Voices of Diversity: Recent Episodes
Host: Rocki Howard
The Voices of Diversity podcast is hosted by Rocki Howard.Our mission is to humanize diversity one story, one conversation at a time, to share the impact on those who identify as being underrepresented.Each episode of Voices of Diversity will bring you the stories and experiences of those who are part of the minority in corporate America.We believe that the interaction between all voices, minority, and majority can change the narrative of how the world communicates. By changing the narrative can you change the world
Voices of Diversity guest John Graham is the Co-Founder of Umi's Roots, author of Plantation Theory, and VP, Employer Brand, Diversity & Culture for Shaker Recruitment Marketing.
John leverages the powerful combination of his education, career, and lived experience to bravely articulate the challenges of black people in the world of work. Despite the provocative nature of his movement, his aim is to drive understanding and he hopes for a world where our children don't have to choose security over freedom. Join my conversation with John as the Voice of a Plantation Theorist.
Resources
John Graham LinkedIn
John Graham Instagram
John Graham Twitter
Plantation Theory
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks with guest Manjuri Sinha who is a keynote speaker and Global Head of Talent Acquisition for OLX group Inclusive leadership
Manjuri is the epitome of bold, brilliant, and badass. Her energy is boundless, her intelligence is endless and her willingness to call out conscious bias is badass. Manjuri gives us a master class in diversity as she talks to us today as a Voice of Global Citizen.
Resources
Manjuri Sinha Twitter
Manjuri Sinha LinkedIn
The Mentoring Club
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki howard speaks to guest Bob Athwal who is a Senior Talent Manager at Skyscanner where he focuses on Race Equity and Early Careers. He is also the CoFounder of the 1 Hour Project and The Student Job Coach.
Bob is the only person I know who is a soon to be PhD who could effectively use the movie Finding Nemo to illustrate the power of allyship. His transparency on his mother's illiteracy, his journey to authenticity and his passion to support students make this a great conversation as Bob speaks to us as the Voice of a First Generation PhD.
Resources
Bob Athwal LinkedIn
Bob Athwal Twitter
The One Hour Project Website
The One Hour Project Twitter
The One Hour Project Instagram
The Student Job Coach
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest Sandhna Chintoe who is a Managing Director International at Cammio.
Sandhna and I have a woman to woman chat about being young mothers, the constant compromises young women building a career face, and the resulting emotional tax.
Check out Sandhna's episode as she chats to us as a Voice of the Young, Gifted, and Hindu.
Resources
Sandhna Chintoe LinkedIn
Sandhna Chintoe Twitter
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest John Jackson who is an author and Director of Correctional Partnerships for Hustle 2.0.
John gives context to being a convicted criminal and serving 18 years in prison. He talks about his current hustle which allows him to passionately advocate for rehabilitation and healing people currently in prison. He helps us to better understand and humanize the journey of the formerly incarcerated as John speaks to us today as a Voice of a Returning Hustler.
Resources
Hustle 2.0 Website
John Jackson LinkedIn
John Jackson Instagram
Jobs for Humanity Website
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest Jacob Gray who is a passionate, charismatic leader and brand strategist.
He heads up business and brand strategy for L’Angolo Estate and he is the guy that keeps Chosen Family Wines running smoothly.
Jake joins us to talk about diversifying the wine industry and making a difference in the community through the One Barrel Challenge.
Jake is helping us to launch our new Diversity Resource Section as he talks to us as the Voice of a Chosen Family.
"In the world of work, I didn't see the bias until I had elevated myself from the circumstances. And I always looked at myself first, and what I could do to make the circumstance better things I always say in my training, and my speaking is sometimes you can't see the picture because you're in the frame."
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest Dwayne Bennett who is an author, coach, educator, speaker, and founder of the Black Careers Matter Success Society.
Wayne shares his "beautiful destruction". His journey from attorney, to being incarcerated to being a successful entrepreneur. He discusses his passionate desire for reprogramming the flawed, systemic career beliefs that are prevalent within the black community
Dwayne talks to us today as a Voice of a Formerly Incarcerated Successful Black Man.
"I think the for me the value is understanding why they're going through these motions and making DEI sustainable. So from a leadership standpoint, there's that. I think, also from an individual standpoint, it's just the understanding that you can also make a difference, right? I want people to understand that this is not something that you have to pass the buck and say: I need my manager to do or I need HR to do or I need my pastor to do. No, I need you, you, sir, you mam to take a look at yourself as well and see where do you contribute to this."
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks with guest Stacey Gordon who is a Diversity Strategist, Founder of Rework Work and author of Unbias: Addressing Unconscious Bias At Work.
Stacey speaks to us today about the collective power of women, the importance of all voices in the DEI narrative and gives us advice from her book as she talks to us today as a Voice of An Unbiased Diversity Strategist.
Voices of Diversity host speaks to guest Riham Satti who is an Oxford grad, TedX speaker, London School of Business Mentor, and Founder of Me Vitae.
Riham takes us from playing with Barbies and Legos to imposter syndrome, educates us on biases, and shares her hopes on how we can change the diversity landscape as she talks to us today as the Voice of a Female Founder of Color.
Resources
Riham Satti LinkedIn
Riham Satti Twitter
MeVitae LinkedIn
MeVitae Website
The Cyborg Brain: Riham Satti: TEDxOxford
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Rocki Howard
“Are we actually building genuine structural allyship that is I might lose? So me as a man if they say there was an extra tax on being a man or after November the 19th. When women work for free compared to men and the gender pay gap, I get double tax for that month. I need to be willing to look at people and say yes, please put that in place. Because that is what equity is. That's not what equality is.” Akbar Karenga
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest Akbar Karenga who is head of talent for Storyblock and the founder of people operations consulting firm Maarusi.
Not only is he a tenured talent acquisition professional, but he is also a committed mentor.
Akbar talks about how and where business is done, brings to life the differences between equality and equity and shares his passion for gender parity as he talks to us today as the Voice of A Feminist Black Man.
Resources
Storyblok Website
Storyblok LinkedIn
Akbar Karenga LinkedIn
Maarusi LinkedIn
Akbar Karenga Twitter
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Rocki Howard
"Coming out and closeting is, is I always say, not a one time deal. It is a part of being queer. There's a continuum between coming out and closeting, that we are always negotiating with everybody we meet every moment."
"Well, what's my place in the world? I'm, I'm this like, you know, Catholic, Italian American. Nebraskan who loves Egypt speaks decent Arabic, what help can I be in the world? What bridge can I become?"
Voices of Diversity guest Dominic Longo Ph.D is Founder and Managing Director of Flourishing Gays. Flourishing Gays is a consulting company where his flagship program is a leadership development program for highly accomplished men in the LGBTQ+ community.
His desire to be a bridge in the world is simple but the roads he has taken are complex and diverse. Stay tuned as Dominic talks to us as a Voice of a Flourishing Gay Man.
Resources
Flourishing Gays Website
Free Event - The Flourish
Flourishing Gays Instagram
Flourishing Gays Facebook
Flourishing Gays LinkedIn
Dominic's Email
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Rocki Howard
"Because I think when you're in the environment, of trying to move up the ladder, you're trying to progress and you're just going as fast as you can. Sometimes you don't see those challenges until you step back, and you reflect on it."
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest Marcus Sawyer who is a 15 year HR Tech veteran and Founder of EQ Community. A platform that is focused on empowering multicultural professionals with access to connections, careers, and community.
Marcus shares his story, as he reflects on his experiences, shares his three C's of diversity, and talks to us today as a Voice of A Multinational Black Man.
Resources
EQ Community
EQ Community LinkedIn
Marcus Sawyerr LinkedIn
Marcus Sawyerr Twitter
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Rocki Howard
Doctor Dave Caudel the Associate Director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation and is on the Advisory Board of Jobs for Humanity. Dave has both a Master's degree and Ph.D. in Physics.
In this episode, Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to Dave as he helps us understand the instead of getting help and support, individuals who are on the autism spectrum are often greeted with shame and aggression due to lack of understanding.
Dave said "It was easier for me to get my Ph.D. in Physics than to learn how to have a conversation with a stranger"
As a father of three and an autism advocate, stay tuned for an episode full of insights as Dave is a voice for invisible disabilities.
ResourcesThe Frist Center for Autism and Innovation
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Rocki Howard
Nisreen Hasib is the COO at Unbound.
With BA in Political Science from Yale and a JD from Northwestern after working on a case that went to the Supreme Court she made a career pivot to align with her need to have a wider impact.
In today's episode, Voices of Diversity host speaks to Nisreen as she shares several examples of the power of using your voice
The positive impact of her mom's voice in her formative years
- The confidence that comes from finding your own voice
- The damage that people of power and privilege can do with their voices
To quote Nisreen "No matter where you are in the world, you have power." Think of how you use your power as you listen to Nisreen share the multiple dimensions of her diversity and serve as the Voice of a Post 9/11 Muslim American Woman.
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Rocki Howard
In honor of Black History Month, The Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard is wrapping up our Black Leadership Series sponsored by SmartRecruiters by speaking with her colleague Dorian Stewart.
Dorian is SmartRecruiters' Head of Demand Generation
Dorian has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Communications Management and Technology and as an added bonus, Dorian speaks Korean!
Dorian is a mental health advocate who believes in the power of empathy
In this episode,
- Dorian shares how empathy from all sides, those in positions of power, those who are underrepresented and their allies can positively change the conversations about race .
- He talks about the responsibilities of allyship and calls on allies to "Personally invest time and energy in doing the work."
- He shares the energy it takes to show up in the world as a person who is underrepresented.
To quote Dorian:
"I don't get to chose when and where racism impacts my life, I don't get that opportunity, it affects me every day, whenever it wants to show up."
I am humbled and honored that Dorian Stewart is today’s empathetic voice of black leadership.
Our Sponsor
SmartRecruiters
FREE Diversity Hiring Toolkit
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Rocki Howard
I'm Rocki Howard and I'm not only your host, but I am proud to be Chief Diversity Officer at SmartRecruiters.
In honor of Black History Month, this is the third episode of our four part Black Leadership Series sponsored by SmartRecruiters. Today’s guest is my colleague, Frances Ibe.
Frances is SmartRecruiters' VP of Product Management.
She has a Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Design and Technology and an Executive MBA from the London School of Business.
Frances' story shows us the incredible things that happen when introverts share their voice.
In this episode, Frances talks about bucking cultural norms, dealing with and breaking stereotypes, the positive impact that recognition and allyship have had on her career and the sacrifices she has made to achieve success.
Frances says "the more diversified leadership can look like. the more we can show to our younger generations that there are lots of opportunities out there, and they can be whoever they want to be, and achieve whatever they want to be. And that's really important to me."
Inspiring others is an important goal for this podcast and that’s' why I am grateful to have Frances as a Voice of Black Leadership.
Our Sponsor
SmartRecruiters
FREE Diversity Hiring Toolkit
Connect with Us
Rocki Howard
I'm Rocki Howard and I'm not only your host, but I am proud to be Chief Diversity Officer at SmartRecruiters.
In honor of Black History Month, this is the second episode of our four-part Black Leadership Series sponsored by SmartRecruiters. Today’s guest is my colleague, my friend Brandice Sills-Payne.
Brandice Sills-Payne is SmartRecruiters' Customer Market Manager.
Brandice has a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Loyola University New Orleans and she brings her creative and smooth jazz background into Corporate America and to this podcast as a masterful storyteller.
In this episode, Brandice tells her story of feeling like the lone soldier, the importance of intersectionality and allyship, and shares powerful examples of the "tax" she has paid for being a black queer woman in the workplace.
To quote Brandice "at the end of the day, no matter who you are, you want to be seen and you want to be heard". Today, we will see and hear Brandice as a Voice of Black Leadership.
Our Sponsor
SmartRecruiters
FREE Diversity Hiring Toolkit
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Rocki Howard
I'm Rocki Howard and I'm not only your host, but I am proud to be Chief Diversity Officer at SmartRecruiters.
In honor of Black History Month, The Voices of Diversity podcast is kicking off our Black Leadership Series sponsored by SmartRecruiters with my colleague Kave Bulambo.
Kave Bulumbo is SmartRecruiters' EMEA Director of Talent Acquisition and Diversity and Inclusion. Kave is also the Founder of Black in Tech in Berlin.
Kave has a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Psychology and a Masters Degree in Public Policy and uses her boundless energy to advocate for gender and immigrant rights.
In this episode, Kave speaks boldly about her journey to identify as a black woman, the ramifications of bringing your whole self to work, and how being a black woman in Corporate America feels like walking on glass.
Our Sponsor
SmartRecruiters
FREE Diversity Hiring Toolkit
Resources
Black in Tech Berlin
Black in Tech Berlin Instagram
Black in Tech Berlin LinkedIn
Black in Tech Berlin Facebook
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard, speaks to guest Stacey Romero.
Stacey Romero worked her way up from call center trainer to Lead Accessibility Manager without a degree. She did it while being a single mom of now 3 girls. Stacey's passion for advocating for the underrepresented is clear through her career choice and her volunteer efforts. Stacey and I met because we are both advisory board member for Jobs for Humanity.
Jobs for Humanity is a global movement of job creation. We are a volunteer lead organization that matches passionate advocates, especially employers with our growing causes to create jobs for underserved communities.
Stacy's story will teach us about resilience, tenacity all while she brings to life the concept of "pay it forward".
Resources
Microsoft's Commitment to Accessibility
The Voices of Diversity Blog
Jobs for Humanity
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Rocki Howard
Voices of Diversity host Rocki Howard speaks to guest Dan Burger.
Dan Burger, has a bachelors degree in Computer Engineering and a Master's degree in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University. Dan develops web and mobile solutions for research groups at Vanderbilt. His work covers astrophysics, high-performance computing, K-12 education, and career placement for individuals with autism.
A few of Dan's many accomplishments include developing software at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, creating Filtergraph - a free visualization web service which is also being used by NASA and Dan has been interviewed on 60 minutes by Anderson Cooper.
Resources
The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation
The Voices of Diversity Blog
Jobs for Humanity
Dan's Interview on 60 Minutes
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Rocki Howard
Each episode of Voices of Diversity, hosted by Rocki Howard, will bring you the stories and experiences of those who are underrepresented.
This podcast was created to humanize diversity initiatives, to share the impact on those who identify as being underrepresented, to give a VOICE to diversity.
I believe if you change the lives of the underrepresented, you change the world.
Come change the world with me!
The first episode will launch, January 18, 2021.