Inclusion Catalyst: Recent Episodes
Mickey Desai & Susan Cooper
Welcome to Inclusion Catalyst, with your hosts Mickey Desai and Susan Cooper. We bring diversity leaders to the table to hear about current issues in diversity and inclusion, deconstructing complex social justice issues to showcase the best practices in our workplaces and our communities.
Today on the show, guest host Josh Miller of Josh Miller Ventures and IDEAS xLab talks to Lori Frisher as part of his Uncovering Your Value series. Frisher is a leader, an advocate, an entrepreneur, an athlete, a two-time cancer survivor, and a public speaker who dares to dream beyond her present circumstances to discover what is possible. She was born with severe hearing loss and relies on two cochlear implants and lip-reading to communicate. Through her company Ready or Not Media!, Lori offerings immersive disability empathy trainings, keynotes and more. In this episode, Miller and Frisher discuss:
- How navigating the world with an invisible disability can lead to covering,
- Disability empathy and the importance of listening to and learning from people’s stories and experiences,
- The role experiential learning and immersive workshops play in expanding people’s understanding about accessibility,
- Working to make physical workplaces more accessible while recognizing the role that remote and hybrid jobs play in expanding access to employment for people with disabilities.
If you are interested in learning more about the topic of covering, delving into Miller’s Uncovering Your Value newsletter or getting in touch to share your story or about public speaking, visit ](http://www.joshmiller.ventures)[www.joshmiller.ventures or connect with him on LinkedIn! About Josh Miller:About: Josh Miller is a queer changemaker, public speaker, photographer, and outdoor explorer. He is the owner of Josh Miller Ventures and the co-founder + CEO of IDEAS xLab—an organization that uses the art of storytelling and community collaboration to impact public health. Miller’s work has been featured by The New York Times, the Aspen Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is a Soros Equality Fellow, received the 2022 Nonprofit Visionary Leader Award from Louisville Business First, and was selected for Business Equality Magazine’s Forty LGBTQ+ Leaders under 40 and Louisville Business First's Forty under 40. Miller is a two-time TEDx speaker and has been described as a "force in our community.” He holds an MBA from Indiana University and an undergraduate degree from Bellarmine University. Previously, he served as an advisor to the Derby Diversity & Business Summit and co-chair for the Louisville Health advisory board’s communications committee. Support Inclusion Catalyst by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/inclusion-catalyst
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Today on the show, guest host Josh Miller of Josh Miller Ventures and IDEAS xLab talks to Marija Abney as part of his Uncovering Your Value series. Abney is a community organizer, the arts curator at The Soapbox Presents, a Broadway performer and actress having starred in movies including both Black Panther films and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Learn more about her work at The Soapbox presents here. Covering: downplaying, hiding or filtering parts of ourselves at work, with different social groups, at school and with family. In this episode, Miller and Abney discuss:
- The ways we are encouraged to code-switch or cover from a young age,
- The role of imagining and creating change for future generations,
- The importance of accomplices and collaborators in the workplace, and
- Standing in our “No” by putting in place boundaries that embody our values.
If you are interested in learning more about the topic of covering, delving into Miller’s Uncovering Your Value newsletter or getting in touch to share your story or about public speaking, visit ](http://www.joshmiller.ventures)[www.joshmiller.ventures or connect with him on LinkedIn! About Josh Miller:About: Josh Miller is a queer changemaker, public speaker, photographer, and outdoor explorer. He is the owner of Josh Miller Ventures and the co-founder + CEO of IDEAS xLab—an organization that uses the art of storytelling and community collaboration to impact public health. Miller’s work has been featured by The New York Times, the Aspen Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is a Soros Equality Fellow, received the 2022 Nonprofit Visionary Leader Award from Louisville Business First, and was selected for Business Equality Magazine’s Forty LGBTQ+ Leaders under 40 and Louisville Business First's Forty under 40. Miller is a two-time TEDx speaker and has been described as a "force in our community.” He holds an MBA from Indiana University and an undergraduate degree from Bellarmine University. Previously, he served as an advisor to the Derby Diversity & Business Summit and co-chair for the Louisville Health advisory board’s communications committee. Support Inclusion Catalyst by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/inclusion-catalyst
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Today on the show, queer changemaker and public speaker Josh Miller kicks off a multi-part series on the topic of covering: downplaying, hiding or filtering parts of ourselves at work, with different social groups, at school and with family. Miller believes that being visible can shift culture, and that sharing our stories can be the catalyst that changes how people see and move through the world. During the episode, he features excerpts from interviews with corporate, nonprofit and political leaders on their experiences with covering at work and in life. As guest host, the founder of Josh Miller Ventures and co-founder and CEO of IDEAS xLab:
- Defines covering and talks about its prevalence and impact,
- Talks about the cost of covering and how it can lead to coping and burnout
- Delves into how COVID-19 and the socio-political environment intersected with covering and how people evolved and changed since 2020
- Asks you to consider, “Whose imagination are you working you?”
- Invites listeners to become part of an uncovering movement
If you are interested in learning more about the topic of covering, delving into Miller’s Uncovering Your Value newsletter or getting in touch to share your story or about public speaking, visit ](http://www.joshmiller.ventures)[www.joshmiller.ventures or connect with him on LinkedIn! About Josh Miller:About: Josh Miller is a queer changemaker, public speaker, photographer, and outdoor explorer. He is the owner of Josh Miller Ventures and the co-founder + CEO of IDEAS xLab—an organization that uses the art of storytelling and community collaboration to impact public health. Miller’s work has been featured by The New York Times, the Aspen Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is a Soros Equality Fellow, received the 2022 Nonprofit Visionary Leader Award from Louisville Business First, and was selected for Business Equality Magazine’s Forty LGBTQ+ Leaders under 40 and Louisville Business First's Forty under 40. Miller is a two-time TEDx speaker and has been described as a "force in our community.” He holds an MBA from Indiana University and an undergraduate degree from Bellarmine University. Previously, he served as an advisor to the Derby Diversity & Business Summit and co-chair for the Louisville Health advisory board’s communications committee. Support Inclusion Catalyst by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/inclusion-catalyst
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Today on the show, Julien speaks with Richard Mireles, the Director of Communications at the Oakland-based non-profit CROP Organization. CROP stands for Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs and their mission is to reimagine reentry (for justice-involved folks) through a holistic, human-centered approach to advocacy, housing, and skill development for the future of work. Richard's story is a testament to the power of resilience, transformation, and dedication. After spending nearly two decades incarcerated, Richard was granted parole in 2019 and has since become a leading voice in the movement for criminal justice reform.
As the Director of Communications at CROP Organization and host of The Prison Post Podcast, Richard has dedicated his life to helping returning citizens transform their lives and stay free. He leads CROP's transformational workshops for nonprofits, community college faculty and students, and provides leadership development to incarcerated individuals through the Quest program at Solano State prison. Richard's journey is a true inspiration to all those who seek to overcome adversity and make a positive impact in the world. His unwavering commitment to personal growth, education, and social change is a testament to the transformative power of the human spirit.
Today we discuss:
- The redemptive power of empathy and its importance in restorative justice initiatives and reforms of the criminal justice system.
- Richard’s personal story and perspectives on what it takes to be transformed in prison and come out whole.
- That rehabilitation, a critical feature of a healthy justice system, is largely overlooked in the United States — it’s really about profit and punishment.
- That if truly wanted a crime free society, we’d start by focusing on a 0% recidivism rate and stop dehumanizing justice-involved folks.
Additional Resources:Last Prisoner ProjectUncuffed PodcastPrison Policy Initiative – Mass Incarceration: The Whole PieThe Purpose of Prison
Our host, Julien Geiser, is the Director of Corporate Support at Greatheart Consulting. Greatheart develops inclusive leaders for courageous cultures by focusing on practical behaviors that can help build relationships of trust and accountability across all aspects of identity. To learn more about their work, visit www.greatheartconsulting.com.
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Join LeNaya Hezel, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) as she chats with three alumni of the WSP program, Army veteran Chris Twigg, Navy veteran Desaree Edwards, and Marine Corps veteran Jessica Nelson. In this episode, they’ll discuss life after military service, the role higher education plays in transitioning to civilian life, owning the veteran narrative, and their plans to continue to serve and “make the world a better place.” Know an enlisted veteran looking to jumpstart their education? Invite them to learn more about Warrior-Scholar Project and submit an interest form at www.warrior-scholar.org. Connect with Warrior-Scholar Project!WebsiteDonateLinkedIn An official partner with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, WSP is a nonprofit that hosts immersive academic boot camps in partnership with some of the nation’s top colleges and universities. A ](https://www.warrior-scholar.org/two-year-study-confirms-national-nonprofit-warrior-scholar-project-provides-unprecedented-resources-to-veterans/)[recent study found that WSP is the only national program of its kind dedicated to veterans that not only provides targeted support for academic success, but also improves social connection and relationships with both faculty and nonveteran students.
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Join LeNaya Hezel, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) as she chats with WSP’s director of education, Dr. Cassie Sanchez, about how the WSP program supports transitioning service members in their pursuit of higher education by meeting the nontraditional student veteran community “where they are.” The two also discuss how using an assets-based approach ensures inclusivity is embedded in WSP’s culture. Know an enlisted veteran looking to jumpstart their education? Invite them to learn more about Warrior-Scholar Project and submit an interest form at www.warrior-scholar.org. Connect with Warrior-Scholar Project!WebsiteDonateLinkedIn An official partner with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, WSP is a nonprofit that hosts immersive academic boot camps in partnership with some of the nation’s top colleges and universities. A ](https://www.warrior-scholar.org/two-year-study-confirms-national-nonprofit-warrior-scholar-project-provides-unprecedented-resources-to-veterans/)[recent study found that WSP is the only national program of its kind dedicated to veterans that not only provides targeted support for academic success, but also improves social connection and relationships with both faculty and nonveteran students.
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Today on the show, Julien speaks with Maurice Jones, the CEO of the non-profit OneTen.OneTen is a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire, and promote one million Black Americans over the next 10 years who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. Prior to joining OneTen, Maurice was the President and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the country's largest organizations supporting projects to revitalize communities and catalyze economic opportunity for residents. He previously served as Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia where his primary job was to leverage Virginia’s assets to solidify its position as the preeminent place to live, work and conduct business. Maurice also served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from April 2012 through January 2014. As the second most senior official at HUD, Maurice managed the Department's day-to-day operations, the annual operating budget of $40 billion and the agency's 8,900 employees. Maurice received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College and attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he received a Master of Philosophy in International Relations. He later received a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. Today we discuss:
- With 11 million job openings, we discuss why it’s critical that we shift our national standard for job qualification from primarily academic credentials or experience, to a focus on measurable and tangible skills.
- Addressing inherited poverty by connecting Black talent to family-sustaining wages that offer entry to the middle class and that are accessible (don’t require a 4-year degree), offer advancement opportunities, and are secure over the long term (unlikely to be automated).
- Why building an ecosystem that connects employers and skilled workers will drive our national economic potential and benefit all of us.
- Three critical actions for inclusive leaders to take that support “OneTeners”—build a skills-first culture, mentor and sponsor new hires, and create a culture of belonging where authenticity is valued.
Additional Resources:
- MIT’s Living Wage Calculator
- Our Obsession w/ Black Excellence is Harming Black People by Dr. Janice Gassam
Our host, Julien Geiser, is the Director of Corporate Support at Greatheart Consulting. Greatheart develops inclusive leaders for courageous cultures by focusing on practical behaviors that can help build relationships of trust and accountability across all aspects of identity. To learn more about their work, visit www.greatheartconsulting.com.Support Inclusion Catalyst by contributing to our tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/inclusion-catalyst
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Today on the show, Julien speaks with Alana Beard. A philanthropist and entrepreneur, Alana utilizes the power of business and sports to shift how women and girls experience opportunities. She is the Founder of Transition Play, a talent firm that specializes in helping women athletes live prolific lives across their personal, professional, and public domains beyond the game. Alana is the Founder and President of the 318 Foundation, a nonprofit committed to improving college, career, and life outcomes for young women in underrepresented communities through the 318 V.I.S.I.O.N mentorship program. Alana is also leading a bid to acquire the rights to a WNBA franchise.
Best known for her storied athletic career, Alana won Championships at every level, from high school to the WNBA and internationally. She was the first woman basketball player to have her jersey number retired at Duke University, a four-time WNBA All-Star, and an integral piece in leading the Los Angeles Sparks to a WNBA Championship in 2016. At the back end of her career, Alana won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 2017 and 2018. She retired in January 2020 after 15 years.
During and after her time in the WNBA, Alana found success as a small business owner, start-up founder, mentor, and advocate for female athletes in corporate America. After her retirement in 2020, she served as a Senior Associate at Silicon Valley Bank. Today we discuss:
- The resilience of elite athletes and how their value on the court or field translates powerfully into value in corporate spaces.
- Seeing is believing—the importance of representation and setting the pace for those that follow after you.
- How inclusive leaders can support elite athletes in their transition and the power of instant feedback.
Our host, Julien Geiser, is the Director of Corporate Support at Greatheart Consulting. Greatheart develops inclusive leaders for courageous cultures by focusing on practical behaviors that can help build relationships of trust and accountability across all aspects of identity. To learn more about their work, visit www.greatheartconsulting.com.
Support Inclusion Catalyst by contributing to our tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/inclusion-catalyst
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Today on the show, Julien speaks with Ashanti Branch. Ashanti is a key-note speaker, advisor to the US Surgeon General, a Fulbright Fellow and 4x TedX Speaker. His work with youth has been featured at SXSW, on CNN with Lisa Ling, on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and in the documentary about American masculinity 'The Mask You Live In', which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club (EFC), a non-profit organization that ensures underserved students graduate high school by addressing the underlying causes of dropout rates and youth violence, and providing grassroots solutions like mentorship, safe spaces and emotional tools. Formerly a math teacher and raised in Oakland by a single mom on welfare (his father died just before he was born), Ashanti found his passion while tutoring struggling students in a school with a majority of African-American and Latino students. It broke his heart to see 40% of them want to drop out at such a young age. By fulfilling deeper emotional needs to feel safe, seen and heard, EFC has helped 100% of its student members graduate high school, 90% enroll in higher education, and 0% incarcerated (compared to the national incarceration rate of 8% for black males, age 20-24). Ashanti’s work is crucial as we are now at an unprecedented inflection point with youth, with this being the first generation in history expected to live shorter lives than their parents. Youth mental health has been identified as being in a state of emergency by the US Surgeon General. Please help Ashanti get the word out that help is available. You can start today by checking out his Million Mask movement and completing your own mask! Today we discuss:
- The youth mental health crisis in the US and the role communities and organizations have to play in solving it.
- Why healthy masculinity is critical to the health of our society, especially as it relates to the socialization of young men.
- The debilitating power of the “masks” that we live in, how to break free from them, and how to support those we love in doing the same.
Our host, Julien Geiser, is the Director of Corporate Support at Greatheart Consulting. Greatheart develops inclusive leaders for courageous cultures by focusing on practical behaviors that can help build relationships of trust and accountability across all aspects of identity. To learn more about their work, visit www.greatheartconsulting.com.Inclusion Catalyst
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Today on the show, Julien speaks with Jamey Harvey. Jamey is a technologist and white guy from Washington DC who in 1999, with a collective of multi-racial friends, founded the 2020 Project. Their goal and commitment to one another was to be accountable to each other for pursuing the end of racism in the United States by the year 2020. Though the group dissolved in the early 2000s, Jamey has successfully founded multiple tech organizations and the 2020 Project’s founding principles have underpinned his leadership and work. Today, we’re talking about the intersection of racism and technology and why white men, like Jamey, who benefit from compounding privilege and occupy many positions of power are instrumental in dismantling and sunsetting racism. Jamey is the CEO of Agilian, a business and technology consulting company that empowers clients to solve complex technology transformation challenges with agility and elegance. He's a veteran innovation architect and change agent and has 25 years of technology innovation leadership experience in both startups and the government ecosystem. Jamey was the chief technology and ERP architect for Washington DC. His startup experience includes online gaming, social networking, location based mobile apps and blockchain development. For all the success he’s enjoyed in his professional career, Jamey feels still very much like the aspirational entrepreneur that in 1999 thought the end of racism might be just two decades away. Underneath the salt and pepper George Clooney styling lies a man who owns his white privilege and works actively to fight racism, discrimination and genderism through his organization called Sunset Racism.
Today we discuss:
- Why an end to racism should be possible, normalized, and not viewed as some aspirational and unreachable goal.
- The pervasive and problematic persistence of white fragility and why white folks need to be holding each other accountable for dismantling systems of oppression—wherever they exist.
- The origins of the race as a technology concept and why exploring it as such is critical to effectively address and sunset it.
Our host, Julien Geiser, is the Director of Corporate Support at Greatheart Consulting. Greatheart develops inclusive leaders for courageous cultures by focusing on practical behaviors that can help build relationships of trust and accountability across all aspects of identity. To learn more about their work, visit www.greatheartconsulting.com.
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Today on the Inclusion Catalyst, Julien is joined by Sid Pailla, Founder and CEO of Sunny Day Fund, a fintech and financial inclusion company that wants to achieve financial security with dignity for 142 million American workers. They are revolutionizing the way that Americans save for emergencies and support employers in establishing financial security as a competitive employee benefit. As of June 2022, 61% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck, a dire statistic and indicator of our overall societal health and well-being. Leaders like Sid are working to address the stress and burden that financial insecurity places on employees and the disproportionate impact that members of marginalized communities carry.Sid is the Founder & CEO of Sunny Day Fund®, which partners with employers to make saving for emergencies and immediate financial goals easy, accessible, and rewarding. Sid is on a broader mission to normalize emergency savings as a benefit for hardworking Americans, three quarters of whom lack the basic three months of savings on hand. Sid also advanced research on building inclusive technology driven by behavioral economics principles – and applied that research to water and telecommunication systems in India and South Africa. As part of this work, Sid founded HiComm, which expanded fee-free, SMS-based international group messaging to 14M South Africans. HiComm was the primary case study for Sid’s PhD in Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia, where he also received an MBA, and MS and BS in Systems Engineering.
Today we discuss:
- Why financial stress and literary, and their combined effect on the workplace, are an important equity issue.
- Innovative approaches that organizations are finding to positively impact their employee’s financial health and wellbeing.
- Tips for leaders on having respectful and helpful financial health and well-being conversations with employees.
- The vision for a national strategy for financial inclusion that looks to meaningfully address and solve for current wealth disparities.
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Today on the show, Julien is joined by James and Krista White, the father and daughter team behind the book Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious World (Harvard Review Press). Their book is based on the indisputable premise that every leader must be anti-racist, actively seeking opportunities to create more inclusive environments through both deed and word. Centering on James’ experience as a Black executive, CEO, and parent, and Krista’s perspective as a millennial, writer, and DEI practitioner, this collaborative endeavor is a testament to the power of intergenerational accountability and to the actionable steps that leaders can take to advance cultures of greater inclusion.
James D. White is a transformational leader with over thirty years' experience as a CEO and operating executive. As Chair, President, and CEO of Jamba Juice from 2008–2016, he led the successful turnaround and transformation of the company from a made-to-order smoothie shop to a global healthy-lifestyle brand. In 2020, he launched his own firm, Culture Design Lab, to coach, train, and lead CEOs, boards, Chief People Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers on operationalizing his diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) playbook.
Krista White is a writer and consultant in the DEI space, focusing on work at the intersection of race and queerness. She is the founder and CEO of Kiki For The Future and the co-founder of Culture Design Lab, two DEI-focused startups. Krista is based in New York City and is a graduate of Columbia University.
Today we discuss:
- Why all leaders must embrace anti-racism work and how all stakeholders win when they do.
- Why CEOs are also Chief Diversity/Culture Officers, and what they can do to ensure their actual CDOs succeed.
- Practical steps that leaders, at all levels, can take to dismantle systemic racism in the workplace.
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Julien and Ruchika Tulshyan discuss their shared experience of being third-culture kids and how that relates to the importance of cultural humility in the workplace. Adults and children who qualify as third-culture have a unique and sometimes incomplete experience of cultural identity formation. While they might struggle with feeling a sense of true belonging in whichever of their home cultures they’re in, they are often incredibly adept at building bridges across difference and demonstrating the kind of cultural humility that is required of inclusive leaders. DE&I initiatives and programs are now more geared than ever towards building a true sense of belonging for employees—cultural humility plays a role in achieving this elusive but critical human experience.
We’re excited to welcome to the show Ruchika Tulshyan, the author of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work (MIT Press). She’s also the founder of Candour, an inclusion strategy practice. A former international business journalist, Ruchika is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review.
Ruchika co-wrote a paradigm-shifting article, Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome for Harvard Business Review, with Jodi-Ann Burey. The article has over a million views, has been translated into multiple languages and is one of HBR.org's top most 100 read articles in history, as well as the top 3 articles for the publication in 2021. Best of all, people all over the world have said it helped change their relationship with the concept of imposter syndrome!
Today we discuss:
- The perspective and power of third-culture kids.
- Why cultural humility is far more effective than cultural competence.
- “Measuring” cultural humility and the individual leadership behaviors that can move the needle on more humble organizational cultures.
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Today on the show, Julien and Bill Hawthorne discuss the evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion in America and in the workplace. In recent years, the rise of the #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, #StopAAPIHate movements have forced Americans to reflect on the persistent social injustices in our country. The harsh and bitter truths of these inequities have repercussions in the corporate sphere. Companies are scrambling to implement effective DEI strategies and programming because employees and customers are demanding that companies abide by their stated values. Once considered to be a function of the human resources or talent departments, DEI has evolved into a core and strategic business function in which both large and small businesses are investing heavily.
We're excited to welcome to the show Bill Hawthorne, the former Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) for Macy's, Inc., where he led a national and multi-functional team that created and operationalized a comprehensive diversity strategy for the company way back in 2006. He also served as Chief Equity Officer for the City of Atlanta in the Cabinet of the Mayor. Bill is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Inclusent.
Bill Hawthorne is a nationally recognized C-suite level Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion thought leader. With over 15 years of successful experience developing and operationalizing effective strategies for the private and public sectors, his mission is to partner with organizations committed to achieving optimal success in the workplace and marketplace through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Today we discuss:
- The birth and evolution of DEI work in corporate America.
- Setting up and positioning Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) for success.
- What gets us excited about the future of DEI work.
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Today on the show, Julien and Rahimeh Ramezany discuss and deconstruct the bias and lack of inclusivity that Muslim Americans experience. Together, they’ll explore and give context to the issues that marginalized religious groups face, identify ways to ensure more equitable access for Muslim Americans in predominantly non-Muslim spaces, and discuss other issues affecting her community.
We're excited to welcome to the show Rahimeh Ramezany (she/her), a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategist, a champion of ADHD neurodivergence inclusion in the workplace, and the CEO of Rahimeh Ramezany Consulting. Rahimeh works with organizational leaders to educate them on avoiding religious bias in the workplace and creating a safe place for their neurodiverse internal stakeholders. In addition, she is a prolific educational content creator who can be found on both LinkedIn and Tik Tok.*
Her experience as a visible minority tells her all too well what it's like to be marginalized and othered by a society that places a high value on white privilege and conformity rather than diversity and individuality.
Rahimeh is a no-holds-barred advocate for the Muslim community. Still, most importantly, she is an educator who sits down with various agents of change to ally and support causes that affect all marginalized communities in America. Today we discuss:
- Kennedy v. Bremerton School District public school prayer decision and the response of the American Muslim community.
- The evolution of Muslim Americans’ experience of discrimination in the workplace.
- Demystifying Islam, points of commonality amongst belief systems, and making space for these discussions in the workplace.
*Julien did go find Rahimeh on Tik Tok and he can confirm that she does in fact have LOTS of fun.
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Today on the show, we discuss and celebrate the beauty and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community. In the wake of recent decisions made by the Supreme Court, I sit down with a prolific author, change-maker, and advocate of the queer community to discuss issues that affect the trans community.
We’re excited to welcome to the show Lily Zheng (they/them), a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategist and consultant who works with organizational leaders to turn their positive intentions into positive impact. A dedicated change-maker and advocate, Lily was named a Forbes D&I Trailblazer. They were also named a 2021 DEI Influencer and Top Voice on Racial Equity. In addition, Lily’s writing and opinions have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and NPR.
They are the author of Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace (2017), The Ethical Sellout (2019), and most recently DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing it Right, which will be out in November 2022. Lily holds an MA in sociology and a BA in psychology from Stanford University.
Lily is widely recognized as an advocate and a force to be reckoned with. They continue to use their voice to discuss and promote further conversation on effective allyship and advocacy in the workplace. Today we discuss:
- Core characteristics that contribute to the resilience and strength of the trans and gender-diverse community;
- Why correct pronoun use is great but insufficient; and
- Our collective gender socialization, the limitations of the gendery binary, and hegemonic masculinity.
Read Lily’s wonderfully generous LinkedIn post on advocacy and five critical questions for us to ask ourselves in socially tumultuous times.
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Today on the show, we’re discussing male allyship and exploring some of the common deflections we hear from men that keep them from getting into the game.
We’re excited to welcome back to the show, Dave Smith, co-author of the book, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace and an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. A former Navy pilot and squadron commander, Dave is also a sociologist and focuses his research in gender, work, and family issues including allyship, inclusive mentorship, gender bias in performance evaluations, and dual career families.
Dave is widely recognized as a generous ally and advocate who continues to use his voice to encourage more courageous and effective allyship in the workplace. Today we discuss:
- How we define “deflection” and what sets it apart from other common distractions on the road to equity and inclusion.
- Productive ways to engage deflection.
- Ideas for engaging male allies more effectively in the workplace.
Connect with Julien Geiser at GreatheartConsulting.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/greatheartconsulting/
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We are excited to have Greg Gale, the creator of the DEI Global Fundamentals and Leading at Liberty Mutual, which ran for 5,000 US managers and 2,000 managers globally.
For over 25 years, Gale has held DEI leadership positions in Fortune 100 companies and non-profit organizations and implemented DEI solutions throughout the US and globally. He is skilled at developing DEI strategy, coaching leaders to build inclusion skills and creating insightful and actionable group learning experiences.
Greg continues to use his voice to break down barriers and authentically create inclusive environments for historically disadvantaged internal stakeholders at work. Today we are going to discuss the following:
- How Liberty Mutual implemented their DEI initiatives
- How to catalyze inclusive leadership at work
- How white men can use their voice for allyship
Connect with Chuck H. Shelton at GreatheartConsulting.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/greatheartconsulting/
Inclusion Catalyst invites you to become our next guest host. Learn more here: http://inclusioncatalyst.com/join-us-as-a-guest-host/
Inclusion Catalyst invites you to become our next guest host. Learn more here: http://inclusioncatalyst.com/join-us-as-a-guest-host/
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Welcome to our discussion on being an advocate for Inclusion, Equity and Diversity. I am James Connor, Fractional CTO and Co-Founder of FlexibleSites. Join us as we talk with Lauren Tucker, Founder of Do What Matters and Garry Johnson, Founder of Bison Venture Partners.
Be prepared to dive into the following:
- How we each became involved in DEI
- What does DEI mean to us
- How to respond to someone who says we hire for skill and talent rather than diversity
- What advice we have for DEI advocates
Connect with Lauren at letsdowhatmatters.com. Connect with Garry at firstfounders.org.
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Shared from the Nonprofit SnapCast archives: David Jernigan is the President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA). For many companies and organizations, the past year has provoked critical conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and inspired many to take necessary steps to address systemic racism. While the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) has been advocating for racial equity for over 80 years, they too have been on their own DEI journey over the past year. With nearly 90% of BGCMA youth identifying as African American or Latinx and the large majority of BGCMA employees coming from racially diverse backgrounds, this past year has been a deeply introspective period for the organization. We talk at length about these things, learning that how BGCMA navigates this journey together matters and ultimately defines the organization that they will become.
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Today on the show, we’re excited to have Robert Baker, the CEO of Potentia Talent Consulting Limited. There, Rob advises several companies on their approach to the D&I market. Rob has over 4 decades of disrupting the work culture for the betterment of historically disadvantaged employees.
Prior to starting Potentia Talent Consulting Limited, Rob was with Mercer as the Leader of Diversity & Inclusion Consulting for the International Region. Prior to that, Rob spent some 15 years as a Global Client Relationship Director, managing and developing several large multinational clients across all Mercer's lines of business and geographies.
He has been appointed "Disruptor in Residence" in Diversity & Inclusion at EDHEC Business School. Rob is also a Non-Executive Director of Spktral, the pay gap analysis specialists. He is also a Director of Aspierations CIC, which aims to help people with Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism achieve employment and develop fulfilling careers.
Rob and I have had the chance to do some great disruptive work together, and today we are going to discuss the following:
- Comparing the equipping of men as allies in the United Kingdom and the United States.
- The important things men must do before seeking allyship
- White male privilege in corporate United Kingdom and work corporate leaders must do to create a fair, equal and inclusive environment.
Connect with Chuck Hall Shelton at GreatheartConsulting.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/greatheartconsulting/
Connect with Robert Baker at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-baker-he-him-347a645/?originalSubdomain=uk
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On today’s first episode of a four-part miniseries, Chuck Shelton of Greatheart Consulting speaks with Mita Mallick, a corporate change-maker and the current head of inclusion, equity, and impact at Carta. Mita is a top LinkedIn voice of 2020 and the proud co-host of the Brown Table Talk Podcast with Dee C. Marshall. In addition, she has led branding work with iconic products like AVEENO, AVON Color Cosmetics, Chapstick, and Dove.
Mita and I have had the chance to do some great DEI work together, and today we are going to discuss the following:
- The corporate work culture and the need to create an inclusive environment
- Unconscious bias and how it affects people of color in the workplace
- Calls to actions for leaders to be true advocates not only at work, but also at home
- Deconstructing the biggest DEI challenges companies are facing
Connect with Chuck Hall Shelton at GreatheartConsulting.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/greatheartconsulting/
Join Mita Mallick and Dee C. Marshall at Brown Table Talk to listen to more stories and get practical advice on how women of color can go beyond just surviving and start thriving in their organizations.
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Mickey visits with former Atlanta Mayoral Candidate Kirsten Elise Dunn to talk briefly about the mayoral race, and freedom from candidacy. Kirsten will continue to work to heal the city. Find more about her upcoming FREE seminar for all business owners: Recession-Proof Your Business:
https://kirstendunnformayor.com/events/
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This episode originally aired as a Nonprofit SnapCast episode in August of 2021.
Brian Jenkins has impacted thousands of youth and adults through his nonprofit, Entrenuity. Founded in 1999, Entrenuity began with direct youth services in entrepreneurship education and then expanded to include adult entrepreneurs and returning citizens, as well as training Facilitators to teach entrepreneurship using StartingUp Now: 24 Steps to Launch Your Own Business, written by Brian. Additionally, Entrenuity operates the first Black-owned, enterprise level coworking space in Chicago, with special emphasis on providing vital business resources to Black, Brown, and Women entrepreneurs, as well as two craft coffee shops directed by the only certified Black female Coffee Director in Chicago. Brian is also the author of Know More Nonprofits: Moving From Dependency to Sustainability, and a founding partner of Renew Pavement Solutions, providing employment to returning citizens and underemployed.
We talk about the issues of race, equity, and why supporting minority-owned business is critically important to any thriving American community.
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Jacquie Abram had a career in higher education that she was very good at & that she enjoyed. A career that paid her an income, which as a single mother of two girls was the only income, that allowed her to not only provide for her family, but also pay her bills. A career that spanned nearly two decades & by any measure should’ve been a successful career. But it wasn’t. Because throughout her career, Jacquie experienced racism in the workplace, not the kind you see in a lot of movies, books, and TVs shows about racism that occurred decades ago during a time when it was more overt & easily spotted, but the kind of racism that is more covert, hidden, & harder to prove.
And so her career was derailed multiple times by multiple employers & she suffered racial trauma that, to this day, she has not fully recovered from. And when the same thing happened to others including both of her girls after they began careers of their own, she pulled herself out of corporate America, wrote HUSH MONEY, a book inspired by true events & co-authored by her girls, & began selling it from the trunk of her car in March 2021 to provide employers with a better way to understand racism, provide employees with a better way to fight it & survive the battle, and provide allies with a better way to see and feel the FULL impact of modern-day racism .
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Are you our next guest host?
Thank you for your interest in the Inclusion Catalyst podcast. With your help we will continue to publish high-quality podcasts for people interested in Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice topics.
But we want to be clear: Inclusion Catalyst is not looking for guests. We have changed our production focus and we ARE looking for people to GUEST HOST their own episodes.
There are many ways we can work together to present your content. Our intent is to simply open the door for our peers across the sector to have some fun bringing their stories and expertise to a wider audience without having to invent an entire podcast from scratch.
This means you can craft your own material and publish it as your own Inclusion Catalyst episode.
Together, we’ll share an established audience. Inclusion Catalyst listeners remain engaged, and crave more content. You’ll have an opportunity to make real, personal connections with your listeners while you establish yourself as a thought leader in the diversity, inclusion, and social justice arena.
If you’re an inclusivity consultant, Diversity & Inclusion professional, or a social justice advocate… If equity and accessibility are important to you… If you work in academia as a behavioral scientist or environmental scientist, we welcome you to join us as a Guest Host. We will help you wrangle one or more Inclusion Catalyst episodes.
Creativity is the name of the game, and we welcome you to innovate. Got a guest you’ve always wanted to interview? Or maybe you have an associate who can interview you? Maybe you’d prefer to deliver a monologue similar to a Ted talk? We have spoken to one team of four consultants who are going to interview each other over coffee. Yet another team in Europe might bring a multi-episode profile of their programming. We are happy to help them spread awareness of their efforts.
The possibilities are endless. Please follow the links on this page to learn more about the Guest Hosting process and how to contact Inclusion Catalyst. Again, thank you for your interest. We hope to hear from you soon.
Inclusion Catalyst invites you to become our next guest host. Learn more here: http://inclusioncatalyst.com/join-us-as-a-guest-host/
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Diversity and inclusion expert, Simone Morris, shares:
- How to bring our allies on the diversity journey with us
- The mindset of inclusive leaders
- What inclusive organizations are doing to prioritize investing in diversity and inclusion
- How to celebrate black history beyond Black History Month
- Embracing brave conversations and creating space for real talk
Connect with Simone at www.simonemorris.com.
Check out the Next Pivot Point podcast.
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In this episode, Mika’il Petin, Ph.D., Chief of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for All Hands and Hearts, has a conversation with Princess Bazley-Bethea, Director of the Together Project & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with InterAction, about her role in leading an effort to create consistent diversity, equity, and inclusion standards across the international nonprofit sector. Topics covered include Princess’ inspiration to launch this initiative; how the early conversations took shape within InterAction amid the racial reckoning; some insights into the formation of InterAction’s Coalition DEI Task Force from its alliance of 180 U.S.-based organizations; and in what ways Princess hopes her monumental effort will contribute to improved practices, systems, decisions, and attitudes. For information about the task force, read this introductory document.
Inclusion Catalyst invites you to become our next guest host. Learn more here: http://inclusioncatalyst.com/join-us-as-a-guest-host/
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After the racial justice reckoning we have experienced particularly in the last year at a national level, the new buzz word is ‘allyship’ or being an ‘ally.’ In this episode, we discuss what it really means and how to be radical in rethinking allyship. We explore going beyond performative allyship, and ask questions like, - What happens when folks get tired of doing the work? - How do we actually undo the harm and build authentic connection? Our fantastic guests include:
- Trella Walker Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer at Nonprofit Finance Fund
- Tovi C. Scruggs-Hussein Thought-Leader Cultivating Conscious, Connected, & Courageous Leaders World-wide BE the Work - Racial Healing Allies Visionary
- Fleur Larsen Facilitator: Social Justice Impact On Organizational Culture
We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit Snapshot website.
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Antiracism is a word being thrown around Corporate America all too often nowadays. In the wake of George Floyd and sustained racial equity conversations in 2020, my frequent collaboration partner, and advocate for racial equity, Ericka Young, and I discuss:
- Where we are at now personally and with our clients working on antiracism
- Antiracism books we are reading and how we are practicing self-care to manage our energy
- Calls to action for those that want to be allies for people of color
Check out the Next Pivot Point podcast.
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This episode is an address from former GM (GSK, Allergan) and Leadership Author Omar L. Harris, who shares his inspiring Graduation Keynote: “From Servant Leadership to J.E.D.I. Leadership” (social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) in May 2021 at the Leadership Harrisburg Area (LHA) Galactic Graduation Event at FNB Field in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Harris’ D.E.I. address is based on his new book, “Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss” (June 25, 2021) and 20+ years of leadership experience managing enterprise teams for global pharmaceutical companies on 4 continents. Harris highlights the importance of Servant Leadership, J.E.D.I. Leadership and how inclusion offers a sense of belonging. Harris also emphasizes that inclusion works best together with a positive strategy to address all 4 elements of J.E.D.I. Leadership. For more information about Harris and his new book, visit https://omarlharris.com
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How is it that the social sector, which prides itself on its mission to ensure that all communities have access to health, safety, and prosperity, can underpay, overwork, and endanger the very people who carry out the work? We all have either experienced or heard stories of beloved colleagues who are burned out or have left the sector because we can’t find a way that makes sense to stay, financially or spiritually.
Join another set of fantastic speakers who will talk about:
- Who can afford to work in the sector?
- Where accountability lies for equitable staff compensation and just treatment in the mission-driven workplace?
- How can we better align our values with our practices?
We are thrilled to highlight the perspectives of Shari Dunn, CEO and Principal of ITBOM, LLC, Rusty Stahl, Founder, CEO, and President of Fund the People, and Judy Lubin, PhD, MPH and President of Center for Urban and Racial Equity.
We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit Snapshot website.
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Robin Rosenberg, PhD, is a psychologist, CEO and Founder of Live In Their Word. They use Virtual Reality to address issues of bias an incivility in the workplace. Robin's professional curiosity and clinical practice drew her towards the burgeoning field of virtual reality (VR) about 25 years ago. Robin followed the psychology of virtual reality literature for years, and then collaborated on research about VR.
At the same time, the world was hearing about the frequency of young Black people being killed by white people, including police (2012 on), which led to a surge in focusing on challenges in diversity and Black Lives Matter. In turn this led some white people to say “all lives matter.” Through her work as a psychologist, she hypothesized that if white people could get enough of a sense of a Black person’s lived experience, they would understand what the statement Black Lives Matter really means and, in turn, wouldn’t say “all lives matter.”
It wasn’t until early 2018 , when the Oculus Go VR headset was in the works and soon to be released, that VR technology made the idea feasible. That timing coincided with the rise of the #MeToo movement. Rob Hutter of Learn Capital had heard Robin’s idea earlier on, and in 2018 offered to fund a proof-of-concept study to see whether her idea could move the needle on gender bias and awareness.
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The Honorable Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, discusses diversity and inclusion. The event is moderated by Politico National Correspondent Natasha Korecki and includes a panel discussion with Gail Christopher, Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity; Pedro Noguera, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, and Kathleen Yang-Clayton, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Teresa Córdova, Director of the Great Cities Institute and Professor of Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, starts the event with a land acknowledgement. Ula Y. Taylor, Professor & H. Michael and Jeanne Williams Department Chair, Department of African American Studies & African Diaspora Studies, UC Berkeley, introduces the event. Stephen Small, Director of the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues and Professor of African American Studies at UC Berkeley, closes the event.
This event is part of a series presented by the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues and the Department of African American Studies at UC Berkeley, as well as the Great Cities Institute at the University of Chicago at Illinois.
For more about the series, visit https://issi.berkeley.edu/BlackMayors
The series is co-sponsored by: Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, African American Mayors Association, National Urban League, California Association of Black Lawyers, Charles Houston Bar Association, Litigation Division of the California Bar Association, Equal Justice Society, City Club of Chicago, Executives’ Club of Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust, Metropolitan Family Services of Chicago, Communities Partnering 4 Peace, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, Strides for Peace, and WBGO-FM (Newark).
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Highly acclaimed male ally experts, HBR contributors, and published authors of the newly released book "The Good Guys," Brad Johnson and David Smith join the show to discuss:
- The why for men, especially white men, in the gender and diversity conversation
- Tangible ways to be a "good guy" and stand with women and underrepresented groups as an ally
- How gender allyship translates to racial allyship
Connect with Brad and Dave at www.workplaceallies.com.
Check out the Next Pivot Point podcast.
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Jennifer Brown joins us to discuss her new book, "How to be an Inclusive Leader" and why white supremacy culture is still holding Corporate America back from achieving true diversity and inclusion. We cover:
- The ally continuum and the ally journey
- The risk of losing people along the journey in allyship from aware to active stages
- Why white supremacy culture is still holding Corporate America back
Connect with Jennifer Brown at: www.jenniferbrownspeaks.com.
Check out the Next Pivot Point podcast.
You can join the Inclusion Catalyst as a guest host.
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Visiting again with Julie Kratz to talk about her book, Little Allies: A Children's Story about Inclusion, Diversity, and Becoming an Ally, an illustrated children’s story that inspires kids to be their best with everyone, especially for those who may need an ally from time to time. We talk about the creation of the book, and what it means to write a book about being an ally for little children.
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Leadership teams in Corporate America have awoken. They know diversity is a problem, and they are not sure where to start. For those painfully behind on the diversity and inclusion journey, it is never too late to start.
In this episode, Julie shares how to:
- Define what inclusion means to your organization
- Craft a compelling why this important now and in the future
- Build an intentional road map of inclusion to support the strategy
Check out the Next Pivot Point podcast.
You can join the Inclusion Catalyst as a guest host.
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In this episode, nonprofit consultant Jess Cooper sits down with 2004 Olympic silver medalist Maritza McClendon to discuss diversity in sports. They break down how Maritza’s experience growing up as a black female athlete gave her a platform to help give athletes of this generation a voice. They address:
- How Maritza’s involvement in swimming has evolved since becoming the first black woman to make a US Olympic swim team and medal.
- The importance of integrating DEI efforts throughout an organization.
- The misconceptions about DEI in sports representation.
- Creating safe spaces for all members of a sports community.
- Being an advocate for and giving voice to the current generation of black athletes.
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Greetings friends! Thank you for listening to the Inclusion Catalyst.
I’m Mickey Desai. My co-host Susan Cooper and I have been talking about the future of the Inclusion Catalyst podcast, as both of us find we have insufficient bandwidth to continue to regularly work on the program.
But even as our production schedule has slowed down, it is clear we have a dedicated audience that we have every intention of keeping. So we have come up with an idea that we hope will prove to be a win-win for all parties involved.
We are inviting people to become guest hosts for the Inclusion Catalyst. We’re already talking with folks who can “own” one or more episodes that we’ll publish with them. This will establish more of an opportunity for people to establish themselves as thought leaders in the diversity, inclusion, and social justice arena.
There are many ways we can work together to present your content. Our intent is to simply open the door for our peers across the sector to have some fun bringing their stories and expertise to a wider audience.
So, if you’re an inclusivity consultant, D&I professional, or a social justice advocate… If you work in academia as a behavioral scientist or environmental scientist, we welcome you to join us as a Guest Host. We’ll help you wrangle one or more Inclusion Catalyst episodes.
And I’m happy to have a conversation with any interested party on the possibilities. Please visit our website and drop us a note so we can have a conversation about what being a Guest Host means.
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Talking with Idalia Fernandez, Monisha Kapila, and Angela Romans about their work coaching and supporting nonprofit leaders of color, and some key patterns they see emerging as many historically White-led organizations may be appointing leaders of color for the first time. Among the topics we cover:
- Connecting this work to current events.
- Identifying problematic organizational patterns.
- The issue of funding scarcity.
- Effectively supporting new leaders of color.
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This episode was recorded on May 27, 2020. Mickey visits with Olanike Ayomide-Mensah to talk about equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace; and how it intersects with leadership development. We discuss:
- We've been chasing diversity and inclusion since the Civil Rights Act and making anemic progress. It's time workplaces face the truth about what it's going to take to see real change.
- Nonprofit organizations have a unique opportunity to model and lead
- The nonprofit sector will have to face some hard truths and be imaginative and courageous in forging a new path forward.
- Nonprofits are good at treating individual problems, but not cultural problems.
- How does one transform a culture?
- Looking at an org’s policies and procedures, especially related to workforce planning, hiring, training & development, promotion and retention.
- Equity and diversity in board governance
- Equity in Philanthropy & Fundraising
We welcome your questions and feedback via The Inclusion Catalyst website.
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Our guest is Mary-Frances Winters, talking about her latest work, Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging across Differences. Inclusive Conversations relates conversational conditions to the current climate and illustrates how to navigate Inclusive Conversations in uncomfortable or new situations. Mary-Frances contends that in many cases, it is not that most people do not want to engage in inclusive conversations; they may simply not know how. Among the questions we tackle:
- How do you foster a conversation with people who do not want to converse?
- What is Reciprocal Empathy?
- What are the conditions for having Inclusive Conversations?
- How do you call people IN, instead of calling people out?
- How do you put the humanity back into leadership?
- What are the business benefits of genuine conversations?
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Inclusion Catalyst is joined by Julie Kratz, acclaimed trainer, author, and founder of Next Pivot Point. Julie is passionate about promoting gender equality within the workplace, empowering women to express confidence and helping them build a winning career game plan and pivot to the next level. Our conversation looks at a variety of issues related to leadership, culture change, and how to develop allies within the workplace. Our questions include:
- As a result of pandemic, are people focusing more on the things that matter?
- Is a virtual workplace more inclusive?
- Is leadership simply about fostering curiosity? And what characteristics would then be critical to include in that leadership model?
- Where should D&I efforts really be focused? (Spoiler: It’s the middle managers.)
- How do you manage bias in the workplace?
- Is the ultimate goal to develop more allies?
- How many ways can one be an ally?
- What’s the business case for developing allies?
Your feedback is always welcome via the Inclusion Catalyst Website.
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Scott Ayotte, the Director of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Equity at Grand Valley State University joins us to share his expertise on the transtheoretical model of behavior change as it relates to talent acquisition. We discuss:
- Organizational structures and how behavior change models are used
- The phases of the transtheoretical model of behavior change
- Creating cultural and structural environments that are welcoming for diverse communities
- The steps to creating an equitable workplace
- Strategy vs. tactics for talent acquisition
- Scott’s whitepaper, “Inclusive Cultures and Talent Acquisition”
- Contact Scott at Ayottesc@gmail.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottayotte
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Ed Reed from joins us again with Lauren Zehyoue, Communications Director for Fair Count.
- 3 ways to complete the Census: online, by mail, over the phone
- Reaching people digitally since the Census is still an important part of democracy that will continue beyond the pandemic
- Pivoting to virtual events and webinars instead of in-person outreach
- Census is scheduled to be offline on July 31st (if there is no extension planned due to the pandemic). The data for the Census is collected as of April 1st and the Census teams will follow up to make sure every person is counted until July 31st.
- Changes in how college students are counted due to universities closing campuses
- Hardest to count communities are also communities that are also often hardest hit by health concerns.
- Infrastructure and Chromebooks put in place in communities before COVID-19 are being used for job applications, after school programs, state and federal benefits.
- Breaking the digital divide in communities that need these devices.
- COVID-19 changing the way Fair Count communicates with the public
- The Census is still safe and can be completed from home.
- The census represents more than $1.9 trillion worth of resources for our communities on an annual basis.
- To complete your Census by phone, dial 1-844-330-2020 in English. The number to complete it in Spanish is 1-844-468-2020.
- Fill out your census online at www.my2020census.gov or find out more info at www.2020census.gov
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Ed Reed from Fair Count joins us to discuss their outreach and community infrastructure programs to increase awareness and participation in the 2020 Census.
Fair Count is a non-profit with a mission to engage hard to count communities in the US Census through outreach and education. They are also doing the groundwork the strengthen communities through civil engagement and providing infrastructure in communities that will be available for use long after the Census is complete.
- Programs: Field, Community, Faith, Technology, Black Men Count
- Importance of census: Over $1 Trillion dollars of Federal funding to states, cities and towns that are used to allocate funds for Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure
- Difficulty collecting accurate data: myths about participation in the census and providing info to the government, Citizenship concerns. Collecting data on homeless and transient population.
- Everyone breathing on April 1st should be counted on the census, no matter where you are living or staying.
- Confusion over apartment dwellers, group quarters such as assisted living facilities, university students: on-campus vs. off-campus housing
- Fair and accurate counts means for funding for political representation for these communities that are sometimes left out of the process.
- Get involved: Paid opportunities - https://www.faircount.org/careers/
- Get involved: Volunteer opportunities - https://www.faircount.org/commit-to-be-counted/
- Participate in the 2020 Census today: https://www.census.gov/
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Catherine Perry from Inward Bound Center for Nonprofit Leadership joins us to talk about how to have conversations on race and healing the racial divide in America.
- Her workshop, “Racism in America: What is mine to do?”
- How to break down barriers and start conversations in faith communities, at work and with neighbors and friends
- Being brave and using humor to engage and make an impact in your community
- Setting the tone for risky conversations with and edge
- Race relations in faith-based communities
- Reconciliation vs. Forgiveness
- Recommended reading: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
- For more info about Catherine’s workshop or to contact Inward Bound, email Info@nwardboundcenter.org
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Hanna Mason, Host of the Woke Wednesdays podcast, joins us to talk about her show and the state of social justice and politics in America. We discuss:
- How she got started podcasting
- Her presentation on How to Evoke Change at the Advertising for Change event in Atlanta
- Are we in the most divisive time in American history?
- The state of progressive voices and politcs in the US
- Under-represented voices that need to be amplified, such as black trans women
- 2020 Democratic candidates
- Hannah’s plan to become Secretary of Education
Links: Woke Wednesdays podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/woke-wednesdays/id1443999786 Advertising for Change - https://advertisingforchange.org/
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Brian shares his expertise on capital defense, habeas corpus and the death penalty in Georgia.
- The importance of responding to the injustices within the criminal justice and capital punishment systems.
- Constitutional violations that led to the wrongful conviction
- Reduction of death sentences handed out
- Federal habeas corpus appeals and overturning cases
- History of Habeas corpus and due process
- Lack of resources for poor Georgians
- Current death row statistics and impact of the Georgia Resource Center
- The capital punishment system is embedded within a racist culture
- Influence of national “tough on crime” culture
- Mercer University's ABS Project
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Resources to get involved:
-
Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty,
- Southern Center for Human Rights,
- Georgia Resource Center
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Soon Mee shares her expertise on building trust within organizations to create a diverse culture and how to diversify your own life.
- Diversity as a business and a moral imperative
- Desegregating your life with intention
- Empathy when working in teams
- Conversations about bias at work and being open to honest discussions
- Developing a culture of trust at the workplace
- Imposter syndrome and Code Switching at work
- How an organization’s values and purpose have to mean something
- The desire for deep connection in our society
- Consuming media from different points of view than your own: Netflix, podcasts, etc.
- Asking questions about representation and diversity in schools, places of worship, other organizations in your life.
- Organizations don’t need a lot of formal programs in place to foster diversity, they only need people who care.
- Initial connections. Network. Reach out, make a friend, be a mentor.
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Julius shares his professional experiences with leveraging diversity in the pharmaceutical field to treat prostate cancer.
Show notes:
- Julius shares his case study on working with a pharmaceutical company to work with African American urologists to target populations with a greater incidence of cancer.
- How the importance of empirical data lead him to his current professional focus
- Working with C-Suite leadership to make the business case for diversity
- The true meaning of “diversity and inclusion” and the importance of actual outcomes
- How Diversity leaders fall into an organizations structure
- The need for courageous conversations
- His book, Thriving in a Disruptive World: Six Critical Concepts for Navigating the 21st Century
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Lauren Camdzic joins us to discuss the need to include disabilities in corporate board agendas and conversations of diversity. She also shares her personal journey of adapting to life in a wheelchair and the importance of ADA compliance.
Show notes:
- Lauren discusses the Valuable 500 and the companies who have pledged to make disabilities a part of their diversity conversations
- How companies can modify their spaces to provide access for those with mobility impairments
- How to respectfully open up the lines of communication with people in the disability community
- The need for organizations to have emergency plans in place for people who are disabled
- Lauren’s journey into the spotlight as an advocate for the community during her recovery
- Call to action: learn about the ADA policies and include people from the disability community in conversations about diversity
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Christian Zsilavetz joins us to discuss the importance of being an ally and advocate for LGBTQ kids and his personal experiences as a transman and educator.
- Christian discusses the school he founded
- The risks LGBTQ youth face in their schools and personal lives
- Civil rights for the LGBTQ community
- Available resources in the Atlanta community
- The importance of providing support to LGBTQ youth because of the prevalence of homelessness, drug addiction and risky behaviors
- LGBTQ Rights in schools
- Changing perceptions of the trans community
- Call to action – what everyone can do to support LGBTQ youth and be an ally
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Attorney and Community organizer Fallon McClure joins us to discuss the complexities of the Criminal Justice system and why reform is needed in Georgia and nationwide.
- Fallon brings up the enormity of the varying issues from a Federal, State to locality level
- The current state of the criminal justice system in Georgia
- Bail, probation and parole issues, voting rights
- Restorative vs. Punitive justice
- Profit motives: Privatization of Prisons, Bail Bond lobby
- Supporting the work of non-profit organizations such as Southerners on New Ground, Ebenezer Baptist church, ACLU, Southern Center for Human Rights, Reform Georgia
- Criminal Justice in pop culture as a starting point to shed light on issues and invoke empathy
- Reform issues and how they affect the economy, race, class, the school to prison pipeline
- What individuals can do to make a difference
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Dr. Heather Heckel discusses environmental initiatives including wildlife conservation, ecotourism, climate change and what individuals can do to support these issues.
- Dr. Heckel discusses sustainability and diversity & inclusion in global and local communities
- Wildlife conservation & consumerism
- Understanding local impact
- Ecotourism and fair trade
- NGOs as change agents
- Climate Justice, activism and higher ed classroom initiatives
- Small things everyone can do to support environmental issues
- Individual responsibility to create change
- Offsetting your carbon footprint
- Climate Change as a crisis and the impact on public health
- Advocating to political & business leaders
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Dr. Tarece joins us to discuss her book, The Global Purpose Approach, a guide to enhancing multiculturalism in education. She also addresses issues of representation, equity and biases in the public education system.
- Dr. Tarece discusses her book, The Global Purpose Approach, about multiculturalism, exploration of culture, policies and appreciation of differences. Includes guidance to educators on how to implement these themes in the classroom.
- Representation in schools and the lack of male teachers of color in public schools.
- Equity between school districts
- White Supremacy and how it effects everything from income inequity, to immigration issues in education
- Financially stability in families, training opportunities for parents
- School to Prison Pipeline and forms of discipline, zero tolerance policies
- Teacher & Administrator training: Empathy & Diversity training, understanding biases
- Tools & Guidelines for Administrators
- Parenting & Advocacy
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Organizational policy expert, Dr. Brea Heidelberg joins us to discuss culture within organizations and the role of the Arts in communities.
- Dr. Heidelberg discusses rules and norms in corporate structures and in non-profits
- Written & unwritten rules in an organizations culture
- Equitable policies and giving agency to individuals
- Toxic work cultures
- Funding and Equity in the Arts
- Socioeconomic access to programs
- Arts program management
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