders accountable for increasing racial representation at work.
ESPN host Jay Williams started covering basketball, after his legendary collegiate career at Duke and his short time playing for the Chicago Bulls. Lately that means he’s also covering race, as professional athletes speak out against racial injustice.
He joins host Porter Braswell to talk about the lack of racial representation in basketball leadership, what corporate America can learn from the NBA about reckoning with race at work, and how he approaches professional situations when he’s been the “only” in a room.
Donna Johnson pioneered the chief diversity officer (CDO) role at Mastercard a decade ago – long before CDO’s were en vogue. Until she retired in 2017, she led the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy. Donna focused on increasing employee engagement to retain diverse talent and drive business results.
She joins host Porter Braswell to talk about how to make long-term change to company culture, why she thinks we should talk about race at work, and when a company should hire a CDO.
WeWork grew from a scrappy co-working startup to a tech darling with more than 800 locations around the world, before their well-documented undoing in late 2019. Cofounder Miguel McKelvey helped build the first WeWork in New York City with his bare hands, and later became the company’s Chief Culture Officer.
McKelvey left WeWork in June 2020, a few months before taping this episode. When he looks back on his decade-long tenure there, he acknowledges that the blind spots he had, as a white male executive, affected WeWork’s diversity and inclusion right from the beginning.
He joins host Porter Braswell to talk about using his position as a business leader to speak up in support of Black Lives Matter, why so many start-ups struggle with diversity and inclusion, and what senior leaders can learn from what went wrong with WeWork’s culture.
New from the HBR Presents podcast network: a show about the role race plays in our careers and lives. Race is a topic many of us struggle to talk about at work, yet it shapes so many of our career experiences and outcomes. But host Porter Braswell (Jopwell) is on a mission to create a safe space to share those stories – and learn from them. Hear leaders from business and government trace their personal journeys with race, equity, and inclusion. And learn from their mistakes and their triumphs.
Join us this season for the candid conversations about race that we need to be having at work.