Diversity Ally, The Podcast: Recent Episodes
Gabby Austen Browne
Diversity Ally is the trusted partner when it comes to providing robust diversity and inclusion expertise to the global events industry.
We work with event agencies, suppliers, venues, associations, publishers, freelance events professionals, education partners, and organisations that deliver exhibitions, trade shows and conferences to become diverse and inclusive in their people culture & image
At Diversity Alliance, as we start the new year we want to begin 2024 with fresh perspectives on DE&I in the events industry.
In Part Two of the DEI Insights in 2023 series we continue to share our DE&I insights, and highlight some of the memorable moments from our podcast featuring incredible guests with lived experiences, experts, and advocates.
In this episode, I share DE&I insights and revisit our most popular and insightful podcast clips. Throughout the episode, you will gain valuable insights on:
- Training on Deaf Awareness, Accessible Event Planning and Improving Policies for Events with Meg Strahle
- Challenging Stereotypes, Inclusive Hiring Practices and Supporting Career Development in all Stages of the Workplace with Claire Derrick
- Creating Sensory Friendly Spaces, Neurodivergent Collaboration and the Importance of Continuous Learning and Adaptation with Daniel Brooke
- Accessible Wellbeing Resources, Tailored Wellbeing Initiatives and the Importance of Employee Feedback and Collaboration with Jenny Okolo
For more valuable resources, visit our website at www.diversityalliance.co.uk.
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As we approach the end of 2023, I want to have a moment of reflection, share our DE&I insights, and highlight some of the memorable moments from our podcast featuring incredible guests with lived experiences, experts, and advocates.
In this episode, I share my most impactful DE&I insights and revisit clips from our most popular podcasts. In this episode, I share valuable insights on:
- Exploring Muslim Faith, Inclusive Events & Education with Natasha Butt
- Gender Equality, Pay Equity & Female Empowerment with Natalie Campbell
- Recruitment, Talent, & Being Your Authentic Self with Alasdair Moore
- Advocating for the Transgender Community & The Importance of Personal Responsibility with Thea Bardot
For more valuable resources, visit our website at www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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This month at Diversity Alliance, our campaign is centred around Disability Awareness Month. In this episode I catch up with Meg Strahle, who shares profound insights into her firsthand experience of living with hearing loss and we delve into how she navigates the events industry journey.
Our conversation sheds light on what event industry professionals should be mindful of to support individuals with disabilities in terms of inclusion and accessibility.Together we address the following key points:đ Meg's personal journey and experiences with hearing loss in the workplaceđ The challenges Meg faced in securing opportunities in the events industry and her encounters with exclusionđ The impact of event technology on mental health, accessibility, and inclusion for individuals with disabilitiesđ Real-world examples illustrating issues within the events industry that have adversely affected people with disabilitiesđ Suggestions for how workplaces can enhance support and inclusivity for individuals with disabilitiesMeg's Further Learning Recommendation:Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladu
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang WATCH THE FULL PODCAST EPISODE LIVE ON 29.11.23 : https://lnk.bio/DiversityAlliance Meet our contributor, Meg Strahle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megstrahle/Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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This month at Diversity Alliance, we're campaigning for Disability Awareness Month.
This episode offers a fantastic learning experience, packed with valuable insights that can equip event industry professionals with the knowledge they need to know on disability inclusion and accessibility in the events industry.
Together Lizzy and I covered:
- Lizzy's journey towards advocacy for accessibility in the events industry
- The importance of event management degrees evolving to understanding the importance of accessibility and inclusion in events
- Best practices, strategies and ideas to improve accessibility and inclusion
- The Inclusive Event Design Playbook and how this guide can help the industry
Lizzy's Further Learning Recommendation:
- Ted Talk I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much | Stella Young: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9Gg164Bsw
- Ted Talk No Arms, No Matter | Mike Adams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2-jgpGr4Ek
- Universal Design: Creating Inclusive Environments: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Design-Creating-Inclusive-Environments/dp/0470399139
WATCH THE BITESIZE YOUTUBE EPISODE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRL5nXNFwewbSG9xAHUR0A
Meet our contributor, Lizzy Eaton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzy-eaton/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2023 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved
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In our final episode for Black History Month I'm thrilled to share the insights and experiences from the latest Black Excellence Confab, this podcast episode focused on how we can build diverse supply chains.
In this episode, we delve into . . .
- The current issues with supply chains
- Insights from case studies on solutions to build diverse supply chains
- Advice and guidance from our host Gabrielle Austen Browne and special guest Tinique Hay as well as our valued members in attendance
This episode is part of our ongoing Black History Month series.
When listening to these insights from our confab, our goals for you are:
- To listen to experiences and stories related to opportunities and challenges when supporting Black businesses and talent.
- To gain knowledge and tools that can enhance diversity and inclusion so you can encompass best practices, resources, and effective strategies.
- Empower you to take actionable steps and implement the insights that resonate with you, contributing to meaningful change.
- Develop your own solutions to drive innovation beyond Black History Month.
Stay tuned for more exciting conversations like this, and make sure to mark your calendars for the next Diversity Alliance confab!
- Tiniqueâs LinkedIn: â â https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiniquehayeventplanner/â â
- Tiniqueâs Website: â â https://www.hayevents.co.uk/â â
- Download Tinique's Free Event Planning Checklist Here: â â https://subscribepage.io/hayeventsâ â
Head to our website to find resources and subscribe to our newsletter
â â www.diversityalliance.comâ
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This podcast episode is an exclusive, full-length episode from the recent Black Excellence Confab event, which was hosted by the Diversity Alliance in honour of Black History Month. We delve into topics such as building diverse supply chains and nurturing Black talent.
This special episode features:
- Diverse supplier networks and supporting Black talent in the event industry
- Insights from case studies on solutions to build diverse supply chains and leverage Black excellence
Episode includes advice from me (Gabby) and special guest Tinique Hay, as well as our valued members who attended the fostering diverse supply chains and supporting Black talent.
This episode is part of our ongoing Black History Month series and our goals for you are:
- To listen and learn from experiences and stories related to opportunities and challenges in supporting Black businesses and talent.
- Absorb knowledge and collect tools that can enhance diversity and inclusion so you can encompass best practices, resources, and effective strategies.
- Empower you to take actionable steps and implement the insights that resonate with you, contributing to meaningful change.
- To foster collaboration within our collective, empowering you to develop your own solutions to drive innovation beyond Black History Month.
Stay tuned for more exciting conversations like this, and make sure to mark your calendars for the next Diversity Alliance confab!
- Catch up on Diversity Alliance's Black History Month Podcast Series -
11th of October : Supporting Black Talent Excellence Podcast Episode - Confab Insights
18th of October : Full Black History Month Special Confab Release
COMING SOON: 25th of October : Building Diverse Supply Chains Podcast Episode - Confab Insights
- Tiniqueâs LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiniquehayeventplanner/â
- Tiniqueâs Website: â https://www.hayevents.co.uk/â
- Download Tinique's Free Event Planning Checklist Here: â https://subscribepage.io/hayeventsâ
Head to our website to find resources and subscribe to our newsletter
â www.diversityalliance.comâ
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In this episode I am thrilled to share the insights and experiences from our latest Black Excellence Confab, this podcast episode is focused on the excellence of Black talent for Black History Month.
In this episode, we delve into . . .
- The experiences of Black talent in the events industry and beyond
- Insights into how we can support Black talent and what can be done on a practical level
Big thanks to our special guest Tinique Hay, as well as our valued members who shared their insights during this confab!
This episode is part of our ongoing Black History Month series. Where you can:
- Listen and learn from personal experiences and stories related to the opportunities and challenges for Black businesses and talent.
- Gain knowledge and tools to enhance diversity and inclusion that in compass best practices, resources, and effective strategies.
We hope it helps listeners to develop their own solutions that drive innovation beyond Black History Month!
Stay tuned for more exciting conversations like this, and make sure to mark your calendars for the next Diversity Alliance confab!
Stay Tuned for Part 2:
18th of October : Full Black History Month Special Confab Release on YouTube
25th of October : Building Diverse Supply Chains Podcast Episode - Confab Insights on this podcast.
- Tiniqueâs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiniquehayeventplanner/
- Tiniqueâs Website: https://www.hayevents.co.uk/
- Download Tinique's Free Event Planning Checklist Here: https://subscribepage.io/hayevents
Head to our website to find resources and subscribe to our newsletter
www.diversityalliance.com
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This month's focus is on intersectionality and for the second episode I had a super interesting and raw conversation with Bee Gilmore - the founder of Softboi, Talent & Brand Manager, Facilitator and Mentor.
Together Bee and I covered:
đ Best practices for working with marginalised and under-represented voices in organisations.
đ How you can have impactful conversations about professionalism, identity, and leadership in the workplace
đ How to approach the creation of safe spaces where individuals with intersecting identities can feel heard and valued.
đ Insights from Bee on how they have helped companies scale their customer bases by focusing on inclusion and intersectionality in community-building.
đ Book recommendations for intersectionality awareness.
WATCH THE BITESIZE PODCAST EPISODE - out on the 27th September!
Meet our contributor, Bee Gilmore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bee-gilmore-84aab080/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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This month Diversity Alliance are campaigning for Intersectionality Awareness Month and for the first episode we had a powerful and inspiring conversation with Dr Elsa Zekeng a Strategy Consultant, Trustee and Advisory Board Member and a Forbes Featured Science-Entrepreneur.
Dr Elsa and I covered:
â¤ď¸â𩹠Dr Elsa Zekeng professional journey as a Science-Entrepreneur in health care
â¤ď¸â𩹠Addressing gender disparities in science and entrepreneurship
â¤ď¸â𩹠Understanding the diverse needs and perspectives in different regions and communities
â¤ď¸â𩹠Outbreak of the Ebola virus and what you can learn from her application of intersectionality in policy engagement and community outreach
â¤ď¸â𩹠Ideas for collaborative efforts in corporate and non-profit sectors for inclusion
â¤ď¸â𩹠How to leverage intersectional expertise for diversity and inclusion as a Non-Executive Director
â¤ď¸â𩹠Dr Elsa book recommendations for intersectionality awareness (head to the end of the episode, it's a goodie!)
WATCH THE MINI VERSION on our YouTube channel, live on the 13th of September: https://lnk.bio/DiversityAlliance
Meet our contributor, Elsa Zekeng: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-elsa-zekeng-b5064266/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
This month we are campaigning for Neurodiversity Awareness Month and for the second episode we had an insightful conversation with Daniel Brooke the CEO & Director of Neurodiversity Specialists who shared many practical tips you can easily implement into your organisation or improve your awareness.
Together Daniel and I covered:
đ§ Daniel's personal journey with Neurodiversity
đ§ Unique approaches for supporting neurodivergent individuals in finding meaningful employment
đ§ How to create a supportive and inclusive environment for neurodivergent employees throughout their journey in the workplace đ§ Learn about Neurodiversity Specialists and its benefits for organisations and their neurodiverse workforce đ§ Book recommendations to help continue your learning and understanding
WATCH THE BITESIZE EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 30TH AUG
Daniel's Neurodiversity Recommendation: Check out Loop Earplugsđhttps://www.loopearplugs.com/
Daniel's Book Recommendations: đ Neurodiversity at Work: Drive Innovation, Performance and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neurodiversity-Work-Performance-Productivity-Neurodiverse/dp/1398600245
Check out Neurodiversity Specialists resources: https://neurodiversity-specialists.co.uk/
Meet our contributor, Daniel Brooke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-brooke/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
This month Diversity Alliance are campaigning for Neurodiversity Awareness Month and for our first episode I had an amazing conversation with Shareefa J!
Together, Shareefa and I spilt the tea on:
đ§ Shareefa's journey as an advocate for Mental Health, Wellbeing, Body Positivity, Neurodiversity, and being a Model. đ§ Her ADHD diagnosis. đ§ The Impact of ADHD diagnosis on her life. đ§ How ADHD influences the workplace experience. đ§ Shareefa's experience as a speaker, host, model at events and promoting neurodiversity/ADHD in the industry. đ§ Book recommendations to help continue your learning and understanding.
Shareefa Recommended Loop earplugs as ways to manage noise and distractions:
Shareefa's Book Recommendations: đ PaperNotes Notebooks: https://papernote.co.uk/hot-pink-softcase-notebook/
Manifest by Roxie Nafousi: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manifest-Sunday-Times-bestseller-change/dp/B09FR9VLD3/ref=sr_1_3?crid=YKO59YB0TWBQ&keywords=manifest&qid=1690931147&sprefix=manifest%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-3
WATCH THE BITESIZE EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 9TH AUG
Meet our contributor, Shareefa J: https://www.instagram.com/shareefa_j/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
This month we are campaigning around Challenging Age Perception and for our second episode, we had a conversation with Mariska Kesteloo. Mariska is the passionate founder of Word of MICE, an international speaker and author. She specialises in B2B influencer marketing for the meetings and events industry. As well as being dedicated to supporting individuals through the grieving process.
Together Gabby and Mariska spilt the tea on:
đŁ How you can enhance inclusivity and challenge bias in the events industry đŁ The challenges mature professionals face in the events industry đŁ How to embrace intergenerational connection đŁ Book recommendations to help continue your learning and understanding
â â WATCH THE BITESIZE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBEâ
Meet our contributor, Mariska Kesteloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariska-kesteloo-b2b-influencermarketing/
Mariska's Book Recommendations:
đ The Choice: Embrace the Possible, by Dr. Edith Eva Eger: https://www.amazon.com/Choice-Dr-Edith-Eva-Eger/dp/150113079X
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2023 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
This month we are campaigning around Challenging Age Perception and for our first edition, we had a conversation with Claire Derrick, the Principal and Founder of the Event Academy.
In this episode Claire shares how we can unlock the potential of mature professionals in the Events Industry.
Claire Derrick is a founding director and academy principal of Event Academy. She began her UK career as a PA and event organiser with the Duchess of Yorkâs charity, Children in Crisis, planning and implementing special occasions with Royalty.
Together Gabby and Claire spill the tea on:
đŁ How can we unlock the potential of mature professionals in the events industry đŁ How can we support the next generation in the workplace đŁ Why we need to remove bias, judgement and preconceptions đŁ Addressing Ageism in the events industry đŁ Book recommendations to help continue the learning and understanding of challenging age perception
Claire's Book Recommendations:
đ Travels with Epicurus: Meditations from a Greek Island on the Pleasures of Old Age, Daniel Klein: https://amzn.eu/d/bEXVSmB
đ Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life, Beth Kempton: https://amzn.eu/d/cAcHrat
WATCH THE BITESIZE INTERVIEWâ
Meet our contributor, Claire Derrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-derrick-3019419/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2023 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
For the second episode of our Pride month campaign, Gabby is in conversation with Chris King, the Founder of Lightning Travel Recruitment. In this episode Chris shares their advice, insight and lived experience identifying as trans non-binary in the LGTBQIA+ community during Pride Month.
Chris identifies as the trans-non-binary finery and ADHD babe behind the disruptive Lightning Travel Recruitment brand. With their powerful voice and captivating storytelling, Chris has emerged as a 'top voice' on LinkedIn, recognised as one of the top 10 LGBTIA Voices in the UK 2 years in a row, and was named one of 5 LinkedIn creators to follow by PinkNews in 2023.
They have also contributed LGBTQ articles to Conde Nast Traveller, been featured in Forbes and received the Recruitment Leader award at the UK Recruitment Awards.
Chris is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and they use their platform to share insights into inclusive recruitment, neurodiversity, and transgender awareness. Their unique perspective and engaging approach have earned them a reputation as a thought leader in these areas.
Together Gabby and Chris spill the tea on:
đ The importance of using preferred pronouns and how we can better understand multiple pronouns đ The importance of language and terminology đ How we can encourage more cisgender involvement đ The need for self-reflection and empathy đ Taking action against transphobia and discrimination
đ¨ Important Note: During the episode we mentioned the importance of using an upper case B when we refer to the Black community - we capitalise Black, and not white, when referring to groups in racial, ethnic, or cultural terms. For many people, Black reflects a shared sense of identity and community.
WATCH THE BITESIZE INTERVIEW
Meet our contributor, Chris King: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisking91/
For LGBTQIA+ news and stories you wonât find in the mainstream media https://www.wearequeeraf.com
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2023 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
This month we are campaigning around Pride Month and for our first episode, we had a conversation with Neil Hudson-Basing, senior events and community manager at PinkNews, who shares his advice, insight and experience as a queer man in the LGTBQ+ community during Pride Month.
Neil is an experienced events and project manager with a substantial background in the charity, political, hospitality, voluntary and educational sectors. He is also a content creator, accomplished & energetic event host, chair & moderator. He is community focused, socially aware and passionate about equality, diversity & inclusion.
Together Gabby and Neil covered:
đ The difference between Pride and Pride Month
đ Why being authentic means embracing all aspects of oneself and why we should encourage vulnerability and foster understanding to build more meaningful connections
đ Creating inclusive workplaces for the LGBTQ+ community
đ How you can take action against discrimination
đ Book recommendations to support the learning and understanding of LGBTQ+ community this pride month
WATCH TO THE BITESIZE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE
Meet our contributor, Neil Hudson-Basing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-huds...
Neil's Book Recommendation - "No Worries If Not" by Sophie Galustian: https://gayprideshop.co.uk/products/n...
Neil's Pride Event Recommendation - The House of Happiness - PRIDE PARTY: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ho...
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diversity-alliance-talks/message
This month we are campaigning around Mental Health and for our second episode, we had a conversation with Jessie Leong who shares advice on how you can hack financial confidence.Jessie is the founder of How I Fund This, a community of over 45,000 financially-curious people looking to transform their relationship with money and feel more confident making financial decisions. Her commentary on personal finance has been featured in The Independent and Yahoo!, and she has partnered with award-winning brands to increase financial awareness and wellbeing.Together Gabby and Jessie cover:đ Practical steps and strategies individuals in the events industry can take to effectively manage their expenses and maintain financial stability amidst the cost of living crisis.đ Innovative ways that professionals in the events industry can diversify their income streams or find alternative sources of financial stability.đ Key habits or mindset shifts that contribute to financial success and resilience.đ Effective ways to navigate the emotional aspects of money management, such as dealing with financial stress or overcoming the fear of making financial decisions.
â WATCH THE BITSESIZE YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE â
Meet our contributor, Jessie Leong- W: https://howifundthis.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/howifundthis/ Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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This month we are campaigning around Mental Health and for our first episode, we had a conversation with Jenny Okolo. She shares advice as an Occupational Therapist on how to redefine mental health in the workplace.Jenny is a lead psychiatric occupational therapist and an award-nominated mental health advocate, with extensive experience within the criminal justice sector. Her main areas of focus are workplace well-being, mental health and neurodiversity.
Also passionate about enhancing daily functioning, Jenny uses her mental health platform SASA to provide mental health assessments and encourage accessible resources, impacting hundreds of clients worldwide.
Jenny has made it her mission to share her knowledge as explored through facilitating workshops, podcasting and numerous other public speaking engagements across the world including a TEDx talk, 'How Far Can Your Empathy Go?' in collaboration with the NHS. She is invested in supporting the well-being of others and her credits include Cosmopolitan, The Independent, Metro and Refinery29.Together Gabby and Jenny covered: đ Learn how practical interventions like sensory-friendly boxes can create inclusive environments for those with sensory needs.đ How creating an open dialogue and providing support for those with specific needs, such as hard of hearing individuals, can improve accessibility in the workplace and event spaces.đ Why you need to aduit your talent pipeline and recruitment process đ Understand the importance of making well-being accessible to all individualsđ Book recommendations to help continue the learning about mental health
WATCH THE BITSESIZE YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE
Meet our contributor, Jenny Okolo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-okolo-870088b1/Jenny's Book Recommendation - âConfident and Killing Itâ by Tiwalola Ogunlesi https://www.confidentandkillingit.com/Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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This month we are campaigning around Cultural Awareness and for our second episode, we are bringing understanding to the Islamic faith, featuring Natasha Butt's Journey Reverting to Islam, Muslim Inclusion and Misconceptions.
Natasha Butt is the Co-Founder & Recruitment Director of Expocast and with over 15 years of recruitment experience, she has been fortunate to work with some of the best talent in the events industry, specifically within exhibitions and conferences. In this conversation Diversity Alliance founder - Gabby and guest - Natasha covered:
đ Natasha's journey of reverting to Islam
đ Natasha's experience of inclusivity in the Islamic faith, new customs and traditions she has taken on
đ Preconceptions and misconceptions of the Islamic faith
đ What companies could be doing to include and support employees with a variety of different faiths and customs
đ What events should be doing to include and support attendees with a variety of different faiths and customs
đ Book recommendations to help continue the learning about the muslim faith
WATCH THE BITESIZE VERSION ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Meet our contributor, Natasha, Co-Founder and Recruitment Director at ExpoCast.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-b...
Natasha's Book Recommendation - Secrets of Divine Lovehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Divi...
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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This month we are campaigning around Cultural Awareness and for our first episode, we are bringing understanding on the Jewish faith in the events industry and workplace from a successful event professional and podcast sensation - Dan Assor!In this episode Diversity Alliance founder, Gabby Austen Browne is in conversation with Dan Assor - the Production Director at Clear Path Analysis and Host of "The Dan Assor Show" Podcast for eventprofs.Together they covered:
đ Dan's journey into the events industry and his experience working on a leading jewish magazine
đ The importance of acknowledging and respecting jewish practices
đ Removing stereotypes and bias, and how being open-minded and having a willingness to learn is the key to inclusivity and creating belonging
đ How organisations and events can be more inclusive to the jewish community
WATCH TO THE BITESESIZE VERSION ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Meet our contributor, Dan Assor - the Production Director at Clear Path Analysis and Host of "The Dan Assor Show" Podcast for eventprofs:https://www.linkedin.com/in/danassor/
Catch up with Dan's Podcast - The Dan Assor Showâ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-OrGlb7C5y4dbankOiztuQ
Visit our website to sign up to our newsletter and access more resources:www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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In this second edition of Diversity Alliance's Women's Month campaign "Building a Stronger Female Future", we are sharing insights from a successful social entrepreneur and professional powerhouse!In this episode Diversity Alliance founder, Gabby Austen Browne is in conversation with Natalie Campbell MBE - award-winning social entrepreneur, Co-CEO of Bleu, Broadcaster and Harper Collins author.Together they covered:đĽ How Natalie began her portfolio careerđĽ What drives Natalie to continue to challenge herself personally and professionallyđĽ Natalie's entrepreneurial journey and the realities of starting your own businessđĽ Pay equity and how to have conversations on negotiating salary and benefitsđĽ How to be your own CEOđĽ Advice for women growing their career and the importance of women feeling good and living better - in work and life!WATCH TO THE BITESESIZE VERSION ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELMeet our contributor, Natalie Campbell MBE an Award-winning social entrepreneur, broadcaster and Harper Collins author:https://www.linkedin.com/in/natdcampb...Natalie's book, podcast and video recommendations to our viewers and listeners to better educate yourself:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monk-Who-Sol...Visit our website to access more resources:www.diversityalliance.co.uk
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In this first edition of Diversity Alliance's Women's Month campaign "Building a Stronger Female Future", we are addressing defying the odds to live the life you want to lead and sharing how women can start to climb the career ladder, launch a business or go freelance.
This week Gabby Austen-Browne, the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Natalie Duvall, Culture Manager at Red Bull and Co-Founder of March Muses, the UK leaders in Christmas decorations of colour.
They covered;
đ How Natalie set up her business March Muses
đ Performative allyship and why other businesses are failing with diversity
đ The practicalities and challenges of launching a businesses
đ Trying to access boardrooms, seeking Investment and Natalie's' winning appearance on Dragons Den
đ Advice for women trying to move up the career ladder, go freelance or who want to launch a business
WATCH THE BITESIZE INTERVIEW HERE
Meet our contributor, Natalie Duvall the Co-Founder of March Muses: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-duvall-20672765/?originalSubdomain=uk
Natalie's book, podcast and video recommendations to our viewers and listeners to better educate yourself:
https://blackmumsupfront.buzzsprout.com/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0016510/dragons-den-series-19-episode-14
https://sheerluxe.com/life/how-talk-children-about-race
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-61263246
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/this-is-how-parents-feel-about-schools-reopening-delayed_uk_5edf4b9bc5b6bd09bd98def8
https://www.forbes.com/sites/catherineerdly/2021/10/29/diversity-and-representation-in-retailwhy-the-products-we-see-matter/
The Five Minute Journal, from Intelligent Change (One of Gabby's fave brands)
Visit our website to sign up to our weekly newsletter: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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In this episode Gabby Austen-Browne, Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Alasdair Moore the Co-Founder and Director of The Intrepid Collective. Al is also on the Executive Committee for Checking-In, a network of LGBTQ+ professionals and their allies within the hospitality industry and plays rugby for the Kingâs Cross Steelers, the worldâs oldest gay and inclusive rugby club.
In this episode:
đ Alasdair shares his own experiences growing up as gay cis-gender male in the UK under the weight of Section 28
đ What it takes to stay informed and be an Ally
đ How he has increased his knowledge and awareness around LGBTQ+ inclusion
đ Practical advice and tips around the measures that event hosts and organisations can take to deliver a product or experience that includes all attendees, all guests and build stronger relationships with the LGBTQ+ community
đ PLUS why content is key! And why it needs to engage with event audiences in a more meaningful way, shining a light on genuine lived experience
WATCH THE BITESIZE INTERVIEW HERE
Meet our contributor, Alasdair Moore the Co-Founder and Director of The Intrepid Collective:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahcmoore/
www.theintrepidcollective.com
https://www.checking-in.co.uk/
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/kingscrosssteelers
Alasdair's book recommendations: "Chasing the Scream" by Johan Hari and "Straightjacket" by Matthew Todd
Visit our website to sign up to our weekly newsletter: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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What can the events industry learn from the transgender community to improve understanding and lead with inclusivity?
Founder of Diversity Alliance, Gabrielle Austen-Browne, is in conversation with Samantha Jayne Nelson, an Offshore Installation Manager at Shell.
They covered:
đ How we can be allies to the trans community
đ How to involve allies in discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion
đ Advice to C-suite and leadership on how they can contribute to inclusive workplaces for people from all backgrounds
WATCH THE BITESIZE INTERVIEW HERE
Meet our contributor, Samantha Jayne Nelson an Offshore Installation Manager at Shell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jayne-nelson/
Samantha's recommendations to better educate yourself on the trans community and trans experience:
đ https://brenebrown.com/
đ https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/being-transgender-at-work
Visit our website to sign up to our weekly newsletter: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Event professionals have the opportunity to create inclusive and accessible events that truly reflect the diversity of communities đ¤
During Disability Awareness Month we took inspiration from activists, campaigners, and professionals who have been working tirelessly to make events and the events industry more inclusive. Â Including:
⨠Engaging in co-creation and inclusive decision-making
⨠Learning from those with lived experiencesÂ
⨠Creating events that truly meet the needs of all attendees
In this BONUS episode we share four inspiring movements that demonstrate the power of inclusivity. Â From Cadbury's Marvellous Creations deaf awareness campaign , MTR Elizabeth line, Harkins Summit, ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall, and the The Ops Nest.
đĄ Let's take inspiration from their efforts and make the change our industry needs.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Visit our website: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Lou Kiwanuka, the owner and founder of The Ops Nest.
Lou is committed to developing mechanisms that develop people in events within the global business event operations sector. Offering face-to-face and online training, community, consultancy and the opportunity to collaborate with the best minds in the business. The Ops Nest brings organisers, contractor and venues together.
In this episode, Lou shares her journey into building the The Ops Nest and her family dynamic which has shaped her purpose personally and professionally. We learn why The Ops Nest is focussing on accessibility and what they have been doing to highlight this through various resources, training, talks and groups. Lou shares the positive change that has come about by identifying and addressing âOpstacles' that create solutions for accessibility in the events industry.
Watch the bitesize YouTube episode here with transcript
Meet our contributor, Lou Kiwanuka the owner and founder of The Ops Nest: https://courses.opsshaper.uk/
Access and add to Kampsite here: https://theopsnest.kampsite.co/
Visit our website to sign up to more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Dermot Devlin a Disability Awareness Campaigner, activist and Founder of My Way Access. Â Â
Dermot set up My Way Access back in 2009 - which is a recognised disability rights and disability blog, focused on ensuring disabled people have equal and inclusive rights across accessibility, services, and health. Â In this conversation, we explore the purpose and mission behind My Way Access and how it's changing the lives of people with disabilities. Â
Dermot also shares his experiencing speaking at the Harkin Summit in Belfast in June which just won âBest Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at a Conferenceâ at the Excellence Awards 2022 for the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO).Â
Watch a bitesize version of this episode on youtube with transcriptionÂ
Meet our contributor, Â Dermot Devlin - Disability awareness Campaigner and activist and Founder of My Way Access
Visit our website: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with conversation with Ryan Curtis-Johnson the Director of Communications at The Valuable 500. Â In this episode they discuss, what the events industry needs to do if it wants to be truly accessible for people with disabilities.Â
They talk about the negative stigma around people feeling comfortable and confident enough to disclose their disability, especially within business. The reasons why companies and events aren't taking accessibility seriously. How to make accessibility fit into event budgets and why it's important to educate ourselves around disability to be fully informed and the importance of disability representation.Â
Meet our contributor, Ryan Curtis-Johnson the Director of Communications at The Valuable 500: https://www.thevaluable500.com/Â
Watch a bitesize version of this episode on youtube with transcriptionÂ
Visit our website: www.diversityalliance.co.uk  Â
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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TRIGGER WARNING: This audio contains sensitive content talking about suicide and suicide prevention.
Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Mike McCarthy, a former BBC and SKY News Journalist, and presenter.
Mike shares how the death of his son, Ross has spurred him on to co-found of The Baton of Hope, the biggest suicide awareness and prevention campaign the UK has ever seen.
Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the country. Mike and Gabby's conversation centres around the support required to reduce this heartbreaking yet avoidable statistic.
Meet our contributor, Mike McCarthy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mccarthy-82863b87/
To learn more about and support The Baton of Hope: https://www.batonofhopeuk.org/
If you need someone to talk to, reach out to these recommended charities:
mensmindsmatter.org
Andy's Man Club
samaritans.org
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Visit our website: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Trigger Warning: This audio contains sensitive content talking about suicide and suicide prevention.
Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Tom Fisher the Head of Sector Marketing Operations at Clarion Events. In this raw, honest and vulnerable conversation - Tom shares being diagnosed with severe depression and bipolar, and by how opening up on social media he has impacted 200+ lives through the power of online videos.
In this episode we discuss how to listen to and communicate with people who are suicidal, feeling down or just not feeling themselves. The importance of leading with empathy, vulnerability and compassion in the workplace, and what other organisations can do to support men's mental health. Finally, for this campaign for Honouring Men Month we learn how to support and empower men in the events industry.
If you need someone to talk to please talk to these recommended charities:
đľ Men's Minds Matter mensmindsmatter.org
đľ Mind mind.org.uk
đľ Andy's Man Club #ItsOkayToTalkandysmanclub.co.uk
đľ Samaritans samaritans.org
đľ Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) https://www.thecalmzone.net/
Meet our contributor, Tom Fisher the Head of Sector Marketing Operations at Clarion Events: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fishertommy/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Josh King the VP of Growth at emc3. In this conversation they discuss how asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness and how to manage life and work when you are constantly on go. Plus how inclusive cultures can help teams to thrive.
Josh is an experienced marketer, creative and growth strategist who has worked with some of the worldâs most innovative and influential brands over the last decade including LinkedIn, Google and HubSpot.
During the interview Josh mentioned some books that have motivated and inspired him.
Here they are for your reference.
-
Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah
-
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
-
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
-
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
-
How to win friends and influence people & How to stop worrying and start living by Dale Carnegie
Meet our contributor, Josh King the VP of Growth at emc3: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshkingemc3/ https://emc3.com/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Lowell Cabual the Senior Account Manager at Showcase.
Men's mental health issues are not just for men to talk about, it's an issue that impacts daughters, wives, mothers and sisters - it's an issue that we all need to shed light upon. It needs more support, empathetic, candour and shame free conversation.
In this episode Lowell shares his journey from childhood to adulthood, as child form a migrant family and how this affected his identity. They discuss male and what lessons he has learnt. They also explored leading with empathy, courage and kindness and how the stigma around people seeing empathy as a weakness in leadership, business and life needs to change. How can we provide guidance and advice to for men in the events industry and how can people begin to notice and help men who are struggling?
Meet our contributor, Lowell Cabual a Senior Account Manager at Showcase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowell-cabual-35431912/?originalSubdomain=uk
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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"You can be different and odd, but still be you and successful!"Â
Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Michael Newton a Podcast Host and Manager at Cvent. Â
Adversity really doesn't have to story and who better to talk to than Michael Newton.Â
In this charming, charismatic and down to earth conversation, Michael shares his experience as a gay man in the corporate world. Â He shares his journey after being diagnosed with HIV and battling with his own mental health and suicide, Â to now living with HIV and thriving in life.Â
A varied conversation, exploring the importance of intersectionality and how our communities need to focus on equality within our own groups to create meaningful change and impact. Â
Meet our contributor, Michael Newton - Podcast Host and Manager at Cvent: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mnewtonuk/Â
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.ukÂ
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne, the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with David Ball the Chairman & Founder of Award Winning event agency, Brandfuel. In this refreshing and open conversation, we learn how our family tree, our parents and our family influences who we are today as David shares his family (who were at the forefront of human rights movements) history.
In this episode we follow David's journey that brought him to where he is today. From mentorship, advertising experience, building connections to what it's like building an event agency and events community with a vision to have impact. Learn the importance of giving a helping hand and why it's important to show empathy for new event professionals entering the industry to encourage them to thrive.
PLUS he shares his personal insight into what needs to change to better promote and support EDI initiatives in the events industry. This is an episode not to be missed!
Meet our contributor, David Ball the Chairman & Founder of Brandfuel: https://brandfuel.co.uk/
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
Please Note: In the UK and US, "coloured" is an outdated term used to describe people that arenât white.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Romeo Effs, the CEO & Founder of Lumorus. In this humorous, vulnerable and animated conversation, we learn who Romeo is and how his early years as a child in Jamaica and a passion for entrepreneurialism made him the 'man' he is today.
In this episode they discuss intersectionality, what that really means for the workplace and how to create spaces for all ethnic origins to thrive! They share more about what it means to have inclusivity in the workplace and the myths and contradictions that can skew views around intersectionality.
This episode will make you laugh, reflect, feel inspired to follow your passion and vision and of course, celebrate Black excellence.
Meet our contributor, Romeo Effs the CEO & Founder of Lumorus: https://www.lumorus.com
Visit our website to access more resources: www.diversityalliance.co.uk
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Tinique Hay the CEO & Founder of Hay Events.Â
In this empowering, inspiring and uplifting conversation Tinique, the go to event planner in the events industry, shares her journey into the events industry and her ambition into entrepreneurship.Â
Together we dived deep into the true purpose of creating unique, impactful and ROI driven events and why event strategies are crucial in the creation of meaningful events. We find out what is next in the journey of Hay Events and the influence of the Fast Forward 15 programme on her journey. Â
Meet our contributor, Tinique Hay the CEO & Founder of Hay Events: https://www.hayevents.co.uk Â
Visit our website: www.diversityalliance.co.uk Â
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Gabrielle Austen-Browne the Founder of Diversity Alliance is in conversation with Jackson Mclarty the Founder of Black Eats London. Â Together they explored the varying aspects of building a business in the hospitality industry.Â
Jackson shares his journey into creating the UKâs first and only Black-owned restaurant directory and tells us how he creates inclusive spaces through the design of his events. This well rounded conversation shows how you can celebrate Black excellence with authentic leadership, transparency and through the power of community. Â
Meet our contributor, Jackson Mclarty the Founder of Black Eats London: www.blackeatsldn.com Â
Visit our website to learn more about our training, consultancy and initiatives  www.diversityalliance.co.uk Â
ÂŽ 2022 Diversity Alliance. All rights reserved.
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#EP4 âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
We advocate that Black speakers should not just be wheeled out for Black History Month to talk about diversity and inclusion, racism or Black history, but that Black voices should be heard equally and that equity should be a year round mission.
If we are serious about delivering equity, we need to give real opportunities to Black speakers, pay them properly, and truly demonstrate representation across the board, all the time.
In this episode we talk:
- Why representation really works
- The power of words
- Identifying, celebrating and using all of our uniqueness as humans
AND How engage with BHM and beyond
- How to plan BHM
- The importance of including everyone in the BHM planning process
- The importance of having open conversations all year round
- Why a shared dialogue and listening to both sides of the story is important
- Why you don't need to see the whole journey or know the end point of the journey to equality
- How to just take action, when it comes to EDI work
Romeo:https://www.linkedin.com/in/romeoeffs/
Want to book Romeo to speak: E: Gabby@diversespeakerbureau.com
Diversity Alliance:
Need EDI training / Consultancy:
W: https://www.diversityalliance.co.uk/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRL5nXNFwewbSG9xAHUR0A
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversity__alliance/
E: Gabby@diversityalliance.co.uk
Diverse Speaker Bureau:
Want to book diverse speakers who speak on a diverse range of topics? Email info@diversespeakerbureau.com
W: https://www.diversespeakerbureau.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversespeakerbureau/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
#EP4 TRAILER with Romeo Effs, CEO and Founder Lumorus
âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
#EP3 âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
We advocate that Black speakers should not just be wheeled out for Black History Month to talk about diversity and inclusion, racism or Black history, but that Black voices should be heard equally and that equity should be a year round mission.
If we are serious about delivering equity, we need to give real opportunities to Black speakers, pay them properly, and truly demonstrate representation across the board, all the time.
In this episode we talk:
- A different way of working - how does spirituality and human energy work in business?
- The Patagonia effect - how will values and culture outstrip strategic operations ?
- Did the African indigenous society have it right - what we can learn from their ways of working?
How to work with Black speakers for BHM and beyond
- Donât wait to book (HINT:October is too late)
- Why you need to put budget and resource behind celebrating BHM right
- Why it's important to have a BHM objective
- How to engage in the process
- Why you should share company data and information with your Black speakers (infact, with all your speakers)
- Why this should be a year round conversation
- Why you need to build a roster of diverse speakers
Mara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maralivermore/?originalSubdomain=uk
Want to book Mara to speak: E: Gabby@diversespeakerbureau.com
Diversity Alliance:
Need EDI training / Consultancy:
W: https://www.diversityalliance.co.uk/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRL5nXNFwewbSG9xAHUR0A
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversity__alliance/
E: Gabby@diversityalliance.co.uk
Diverse Speaker Bureau:
Want to book diverse speakers who speak on a diverse range of topics? Email info@diversespeakerbureau.com
W: https://www.diversespeakerbureau.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversespeakerbureau/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
#EP3 Â TRAILER:
âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
#EP2 âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
We advocate that Black speakers should not just be wheeled out for Black History Month to talk about diversity and inclusion, racism or Black history, but that Black voices should be heard equally and that equity should be a year round mission.
If we are serious about delivering equity, we need to give real opportunities to Black speakers, pay them properly, and truly demonstrate representation across the board, all the time.
In this episode we talk:
Intersectionality and equality intro
- Being Black AND Neurodivergent
- How to recognise and harness your special skills
- What happens when you apply for 1000 jobs
- Writing a book when dyslexic and publishing a book with no money
- Building a mindset for success
- Investing in yourself and building your personal brand
- Why paying Black speakers is important
Alex: https://alexonalaja.com
W:www.tad360.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wersuccessors/?hl=en
Want to book Alex? E: Gabby@diversespeakerbureau.com
Want to book diverse speakers who speak on a diverse range of topics? Email info@diversespeakerbureau.com
Diversity Alliance:
W: https://www.diversityalliance.co.uk/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRL5nXNFwewbSG9xAHUR0A
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversity__alliance/
E: Gabby@diversityalliance.co.uk
Diverse Speaker Bureau:
W: https://www.diversespeakerbureau.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversespeakerbureau/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
#EP2 Â TRAILER:
âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
We advocate that Black speakers should not just be wheeled out for Black History Month to talk about diversity and inclusion, racism or Black history, but that Black voices should be heard equally and that equity should be a year round mission.
If we are serious about delivering equity, we need to give real opportunities to Black speakers, pay them properly, and truly demonstrate representation across the board, all the time.
In this episode we talk:
⢠Being Black, Female and Queer
⢠Identity Politics
⢠How the entertainment industry informs our biases (and how events can perpetuate these biases)
⢠Queer Identity
⢠Intersectionality
⢠Black Mermaids, Hobbits and Fairies
Tash T:W:www.breakingthedistance.com
Want to book Tash T? E: Gabby@diversespeakerbureau.com
Want to book diverse speakers who speak on a diverse range of topics? Email info@diversespeakerbureau.com
Diversity Alliance:
W: https://www.diversityalliance.co.uk/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRL5nXNFwewbSG9xAHUR0A
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversity__alliance/
E: Gabby@diversityalliance.co.uk
Diverse Speaker Bureau:
W: https://www.diversespeakerbureau.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversespeakerbureau/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
#EP1 TRAILER:
âBlack speakers are not just for Black History Monthâ
Welcome to this series of bitesized episodes in collaboration with the Diverse Speaker Bureau, where in honour of BHM we showcase some of our amazing Black speakers.
We advocate that Black speakers should not just be wheeled out for Black History Month to talk about diversity and inclusion, racism or Black history, but that Black voices should be heard equally and that equity should be a year round mission.
If we are serious about delivering equity, we need to give real opportunities to Black speakers, pay them properly, and truly demonstrate representation across the board, all the time.
In this episode we talk:
⢠Being Black, Female and Queer
⢠Identity Politics
⢠How the entertainment industry informs our biases (and how events can perpetuate these biases)
⢠Queer Identity
⢠Intersectionality
⢠Black Mermaids, Hobbits and Fairies
Tash T: W:www.breakingthedistance.com
Want to book Tash T? E: Gabby@diversespeakerbureau.com
Want to book diverse speakers who speak on a diverse range of topics? Email info@diversespeakerbureau.com
Diversity Alliance:
W: https://www.diversityalliance.co.uk/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRL5nXNFwewbSG9xAHUR0A
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversity__alliance/
E: Gabby@diversityalliance.co.uk
Diverse Speaker Bureau:
W: https://www.diversespeakerbureau.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/diversespeakerbureau/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-alliance-talks/message
In this episode we speak with Thomas Humphris, Human Resources Director at Informa Markets about the challenges of bringing DEI policies to life and the strategies needed to turn them into actions and deliverables.
You will hear the approach Diversity Ally used when working with Informa Markets on their D&I strategy. Including;
- The delivery of their inclusive leadership programme and why senior leadership training is key
- The importance of creating a clear mission and statement of intent to drive DEI programmes
- and how Informa Markets crowdsourced initiatives and activities at a grassroots level to bring DEI traction across the business
Connect with Tom HumphrisÂ
W: Informa MarketsÂ
LinkedIn: Informa MarketsÂ
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
In this episode we speak with Thomas Humphris, Human Resources Director at Informa Markets about the challenges of bringing DEI policies to life and the strategies needed to turn them into actions and deliverables.
You will hear the approach Diversity Ally used when working with Informa Markets on their D&I strategy. Including;
- The delivery of their inclusive leadership programme and why senior leadership training is key
- The importance of creating a clear mission and statement of intent to drive DEI programmes
- How Informa Markets crowdsource initiatives and activities at a grassroots level to bring DEI traction across the business
- and how Informa Markets are making sure the suppliers they work with uphold the same values as them through an inclusive procurement process
Connect with Tom HumphrisÂ
W: Informa MarketsÂ
LinkedIn: Informa MarketsÂ
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
In this weeks episode we discuss how leading companies are leveraging corporate social responsibility and social impact to create influence, engage employees, and drive meaningful change. Critical issues such as diversity, pay equity, social justice and climate change have made their way into the workplace and the corporate C-suite, and companies are being judged on the basis of their treatment of employees and customers, and their impact on social issues.
This conversation follows on from a panel discussion we had at International Confex on September 2021. We catch up with Mark Webster, Managing Director Give to Get, UK and Europe. Give To Get is a specialist Social Impact agency which helps clients reach clients ESG/CSR goals, global clients include Cisco, AT&T Time Warner and Apple.
Mark has spent his career in marketing, media and advertising. His career includes positions at various Publicis and WPP groups. In 2009 Mark founded Kameleon â a specialist content and partnerships agency where he led the business work and worked across Sony and RockCorps Globally, Danone as well as launching the National Citizen Service in the UK. Kameleon was acquired by the Be Heard group in 2017. In 2019 Mark launched the European arm of Give to Get, a specialist Social Impact agency which helps clients reach clients ESG/CSR goals, global clients include Cisco, AT&T Time Warner and Apple.
Twitter and IG: @gv2gt
LinkedIn: Give to Get
We are also joined by Justine Kane, Senior Consultant + Social Entrepreneur. Specialising in CSR (ESG), Social Impact, Events, Education, Training, Business Development and Project Management.
Justine is a proven senior leader with extensive professional experience developed over more than 20 years in the events and training sectors, including founding The Event Academy in 2010 and The Event Talent Agency in 2018. With thousands of connections in the events industry, she was winner of the IEAM â2014 Outstanding Contribution to the Entertainment & Arts Industryâ award, was a mentor for three years on the Fast Forward 15 mentoring program for women and was passionate about sitting on the Event Management Apprenticeship Board, focusing on D&I in the Events Industry. More recently, Justine has followed her drive for Social Impact and ESG by consulting with clients in this field.
LinkedIn: Justine Kane
As usual don't forget to subscribe so you never miss another episode
Follow Us: IG @Diversityally and @DiversityinEventsAwards and TW: @DiversityAlly1 and @DEIEventsAwards
www.Diversityally.co.uk
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
In this weeks episode we discuss how leading companies are leveraging corporate social responsibility and social impact to create influence, engage employees, and drive meaningful change. Critical issues such as diversity, pay equity, social justice and climate change have made their way into the workplace and the corporate C-suite, and companies are being judged on the basis of their treatment of employees and customers, and their impact on social issues.
Our special guests are - Mark Webster  Managing Director Give to Get, UK and Europe.  Give To Get is a social impact company that moves beyond corporate âdo-goodingâ working across client needs, audiences and departments to make social purpose work for business. And Justine Kane who is a Senior Consultant + Social Entrepreneur, specialising in CSR (ESG), Social Impact,  Events, Education, Training, Business Development and Project Management.
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The hugely successful agency, Smyle, has been recognised as the fastest growing leading agency in the UK Events industry through its entry in The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 in December 2018 and The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 in February 2019. This is why we were delighted when Smyle contacted us back in Aug 2020 to talk about Diversity & Inclusion. They knew they could do better and be better when it came to DEI... They are an agency that stands against social injustices and are committed to showing up, taking responsibility and playing their part, which they have demonstrated again and again. When we began working with them they shared their audacious vision - "to be the most diverse and inclusive agency in events." In this weeks episode Rick Stainton, Founder & Group Executive Director of Smyle Group and founder of One Industry One Voice, talks with Ashanti about the work Smyle undertook with Diversity Ally and WHY they recognised this work was vital. We also touch on the vision for OIOV, and why unifying the industry was and is the key to showing society the power of events and attracting new diverse talent to our wonderful sector. Smyle engaged Diversity Ally for support and guidance and underwent a full audit, workshops and came away with a roadmap and some tangible goals for the next 12 months. To learn more about our audits and workshops, visit the website, https://www.diversityally.co.uk/ or pop us an email at Team@diversityally.co.uk
@SmyleCreative & http://oneindustryonevoice.co.uk www.smyle.co.uk @diversityally @DiversityInEventsAwards
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The hugely successful agency, Smyle, has been recognised as the fastest growing leading agency in the UK Events industry through its entry in The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 in December 2018 and The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 in February 2019. This is why we were delighted when Smyle contacted us back in Aug 2020 to talk about Diversity & Inclusion. They knew they could do better and be better when it came to DEI... They are an agency that stands against social injustices and are committed to showing up, taking responsibility and playing their part, which they have demonstrated again and again. When we began working with them they shared their audacious vision - "to be the most diverse and inclusive agency in events." In this weeks episode Rick Stainton, Founder & Group Executive Director of Smyle Group and founder of One Industry One Voice, talks with Ashanti about the work Smyle undertook with Diversity Ally and WHY they recognised this work was vital. We also touch on the vision for OIOV, and why unifying the industry was and is the key to showing society the power of events and attracting new diverse talent to our wonderful sector. Smyle engaged Diversity for support and guidance and underwent a full audit, workshops and came away with a roadmap and some tangible goals for the next 12 months. To learn more about our audits and workshops, visit the website, https://www.diversityally.co.uk/ or pop us an email at Team@diversityally.co.uk
@SmyleCreative & http://oneindustryonevoice.co.uk www.smyle.co.uk @Diversityally @Diversityally1 @DiversityInEventsAwards
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Not sure whether you can apply for The Diversity In Events Awards? Â Well this is the podcast for you!
In this episode Gabby & Ashanti take you through the application process for the awards.
Including;Â
- The overall mission and purpose The overall mission and purpose of the awards
- Why YOU should and CAN apply for the awards
- The different categories and criteria
- How to apply - what you need to demonstrate and include
- Who can apply of the awards e.g. which sectors, types of organisations and individuals
You can also find out more about the awards at www.diversityally.co.uk/the-diversity-in-events-awards-1 Â Â
You can find the criteria and can enter the awards at www.diversityineventsawards.com/live/en/page/homeÂ
Good Luck! Â Â
Questions Email us at: awards@diversityally.co.uk
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"You canât have authenticity without courageâ
Dr. Steve Yacovelli has been in the leadership, learning and development, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting space pretty much his whole career (about twenty-five years). In his consulting experience heâs seen some leaders completely excel in their effectiveness, and some completely crash and burn due to their lack of competence in leadership skills. Steveâs desire was to help both types of leaders be more effective, through coaching, formal and informal training, and just generally being there to support their "leadershippiness."
A few years ago, Steve realised that the focus on specifically developing LGBTQ+ Leaders wasnât really top of mind for many organisations. So, âThe Gay Leadership Dudeâ˘â was born. Itâs Steveâs brand to âcome outâ and acknowledge the role he wants to take to give back to the LGBTQ+ Community and awesome Allies: to serve as a âlightning rodâ of sorts to start a movement to grow LGBTQ+ Leaders and Allies to be even more effective, in a consistent, thoughtful, and mindful manner, especially those up-and-coming Leaders within the broader movement for equality and fairness for all LGBTQ+ people and well beyond.
Steve shares many truth bombs and is so generous and open with his knowledge and experience it was a real pleasure to catch up with him. This is not an episode to miss if you are in a leadership or consider yourself a DEI Ally!
We cover:
- Realising we are all educators and how to harness that
- The 6 competencies leadership (with a rainbow lens)
- The five layers of diversity
- The problem with "silent collusion"
RESOURCES:
https://topdoglearning.learnworlds.com/
Pride Leadership Strategies (Book)
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Dr. Steve Yacovelli has been in the leadership, learning and development, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting space pretty much his whole career (about twenty-five years). In his consulting experience heâs seen some leaders completely excel in their effectiveness, and some completely crash and burn due to their lack of competence in leadership skills. Steveâs desire was to help both types of leaders be more effective, through coaching, formal and informal training, and just generally being there to support their 'leadershippiness'.
TRAILER:
The concept of silent collusion. And if you're not familiar with that term, I'll give you a quick story. I was in Atlanta a couple years ago, pre pandemic, and we were doing a closing, "yeah!", "yeah!", "yeah!" We had finished a change management project and there's like 30, plus other people from the client space. And we're just about to have, you know, the final meeting, and a few were having their chitchat, and at the very head of the table was the senior executive, who literally wrote the cheques, sponsored the project, and he is important, to the story his gender... So just as we're about to start, you know, the voices are dying down and you hear that senior executive say, "well, you know, how all women drive?" And everybody just kind of stopped, looked toward his part of the table. But no one said a word...And at that exact moment, Gabby is when every single one of us in the room were engaging in silent collusion, we were because we weren't refuting what was being said, we were silently agreeing with it.
RESOURCES:
https://topdoglearning.learnworlds.com/
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"Diversity, inclusion and belonging is, I think, just as important, if not more important to get right first. I think the company, when they look at revenues and make that connection, there is an opportunity to really kind of generate a lot more revenues...if that's the target. Or generate and find a lot more customers through having a much wider, diverse and inclusive organisationâ
We have one more Black History Month special where we catch up again with Mike Sealy, Customer Experience Director at Informa Markets. Mike is also one of the regional coordinators for "All Informa Nations", a colleague run network representing Black and Ethnic Minority employees.
In this episode we talk about:
- Establishing a cross group Employee Resource Group (ERG) and potential challenges
- How to you get buy in for your ERG
- Why leadership must crowd source internally and specifically with their ERG to decide on diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Is there really not enough POC in the industry talent pool or should we be looking farther afield?
- Why we have to do a much better job of attracting a much more diverse set of colleagues and employees into the industry
Trailer: Then you bring it into corporate, there's a lot that needs to be done there. And I think that whilst we've got these pillars within our company, and they're all colleague led networks and they're doing a great deal of work of raising awareness, driving education, with a huge groundswell equally from our top management downwards, whilst we have a lot of that, you know, I will openly say that though they are supporting everything that's being done, and it's the right thing to be doing, there is not enough commitment behind it... And I don't know whether that's because when you have people who think about business, the first thing they will think about first and foremost is, revenues, our customers.
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"Diversity, inclusion and belonging is, I think, just as important, if not more important to get right first. I think the company, when they look at revenues and make that connection, there is an opportunity to really kind of generate a lot more revenues...if that's the target. Or generate and find a lot more customers through having a much wider, diverse and inclusive organisationâ
We have one more Black History Month special where we catch up again with Mike Sealy, Customer Experience Director at Informa Markets. Mike is also one of the regional Coordinators for "Informa Markets Nations", a colleague run network representing Black and Ethnic Minority employees.
Trailer: Then you bring it into corporate, there's a lot that needs to be done there. And I think that whilst we've got these pillars within our company, and they're all colleague led networks and they're doing a great deal of work of raising awareness, driving education, with a huge groundswell equally from our top management downwards, whilst we have a lot of that, you know, I will openly say that though they are supporting everything that's being done, and it's the right thing to be doing, there is not enough commitment behind it... And I don't know whether that's because when you have people who think about business, the first thing they will think about first and foremost is, revenues, our customers.
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Welcome to the final episode of our Black History Month special with guest, Carlton King Born the son of West Indian parents in a 1950âs northern English mill town, Carlton King would in the early 1970's be offered the opportunity  to sign as a professional footballer for the local third division club. Rejecting this offer, after sixth form, Carlton would first work as an electrical engineer, before working as a professional club DJ in Germany. Later still Carlton would become Britainâs highest ranking Black secret intelligence officer. Carlton would spend more than a quarter of century in Scotland Yardâs Special Branch (MPSB), Her Majestyâs Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), the NPOIU (National Public Order Intelligence Unit) and SO1 Specialist Protection Unit. In these units Carlton would be engaged in countless national security and secret intelligence operations at home & abroad, including in warzones and the playgrounds of the rich and famous. Consequently, Carlton was known to many world leaders, from Blair to the Clintons', Schroeder to Sir John Major, Shimon Peres to Angela Merkel, HRH The Prince of Wales to Princess Diana. Carlton has worked with most nationsâ specialist police, secret intelligence and national security agencies and military special-forces. Hence, Carlton's operations have spanned the Cold War, the IRA years, the wars in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, the covert war on terror and the struggles against extreme left-wing, extreme right-wing, activist Animal Liberation and subversive public disorder operations in London, the UK and beyond. For several years Carlton was a highly successful MI6 counter-terrorism case officer. Case Officers are the top quarter of MI6 officers who, for want of a better description, perform the real life James Bond role. In todays episode join me a whistle stop tour into our forgotten Black History:
Who decided who was Black & who was white? ⢠Is your DNA really white? ⢠How Black people contributed to Hadrianâs Wall, the Egyptian Empire and the Roman Empire ⢠Was Queen Elizabeth 1st racist? ⢠The role of Black men in the 2nd world war ⢠and the great Windrush mythÂ
For more information see FB @Carlton King Author Twitter @Carlton_King Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Carlton is a  CNN, CNN International and other broadcast TV news station contributor: https://vimeo.com/232810114 https://youtu.be/Y9KvHapnYVk http://snpy.tv/2nLlJzX
He has also appeared on LBC and many other radio and streaming news outlets as well as podcasts. Carlton is the host of his own podcast: 'The Black Spy Podcast'.
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Welcome to the Trailer for the final episode of our Black History Month Special
Be sure to catch up on the full show, where we are treated to an insightful whistle stop tour of Black history form our special guest, Carlton King
Carlton has worked with most nationsâ specialist police, secret intelligence and national security agencies and military special-forces. Hence, Carlton's operations have spanned the Cold War, the IRA years, the wars in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, the covert war on terror and the struggles against extreme left-wing, extreme right-wing, activist Animal Liberation and subversive public disorder operations in London, the UK and beyond.
For several years Carlton was a highly successful MI6 counter-terrorism case officer. Case Officers are the top quarter of MI6 officers who, for want of a better description, perform the real life James Bond role.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
In honour of Black History Month, your host, Gabby Austen Browne speaks with four inspirational Black men from the events industry.
In this series of BHM specials, we learn about our guests' early years as young Black men in the UK, their career journey (challenges + wins) and their hopes for the future.
This week's guest is Michael Adeniya, Michael has previously held commercial roles at DMG World Media and IQPC as well as stints in banking and sports sponsorship. He spent nine years at Clarion Events, serving as Portfolio Director for their life science division. He is currently Chief Operating Officer of The UK Black Business Show taking place at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London.
The UK Black Business Week takes place on the 25th - 30th October 2021 at the QEII.
With The UK Black Business Show taking my place on the 30th October 2021 at the QEII.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE FOR TICKETS TO THE SHOW JUST FOR DIVERSITY ALLY LISTENERS.
ENTER: ALLY25
Secure your tickets here:
https://ukblackbusinessshow.co.uk/
Attendees will gain cutting-edge insight and advice in entrepreneurship, leadership, soft skills and cultural development from some of the UKâs leading black business owners.
What can you expect from this weeks episode?
This week we chat with Michael about the importance of creating space for Black people, where space and power had not previously existed and how the UK Black Business Show is doing this.
Goal setting - The power of setting, reverse engineering and sharing your goals with your squad
How to overcome career mistakes and rise to challenges - and why should make everything a learning opportunity
The importance of finding and supporting your community
And finally - why writing our obituary is a life changing exercise
Connect with Michael here:
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeladeniya
IG: @michaeladeniya
@ukbbbshow
@ukbbweek
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In honour of Black History Month, your host, Gabby Austen Browne speaks with four inspirational Black men from the events industry. In this series of BHM specials, we learn about our guests' early years as young Black men in the UK, their career journey (challenges + wins) and their hopes for the future.Â
This week's guest is Michael Adeniya, Michael has previously held commercial roles at DMG World Media and IQPC as well as stints in banking and sports sponsorship. He spent nine years at Clarion Events, serving as Portfolio Director for their life science division. He is currently Chief Operating Officer of The UK Black Business Show taking place at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London.Â
Connect with Michael Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/michaeladeniya/ LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeladeniyaÂ
Diversity Ally Listeners Discount Code for The UK Black Business Show: ALLY25 Website www.ukblackbusinessweek.com
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In honour of Black History Month, your host, Gabby Austen Browne speaks with four inspirational Black men from the events industry. In this series of BHM specials, we learn about our guests early years as young Black men in the UK, their career journey (challenges + wins) and their hopes for the future.
This weeks guest is Raphael Sofoluke, founder of The UK Black Business Show. The UKBBS, founded in 2017, is an annual conference and exhibition show which takes place during Black History Month to highlight and promote the amazing businesses founded by people from the Black community. The show highlights the achievements and contributions black businesses have made to the economy and attendees have the opportunity to hear insights and advice in entrepreneurship, leadership and business from some of the UKâs leading Black business professionals.
The UK Black Business Show takes place on the 30th October 2021 at the QEII. Secure your tickets here: https://ukblackbusinessshow.co.uk/ Attendees will gain cutting-edge insight and advice in entrepreneurship, leadership, soft skills and cultural development from some of the UKâs leading black business owners.
The UK Black Business Week takes place on the 25th - 30th October 2021 at the QEII. Participate here: https://ukblackbusinessweek.com/
In this episode:
- You can learn how to build your network of Black professionals and how you can show up as an ally
- Is the entrepreneurial spirit - nature or nurture?
- Why if you have a business idea, you should just get started (we are not trying to reinvent the wheel!)
- Why he decided to write the book âTwice as Hard, navigating black stereotypes and creating space for success" (a timely book he co-wrote with is wife, Opeyemi Sofoluke)
- And how writing the chapter on mental health highlighted to him the importance of self care
Raphael has spoken for and featured on several well-known platforms including NatWest, BBC, ITV News, Forbes, Mastercard, CBS, Facebook & BET, as well as a personal invite to 10 Downing street in Black History Month.
Raphael has also launched the Black Tech Achievement Awards which is set-up to celebrate and acknowledge black role models and innovators within the tech sector and to help illuminate the pathways to greater black representation of the community within the industry. The first show was also sponsored by JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, BT and Facebook with BBC News Filming and broadcasting the event on the day.
Connect with Raphael https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-sofoluke-533b87a0/
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In honour of Black History Month co-founder of Diversity Ally, Gabby Austen Browne speaks with four inspirational Black men from the events industry. During this series of BHM specials, learn about our guests early years as young Black men in the UK, their career journey (challenges + wins) and their hopes for the future.
This weeks guest is Raphael Sofoluke, who founded The UK Black Business Show in 2017. The UKBBS is annual conference and exhibition show which takes place during Black History Month to highlight and promote the amazing businesses founded by people from the Black community. The show highlights the achievements and contributions black businesses have made to the economy and attendees have the opportunity to hear insights and advice in entrepreneurship, leadership and business from some of the UKâs leading Black business professionals.
The UK Black Business Show takes place on the 30th October 2021 at the QEII. Secure your tickets here: https://ukblackbusinessshow.co.uk/ Attendees will gain cutting-edge insight and advice in entrepreneurship, leadership, soft skills and cultural development from some of the UKâs leading black business owners.
The UK Black Business Week takes place on the 25th October 2021 at the QEII. Participate here: https://ukblackbusinessweek.com/
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It's here - Season 3!
In honour of Black History Month we speak with four inspirational Black men from the events industry. We learn about their early years as young Black men in the UK, their career journey (challenges + wins) and their hopes for the future.
This weeks guest is Mike Sealy, who is the Customer Experience Director at Informa Market, EMEA with responsibility to create great customer experiences through the improvement of operational processes, implementation of new technologies and better use of data and insights. He is also one of the regional Coordinators for Informa Markets Nations, a colleague run network representing Black and Ethnic Minority employees. He has had a reasonably successful career as a senior leader in a number of high-profile companies, namely Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and the BBC leading and setting up businesses and organisations and consistently delivering positive results and winning awards for management and execution excellence.
Throughout his career, Mike has been involved in a number of Diversity networks trying to drive awareness and fairness for colleagues of colour. He is also passionate about helping to develop colleagues and see them progress within their own career through active mentoring and coaching through his own experiences, knowledge and skills.
In this episode we discuss
- The education system for Black boys in the UK
- That moment when you are finally promoted to manager
- Leading to the microaggressions that followed
- And what happens when you have an advocate and mentor who encourages you to reach for the stars
As usual, pls share, subscribe and review so we can share our message and expertise with as wider audience as possible :)
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In honour of Black History Month we speak with four inspirational Black men smashing through brown ceilings in the events industry. Â The launch of season 3 / Episode 034 features Mike Sealy who is the Customer Experience Director at Informa Market, EMEA with responsibility to create great customer experiences through the improvement of operational processes, implementation of new technologies and better use of data and insights. Â He is also one of the regional Coordinators for Informa Markets Nations, a colleague run network representing Black and Ethnic Minority employees.Â
TRAILER âIt just goes to show that teachers play a very important role, and they didn't pay too much attention to black pupils. They didn't believe that they were capable of achieving higher levels of education, and therefore ignored.  I realised that I kind of limped through school you know, when you  get to university, and then business schools, I attended a lot of business schools throughout my career and that's where my real development and learning came as a result."
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To close season two of the Podcast, Ashanti and Gabby discuss Diversity Allyâs Diversity & Inclusion highlights as part of its one year anniversary.
Our off the cuff conversation covers how far the events / MICE & hospitality industry has come with regards to D&I (what are companies doing?!) Whether we are all suffering from social impact fatigue. Â And how international diplomacy relates to diversity and inclusion.
We also talk about employee expectations when it comes to workplace diversity and inclusion
We discuss insights around leadership concerns when implementing D&I initiatives, policies and strategiesÂ
PLUS what do we see for the future of industry equalityÂ
and whatâs next for Diversity Ally ?
Thanks for joining us for season 2 and join us for season 3 which is going bigger, bolder and better!
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To close season two of the Podcast, Ashanti and Gabby discuss Diversity Allyâs Diversity & Inclusion highlights as part of its one year anniversary.
Expect an off the cuff conversation covering how far the events / MICE & hospitality industry has come with regards to D&I (what are companies doing?!) Whether we are all suffering from social impact fatigue. Â And how international diplomacy relates to diversity and inclusion.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
Amrita Devaiah the Head of External Affairs and Engagement at the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for events and all aspects of ministerial engagement for the department. This includes Civil Service Live, the largest public sector learning and development event in Europe as well as all visits, meetings or external engagements for Cabinet Office ministers, such as Michael Gove, Penny Mordaunt or Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Prior to joining the Cabinet Office, she worked for a number of organisations from NUS to NCS Trust, setting up departments from scratch and delivering national and international events, from gala dinners to music festivals. She has been a fierce advocate for equality throughout her career, and has developed and delivered national training on privilege, which she is currently delivering across the Government Communications Service; and works on embedding inclusive practices in events. She also undertakes a number of speaking engagements on the importance of inclusion and empathy in leadership.
In her spare time she is the co-founder of Social Supper Club London, a zero-waste dinner club raising funds for Refettorio Felix, a London charity supporting vulnerable, homeless people and those at risk of homelessness; she sits on two Boards - both working with organisations where social mobility is at the heart, and is a mentor for Apprentice Nation.
In this weeks episode we cover:
- How to make sure we "walk the walk" by embedding D&I practices into the event planning process and delivery
- What happens when you become the "accidental D&I leader" facilitating difficult conversations and identifying privilege
- The dangers of performative diversity
- What we can to bring about diverse and inclusive spaces at work and our events
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AmritaDevaiahis Head of External Affairs and Engagement at the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for events and all aspects of ministerial engagement for the department. This includes "Civil Service Live", the largest public sector learning and development event in Europe as well as all visits, meetings or external engagements for Cabinet Office ministers, such as Michael Gove, Penny Mordaunt or Jacob Rees-Mogg.Â
In this weeks episode we cover:
- How to make sure we "walk the walk" by embedding D&I practices into the event planning process and delivery
- What happens when you become the accidental D&I leader
- How to Facilitate difficult conversations and identifying privilege
- The dangers of performative diversity
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
Birmingham born, Shannie Mears is Co-founder & Head of Talent at The Elephant Room, alongside iris worldwide's former CEO, Dan Saxby.
Formed to directly address advertising's lack of diversity and inclusion, The Elephant room was created with the mission to help build brands that are genuinely inclusive.
Shannie consults with top brands on how to find fresh talent and new ways of approaching recruitment, so we were keen to see if their approach is something the events industry could emulate.
In Part 2 of our conversation with Shannie, we coverÂ
1. Inclusivity and representation in brandingÂ
-
How you can expand your network to include those from different communities
-
Why you should be focussing on DEI in order to future proof your business
-
How to prepare for changeÂ
-
3 tips on how to source diverse talent
Be sure to follow Shannie and The Elephant Room on socials:
Linkedin: Shanice Mears
Instagram and twitter @elephantroomuk and @Shannieloves
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
It's here! Part 2 of our conversation with Shannie Mears, Co-founder & Head of Talent at The Elephant Room.
We cover:
1. Inclusivity and representation in branding
-
How you can expand your network to include those from different communities
-
Why you should be focussing on DEI in order to future proof your business
-
How to prepare for change
-
3 tips on how to source diverse talent
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
Birmingham born, Shannie Mears is Co-founder & Head of Talent at The Elephant Room, alongside iris worldwide's former CEO, Dan Saxby.
Formed to directly address advertising's lack of diversity and inclusion, The Elephant room was created with the mission to help build brands that are genuinely inclusive.Â
Shannie consults with top brands on how to find fresh talent and new ways of approaching recruitment, so we were keen to see if their approach is something the events industry could emulate.
In Part 1 we talk about Shannie's journey up to this point, we reflect on the advice we have been given and advice we would give to those looking to make that next step in their careers, plus the importance of passion and purpose.
Part 2 will be out on 6th May 2021, SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss it!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
Birmingham born, Shannie Mears is Co-founder & Head of Talent at The Elephant Room, alongside iris worldwide's former CEO, Dan Saxby, who asked her to be his co-founder after recognising her ability to build, connect and develop relationships with young people from the wider creative industries.
Formed to directly address advertising's lack of diversity and inclusion, The Elephant room was created with the mission to help build brands that are genuinely inclusive. Shannie consults with top brands on how to find fresh talent and new ways of approaching recruitment, so we were keen to see if their approach is something the events industry could emulate.
Shannie also regularly lectures at Kingston University.
We originally planned for this podcast to be about inclusivity in branding and how to fix underrepresentation in the events, marketing and advertising industry (don't worry, we still cover this) but the conversation just flowed and ended up being a 50 minute recording! So we have decided to split this episode into 2 parts.
In Part 1 we talk about Shannie's journey up to this point, we reflect on the advice we have been given and advice we would give to those looking to make that next step in their careers, plus the importance of passion and purpose.
Shannie has come along way and made a lot of impact in her 27 years, so it was a real delight to have her as a guest on the show.
Be sure to follow Shannie and The Elephant Room on socials:
Linkedin: Shanice Mears
Instagram and twitter @elephantroomuk and @Shannieloves
Part 2 will be out on 13th May 2021, SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss it!
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Seattle based Dr Jen O'Ryan designs LGBTQ+ inclusion strategies for organisations. She also provides consulting services, ranging from employee training to managing large-scale organisational changes. Through years of research and advocacy, Jen specialises in making potentially âawkwardâ topics more accessible.
Leveraging two decades of experience in change management and organisational behaviour, she understands the challenges leaders can face in developing a culture of inclusiveness for employees, clients, and consumers.
On this weeks episode, Gabby and Jen discuss
- Why diversity and inclusion is not politics, it's human rights
- Why leaders and employees should be internalising the "why" to create truly inclusive cultures and therefore healthy workplaces
- How employee feedback can improve inclusivity in the work environment
- How to manage and work to eliminate toxic work environments
- Change management and leading - how to navigate people through organisational change
- How organisations can introduce effective culture change with little to no budget/resources
- What you can do today to influence change in your organisation (HINT: don't be a bystander)
- The 30 day rule: what is the one thing you can do in the next 30 days to bring about positive change?
Jen is the author of Inclusive AF: A Field Guide for Accidental Diversity Experts, designed for anyone thinking about Inclusion and Diversity in their business or organisation. It provides practical advice on safely and effectively leading culture change. Whether you are one person working with zero budget, or have funding and an enthusiastic team.
Jen O'Ryan Linkedin
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Special guest Dr Jen O'Ryan and your host Gabby discuss:
1.Why diversity and inclusion is not politics, it's human rights
2.Why leaders and employees should be internalising the "why" to create truly inclusive cultures and therefore healthy workplaces
3.How employee feedback can improve inclusivity in the work environment
4.How to manage and work to eliminate toxic work environments 5.Change management and leading - how to navigate people through organisational change
6.How organisations can introduce effective culture change with little to no budget/resources
7.What you can do today to influence change in your organisation (HINT: don't be a bystander) 8.The 30 day rule: what is the one thing you can do in the next 30 days to bring about positive change?
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This weeks episode features Maria Gaillez relationship manager on the hosted buyers programme at IMEX. Maria heads up IMEXs DEI Squad and is also a member of the Diversity Ally committee.
At Diversity Ally, we have had many organisations and associations come to us, saying that their D&I committees are struggling to have impact. In response to this we decided to record this podcast where we discuss:
- Why it's important to decide on your scope
- How to set DEI aims
- Why it's key to create a short and long term strategy
- The importance of setting actionable steps and realistic goals
- Why we need to lose the "fear" and start taking "calculated" D&I risks before its too late
Diversity Ally also recently hosted an invite only roundtable discussion on "how to set up a successful diversity committee" with industry leaders from finance, government departments, recruitment firms and associations, which was incredibly enlightening and educational.
We have also created a CPD (continuing professional development) module of the same title, so If you are interested in learning more about all of our CPD modules and/or your company is looking to facilitate conversations or a workshop about diversity, book a call in with us to discuss how we can support you: calendly.com/gabbydiversityally
https://www.diversityally.co.uk
Follow us:
Twitter @DiversityAlly1
IG @DiversityAlly
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This weeks episode features Maria Gaillez relationship manager on the hosted buyers programme at IMEX.  Maria heads up IMEXs DEI Squad and is also a member of the Diversity Ally committee and we talk about how and why committees should to set goals, develop strategies to have a real  impact on their organisation. And we also discuss the common challenges that occur when setting up DEI committees.
Diversity Ally also recently hosted an invite only roundtable discussion on "how to set up a successful diversity committee" with industry leaders from finance, government departments, recruitment firms and associations, which was incredibly enlightening and educational.
We have also created a CPD (continuing professional development) module of the same title, so If you are interested in learning more about all of our CPD modules and/or your company is looking to facilitate conversations or a workshop about diversity, book a call in with us to discuss how we can support you: calendly.com/gabbydiversityally
https://www.diversityally.co.uk
Follow us:
Twitter @DiversityAlly1
IG @DiversityAlly
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
On this weeks episode we are joined by the Fast Forward 15 Ambassadors. Fast Forward 15 gives 15 women the opportunity to be mentored, encouraged and advised by an industry expert for one year, as well as becoming part of a wider community of successful women supporters.
Ambassadors; Benedicta Asante (Events 101) and your host Gabby Austen Browne (Diversity Ally), a previous mentee, plus mentors for 2021/22 Felicia Asiedu (Cvent) and Priya Narain (EMA and Event First Steps) discuss the strategies they use to engage women of colour in the events and hospitality industry and to encourage them to apply for the FF15 programme.
We also discuss the importance of putting yourself forward for opportunities and engaging in mentorship programs, and training and development initiatives to level up your career. And we talk about how to take space and show up for yourself and your peers.
We all need someone to look up to, or feel like we can connect with and to see ourselves represented in these kind of programs, roles and positions within companies.
In this episode learn more about:
The ambassadors event âShine bright like a diamondâ organised to engage and encourage racially diverse women to apply to be mentees or mentors on the FF15 programme
And why we are on a mission to rebalance the industry, so that there is less repetition of the type of people who are offered opportunities
Plus:
Join our LinkedIn Group Ambassadors of Racial Diversity in Events, specifically for Black, Brown and ethnic minority women and men
Find out more about Ambassadors here
"The Fast Forward 15 programme aims to inspire, encourage and empower women in the events, hospitality and related industry to be the best they can be."
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
On this weeks episode we are joined by the Fast Forward 15 Ambassadors. Fast Forward 15 gives 15 women the opportunity to be mentored, encouraged and advised by an industry expert for one year, as well as becoming part of a wider community of successful women supporters.
Ambassadors; Benedicta Asante (Events 101) and your host Gabby Austen Browne (Diversity Ally), a previous mentee, plus mentors for 2021/22 Felicia Asiedu (Cvent) and Priya Narain (EMA and Event First Steps) discuss the strategies they use to engage women of colour in the events and hospitality industry and to encourage them to apply for the FF15 programme.
We also discuss the importance of putting yourself forward for opportunities and engaging in mentorship programs, and training and development initiatives to level up your career. And we talk about how to take space and show up for yourself and your peers.
We all need someone to look up to, or feel like we can connect with and to see ourselves represented in these kind of programs, roles and positions within companies.
In this episode learn more about:
The ambassadors event âShine bright like a diamondâ organised to engage and encourage racially diverse women to apply to be mentees or mentors on the FF15 programme
And why we are on a mission to rebalance the industry, so that there is less repetition of the type of people who are offered opportunities
Plus:
Join our LinkedIn Group Ambassadors of Racial Diversity in Events, specifically for Black, Brown and ethnic minority women and men
Find out more about Ambassadors here
"The Fast Forward 15 programme aims to inspire, encourage and empower women in the events, hospitality and related industry to be the best they can be."
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
Keneisha is an event planning professional with nearly 10 years of experience working within and outside of Canada. She has worked in both the corporate and not-for-profit industries managing both small to large-scale events.
She is also the co-founder of the Black In Events Network - a globally inclusive initiative creating awareness and opportunity for Black event professionals. She is the owner of the Gene Belvidere agency which is a full-service event agency for live and virtual events. She is also a mentor at the Scarborough Women's Center, enjoys anything personal development and family.
Most recently, in honour of Black History month, she launched the 100 Black professionals campaign, highlighting and showcasing Black events professionals from around the globe.
This week we discuss why the Black In Events Network is a necessary initiative for the events industry, the power of personal development and the thrilling journey to realising your goals and dreams. We also touch on the magic of women supporting women. And why she is remaining laser focused on racial diversity.
The Black in Events Network connects, supports, amplifies and promotes talent in a safe space. With the aim to aid in having diversity thrive in the events industry.
So, whether you are looking to employ Black professionals, add them to your supplier diversity list be sure to connect with the Black In Events Network on their socials
IG and Twitter: @BlackInEvents
Keneisha is passionate about creating spaces and experiences that enrich the human journey. For more information about her please visit her site www.keneisha.co
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
Keneisha is an event planning professional with nearly 10 years of experience working within and outside of Canada. She has worked in both the corporate and not-for-profit industries managing both small to large-scale events.
She is also the co-founder of the Black In Events Network - a globally inclusive initiative creating awareness and opportunity for Black event professionals. She is the owner of the Gene Belvidere agency which is a full-service event agency for live and virtual events. She is also a mentor at the Scarborough Women's Center, enjoys anything personal development and family.
Most recently, in honour of Black History month, she launched the 100 Black professionals campaign, highlighting and showcasing black events professionals from around the globe.
This week we discuss why the Black In Events Network is a necessary initiative for the events industry, the power of personal development and the thrilling journey to realising your goals and dreams. We also touch on the magic of women supporting women. And why she is remaining laser focused on racial diversity.
The Black In Events network connects, supports, amplifies and promotes talent in a safe space. With the aim to aid in having diversity thrive in the events industry.
So, whether you are looking to employ Black professionals, add them to your supplier diversity list be sure to connect with the Black In Events Network on their socials
IG and Twitter: @BlackInEvents
Keneisha is passionate about creating spaces and experiences that enrich the human journey. For more information about her please visit her site www.keneisha.co
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In this episode, we are joined by Dean Carby and Laura Toogood, the powerhouses behind the Elite Vendors Network, a network of African Caribbean wedding & events vendors.
Dean and Laura share the journey of the Elite Vendors Network which started as a WhatsApp group to allow quick messaging and instant communication between its members, to fully a fledged business making inroads to venues and event bookers looking to diversify their supply chains.
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In this episode, we are joined by Dean Carby and Laura Toogood, the powerhouses behind The Elite Vendors Network, a network of African Caribbean wedding & events vendors.
Dean and Laura share the journey of The Elite Vendors Network which started as a WhatsApp group to allow quick messaging and instant communication between its members.
It has since moved from a WhatsApp group to social media platforms and now to the live website, which has led to more business being shared between members of the network as well as offering business lessons, advice and opportunities for the African and Caribbean community. Â This network has to lead to members connecting with new clients and being included on preferred suppliers lists in venues across London.
Links to connect with the Elite Vendors Network:
https://elitevendorsnetwork.com
https://www.instagram.com/elitevendorsnetwork/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/elitevendorsnw?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-vendors-network/
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To kick off season 2, we are joined by another fierce Black woman doing excellent work in the hospitality sector around racial equality.
Lorraine Copes, founder of not for profit organisation, Be Inclusive Hospitality, is doing vital work to drive education, amplify black and brown voices and accelerate racial equality to level the playing field for those from underrepresented backgrounds within the hospitality, food and drink sectors.
Lorraine has spent two decades working within the hospitality sector successfully leading procurement teams for brands including Shake Shack, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants and Corbin & King helping organisations to improve profitability.
This is a juicy episode where we discuss, why Lorraine set up Be Inclusive Hospitality (formally known as BAME In Hospitality), her mission, and why she dropped the term âBAMEâ from the name.
We speak about the importance of bridging the gap between education and getting into the workplace, as a key strategy to address the broken pipeline. And how using quantifiable measures is the key to identifying that you're moving towards your D&I goal.
We also take a look at the December 2020 report she commissioned into comparing the experiences of hospitality workers from different ethnic backgrounds, in conjunction with the Resolution Foundation. Discussing the challenges in producing the report and some important findings
- More
PLUS:
Why Black and Asian people don't talk openly about racism and prejudice with white colleagues.
https://www.bihospitality.co.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraine-copes-mcips-ab614820/
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To kick off season 2, we are joined by another fierce Black woman doing excellent work in the hospitality sector around racial equality.
Lorraine Copes, founder of not for profit organisation, Be Inclusive Hospitality, is doing vital work to drive education, amplify black and brown voices and accelerate racial equality to level the playing field for those from underrepresented backgrounds within the hospitality, food and drink sectors.
Lorraine has spent two decades working within the hospitality sector successfully leading procurement teams for brands including Shake Shack, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants and Corbin & King helping organisations to improve profitability.
This is a juicy episode where we discuss, why Lorraine set up Be Inclusive Hospitality (formally known as BAME In Hospitality), her mission, and why she dropped the term âBAMEâ from the name.
We speak about the importance of bridging the gap between education and getting into the workplace, as a key strategy to address the broken pipeline. And how using quantifiable measures is the key to identifying that you're moving towards your D&I goal.
We also take a look at the December 2020 report she commissioned into comparing the experiences of hospitality workers from different ethnic backgrounds, in conjunction with the Resolution Foundation. Discussing the challenges in producing the report and some important findings
- More
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"The year the events industry started talking about diversity and inclusion".
As 2020 draws to a close, your hosts Gabby and Ashanti share observations, challenges and highlights since the launch of Diversity Ally, their consultancy, education and events business, just 6 months ago.
They close the episode by sharing some exciting plans for 2021.
Thank you to all our listeners for tuning in every week and for your continued support.Â
See you on the other side
Gabby & Ashanti.
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The year the events industry started talking about diversity and inclusion.
As 2020 draws to a close, your hosts Gabby and Ashanti share observations, challenges and highlights since the launch of Diversity Ally, their consultancy, education and events business, just 6 months ago. Â
They close the season by sharing some exciting plans for 2021.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diversity-ally/message
On this week's episode, we have special guest, Esi Hardy â Founder, Owner and Managing Director of Celebrating Disability. Â Â Esi is a trainer, disability inclusion expert, public speaker, podcaster and writer. We draw parallels between Esiâs previous career as an actor and the roles she was often âtypecastâ into, and how as professionals seeking employment or working in the corporate environment, we are often being typecast or offered roles based on an "identity" we have been given, not taking into account, that human beings can occupy more than one identity. Â Â We also discuss, with the shift to more virtual events, how event organisers need to work harder to ensure their events are accessible. Â Â Whether the event is IRL, Hybrid or Virtual, we canât be truly inclusive if we are not accessible!Â
Some brilliant insights and advice in this episode, be sure to listen in full.
Find out more about celebrating disability here: https://celebratingdisability.co.uk/
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On this week's episode we have special guestÂ
Esi Hardy â Founder, Owner and Managing Director of Celebrating Disability.Esi is a trainer, disability inclusion expert, public speaker podcaster and writer.
We cover why we need to stop categorising people if we want a diverse workforce. Â And how venues and virtual events need to become more accessible to be truly inclusive + more
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In this week's episode, we catch up with David Ogiste founder of Nobodyâs Cafe.
A real pick ânâ mix of an episode, where we discuss everything from Fawlty Towers, to the frustration, felt over the âbrown ceilingâ and how we often self identify as people of colour, based on how other people see and treat us, rather than how we see ourselves.Â
We also talk about the common phenomenon of âcode-switchingâ and why people of colour often feel they have to go out on their own, to create opportunities otherwise eluded to them.
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"Code-switching" is the action of changing our behaviours, speech, dress, and mannerisms to conform to a different cultural norm depending on the context. For example, you don't dress or use the same jargon/phrases with colleagues as you do with your family.
In this weeks episode, we catch up with David Ogiste founder of Nobodyâs Cafe.
Davidâs love for events began when he started hosting house parties at the age of 16. Nineteen years of experience later, David Ogiste has travelled the world, delivering experiential activations for global clients like PlayStation, PepsiCo, Culture Trip and more.
A real pick ânâ mix of an episode, where we discuss everything from Fawlty Towers, to the frustration, felt over the âbrown ceilingâ and how we often self identify as people of colour, based on how other people see and treat us, rather than how we see ourselves.
We also delve into our experiences of working in the nightlife industry as a reflection of the discrimination felt in the events industry in overall.
We talk about the common phenomenon of âcode-switchingâ and why people of colour often have to go out on their own, to create opportunities otherwise eluded to them.
David also shares how he missed out on promotion after promotion, even being told by the MD of his first job that âthis is the best you're ever going to get paid anywhere you work, for the rest of your lifeâ, eventually driving him to strike out on his own and found Nobodyâs CafĂŠ, with the vision that bringing people together creates unforgettable moments.
https://www.nobodyscafe.com
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Progress Over Perfection!  This week we are joined by Suzanne Neve, CEO of the Florida Festival and Events Association. Suzanne candidly takes us through the association's diversity and inclusion journey and shares what their approach to D&I was pre-BLM and Covid and how this has shifted and adopted a deeper, more targeted focus over recent months. The FFEA also went through the Diversity Ally assessment and approval process, so if youâre curious about how IT and WE work and what the benefits are, grab a cuppa and have a listen! Our favourite insight from Suzanne was "Progress over perfection".
Find out more about the FFEA here: https://www.ffea.com/ Reach out to Suzanne here:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-neve-64a5139/
@DiversityAlly W: DiversityAlly.co.uk
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On this weekâs episode, we are joined by Suzanne Neve, CEO of the Florida Festival and Events Association. She takes us through the association's diversity and inclusion journey with the help of Diversity Ally.
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Do senior level execs really care about Diversity and Inclusion? Or Is it just lip service?
On this week's episode, we are joined by the founders of Event First Steps, Priya Narian, Elena Clowes and Caitlin Kobrak to discuss the results of the global survey on tackling racial diversity in the events industry in collaboration with C&IT.
We talk about how the events of the summer have been a catalyst and driver for the industry to start moving to a more diverse and inclusive workforce and question why itâs taken so long?
We discuss why 75% of agency suppliers and in-house corporate teams feel that there is a lack of diversity in their organisations and why they feel they canât speak up.
How event professionals can make changes and how they can put pressure on their companies to do the same.
And how can we use our position and our networks to really make some noise and draw attention to the lack of D&I in a tangible way?
https://www.eventfirststeps.com/
Twitter and IG: @EventFirstSteps
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Diversity and inclusion in the world of disability.
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This week we are joined by the founders of Event Firsts Steps to discuss the findings of the recent survey conducted in collaboration with C&IT, on racial diversity in the events industry.
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What can we learn about diversity and inclusion in the world of disability when it comes to hiring and recruitment?
In this weeks episode, we have an enlightening chat with Adil Ghani of The Ability People, where we investigate how the interview, hiring and onboarding process could and should be enhanced to include inclusive practices.
We also discuss, why applicants should not have to disclose if they have a disability before or during the interview process.
And the simple adjustments, businesses and organisations can implement to enhance processes so that they are a fit for all.
The Ability People empowers people with disabilities by helping companies enhance processes and adapt cultures, transforming professional lives and building better brands.
Find out more about The Ability People here:
https://www.theabilitypeople.com/
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In this episode, join co-founders of Diversity Ally, Ashanti and Gabby, as they take us back over the past few months and share their favourite and most impactful episodes so far.
They also talk about how the events industry is tackling Diversity and Inclusion during Covid-19, what still needs to be done, as well as the challenges of launching a business as two black women in the middle of a global pandemic.
Expect some straight-talking and a few giggles along the way.
Thank you for joining us on this journey so far.
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How can Motown, Michael Jackson and Nigel Benn inspire your career in the events industry?
In this weeks episode, we sit down to have a chat with Wesley Mendy, founder of Prestige Events magazine, COOL Venue Awards and the pioneering 20/20 Club (formerly known as 20/20 Speed Networking). Â
We reflect on his journey as an events industry entrepreneur who is mixed race, the challengeâs faced, the lessons learned and what advice he would give to newcomers entering and finding their way in the industry today.
Prestige Events
http://www.prestigeeventsmagazine.com/
@savilerowmasks
Luxurious, stylish, face masks. Reusable, washable, produced to the finest British tailoring standards.
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So what do we do in the meantime?
We get 3 A-Type women on a podcast for plenty of real talk and giggles!
This weeks episode was a corker. We managed to get through a whole spectrum of topics-enjoy!
We talked about:
- What inspires Fay
- Her thoughts on the results of her diversity and inclusion report
- What needs to change in our industry
- Why are we not attracting diverse groups of people to the industry?
- How can we work with the younger generation to improve diversity and inclusion and get businesses invested in this long term?
PLUS
- Why you should turn on your screen in zoom meetings
- The importance of mindset and learning how to adapt
- Tips on how to cope with change, grow and learn from mistakes
- Setting up a business
- Female entrepreneurs
Download the research paper on Diversity and Inclusion in the events industry here: FF15 2020 Research Paper Diversity and Inclusion
Check out the Fast Forward 15 Mentoring Programme here: https://fastforward15.co.uk
IG: @FastForward15
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This week we are joined by Ngzoi Weller, Managing Director of Aurora Wellness.
With organisations beginning to understand tackling mental health takes more than a couple of well-being strategies such as yoga or a gym membership, what can businesses and organisations do better with regards to supporting their people during times of crisis?
In part one we discuss the nuances of mental health in the workplace and how we classify well-being and wellness.
In part two we talk about the mental health of black and brown people. Sharing our lived experiences of the âhidden harmsâ, the impact of discrimination, the burden of POC needing to âwhitewashâ themselves to be accepted in the workplace and the realities of hitting the âbrown ceilingâ.
Ngozi Weller is a qualified management training consultant and mental health first aider who equips HR and people managers with the tools to improve employee wellbeing in the workplace.
Aurora Wellness
w: www.aurorawellness.uk
e: ngozi@aurorawellness.uk
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âUltimately as organisers, we have the power to choose how we fill out agendas.â
This week we welcome Felicity Cator, Â Head of EventLAB at Hire Space.
This year EventLAB goes digital! They will be running a programme across a range of educational themes for events professionals and businesses that run them. This includes the opportunity to interact and engage across Workshops, Talks, Discussions, and Fireside Sessions.
On todayâs show we chat with Felicity about:
- how the spotlight on Covid and Diversity and Inclusion has affected the way she has approached organising events
- how we as business owners and planners can make events more inclusive through content and delivery
- the need to be more aware of how we approach accessibility and diversity through our speakers, content and communication
- And how we approach managing diversity and inclusion through the whole event life cycle
Register for EventLAB here.
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On this week's episode, we welcome Benedicta Asante and Nyomi Rose. Both ambitious, intelligent and courageous young events professionals, speaking up and taking action around what they want to see and expect from the future of our industry.
They both shared some useful nuggets around what they think the current issues are with regards to diversity and inclusion, attracting and retaining young talent, and what we need to do to encourage future generations into the events sector.
We Talk About * How they used their voices and online platforms to highlight awareness around BLM * What the older generation can do, to reach out and attract up and coming talent * Why we need more training and development opportunities * And the benefits of reverse mentoring
Follow Benedicta and Nyomi * @whatnyomidoes * @themillenialeventmanager
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"80% lack confidence to job they are currently in" - Max Fellows
"You can't be what you can't see" - Melissa Noakes
ELEVATE has been running for 4 years as a free mentorship programme for the events industry, that has been designed with a specific goal in mind â to support and inspire ambitious people within the events industry. Â Itâs a 6 month programme connecting Mentors and Mentees to make this industry even better. Â So far they have helped over 650 people.
On this episode, co-founders Mel and Max tell us how and why they created Elevate, the community benefits of being part of their programme and discuss their personal journey towards becoming actively anti-racist and using their platform to become D&I advocates in the events industry.
https://www.elevateme.co/
Applications to join the programme open in Dec 2020
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With the event sector currently in limbo and furlough scheme soon coming to an end,
We are seeing events professionals being made redundant and businesses needing to restructure.
With an eye on diversity and inclusion, how do businesses handle this process in an ethical and inclusive way? Particularly when we know in times of recession and austerity, ethnic minorities and women tend to suffer the most.
Today's guest is Robert Kenward, co-founder of You Search and Select. An independent recruitment consultancy working with agencies within the Live Event, Experiential and Integrated Communications sector.
In this episode we talk about tackling the redundancy process without discrimination, restructuring without biases and how to protect our current talent pool whilst remaining attractive as individual organisations and as a sector to the talent of the future.
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It's been 3 months since the death of George Floyd, the summer holiday's are almost over and it will soon be time to get back to work properly.
With that in mind, now may be a good time to reflect and remind ourselves what got us so fired up to fight for racial equality and change in the first place?
In this episode Gabby, Priya and Ashanti discuss the positive and negative role social media can play when it comes to delivering important messages, particularly around social and humanitarian issues. And acknowledging the difference between what we see and share on social media versus the true impact of consistent action in our work environments and the wider community.
Whether you posted a black square or a statement after blackout Tuesday doesn't matter, it's what we are doing behind the scenes in the here and now that counts.
Are we continuing with action to remedy racial inequality?
Or was it just lip service?
How do we move on from the hashtag?
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In this weeks episode, we share things to consider when setting up diversity working groups or committees.
Perhaps youâve hesitated to post messages or make statements on social media for fear of backlash or criticism?
Or maybe you know that thereâs much work to be done internally, and have decided to get your ducks in a row before speaking publicly about the matter.
Right now companies are under pressure to show their employees and the wider industry that diversity and inclusion are high on their agenda to be addressed. So, some have announced the creation of internal working groups, networks and councils aimed at exploring how diversity and inclusion can be improved.
Whilst this choice admirable understandable, its important companies are aware of the pitfalls of setting up these internal groups.
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"2020 is not all about COVID it's about listening to other peoples voices instead and taking the power to change, in your own hands."
In this episode, we speak candidly with Ryan Curtis-Jhonson, Head of PR & Marketing at DRPG, about the importance of brand values and purpose being in alignment with your diversity message.
We look at why too much focus on the external comms without addressing things internally could potentially expose some areas of businesses and discuss why this not the time to tiptoe around diversity issues or use Covid-19 as a barrier to starting the work that desperately needs to be done.
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"What gets measured, gets improved."
Confused about equal pay and pay gaps?
Are women and particularly women of colour really that bad at negotiating a fair salary or do biases come into play?
And finally, how do organisations tackle this issue before it becomes a crisis point?
In this episode, we discuss with Michelle Gyimah, from Equality Pays, how pay gaps are actually measured and why, unsurprisingly, white males are at the top end of these pay scales across the majority of sectors.
Michelle shares why hiring specialists to look at your pay structure and to help map out a framework is key, particularly in such an entrepreneurial sector as the events industry.
We discuss the importance of greater transparency in all sectors and why we should be communicating salaries to all staff and potential new hires moving forward if we are to attract and retain the best talent.
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On todayâs podcast, we discuss intersectionality, in its various forms, and feminism. Taking a closer look at themes and experiences around being a female AND black.
We ask;
- How do we include black voices and voices of people of colour and stop excluding them from the conversation?
- How do women lift each other up and become true allies?
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âBlack women are angryâ
âBlack men are criminalsâ
SPOILER: Stereotypes and myths about race are not just the domain of overt racists.
In this episode, we explore the common misconceptions about black, brown and other minority groups.
Have you ever thought or expressed openly that East Asian students are inherently better at maths, black people have natural rhythm, or Jews are good with money?
We look at how our unconscious biases affect the way we think, feel and behave around those that are different to us. And how it affects those being judged on those assumptions on a day to day basis, both in their personal and professional lives.
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In this episode we discuss microaggressions, what they are, and our experiences with them.
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How to be an Ally
We discuss the types of allyship that exist and share the different ways you can be an ally either in the work environment or within your social circles.
This week Priya Narian from Event First Steps joins Gabby and Ashanti.
Event First Steps is a not-for-profit initiative encouraging event newcomers to forge their own career path, within the events industry.
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This podcast is all about having frank and open conversations where we share experiences, knowledge, tools and actions for the events/MICE and hospitality Industry, around diversity and inclusion, with a focus on racial inequality in the industry.
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