Leading with Empathy & Allyship Podcast: Recent Episodes
Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Change Catalyst builds inclusive tech ecosystems around the globe through training, consulting, and events.
How does generative AI impact teams? And what can we do to mitigate the impact of biased AI?
In Episode 132, Kieran Snyder, Co-Founder and CEO at Textio, joins Melinda in an insightful discussion about the impact of AI on workplace biases and inequities. They explore the potential harm and social biases perpetuated by generative AI, and look closely at how this applies to performance reviews. They also discuss the key factors business leaders should consider when adopting AI solutions in their teams, establish accountability systems that support DEI efforts, and safeguard confidential employee information.
About Kieran Snyder (she/her)
Kieran is co-founder and CEO of Textio, the platform for inclusive and equitable communications. After earning her PhD in linguistics at Penn, Kieran spent a decade creating the world’s most impactful language products at Microsoft and Amazon. In addition to developing linguistic capabilities like spelling and grammar-checking for more than 100 languages, she led the large-scale effort to integrate the Bing search engine into Microsoft Windows. Kieran is a world-renowned expert on language and bias at work, and her writing has appeared in Fortune, The New York Times, Slate, and the Washington Post.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Empovia, visitempovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Kieran Snyder On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-snyder-60572987/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KieranSnyder
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Kieran Snyder, a White woman with long brown hair, drop earrings, and black top; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What is holistic resistance? How can we practice it to break historical narratives and challenge oppression in the workplace?
In Episode 131, Aaron Johnson, Professional Speaker at The CUT, joins Melinda in an honest conversation on the power of touch and the Black brute narrative in the workplace. They explore holistic resistance as a response to the profound impact of the Black brute narrative on African heritage men. They discuss ways this narrative shows up in the workplace, including through a lack of safe space where Black men can be vulnerable, set boundaries, and protect themselves when those boundaries are violated. They also discuss the relationship between White women and Black men and how each of us can advocate for anti-racism in the fight against oppression.
About Aaron Johnson (he/him)
My name is Aaron, and what lights me up right now is cultivating environments that allow black-bodied people to show up as their full tender selves. One of my goals is for black folks to be in spaces where connection to each other and the earth is accessible. One of the ways I am currently cultivating healing is my Chronically UnderTouched Project, where I support black men who have not had mindful, thoughtful platonic touch in creating their own holistic touch practices and care plan.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Aaron Johnson On Social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/cut.project
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Aaron Johnson, an African Heritage man with short black afro hair, black goatee and beard, tan turtleneck, and glasses, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What exactly is political intelligence? And why is it important to have in the workplace?
In Episode 130, Cari Guittard, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at ChangeX & purposewerx and Leadership Professor at Hult International Business School, joins Melinda in a conversation around the constructive approach to addressing politics within the workplace. Drawing from her multiple experiences in the DEI, ESG, and political fields, Cari delves into practical tools to develop our political intelligence. She discusses why this skill set can be necessary for advancing our careers and positioning ourselves as purpose-driven leaders, the importance of curiosity in political conversations, and how it can enhance our situational awareness to adapt effectively to moments of transition or crisis. She also taps into how organizations can respond to anti-wokeness in a way that opens the door for creativity and creates positive change at work.
About Cari Guittard (she/her)
Strategic purpose design, global thought leadership and high velocity social impact. Entrepreneurial within organizations galvanizing and building initiatives from scratch and externally, bringing unique opportunities, partners and resources together for purpose driven cross sector engagement.
The Un-Guided Missile. A nickname given to me by one of my former bosses and mentors for my relentless approach to connection, collaboration, and driving impact. From corporate diplomacy, political intelligence, foresight and futures strategy, women's leadership/gender intelligent design, ESG, DE&I, and next gen efforts. My brain is most on fire when I am engaged with clients building, branding and leveraging unique multi-discipline tri-sector partnerships (between government agencies, NGOs, companies and private citizens) to develop solutions to complex and urgent problems. And in doing so we make the world a better place. Together.
Award-Winning Professor. Keynote Speaker & Facilitator. Ghost Writer. Brand & Thought Leadership
An endless collector and distiller of wisdom and knowledge wherever I find it. Am most known for my external communications work -- as a speaker, facilitator, and writer -- even though I am also at home as a strategist, data analyst and researcher. Deeply passionate about applying branding principles, deep imagination and creative processes to every approach. I learned branding and the creative discipline directly from working with legends, seasoned leaders, and boards in the Advertising, Marketing and the Global PR space. Keith Reinhard, Charlotte Beers, Alan Siegel, Allen Rosenshine, John McNeel, Harris Diamond and Rich Edelman.
Purposeful, Practical, Global
In 2018, 2020, and 2021 Hult San Francisco awarded me The Most Inspirational Faculty and Faculty of the Year. It is an honor to be affiliated with and teach at Hult IBS and support the development of next gen global leaders. I develop and teach graduate leadership courses as well as electives in Political Intelligence for Work, Strategic Influence & Persuasion, Gender Intelligence, Crisis Management & International Negotiations.
For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Cari
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cariguittard/
Connect With Us
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Cari Guittard, a White, cis gender female photographed in black and white with long blonde hair and dark button up shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What are the key principles of inclusive design? How can we use those principles to create equitable and anti-oppressive products and services?
In Episode 129, Sandra Camacho, Inclusive Design Consultant, Educator & Strategist at Sandra By Design, joins Melinda in an informative discussion on techniques for designing anti-oppressive products & services. They discuss the importance of centering the needs of marginalized communities and considering intersectional identities throughout the product development and design process. They also dive into ways we can challenge and disrupt oppressive norms and systems to promote solutions that are accessible and beneficial for all individuals.
About Sandra Camacho (she/her)
Sandra Camacho (She/Her) is a multicultural Inclusive Design consultant, educator, and strategist based in Paris, France. She’s also the founder of the Inclusive Design Jam, a global community and academy on inclusive and equitable design. She started her career at Google, where she spent 8 years working in product, innovation, and learning & development in the U.S. and Europe. She left in 2018 to pursue her dreams of designing for social impact under the alias Sandra By Design. Today, she helps product and design teams around the world build thriving work cultures and socially impactful solutions.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Empovia, visitempovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Sandra Camacho On Social
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sandracamacho Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrabydesign Instagram: https://instagram.com/sandra.bydesign
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Sandra Camacho, a Latina woman with long dark brown hair and light olive skin in an olive green jacket; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What is conscious empathy? How can humor help engage people in DEI efforts?
In Episode 128, Karith Foster, CEO, Co-Founder, Author, Humorist & DEI Consultant at Inversity Solutions, joins Melinda in a conversation about using humor and empowerment to improve inclusion. They discuss how we can practice conscious empathy to expand our understanding of each other's experiences and foster noble compassion. They also explore easy steps to transform the toxicity in DEI work into positive energy, such as focusing on commonalities, creating a 'brave space' for everyone to embrace authenticity, and engaging in introspection.
About Karith Foster (she/her)
Karith Foster is a Diversity Engagement Specialist and creator of the groundbreaking INVERSITY™ methodology and other signature programs. She is creating a seismic shift in diversity and culture change in academic institutions, organizations and corporations across America. These new conversations are revolutionizing the way we address issues of diversity and leadership.
Karith brings the perfect blend of humor, knowledge and experience while conveying the ever-present need to address diversity, inclusion and effective communication. Karith leaves her audiences feeling engaged, connected, inspired and encouraged to commit to the journey of mutual respect, acceptance and a greater sense of belonging.
As a speaker, humorist, TV & radio personality, author, entrepreneur, wife, and mother, Karith is a positive force of change with her sense of duty, service—along with her riotous sense of humor. “If you can laugh at it you can get through it,” is her motto and the invaluable lesson she seeks to instill in others.
In addition to being CEO of INVERSITY™ Solutions, Karith is also the Founder of F.R.A.M.E the Foster Russell Alliance for Meaningful Expression a 501(c)3 non-profit, whose mission is to inspire free speech, inclusion, social change and empowerment through education and mentorship on college and university campuses.
Karith was featured in two hit documentary films “Can We Take a Joke?” and "No Safe Spaces'' which have garnered accolades in The Washington Post and TIME Magazine, as has her TEDx Talk “The Art of Defying Stereotypes: Learning to be True to Your Voice.” Karith has also made appearances on Imus in the Morning, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, Howard Stern, Comedy Central, VH-1 and Oprah.
Karith is an alumna of Stephens College and Oxford University. She is also a visiting expert for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program at Stanford University and a 7-time repeat guest lecturer for Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business course, "Reputation Management."
The words “no” and “impossible” are not in her vocabulary as evidenced by her career path, life challenges, chosen adventures and desire to help others.
For educational resources and highlights from this episode, visit ally.cc/KarithFoster.
Connect With Karith
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karithfoster/ Twitter: twitter.com/karithfoster Instagram: instagram.com/karithfoster/
Connect With Us
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Karith Foster, a mixed-race Black woman with curled black and brown hair, statement earrings, and pink blouse; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What’s the difference between social power and personal power? And how is our personal power tied to our sense of belonging?
In Episode 127, Ritu Bhasin, Belonging and Leadership Speaker, Consultant, Author, and Expert at bhasin consulting inc., joins Melinda in an insightful conversation on unlocking the beauty of belonging. Drawing from Ritu’s book, We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging, they share their stories of navigating the path to belonging and delve into the strong connection between authenticity, personal power, and belonging. They discuss the importance of healing work and how this impacts our ability to be better allies, leaders, and advocates of inclusive spaces. They also explore ways to embrace our sense of belonging by building our core wisdom and stepping into our personal power.
About Ritu Bhasin (she/her)
Ritu Bhasin [RIH-thoo bah-SEEN], LL.B. MBA, is an award-winning speaker, consultant, author, and internationally recognized expert in DEI, leadership, belonging, anti-racism, and empowerment. Since 2010, Ritu has worked with hundreds of top organizations and senior leadership teams around the world and, as a professional speaker, she has presented to hundreds of thousands of people globally.
She is a certified cultural competence coach and a certified neuroscience strategies coach who has personally coached over a thousand people, as well as a yoga and mindfulness teacher and practitioner, and very shortly she will complete a trauma professional certification program.
Ritu’s personal experiences with adversity and her desire to help others have led her to work as a social activist for over twenty-five years, volunteering with dozens of organizations and mentoring dozens of youths and young professionals. She has won numerous awards and distinctions for her work, including: Success Magazine’s Woman of Influence, The Women’s Center Leadership Award, the South Asian Bar Association Diversity Award, the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Female Professional of the Year Award, the City of Toronto’s William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations, and Western University’s Young Alumni of the Year Award.
Ritu’s second book, the bestseller We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging, was released in 2023 (June). Her first book, the bestseller The Authenticity Principle: Resist Conformity, Embrace Differences, and Transform How You Live, Work, and Lead, was released in 2017.
Ritu lives in Toronto, Canada. When she is not working, you’ll find her traveling around the world to eat, swim, hike, dance, and chill.
To explore Ritu’s empowerment tools and resources for individuals, visit her personal empowerment blog, www.ritubhasin.com.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Ritu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ritubhasin Facebook: facebook.com/riturbhasin1/ Twitter: twitter.com/ritu_bhasin Instagram: instagram.com/ritu_bhasin
Connect With Us
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Ritu Bhasin, a South Asian woman with long curled black hair, nose ring, white lace blouse, and golden wristwatch; the brown book cover of We've Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
How can male allies help cultivate a supportive workplace environment? And what does it look like to build a male allyship program?
In Episode 126, Brian Boche, Solution Architect at Boche Networks, joins Melinda in an empowering conversation around strategies for encouraging men to become better allies. Brian delves into his allyship journey and shares insights from developing and co-leading multiple allyship programs for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. He also discusses simple and effective ways to engage men and drive meaningful change in the workplace.
About Brian Boche (he/him)
Brian has been in the tech industry for the past 20 years in a multitude of roles including network engineer, sales engineer, and sales engineering leader. His true passion lies in co-leading an allyship programs as well as building programs delivering monthly events, an allyship bingo card with 25 actions men can start taking today as well as fireside chats and panel discussions with business leaders to showcase the importance an ID&E culture and specifically an emphasis around allyship. Brian's passion comes from the desire to remove the misogyny that exists in our lives and at work all while removing the hurdles that women must overcome to achieve parity in regard to equal pay for equal work, opportunity to leadership positions, and a work environment free of micro-aggressions, "mansplaining" and the like. He is excited to share his personal examples of allyship as well as focusing in on how to build an allyship program as well as the how and why to become an ally.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Empovia, visitempovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Brian Boche On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-boche Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.boche.1
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Brian Boche, a bald White cisgender male with blue/white plaid shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 125, Megan Carle, Author and Consultant at Carle Consulting, joins Melinda in an insightful conversation on ways to address workplace bullying. They draw from Megan’s book, WALK AWAY TO WIN: A Playbook to Combat Workplace Bullying (McGraw Hill), to discuss various forms of workplace bullying and how to recognize and respond to these harmful behaviors. They share their own workplace experiences and dive into opportunities for leaders and allies to advocate for individuals who have experienced mistreatment and foster a safe workplace culture for everyone's overall well-being.
About Megan Carle (she/her)
Megan Carle spent 30 years rising steadily through the ranks at Nike, finishing her career there as Vice President/General Manager of Basketball for North America, where she drove businesses featuring superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. She was elevated multiple times to roles no woman had ever held, including stints leading international teams in London and Amsterdam. She founded Carle Consulting LLC, where she gives workshops on handling workplace bullying and creating an inclusive culture of connection and trust. She is the author of the book WALK AWAY TO WIN: A Playbook to Combat Workplace Bullying (McGraw Hill).
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Megan Carle On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-carle/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganMCarle
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco Facebook: facebook.com/empovia Instagram: instagram.com/empovia LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Megan Carle, a White woman with long dark blonde hair, rhinestone stud earrings, and black blazer, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
When is cultural transformation crucial for teams and organizations? What can leaders do to empower people in times of change?In Episode 124, Marissa Andrada, Culture Master & Kindness Catalyst, joins Melinda in a solution-focused discussion on transforming workplace cultures. Marissa draws from her experience in planning and executing culture change across different industries. She shares insights on how we can harness the transformative power of kindness through transparency, empowerment, collaboration, and co-creation. She also explores the importance of building leadership capability and developing incentive programs to encourage people across organizations to meet their goals for transformation.About Marissa Andrada (she/her)Marissa Andrada is a master of activating organizational hyper-growth and turnaround through the transformation and creation of dynamic, diverse and inclusive cultures. With over 25 years of experience of integrating people and leadership capability into the foundation of business strategies, she has energized brands to codify their purpose and values while accelerating company growth and industry-wide change, inspiring a movement for employee well-being and opportunity.Marissa is passionate about leading with authenticity and helping people and organizations unleash human potential to lift personal and overall company performance. She has been the key catalyst in transforming cultures and driving performance at a multitude of consumer brands, most recently as the first chief people officer at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Prior to Chipotle, Marissa led human resources at Kate Spade & Company and partner resources at Starbucks Coffee Company. Earlier, she served as senior vice president and head of human resources at GameStop Corporation and at Red Bull North America. She is currently serving as an independent board director at Krispy Kreme, Inc. where she is also the chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. She also serves as the chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the College of Business and executive in residence at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona.Marissa hosts live weekly conversations with leaders from various industries on how they are creating inclusive cultures and what advice they can share to lead through transformation on her CultureCast with Marissa podcast.Marissa is a founding member of the Society for Human Resources Executive Council, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Workplace Dignity Council and the CNBC Workforce Executive Council and a 2020 American Business Award Gold Stevie winner.For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co.Connect With MarissaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marissaandrada/Twitter: twitter.com/MarissaAndradaInstagram: instagram.com/marissaandrada/Connect With UsYouTube: youtube.com/@empoviaTwitter: twitter.com/empoviacoFacebook: facebook.com/empoviaInstagram: instagram.com/empoviaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empoviaProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Marissa Andrada, an Asian Mixed Race Woman with long brown hair, tortoiseshell glasses, gold blouse, and white blazer, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
How does a lack of diversity limit one's cognitive potential? What steps can leaders take to cultivate radical equality and belonging?In Episode 123, Ellen Petry Leanse, Author, Speaker, and Podcast Host of The Brain and Beyond, joins Melinda in a thought-provoking conversation about the neuroscience behind ethical leadership. They explore how you can engage both hemispheres of the brain to break free from binary thinking and develop the ability to recognize biases. Ellen introduces the concept of homogeneity hijack, how it impacts workplace culture, and why it hinders our ability to be responsive, curious, and open to possibilities. They also discuss essential leadership traits that create space for radical equality and belonging.About Ellen Petry Leanse (she/her)An acclaimed Silicon Valley innovator, former Stanford University instructor, TEDx speaker, and published author, Ellen Petry Leanse works at the crossroads of spiritual, creative, and scientific inquiry.Her career at Apple established her as a digital pioneer and the catalyst of history’s first online connection between a technology company and its users. Continuing on this course, she challenged assumptions as an entrepreneur, a leader at Google, in venture capital, as a C-level executive, and as a global innovation advisor.Ellen is the author of “The Happiness Hack,” a neuroscience-based guide to life satisfaction, the originator of popular Stanford courses including “The Neuroscience of Creativity and Innovation,” a TEDx speaker delivering an early warning on the cognitive and emotional consequences of our rising tech reliance, and a contributor of articles on ethical leadership, functional neuroscience, and gender equality to publications including Huffington Post, Business Insider, Inc.com, CNBC, Self, and Women’s Health.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Ellen Petry Leanse On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenleanse/Twitter: https://twitter.com/chep2mInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chep2m/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/@empoviaTwitter: twitter.com/empoviacoFacebook: facebook.com/empoviaInstagram: instagram.com/empoviaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empoviaProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Ellen Petry Leanse, a light-skinned female elder with white hair, black top, orange jacket, and silver dangling earrings, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What does it take to maintain confidence and resilience while engaging in equity work? How can self-grace and allyship help underrepresented changemakers?In Episode 122, Cory Ervin-Stewart, Founder and CEO of Stewart Consulting and Management, LLC, joins Melinda in a candid conversation on navigating the challenges of equity work as a marginalized changemaker. They share personal insights from their experiences in interracial relationships and discuss the importance of self-reflection and self-care practices to address the harmful effects of marginalization. They also explore ways allies can support and advocate for individuals engaged in equity work.About Cory Ervin-Stewart (she/her)As a coach, facilitator, and consultant, Cory designs and leads transformative change efforts for individuals and organizations. She is a successful social impact leader whose specialty areas include diversity, equity, and inclusion; racial justice; deconstructing and addressing bias; fundraising; effective team building; business development; project management; and strategic planning.She is a trusted voice amongst nonprofits, community-based organizations, and Fortune 500 companies and has helped numerous businesses design and integrate successful culturally competent business models and high-performing teams. Cory is motivated to drive positive culture change and inclusive environments that lead to a more just world for all! With a sincere desire to level the playing field, she is also an active volunteer and mentor within her community.Cory is the founder of Stewart Consulting & Management, where she helps organizations and businesses adopt socially just practices that improve internal health and advance external results. She also serves on a variety of Boards of Directors for organizations addressing the intersection of race, gender, and class.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Cory Ervin-Stewart On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cervinstewartConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/@empoviaTwitter: twitter.com/empoviacoFacebook: facebook.com/empoviaInstagram: instagram.com/empoviaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empoviaProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Cory Ervin-Stewart, a Black indigenous woman with short, curly black hair, brown glasses, and white long-sleeved shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What are the strategies for managing cultural change? How can we measure the impact? And what are the emerging trends that may have an influence? In Episode 121, Toby Mildon, founder & director of Mildon, joins Melinda in an action-oriented discussion on creating organizational culture change. They explore various change management models and strategic frameworks leaders can implement to drive DEI initiatives and measure their impact across teams. They tackle the importance of DEI practitioners taking a human-centered approach to problem-solving and using data to identify and address significant issues in the workplace. They also share insights on emerging DEI trends and the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion in business.About Toby Mildon (he/him)Toby Mildon, a leading expert in diversity and inclusion with a proven track record of success in helping some of the UK's largest companies - including the BBC, Deloitte, Sony, and HarperCollins Publishing - improve staff retention, brand innovation, productivity, and performance.Toby's lifelong passion for D&I stems from his personal and professional experiences with inequality, and his belief that building a culture of inclusive growth is essential for organizational success. He created the Inclusive Growth Culture Program to help businesses like yours implement real change and avoid superficial diversity initiatives. If your company has more than 250 employees (or is expecting to grow to this size), Toby is the right person to help you drive your business forward and achieve new heights.Moving beyond superficial diversity initiatives and building a culture of inclusive growth is essential because it addresses the underlying issues of inequality and creates a sustainable framework for continued growth and success. Companies that focus on this approach see better results, both in terms of revenue growth and employee engagement.Diverse and inclusive workforces contribute to brand innovation and productivity because they bring together different perspectives and experiences, which can lead to more creative solutions and better decision-making. Studies have shown that diverse companies outperform their peers in terms of revenue growth and profitability. Looking to the future, Toby sees D&I becoming increasingly important for business competitiveness. He encourages companies to prepare themselves for these developments by prioritizing D&I and making it an integral part of their organizational strategy. By doing so, companies can become leaders in their industry and attract and retain top talent.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Empovia, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Toby Mildon On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobymildon/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/@empoviaTwitter: twitter.com/empoviacoFacebook: facebook.com/empoviaInstagram: instagram.com/empoviaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empoviaProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Toby Mildon, a White man sitting in an electric wheelchair with low haircut, salt and pepper beard, and navy blue long-sleeve shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
What does 10 years of work in DEI look like? How do you transform an industry? And why is Change Catalyst changing to Empovia? In episode 120, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) and Wayne Sutton, Co-Founder & Advisor of Empovia, kick off season 10 with a reflective conversation on a decade of DEI work across various industries, including their impactful work in building inclusive tech ecosystems. They discuss Empovia’s mission to empower inclusive innovation and the launch of a new accessible eLearning platform that provides individuals with actionable steps, tools, and frameworks to create positive change.About Melinda Briana Epler (she/her)Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.As CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients. Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, empathy, and entrepreneurship.About Wayne Sutton (he/him)Wayne Sutton is a serial entrepreneur and founder of the Icon Project (501c3 non-profit) and the co-founder of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst). Sutton’s experience includes years of establishing partnerships with large brands to early-stage startups. As a leading voice in diversity and inclusion in tech, Sutton has been featured in TechCrunch, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, Sutton’s life goal is to advocate for the awareness of humans to address their mental health.Wayne is a past TED attendee in 2012. With a passion for education and storytelling, Wayne has spoken at several universities and major internet and technology-focused conferences such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, Duke, UNC, NC State, TEDx, World Wide Web(WWW) Conference, O’Reilly Web 2.0 Expo, South By South West (SXSW), DockerCon 2015 and for the U.S. Embassy Jamaica during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015.For more about Empovia, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With MelindaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindaeplerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindabrianaeplerTwitter: https://twitter.com/mbrianaeplerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/changecatalystsConnect With WayneLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynesutton/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wayneesuttonTwitter: https://twitter.com/waynesuttonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/waynesutton/Connect With UsYouTube: youtube.com/@empoviaTwitter: twitter.com/empoviacoFacebook: facebook.com/empoviaInstagram: instagram.com/empoviaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empoviaProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket; and host Wayne Sutton, a bald Black man with salt and pepper beard, glasses, and a dark gray shirt.]
In Episode 119, Natalia Villalobos, VP of Inclusion at The New York Times, joins Melinda in a transformative discussion on ways to empower individuals to be agents of change within organizations. They delve into the importance of active listening and learning about the workplace culture to understand the change model before taking action. They explore creative and practical ways to collaborate as a team on solutions to drive meaningful change together. They also discuss how leaders can give people grace throughout the change process by cultivating a learning-oriented workplace culture and providing support and resources to help everyone navigate the change.About Natalia Villalobos (she/her)Natalia Villalobos is the first Vice President of Inclusion Strategy & Execution at The New York Times. There she is responsible for the DEI strategy for 5,800+ employees within the US and internationally.Prior to joining The Times, Natalia was Google's "Feminist-in-Residence" leading internal and external global diversity programs. She created Women Techmakers, Google’s outreach program for women in technology. Natalia also led DEI for Developer Relations, Google’s outreach organization for developers.She believes in meeting and listening to users where they are with an empathetic, human-centered yet data-focused approach. Natalia has applied her background in civil rights and social movements to the tech industry where she is a recognized leader in gender equality and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) broadly.Natalia has been featured in USA Today, CBS News, Newsweek, Inc. Magazine, BBC, Business Insider, and more. She has enjoyed speaking at Stanford, Harvard Business School, SXSW, Tech Inclusion, among others. She is currently on the board of Micro and the Tribal Link Foundation.In 2010, Natalia founded 300 Acres, a digital storytelling campaign that went viral to save 300 acres of the Ecuadorian rainforest for the Quichua people. Prior to Google, Natalia had a successful career as a Community Manager for Yahoo!, Digg, The Institute for the Future, Get Satisfaction, The Seasteading Institute, and StyleMob. As a public face and voice for companies, and as a conduit for global online/offline communities, Natalia was an effective advocate for products and experiences totaling 400M+ users.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Natalia On SocialLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/natalianvillalobos/Twitter: twitter.com/nataliaenvyConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Natalia Villalobos, a mixed-race White-presenting cisgender woman with long wavy brown hair, gold dangly earrings, pendant necklace, and button-up blush shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 118, Nina Simons, Co-Founder & Chief Relationship Strategist at Bioneers, joins Melinda in an honest conversation about ways to reinvent leadership by embracing intersectional allyship. They draw from Nina’s book, Nature, Culture & the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership, and explore how women from diverse backgrounds possess unique talents that can be leveraged in leadership. They discuss how intentional allyship can help individuals cultivate and showcase their greatest strengths. They also delve into how a deeper understanding of the intersectionality between environmental, social, racial, and gender justice can enable us to become better advocates and allies.Use the code ‘NCS20’ to receive a 20% discount on the Bioneers 2023 ConferenceAbout Nina Simons (she/herNina Simons is the co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at Bioneers, and leads its Everywoman’s Leadership program. Bioneers is a nonprofit that uses media, convening, and connecting to lift up visionary and practical solutions for many of our most pressing social and ecological challenges, revealing a regenerative and equitable future that’s within our reach today.Nina is a social entrepreneur who is passionate about reinventing leadership, restoring the feminine, and co-creating a healthy, peaceful, and equitable world for all. She speaks and teaches internationally at schools, conferences, and festivals, and co-facilitates transformative workshops and retreats for women that share practices for regenerative leadership through reclaiming wholeness and relational mindfulness.Throughout her career spanning the nonprofit, social entrepreneurship, corporate, and philanthropic sectors, Nina has worked with nearly a thousand diverse women leaders across disciplines, race, class, age, orientation, and more to create conditions for mutual learning and leadership development. She produces and speaks at large-scale events to work intimately to help small, diverse groups of women leaders knit together to strengthen each other’s work pursuing intersectional healing and ecological justice.In 2017, Nina was a recipient of the Goi Peace Award, presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward the realization of a peaceful and harmonious world. Past honorees include Bill Gates, James Lovelock, and Deepak Chopra.Nina studied Theater Arts and Psychology at Cornell University. In addition to writing the first and second editions of Nature, Culture, and the Sacred, Nina co-edited 2010’s Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart (Park Street Press), which explores the flourishing, passionate forms of leadership emerging from women (and some men) on behalf of the Earth through the prism of more than 30 essays from diverse women leaders.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Nina On SocialLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nina-simons/Facebook: facebook.com/ninasimonsauthorTwitter: twitter.com/ninabioneersInstagram: instagram.com/1ninasimonsConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Nina Simons, a White woman with short curly brown hair, a colorful beaded necklace, and black shirt; beside her is the light blue book cover of Nature, Culture, & the Sacred: A Woman Listens For Leadership; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 117, Dima Ghawi, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Influencer at Dima Ghawi, LLC, joins Melinda in an informative discussion on how to bridge the generational divide in the workplace. They explore the four main generations in the American workforce, what motivates employees from different generations, and why organizations should recognize diverse work styles across multigenerational teams. They also discuss how managers can support the incoming younger workforce to build well-rounded teams and create a purpose-driven workplace.About Dima Ghawi (she/her)Dima is Middle-Eastern in her genes, American in her heart, and a global citizen in her spirit. She ignites the untapped potential in individuals across the globe, empowering them to shatter limitations and become courageous, purpose driven leaders. Her own journey is one of escaping confinement, crossing continents, and transforming her life’s purpose. Harnessing the power of her story, Dima is committed to inspiring individuals to attain personal and professional growth.Through keynote speeches, workshops, and executive coaching, Dima shares her unique leadership transformation journey with one goal in mind: motivate and activate those around her to reimagine their potential and grow into leaders.Dima draws from two decades of corporate experience leading global teams and developing future leaders worldwide. She has worked across the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa for several Fortune 100 companies including IBM, Merrill Lynch, and Intuit. She has honed a keen expertise in developing leaders to meet the demands of the global workforce.Dima’s memoir Breaking Vases received many awards including Writer’s Digest 2018 Grand Prize Award, Best Indie Book Award, Readers’ Favorite Award, National Indie Excellence Award, and Nautilus Book Award.She has been recognized for her services with the 2014 President of the United States Bronze Volunteer Service Award, the 2019 Baton Rouge Business Report “Influential Women in Business,” 2014 Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Forty Under 40” Award, and the 2016 Louisiana State University “Esprit de Femme Award.” She has been featured in numerous publications for her professional and philanthropic work.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Dima Ghawi On SocialLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dimaghawi/Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050491089661Twitter: twitter.com/dghawiInstagram: instagram.com/dima.ghawi/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dima Ghawi, a Middle Eastern American woman with curly long brown hair, purple halter dress, and golden round earrings with spiral pattern; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 116, David Glasgow, Executive Director of the New York University Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, joins Melinda in an enlightening discussion on how to have inclusive conversations about identity in the workplace. They explore key skills for having identity conversations, such as adopting a growth mindset and acknowledging where we are on the controversy scale when we disagree with others' perspectives. They also discuss why it's important to recognize unproductive forms of communication, which David refers to as avoid, deflect, deny, and attack (ADDA). They also touch on how leaders can create an inclusive culture by showing empathy to team members who make mistakes in these conversations.About David Glasgow (he/him)David Glasgow is the executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. He has written for a range of publications including the Harvard Business Review, HuffPost, and Slate, and served as an Associate Director of the Public Interest Law Center at NYU School of Law. He's the co-author of SAY THE RIGHT THING: How to Talk about Identity, Diversity, and Justice (Atria Books).Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With David Glasgow On SocialLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-glasgow-118b8847/Twitter: https://twitter.com/dvglasgow/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of David Glasgow, a White man with salt and pepper hair, facial hair, light blue shirt, and blue suit and tie; beside him is a blue book cover— with an illustration of diverse people— of SAY THE RIGHT THING: How to Talk about Identity, Diversity, and Justice; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 115, Melinda shares talks from previous Change Catalyst events made by Black leaders Daisy Ozim, Angel Acosta, and Ashantè Fray that tackle the impact of Black history on our present and future. At Tech Inclusion 2019, Daisy discusses the long-term impacts of intergenerational trauma and how it is perpetuated through technology. She dives into 10 things allies can do to help create systemic change. In Angel’s talk on mindfulness and healing in tech at Tech Inclusion Global Summit 2020, he shares the power of mindfulness and healing practices to support ourselves through trauma from the global health crisis and racial divisiveness. At Tech Inclusion Conference 2020, Ashantè talks about the importance of intersectional allyship. She taps into ways allies can support people from intersectionally underrepresented groups, such as learning to acknowledge our privileges in various spaces, recognizing the impact of microaggressions, and understanding where we are in our allyship journey.To learn more, visit https://ally.cc.About Daisy Ozim (she/her)Daisy Ozim is the Founder of DaisyOzim.co. She works at the epicenter of multidimensional education and awareness, technology, social justice and public health. Her goal is to help the public understand the ways in which these sectors coalesce to promote an improvement in public, interpersonal and individual health. As a public health practitioner, She has spent the past 10 years involved in community organizing, youth development as a former high school teacher and systems innovator working on various public health projects. She supports the funding and development of several technology projects, non-profit organizations and political campaigns as I’ve had the opportunity to hold multiple local and state appointed seats on county boards and commissions.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daisyozim/Facebook: facebook.com/DaisyOzimCoTwitter: twitter.com/daisysuniverse_Instagram: instagram.com/daisysplanet_/About Angel Acosta (he/him)For the last decade, Dr. Angel Acosta has worked to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness. He completed his doctorate in curriculum and teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. Angel has supported educational leaders and their students by facilitating leadership training, creating pathways to higher education, and designing dynamic learning experiences that weave leadership development with conversations about inequality and healing, to support educational leaders through contemplative and restorative practices. Over the last couple of years, he has designed the Contemplating 400 Years of Inequality Experience. He's a proud member of the 400 Years of Inequality Project, based at the New School. He is also the Creative Director at the NYC Healing Collective.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-angel-acosta-1886653b/Facebook: facebook.com/AngelAcosta16Instagram: instagram.com/dr_angel718/About Ashantè Fray (she/they)Ashantè Fray (she/they) is a Black bisexual woman who is the owner and founder of Synchronized Souls Inc. After two years of unexpected growth in her business, she left her DEI career at Indeed to expand Synchronized Souls Inc. into Corporate Wellness to aid organizations with their wellness programs and wellbeing of their employees by leveraging her Indeed knowledge. She helps companies to reduce their employee healthcare costs and absenteeism, boost employee morale to reduce turnover and improve workplace productivity through wellness webinars and speaking events, lunch and learns, and tarot readings as team activities.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashant%C3%A8/Instagram: instagram.com/_synchronizedsoulsinc/[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Daisy, an African American woman with long black hair in twists; Ashantè, a Black bisexual woman with short pink hair; Angel, an Afro-latino male with dark hair and facial hair; and host Melinda, a White woman with blonde and red hair.]
In Episode 114, Claudia Miller, Career Coach at Claudia T. Miller, LLC, joins Melinda in an empowering conversation about strategies and guidelines we can all implement to help close the gender wage gap. They explore mindset shifts and techniques that underrepresented identities can use to build confidence and better negotiate what they are worth. They elaborate on the importance of organizations implementing pay transparency policies. They also discuss how HR folks and people leaders can develop a talent pipeline to create a stronger pathway to leadership for women in the workplace and address compensation & equity gaps.About Claudia Miller (she/her)Claudia Miller is a sought-after Career Coach and she's helped her clients land fulfilling jobs in less than 90-days all while getting on average a 54% in salary increases ($30k-$140k).She also partners with companies and organizations in identifying rising stars within their organizations and providing strategic insights and support in developing a leadership and talent pipeline with a focus on Women and Women of Color. Due to her efforts, she's worked with Top Fortune 500 Clients and has been featured multiple times in Forbes, MSNBC, Thrive Global, and Business Insider put her in their top global list of Top Innovative Career Coaches.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Claudia Miller On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiatmiller/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudiatmiller/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Claudia Miller, a Latina with long brown hair, round pearl earrings, and a white/black patterned sleeveless dress; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 113, Gabriela de Queiroz, Principal Cloud Advocate Manager at Microsoft, joins Melinda in an impactful discussion on building global inclusion through community. They dive into the importance of building inclusive communities to address the global gap in access and opportunity. They discuss how people can start to advocate for social change by finding out what issues they're passionate about and recognizing what they can give back, no matter how small. They also explore key lessons from building inclusive communities that can help global leaders manage their teams more effectively.About Gabriela de Queiroz (she/her)Gabriela de Queiroz is a Principal Cloud Advocate Manager at Microsoft. She leads and manages the Global Education Advocacy team focused on AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science.Before that, she worked at IBM as a Program Director on Open Source, Data & AI Technologies and then as Chief Data Scientist at IBM, leading AI Strategy and Innovations.She is actively involved with several organizations to foster an inclusive community. She is the founder of R-Ladies, a worldwide organization promoting diversity in the R community, present in more than 200 cities in 60+ countries with over 100,000 members. She is also the founder of AI Inclusive, a global organization that is helping increase the representation and participation of minorities in Artificial Intelligence.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Gabriela de Queiroz On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieladequeiroz/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gdequeirozInstagram: https://instagram.com/gabkrozConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Gabriela de Queiroz, a Latina with short black hair and brown eyes, black shirt, and gray neck scarf and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 112, Nick Alm, Founder and Godx of Mossier, joins Melinda in an informative discussion about the key trends that drive LGBTQIA+ workplace equity and inclusion. They look into challenges around policies and procedures for transgender and nonbinary inclusion. They discuss how companies can take action to improve their DEI initiatives through normalizing pronoun use, integrating self-identification into recruitment efforts, incentivizing ERG and DEI leadership, and more. They also touch on ways for managers to rethink how they approach political discussions at work.About Nick Alm (they/them)Nick Alm (they/them) was born in St. Paul and grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota. While pursuing a degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Minnesota, they co-founded The Carlson School’s first undergraduate LGBTQ student organization, Compass. It was through Compass that they developed a deep passion for advancing conversations about Queer employment equity. Today, Nick is the founder and CEO of Mossier, a social enterprise with a mission of employment equity for everyone LGBTQ. Mossier helps organizations of all sizes attract Queer talent while simultaneously developing workplace cultures and practices that actively dismantle systems of homophobia, transphobia and white supremacy.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Nick Alm On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasalm/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Nick Alm, a White nonbinary person with short light brown hair, golden hoop earrings, eyeliner, sparkles, purplish-red lips, grey turtleneck, and plaid blue suit; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 111, Pabel Martinez, Founder and CEO of Plurawl, joins Melinda in a discussion on redefining professionalism so people can bring their authentic selves to the workplace. They explore how biases around professionalism move individuals to mask their identities and “code-switch”’ to assimilate into another culture. They look into the difference between uncomfortable and unprofessional and how we can mitigate the impact of biases around professionalism. They also discuss how managers can promote authenticity at work by building trust in teams and leading honest conversations.About Pabel Martinez (he/him)Pabel Martinez is a native New Yorker, storyteller, and former Tech executive.Throughout his career, Pabel struggled balancing two jobs…Tech Employee and Actor. As an Actor, he would focus on assimilation because he was trained to believe that many parts of his identity were unprofessional.Pabel would dedicate days out of the week to study “white popular American culture” and memorize scripts he would later use for work conversations. He knew that talking about Bad Bunny and shows like Insecure, would not make him relatable. Instead, he would binge-watch seasons of Riverdale since it would help him build relationships with colleagues and senior leaders.The assimilation became overwhelming, and it was at the expense of his identity & mental health.As a result, Pabel's mission in life became redefining professionalism by empowering authenticity. In 2020, he launched Plurawl to bring this mission to life.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Pabel Martinez On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pabelmartinez/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plurawlConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Pabel Martinez, an Afro-Latino with a low black haircut, thick black facial hair, and grey crew neck t-shirt with the word “plurawl” printed in bright orange, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 110, Donald Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder of The Diversity Movement, joins Melinda in an enriching conversation about how underestimated leaders can pave a pathway to success. Donald shares his successful journey overcoming adversities as an underestimated leader and how his path can help leaders create access and opportunity for marginalized people in their workplaces. He shares his strategies for implementing inclusive leadership across large organizations and growing companies by maximizing everyone’s unique talents and evaluating team performance. He also provides practical ways for underrepresented entrepreneurs to gain access to funding by knowing how to approach the right VC firms.About Donald Thompson (he/him)Donald Thompson is CEO and co-founder of The Diversity Movement. He is the author of Underestimated: A CEO's Unlikely Path to Success. Thompson is an entrepreneur, public speaker, author, podcaster, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), and executive coach. He serves as a board member for Easterseals UCP, Vidant Medical Center, Raleigh Chamber, TowneBank Raleigh, and several other organizations in the fields of technology, marketing, sports, and entertainment. Visit him at donaldthompson.com.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Donald Thompson On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldthompsonjr/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonaldThompsonJrOfficial/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonThompson_JrConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Donald Thompson,a Black CEO with salt and pepper buzzed facial hair, white/blue striped button-down shirt, and navy blue suit; beside him is a black book cover of UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO’S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 109, Sunday Parker, Access Technology Program Manager at Microsoft, joins Melinda in a conversation about everyone’s role in creating accessible and inclusive communities for people with disabilities. Sunday describes what physical and digital accessibility look like and the importance of continuing to incorporate digital accessibility into social media platforms, particularly as they evolve and change. She shares the value of interdependence in communities and how allies can amplify the voices of disability advocates. She also talks about her work in providing non-profits with the resources they need to better support their disability constituents.About Sunday Parker (she/her)Sunday leads the Access Technology Program as part of Microsoft’s commitment to bridge the disability divide through access to technology and connectivity that is accessible to people with disabilities. As part of the Strategic Partnership and Policy team, she aims to create connections between the disability community and accessible technology through collaboration with organizations and the Microsoft ecosystem. Recently, she launched the Accessibility Nonprofit Tech Accelerator, aimed to support disability nonprofits with access to resources, grants, and software to accelerate their mission.Diagnosed with a rare neurological disease at the age of 2, she has had a lifelong journey of advocacy and applies her lived experience navigating the world as a wheelchair user to better support the disability community as a whole and the organizations that serve them. With access to technology, she excelled in her career in tech over the last 9 years as she found that the advancement opportunities at work didn’t carry the same complex barriers that she experienced in the day-to-day physical environment. This realization led to a passion for digital accessibility and enabling more people with disabilities, including those who use assistive technology, access to hardware and software along with the workplace and social advancement opportunities that technology creates.She is a new resident living in downtown Austin, Texas with her dog Charlie and many plants where she hopes to continue to advocate locally in her community on accessibility.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Sunday On SocialLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sundayparker/Twitter: twitter.com/sundaytakesbartInstagram: instagram.com/sundayparker/Connect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with photos of Sunday Parker, a White female with medium-length blonde hair and cream sleeveless blouse; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 108, our final episode of Season 8, Dax-Devlon Ross, Founder / Principal of Dax-Dev and Third Settlements, joins Melinda in a reflective conversation about the changing landscape of DEI work over the years. They look into systemic shifts in communities and organizations, including the pushback to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. They explore what Dax-Devlon calls the BIPOC savior syndrome, an issue that incoming BIPOC leaders often face. Dax-Devlon also shares his experience navigating the DEI space as a Black cis man and how we can reflect and set goals to support DEI initiatives moving into 2023 and beyond.About Dax-Devlon Ross (he/him)Dax-Devlon Ross is the author of six books and his journalism has been featured in Time, The Guardian, The New York Times, Virginia Quarterly Review, Nonprofit Quarterly, The Washington Post Magazine and other national publications. He won the National Association of Black Journalists’ Investigative Reporting Award for his coverage of jury exclusion in North Carolina courts and is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at Type Media Center.His most recent book Letters to My White Male Friends, published by St. Martin’s Press in June 2021, is a call to action and a reflection on race. Dax details how racism has harmed Black people for generations but has also hurt White people by robbing their lives of fullness and meaningful relationships.A New York City teaching fellow turned non-profit executive, Dax is now a principal at the social impact consultancies, Dax-Dev and Third Settlements, both of which focus on designing disruptive strategies to generate equity in workplaces and education spaces alike. His clients have included The National Urban League, UnidosUS, Amnesty International, Results for America, iMentor, Fund II Foundation, Vera Institute of Justice, the ACLU of New Hampshire, and many others.Dax received his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University. He currently resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Alana, and their young children.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Dax-Devlon Ross On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dax-devlon-ross-69b3749/Twitter: https://twitter.com/daxdevConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dax-Devlon Ross, an African-American man with black hair and facial hair, white button down, and grey suit; his black and white image has a photo credits to Doug Segars; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 107, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, shares a short talk based on her Out & Equal Workplace Summit session with our friends at Qualcomm on “Interrupting Microaggressions: Workplace Interventions for Calling People In.” In this workshop, Melinda shares how we can call each other in to interrupt microaggressions experienced by LGBTQIA+ folks in the workplace. She guides us through microintervention processes and scripts we can use to address common verbal, nonverbal, and environmental microaggressions. She also shares how managers and team members can take action to create a call-in culture together.About Melinda Briana Epler (she/her)Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients.Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, empathy, and entrepreneurship.Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Melinda Briana Epler On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindaeplerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindabrianaeplerTwitter: https://twitter.com/mbrianaeplerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/changecatalystsConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and a photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and a black shirt; beside her is the orange book cover of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill).]
In Episode 106, Lisa Gelobter, CEO of tEQuitable, joins Melinda in a discussion on ways to address interpersonal conflict in the workplace. They discuss the true costs and consequences of interpersonal conflicts for an organization. Lisa shares an open-ended question framework tEQuitable uses in their process that can help us all create constructive conversations at work and shift team cultures. They also look into the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for managing workplace conflict to improve business outcomes.About Lisa Gelobter (she/her)Lisa Gelobter is the CEO and Founder of tEQuitable. Using technology to make workplaces more equitable, tEQuitable provides a confidential platform to address bias, discrimination, and harassment.Lisa has worked on products that have been used by billions of people and pioneered several Internet technologies, including Shockwave, Hulu, and the ascent of online video.Previously, at the Obama White House, Lisa was the Chief Digital Service Officer for the Department of Education, and prior to that, she served as the Chief Digital Officer for BET Networks at Viacom.Lisa has been named one of Inc.'s 100 Women Building America's Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses, Fast Company’s Most Creative People, and serves on the boards for: the Obama Foundation, Times Up, and The Education Trust.Lisa is one of the first 40 Black women ever to have raised over $1 million in VC funding.She is also proud to be a Black woman with a Computer Science degree. Go STEM!Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.Connect With Lisa Gelobter On SocialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagelobter/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaGelobterConnect With Us On SocialYouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsInstagram: instagram.com/techinclusionLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsProduction TeamCreator & Host: Melinda Briana EplerCo-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst ChanPodcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Lisa Gelobter, a Black woman with long salt and pepper hair, glasses, yellow/orange beaded earrings, and coral shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 105, Lily Zheng, Consultant at Zheng Consulting, joins Melinda in a discussion on how we can use our power to create real systemic change around diversity, equity, and inclusion. They explore different types of power and practical ways we can build movements that address inequities in the workplace. They also discuss the importance of trust in creating change and how managers can earn their team members’ trust by understanding and utilizing the currency of trust when making decisions.
About Lily Zheng (they/them)
Lily Zheng (they/them) is a sought-after Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion speaker, strategist, and organizational consultant who specializes in hands-on systemic change to turn positive intentions into positive outcomes for workplaces and everyone in them. A dedicated change-maker and advocate named a Forbes D&I Trailblazer, 2021 DEI Influencer, and LinkedIn Top Voice on Racial Equity, Lily's work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and NPR. Their most recent book, DEI Deconstructed, centers on accountable and effective practices to achieve DEI outcomes in organizations.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Lily Zheng On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilyzheng308/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilyzheng308 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilyzheng308
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Lily Zheng, a Chinese American nonbinary person with dark brown assymetric hair that is half shaved, glasses, black shirt, and black jacket; beside them is the off-white book cover of DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
Lily’s headshot credit: Richard DeVaul
Connect with Richard: https://twitter.com/rdevaul | https://www.richarddevaul.com/
In Episode 104, Rahimeh Ramezany, DEI Practitioner & Founder of Rahimeh Ramezany Consulting, joins Melinda in a discussion on how to be better allies for Muslim colleagues. They dive into the importance of addressing intersectionality in the workplace when building religious inclusion and how managers can use an intersectional approach to establish policies & procedures for religious accommodations and inclusion. They also explore meaningful ways to support Muslim colleagues, such as learning to navigate religious differences during the winter holidays and promoting policies to address the impact of religious discrimination.
About Rahimeh Ramezany (she/her)
Rahimeh Ramezany is a multiethnic, neurodiverse, visibly identifiable Muslim American woman, and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Practitioner. She founded her DEI business in order to help organizations incorporate Muslims and considerations of marginalized religious identity into their existing DEI programs, comprehensively spanning the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and systemic implications of the work. Rahimeh leverages her lived experiences at the intersection of multiple marginalized and privileged identities, a master’s degree in intercultural communication, and years of professional DEI experience to address the often deeply uncomfortable but nonetheless essential work of making our spaces inclusive and equitable for all.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Rahimeh Ramezany On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahimeh-ramezany/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RahimehRamezany Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rahimehramezany/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Rahimeh Ramezany, a pale-skinned Muslim woman wearing a multi-colored religious headscarf with pinks, blues, and purples and a fuchsia blouse; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 103 (recorded live), Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, joins Paula Quintana, Senior Analyst, for High Alpha Innovation’s Satellite Series event on “How to Be an Ally.” In this fireside chat, Melinda shares how we can start our journey as allies to drive a more inclusive and equitable culture in a startup ecosystem. She introduces small steps anyone can take to intervene and counter the impact of microaggressions across teams. She also discusses how startups can set tangible goals and develop strategies to achieve measurable progress for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
About Melinda Briana Epler (she/her)
Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.
As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients.
Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, empathy, and entrepreneurship.
About Paula Quintana (she/her)
As a Senior Analyst at High Alpha Innovation, Paula works to launch new startups with partners through business model design, assumption validation, and market research. Her passion to leverage innovation to create positive change and improve lives is evident in her work spearheading DEI initiatives within the High Alpha Innovation community. Paula was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia and now lives in Richmond, Virginia.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Melinda Briana Epler On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindaepler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindabrianaepler Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbrianaepler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changecatalysts
Connect With Paula Quintana On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-quintana/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt; beside her is the orange book cover of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill); and host Paula Quintana, a Colombian woman with long dark brown hair and light grey knit sweater.]
In Episode 102, Esther A. Armah, CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, joins Melinda in a discussion about how Emotional Justice serves as a roadmap for racial healing. This roadmap focuses on the important emotional work all individuals can do to end systemic inequity and help transform our workplaces. They touch on the systems and racial biases we need to unlearn based on the four pillars of the language of Whiteness. They explore how we can replace them with the love languages of Emotional Justice to relearn inclusive thoughts and behaviors. They also discuss how leaders and DEI practitioners can frame Emotional Justice to navigate personal politics across teams and drive structural change in a corporate setting.
About Esther A. Armah (she/her)
Esther A. Armah is an international award-winning journalist, playwright, radio host, and writer. She is currently CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, (The AIEJ), a global institute implementing the "Emotional Justice” framework she created. The AIEJ devises, develops, designs, and delivers projects, training, and thought leadership. The Emotional Justice framework has taken Armah as a speaker to a range of prestigious venues, including Netflix Inclusion Institute, Stanford, NYU, and Kenya’s African Women in Media Conference. She is based in Accra, Ghana, but the majority of her and The AIEJ’s work is in the U.S. She is the author of Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Esther A. Armah On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherarmah/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emotionaljustice Twitter: https://twitter.com/theaiej1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emotionaljustice/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Esther A. Armah, a global Black chick with aqua blue eye makeup and long bronze twists; beside her is the purple book cover of EMOTIONAL JUSTICE: A Roadmap for Racial Healing; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 101, Rhonda V. Magee, Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, joins Melinda in a conversation about the practice of mindfulness as a way to build sustainability into allyship and empathy. They look into ways we can deepen our mindfulness to support ourselves through healing intergenerational trauma. They explore how to be better allies by learning to stay open to making mistakes and being corrected when our actions cause harm to others. They also talk about how leaders and managers can help teams develop mindfulness practices to make everyone feel more included.
About Rhonda V. Magee (she/her)
A sought-after mindfulness teacher and a thought and practice innovator of mindfulness-based social justice principles, concepts, and practices, Rhonda V. Magee, M.A., J.D., is Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco.
Magee has spent more than twenty years integrating mindfulness into higher education, leadership, and everyday social engagement. Her work explores the intersections of anti-racist education, social justice, and contemplative practices, offering trauma-sensitive practices to support healing, resilience, personal wellbeing, and flourishing together. Grounded in the science of mindfulness, wellbeing and resilience, she integrates storytelling, movement, journaling and other research-based experiential practices for strengthening our inner resources for navigating a world of constant change.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Rhonda V. Magee On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondavmagee/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhonda.magee/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rvmagee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvmagee/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Rhonda V. Magee, a petite Black woman with short, curled black hair, plaid gray blazer, white button-down shirt, and pendant necklace; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 100 (recorded live), Melinda is joined by an incredible panel of disability advocates and experts to discuss how individuals and employee resource groups (ERGs) can drive important conversations and actions that create true disability inclusion in the workplace. Catarina Rivera and John Marble share how managers can build inclusive team environments by embracing accessible design for all and being proactive in providing accommodations at work. They also discuss the importance of supporting self-advocacy, normalizing disability, addressing intersectionality, and centering people with disabilities when working towards belonging.
About Catarina Rivera (she/her/ella)
Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC is a disability public speaker, DEI consultant, and content creator with over 14 years of experience in the public sector. Catarina works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. She is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling and advocacy. Catarina has worn hearing aids from a young age and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disability at 17 years old. She has a BA from Duke University, an MSEd from Bank Street College of Education, and an MPH from Hunter College. Catarina is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (IAAP).
She is a member of RespectAbility's National Disability Speakers Bureau and KeyNote Women's Global Speakers Directory. She has been featured in Nasdaq, Authority Magazine, and as one of the top 21 DEI influencers of 2021. She was also named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices on Disability Advocacy for 2022. Past clients have included HarperCollins Publishers, LinkedIn, Hachette Book Group, Whole30, Grant Thornton, ColorStack, and BCG Digital Ventures. Catarina is a TEDx Speaker and spoke at TEDxRolandPark in June 2022. Catarina is committed to social justice.
About John Marble (he/him)
John Marble is the founder of Pivot Neurodiversity and is a writer and speaker on innovation, autism, and neurodiversity. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama to the United States Office of Personnel Management. There, his work focused on workforce development, innovation, and incorporating into government services the best practices and thinking of Silicon Valley.
In addition to his White House service, he has served as an advisor and aide to Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator John Kerry, and Vice President Al Gore.
John lives in San Francisco. He is autistic.
For more, visit https://ally.cc.
Connect With Catarina
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinarivera/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blindishlatina Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/catarinarivera Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindishlatina/
Connect With John
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarblejr/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JHMarble Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pivotdiversity/
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com/.
[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Catarina Rivera, light-skinned Latine woman with long brown wavy hair, hoop earrings, a black and beige wavy striped top, and a beige jacket; John Marble, a White man with blond hair and a brown beard, a black t-shirt with a small white triangle pattern, and a navy zip-up jacket; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 99, Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, joins Melinda to discuss how leaders can build psychological safety and trust on their teams. They explore the benefits of a psychologically safe workplace, signs that may indicate if a workplace is safe, and how psychological safety enables innovation and positive team performance. They also discuss effective strategies for establishing and maintaining trust on diverse teams and in hybrid workplaces.
About Amy Edmondson (she/her)
Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.
Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, and California Management Review. Her most recent book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (Wiley, 2019), offers a practical guide for organizations serious about success in the modern economy and has been translated into 15 languages.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Amy Edmondson On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amedmondson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyCEdmondson
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Amy Edmondson, a White woman with short silver-blonde hair and black coat; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 98, Dr. Victor Pineda, President & Founder of The Victor Pineda Foundation / World ENABLED, joins Melinda in a discussion on his work to create disability inclusion, accessibility, and equity through a comprehensive and integrated approach to policy. They discuss the importance of thought leadership, culture change, and training programs to address the barriers to inclusive innovation in communities and organizations. They also explore top strategies for companies and individuals to build a disability-inclusive workplace.
About Dr. Victor Pineda (he/him)
Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda is a human rights expert, scholar, investor, and philanthropist. His work focuses on inclusive and accessible smart cities. A two-time presidential appointee on the US Access Board, a senior Fellow at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai, and the Chairman of The Victor Pineda Foundation / World ENABLED. His foundation supports global non-profits and campaigns promoting the rights of people with disabilities and older persons. Dr. Pineda's research and humanitarian work advance urban resilience, inclusion, and sustainability both at home and abroad.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Dr. Victor Pineda On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorpineda/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.vsp Twitter: https://twitter.com/victorpineda Twitter (World Enabled:) https://twitter.com/WorldEnabled Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cities_4_all/
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dr. Victor Pineda, a middle-aged man sitting in an electric wheelchair with black hair, white shirt, and black suit; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 97 (recorded live), Melinda is joined by an incredible panel of experts to discuss actionable steps to creating a culture of belonging for Latina colleagues. Gabriela Chavez-Lopez and Maica Gil share meaningful ways to support Latina colleagues by addressing systemic challenges in the workplace and amplifying the voices of Latinas beyond Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month. They also dive into the importance of choosing the right vendors through supplier diversity programs and improving the workplace ecosystem to increase Latinx equity & inclusion.
About Gabriela Chavez-Lopez (she/her)
Gabriela is the first Executive Director of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley. She is a community catalyst; passionate about uplifting and championing voices around challenging issues in our community — particularly those that disproportionately impact Latinas & people of color. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and is committed to systems-change work that removes structural barriers for women and the underserved, from reaching their truest potential. She operates with an abundance mindset and is dedicated to empowering and cultivating Latina leaders prepared to make a collective impact now and into the future.
About Maica Gil (she/her)
Founder and Organizer of the SF International Women Entrepreneurs Forum and Co-Founder at Heroikka. Maica’s experience in entrepreneurship, government, and non-profits has helped her create a platform for diverse international organizations to collaborate, share resources and give visibility to various projects and initiatives, start-ups and businesses specific to women at the SF International Women Entrepreneurs Forum. As Co-Founder at Heroikka, Maica is passionate and committed to closing the gap by connecting women-led projects, funding and support systems around the world.
She was also on the Board of Directors for the ”Association of American European Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations” and Co- Founder of the California – Spain Chamber of Commerce.
In 2020, she started organizing the Woman Impact Summit, the global conference that gives visibility to businesses, initiatives and programs created for or by women. This Summit is the fastest growing conference for women led business from underrepresented communities around the world.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Gabriela Chavez-Lopez On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gchavezlopez09/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gchavezlopez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabsRhere Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabzrhere/
Connect With Maica Gil On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maicagil
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com/.
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Maica Gil, a Latinx, Atlantic Islander with short brown hair, glasses, and a navy blue shirt; Gabriela Chavez-Lopez, a Latina with long brown hair, chunky gold earrings, and a bright aqua dress; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]
In Episode 96, Melinda starts Season 8 with an extensive discussion with Dr. Nika White, President & CEO of Nika White Consulting, about inclusive leadership as a key to building empathy and understanding in a distributed workforce. They explore how to overcome proximity bias in a hybrid workplace, support team members’ well-being, and provide equitable opportunities for everyone. They also delve into how we can improve our cultural intelligence to encourage effective collaboration within diverse teams and how DEI practitioners and HR managers can approach resistance to DEI efforts across global teams.
About Dr. Nika White (she/her)
Nika White is a national authority and fearless advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. As an award winning management and leadership consultant, keynote speaker, published author, and executive practitioner for DEI efforts across business, government, non-profit and education, Dr. White helps organizations break barriers and integrate diversity into their business frameworks. Her work has led to designation by Forbes as a Top10 D&I Trailblazer.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Dr. Nika White On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikawhite/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikacwhite Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikaWhite Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikacwhite/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dr. Nika White, an African American woman with short curly brown hair, fuchsia dress, grey blazer, and bird-shaped drop earrings; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black leather jacket.]
In Episode 95, Rajkumari Neogy, Executive Coach at iBelong, joins Melinda in an in-depth discussion about how exclusion and epigenetics, the study of how behavior and environment can affect the way our genes are expressed and inherited, can impact our sense of belonging. They explore meaningful practices of empathy and representation to address transgenerational trauma and recover the affected parts of our brains from discrimination, racism, and other stressors that destroy our psychological safety. Rajkumari also suggests how managers and employees can work better together to create pathways for healing and cultures of belonging in the workplace.
About Rajkumari Neogy (he or she)
Rajkumari has worked with organizations worldwide, including HelloSign, Slack, Glympse, Salesforce, Gainsight, Twilio, Google, Guidewire, Intera, WhiteOps, Trumaker, Stratus, Ever AI, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wells Fargo, Cisco Systems, Facebook, United States Digital Service (USDS), Shuddle, HopSkipDrive, Autodesk, Amazon, and Adobe. In 2013, S/He founded iRestart, which provides expertise in the areas of leadership development and organizational epigenetics. S/He is the creator of the iRestart coaching framework, the Disruptive Diversity Boot Camp, and the author of The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self.
Possessing a rare blend of techno-babble and touchy-feely, Rajkumari brings my keen insight and systems-thinking perspective to provide holistic and integrative solutions when addressing complex problems. S/He believes that the qualities of passionate self-reflection and dedicated curiosity (two sides of the same coin) define true leadership.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Rajkumari Neogy On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rneogy
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Rajkumari Neogy, a French-Canadian/East Indian nonbinary person with short salt and pepper hair and a navy blue button-down with a black suit jacket; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 94, Melinda speaks with Dr. Rohini Anand, Principal & CEO of Rohini Anand LLC and author of Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations. Dr. Rohini describes her work to advance DEI across different countries and cultures. She addresses some common missteps that global leaders make when localizing their work and how we can disrupt our own biases and worldview to foster inclusion and cultural competence in the global workplace. She also shares how we can be better allies across global teams by understanding local contexts and bringing outside perspectives to challenge harmful and oppressive practices.
About Rohini Anand, Ph.D. (she/her)
Dr. Rohini Anand is Founder and CEO of Rohini Anand LLC providing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) advisory services to clients in the public and private sectors. She is a strategic business leader and trusted board member who has successfully transformed cultures and built an iconic brand with an enduring reputation, resulting in accelerating new business creation. Rohini is recognized as a pioneer in the DEI field, a thought leader and is a sought- after expert by leaders around the world. She is a published author. Her book, Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations, has become the go-to resource for DEI professionals and for inclusive leaders.
Most recently, Rohini was SVP Corporate Responsibility and Global Chief Diversity Officer for Sodexo. She reported to the Global CEO and was a member of Sodexo’s North American Executive Committee. Rohini successfully positioned Sodexo as a global leader in DEI and Corporate Responsibility. Sodexo’s remarkable global culture change, led by diversity and inclusion, is featured in a Harvard Business School case study entitled Shifting the Diversity Climate: the Sodexo Solution. She serves on the boards of several organizations, including WomenLift Health, a Gates Foundation initiative, Aspen Institute’s Family Prosperity Initiative, Tent Partnership for Refugees, and the Galt Foundation. She also serves on the external diversity advisory boards for Sanofi and for Charter Communications and chairs the Catalyst Board of Advisors. Rohini is a Senior Fellow with the Conference Board and is on the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Center for Inclusive Governance’s Advisory Council.
To join us for our monthly live event and find educational resources, visit ally.cc.
Connect With Dr. Rohini Anand On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohinianand Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadingglobaldei Twitter: https://twitter.com/RohiniAnandPhD
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dr. Rohini Anand, an Asian American female with short black hair, apple green dress, and emerald-and-olive green beaded necklace; beside her is the grey book cover of Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 93, Melinda is joined by visionary activists for disability and social justice, Eleanor Lisney and Eddie Ndopu. Throughout the live recording, they discuss the importance of having leaders who cultivate empathy and inclusion for global teams to work better together across different cultures, genders, disabilities, and intersectionalities. They share how we can be better allies against systemic ableism to support disability and social justice worldwide. They also explore the first step that organizations can take to align their strategic priorities and objectives with the Sustainable Development Goals and promote sustainable economic growth, inclusivity, and accessibility for everyone in the workplace.
About Eleanor Lisney (she/her)
Eleanor Lisney is a campaigner and activist rooted from an intersectional perspective. Eleanor is a founding member of Culture Access and Sisters of Frida. She is an access and equality advisor. She is also on the web team of the International Network of Women with Disabilities. She writes on intersectional issues as a disabled woman of color and is passionate on campaigning for social justice and inclusion.
About Eddie Ndopu (he/they)
Arguably one of the most influential social justice leaders in the world right now, Eddie Ndopu is a disability innovation pioneer, and the Founder and Chairperson of A BILLION REASONS. In 2019 and again in 2021, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appointed Eddie as one of 17 SDG Advocates, the global body’s most high profile champions in the fight to defeat poverty and defend the planet. Eddie also sits on the Boards of the UN Foundation, Valuable 500, and IMAGINE, and is a Global Future Council member at the World Economic Forum. Eddie holds degrees from Carleton University in Canada and the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Eleanor Lisney On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorlisney Twitter: https://twitter.com/e_lisney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elle_in_uk/
Connect With Eddie Ndopu On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiendopu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edward.ndopu Twitter: https://twitter.com/eddiendopu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddiendopu
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Eleanor Lisney, an East Asian woman with short brown hair, glasses, a woven hat, black t-shirt, and red and white plaid flannel; Eddie Ndopu, a Black man with short curly black hair and mustache, light grey turtleneck, and black button-down with abstract green and blue floral pattern; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
Lydia X. Z. Brown, Policy Counsel for Privacy & Data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, joins Melinda in an enlightening discussion around the impact of surveillance tech on marginalized populations. They address the importance of understanding the threats of surveillance in our daily lives brought on by algorithmic technologies used in education, policing, healthcare, and the workplace, and they discuss how this tech can be disproportionately damaging to people of color and people with disabilities. Lydia also shares what actions are needed to protect health data following the overturning of Roe v. Wade and how individuals and organizations should approach data privacy to protect everyone's rights and advocate for marginalized communities who are harmed by surveillance technologies.
About Lydia X. Z. Brown (they/them)
Lydia X. Z. Brown is an advocate, organizer, attorney, strategist, and writer whose work focuses on interpersonal and state violence against disabled people at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, faith, language, and nation. Lydia is Policy Counsel for Privacy & Data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, focused on algorithmic discrimination and disability; Director of Policy, Advocacy, & External Affairs at the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network; and founding executive director of the Autistic People of Color Fund, a project of collective care, redistributive justice, and mutual aid. Lydia is an adjunct lecturer in the Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Disability Studies Program at Georgetown University, as well as the Self-Advocacy Discipline Coordinator for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Fellowship program. They are also an adjunct professorial lecturer in American Studies in the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Cultural Studies at American University. They are co-president of the Disability Rights Bar Association, a commissioner on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights, and Disability Justice Committee representative on the National Lawyers Guild board. Lydia is currently creating the Disability Justice Wisdom Tarot. Often, their most important work has no title, job description, or funding, and probably never will.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Lydia On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lydiaxzbrown Facebook: facebook.com/autistic.hoya Twitter: twitter.com/autistichoya Instagram: instagram.com/autistichoya
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Lydia X. Z. Brown, an East Asian person with short black and teal hair, glasses, a dark blue suit, light blue button-down, a diamond-patterned tie, and a square pin on their suit that reads: THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO HAVE A BODY, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 91, Melinda speaks with Matt Landsiedel, Life & Spiritual Coach at Inspired to Be Authentic, about how empathic and highly sensitive people (HSPs) can thrive in the workplace and become some of our strongest leaders. They explore what being "highly sensitive" means, how we can identify individuals with this personality trait, and where there are overlapping characteristics between HSPs and empaths. They also discuss ways for HSPs to support themselves through healing past trauma to become their most authentic selves, and they provide simple approaches for managers to support a highly sensitive team member's valuable contributions and emotional well-being.
About Matt Landsiedel (he/him)
Matt Landsiedel is a transformative life coach, empathic healer, and spiritual teacher from Calgary, Canada.
Matt specializes in teaching people how to heal shame + trauma and embody their authentic selves so they can enjoy meaningful connections in their lives. His areas of expertise are working with highly sensitive people (HSP), empaths, and gay men to develop a stronger sense of self-worth.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Matt Landsiedel On Social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.landsiedel.7 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredtobeauthentic
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Matt Landsiedel, a Caucasian man with brown facial hair, a cream shirt, tan hat, and teal geometric-patterned scarf; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 90, Katelin Holloway, Founding Partner at Seven Seven Six, joins Melinda in an extensive conversation over the role of venture capital in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across the tech industry. They explore how the venture ecosystem can evolve to empower a talented and diverse workforce, create new opportunities and access to wealth for underrepresented founders, increase representation at senior levels within VC firms, and invest in companies that positively shape the future of work. Katelin also shares about their firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion across all investor roles to address the wealth gap in VC and how investors can build accountability for inclusion and sustainability in Web3.
About Katelin Holloway (she/her)
Katelin is a Founding Partner at Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, where she invests in people-first companies and manages the firm’s programs, including the 2% Growth & Caregiving Commitment and Operator in Residence Program. Leading a career as a people & culture executive with previous roles at Pixar Animation Studios, Klout and Reddit, she’s deeply committed to helping founders and the broader venture ecosystem evolve their diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging practices, creating new opportunities and access to wealth for people and products typically underrepresented in the tech industry. As an investor, she is passionate about supporting the companies that will shape the future of work, life, sustainability, and the delicate balance that enables us to thrive.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Katelin Holloway On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelinholloway Twitter: https://twitter.com/katelin_cruse
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Katelin Holloway, a White Mom with long blonde hair and black blouse, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 89, Melinda is joined by an incredible panel of executive coaches and DEI practitioners: Rajkumari Neogy, Valentina Jaramillo, and David Ciocca. Throughout the live recording, they discuss how allies and ERG leaders can be the key drivers for creating psychologically safe workplaces for the LGBTQIA+ community. They explore the science and epigenetics behind psychological safety and how it leads to healing our transgenerational trauma. They also share how allies can demonstrate concern and support for LGBTQIA+ folks in remote and hybrid workplaces and ways to cultivate psychological safety through an intersectional lens.
About Rajkumari Neogy (He or She)
Rajkumari has worked with organizations worldwide. In 2013, S/He founded iRestart, which provides expertise in the areas of leadership development and organizational epigenetics. S/He is the creator of the iRestart coaching framework, the Disruptive Diversity Boot Camp, and the author of The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self.
Possessing a rare blend of techno-babble and touchy-feely, Rajkumari brings my keen insight and systems-thinking perspective to provide holistic and integrative solutions when addressing complex problems. He/She believes that the qualities of passionate self-reflection and dedicated curiosity (two sides of the same coin) define true leadership.
About Valentina Jaramillo (they/them)
Curiosity has fueled Valentina’s rich life. From graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medicine and a Master in Business Administration to working in clinical trials. From becoming a key opinion leader for healthcare and social media in Latin America to working with patient engagement, and social media at a pharmaceutical company in the US.
Valentina's interest in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is infused in all their work. They have served as co-chair of LGBTQIA+ ERGs and been a member of DEI councils. Their experience as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workplace champion and education in anti-racism and allyship shape Valentina's language to be non-gendered, inclusive, and empowering.
About David Ciocca (he/him)
David Ciocca is a Learning & Development Partner on Blend’s Global Impact, Equity, and Belonging team. David has over 20 years of experience in employee engagement, learning and development, DEI, leadership development, and mentoring program management. In his current role, David leads the overall design and implementation of DEI learning and development opportunities to enhance the employee experience of belonging and inclusion at Blend.
David previously served for over 5 years in regional and enterprise lead roles in corporate employee resources groups supporting LGBTQIA+ colleagues and allies in the workplace. In his spare time enjoys live music, theater, travel, film, and teaching Zumba.
For more about Change Catalyst, and to find educational resources, visit https://ally.cc.
Connect With Rajkumari: linkedin.com/in/rneogy
Connect With Valentina: linkedin.com/in/valentinajaramillo
Connect With David
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidpciocca Facebook: facebook.com/david.ciocca Twitter: twitter.com/davidciocca Instagram: instagram.com/david.ciocca
Connect With Us
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: LEA promo with photos of Valentina, a LatinX, gender non-conforming person with long dark blonde hair; David, a White cis man with short salt and pepper hair; Rajkumari, a French-Canadian/ East Indian nonbinary person with short salt and pepper; and host Melinda, a White woman with red hair holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 88, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, shares key learnings in a book reading from a few chapters of her book, How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill). Drawing inspiration from her own story of experiencing biases and microaggressions in the workplace, Melinda explains how allyship can create positive change in workplaces and communities. She also presents a comprehensive list of tangible actions we can take to support people who experience microaggressions, systemic inequities, and other barriers to opportunity— specifically by learning to recognize and overcome verbal and nonverbal microaggressions and by counteracting the effects through microaffirmations.
About Melinda Briana Epler (she/her)
Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.
As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients.
Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, and empathy.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Melinda Briana Epler On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindaepler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindabrianaepler Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbrianaepler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changecatalysts
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and a photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and a black shirt; beside her is the orange book cover of HOW TO BE AN ALLY: ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE FOR A STRONGER, HAPPIER WORKPLACE.]
In Episode 87, Kudakwashe Mushaike, Founder of Below The Surface, shares a brief and powerful talk from Change Catalyst's third Icon Summit hosted by Icon Project Founder and Change Catalyst Co-Founder, Wayne Sutton. In “Finding Freedom Through Vulnerability,” Kudakwashe tells us how authenticity, freedom, and love play a pivotal role in the journey of understanding vulnerability and how leaning into vulnerability can allow us to experience the world around us more fully. Vulnerability is important as we work to be good allies—and as we ask each other for allyship. We’re excited to share this special session with you.
About Kudakwashe Mushaike (he/him
Kudakwashe Mushaike is a speaker, poet, software engineer, and the Host and Founder of Below The Surface.
Having lost his father at the age of one, Kudakwashe found himself looking to other men to set an example for him. Challenged by the fact that for most men, conversation merely touches the surface and ultimately, their pain and struggles are experienced in silence, he realized that there was work to be done to shift the culture around conversation amongst men.
Below The Surface was birthed from his mission to build stronger, more vulnerable communities of men through conversation and shared experiences.
In tune with his mission, Kudakwashe speaks to men about vulnerability, growth, and mental wellness.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Kudakwashe Mushaike On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kudakwashe-mushaike-a08a2176 Instagram: instagram.com/belowthesurfacehq
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Kudakwashe Mushaike, a Black man with black hair, black beard, and white t-shirt, and host Wayne Sutton, a bald Black man with salt and pepper beard, glasses, and a dark gray shirt.]
In Episode 86, Julia Taylor Kennedy, Executive Vice President at Coqual, joins Melinda to discuss key insights from Coqual’s Equity Series that feature insights on racial, ethnic, and gender equity in the global workforce. Julia takes us through her findings on specific differences around workplace equity across various countries. She shares how professionals from underrepresented groups experience inequity in performance evaluations, promotions, and compensation. She also offers a strategic approach for employers, managers, and DEI practitioners to measure and improve equity in global workplaces by identifying marginalized groups, addressing systemic issues, and understanding where there might be gaps in inclusion initiatives.
About Julia Taylor Kennedy (she/her)
Julia Taylor Kennedy is executive vice president at Coqual where she leads cutting-edge research on issues affecting today’s professional workforce with an eye toward solutions for a more inclusive and equitable global workplace and world. Julia holds a mirror to how workplaces work today—and gives companies a way forward. Julia is a thought leader who has spoken at the United Nations, the Conference Board, the Executive Leadership Council, New York City Bar’s Associate Leadership Institute, and many companies. She’s been featured in Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Fortune, Scientific American, and The Washington Post; she also has appeared on Bloomberg TV, American Public Media’s Marketplace, Wharton Business Radio, and more.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Julia Taylor Kennedy On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-taylor-kennedy-893aa25
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Julia Taylor Kennedy, a White woman with short, curly brown hair, amber earrings, and teal blue shirt, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 85, Karla McLaren, CEO of Emotion Dynamics, dives into a conversation with Melinda about how we can approach empathy and shame as a way to create sustainable change in communities and workplaces. They talk about ways to support ourselves through compassion fatigue, which often comes from doing tremendous amounts of emotional labor, emotion work, and empathy work. Karla also shares what organizations can do to protect the well-being of workers engaged in empathy work, such as setting up 'repair stations' and developing emotionally well-regulated social structures in the workplace.
About Karla McLaren (she/her)
Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, educator, social science researcher, and empathy expert. Her groundbreaking Six Essential Aspects of Empathy model highlights all of the processes in healthy empathy and makes them understandable, accessible, and attainable.
Karla is the author of many books, online courses, and audio learning programs, and she's the developer of the online learning site EmpathyAcademy.org. Her books include The Power of Emotions at Work, Embracing Anxiety, The Art of Empathy, and The Language of Emotions. She is online at KarlaMcLaren.com.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Karla McLaren On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karla-mclaren-m-ed-17b947a2/ Facebook: facebook.com/KarlaMcLarenAuthor/ Twitter: twitter.com/KarlaMcLaren Instagram: instagram.com/karlamclaren.m.ed/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Karla McLaren, a smiling, middle-aged, brown-haired, green-eyed, White lady person with glasses and a blue shirt; beside her is the black book cover of THE POWER OF EMOTIONS AT WORK: Accessing the Vital Intelligence in Your Workplace; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 84, Nisha Anand, CEO of Dream Corps, joins Melinda in a reflective conversation about how we can make unlikely allies and find common ground to create large-scale change in our organizations, culture, and legislation. They share their take on the Supreme Court's draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, its impact on abortion rights across different communities, and the power every individual can have in pushing for an inclusive piece of legislation. Nisha also provides practical steps for creating common ground in communities and workplaces by learning how to have hard conversations, listening to understand, and finding commonalities that can help drive change forward.
About Nisha Anand (she/her)
Nisha Anand is the CEO of Dream Corps, a nonprofit organization that brings people together across racial, social, and partisan lines to solve our toughest problems. She is the Political Director of Rebuild The Dream, an organization fighting for an economy that works for everyone. Nisha leads a diverse group of people who are learning, like her, the value of unconventional relationships. Her journey from punk-rock protester to common ground champion is documented in her widely-viewed TED talk, The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground. With her team of storytellers, organizers, and policy experts, Nisha focuses on criminal justice reform, green economics, and tech equity to create a better future for all.
Previously, Nisha served as Chief of Staff to Van Jones, CNN commentator, and NY Times Bestselling Author. A veteran fundraiser and consultant with decades of experience in nonprofit development and management, Nisha has also served as Director of Development for The Ruckus Society, a national direct action training organization, and for San Francisco Women Against Rape, the city’s rape crisis center. Nisha is a senior trainer and consultant with GIFT, the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. As a certified coach, Nisha is a pioneer in the field of “fundraising coaching”–providing a unique blend of coaching people through their issues around money.
In 1998, Nisha was arrested while passing out pro-democracy leaflets in the military dictatorship of Burma and was sentenced to five years in jail with 18 other international activists. Her arrest put her on the international stage, delivering speeches at numerous events and conferences and interviewing for TV, radio, and print. In 1999, she received her Masters Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the American University in Washington, D.C. Nisha plays soccer and is the mother of two teenagers and a great dane.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Nisha On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nisha-m-anand Facebook: facebook.com/nisha.anand.31 Twitter: twitter.com/NishaMAnand Instagram: instagram.com/nishamanand
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YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: LEA promo with photos of Nisha Anand, a South Asian female with long wavy black hair, brown eyes, glasses, and a striped black and white long sleeve; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 83, Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders, joins Melinda in a thoughtful discussion about how we can improve workplace diversity faster. They discuss tactics that help leaders address the roadblocks brought by the 'Elephant-Mouse' dynamic between dominant and non-dominant groups in organizations. Laura also addresses some of the key topics from her latest book, The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace, such as the meritocracy myth, code-switching, the risks posed by a homogeneous workforce, and the rewards of allyship. Bonus: Laura shares her research findings on what it would take for the US to have a woman President.
About Laura Liswood (she/her)
Secretary General, Council of Women World Leaders Former Senior Advisor, Goldman, Sachs & Co. In August 1996, Laura Liswood co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders with President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland located at the UN Foundation in Washington, DC. Ms. Liswood is the Secretary General of the Council, which is composed of women presidents, prime ministers, and heads of government. It is the only organization of its kind globally.
From 2001 to 2016, Liswood was also named Managing Director, Global Leadership and Diversity for Goldman Sachs, and later became a senior advisor. She continues to speak to audiences globally on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Liswood holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from California State University, San Diego. She holds a J.D. degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in California and Massachusetts. After the events of 9/11, she became a reserve police officer in the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and retired as a sergeant.
Liswood is the author of four books The Loudest Duck-Moving beyond Diversity, The Elephant and the Mouse, Women World Leaders, and Serving Them Right. She is a long time participant in the World Economic Forum and is a Steward of the Forum’s Education, Gender, and Work Initiative.
She is a commissioner for the New Mexico State Personnel Review Board, a board advisor for EDGE, and a member of the Washington DC Metro Transit Police Investigative Review Panel.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Laura Liswood On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laura-liswood-60451924/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Laura Liswood, a White woman with short blondish brown hair, glasses, pearl earrings, and a white and black polka dot suit; beside her is the white book cover of The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 82, Doc Jana, CEO & Founder of Doc Jana LLC and TMI Consulting Inc, joins Melinda in a conversation that gives individuals and organizations a clear approach to interrupting what Doc calls “subtle acts of exclusion,” also known as microaggressions, at work. They guide us through the steps in addressing our own biases, which are often the root of these subtle acts of exclusion. Doc also shares their latest work and their participation in pleasure activism as a way to reclaim joy and find liberation and healing from the pain of trauma.
About Doc Jana (they/them)
Dr. Jana (they/them) is a non-binary Awareness Artist and Pleasure Activist. They use their work and art to create a loving embrace of people and culture expansive enough to exclude no one. Their mission at Doc Jana LLC is to liberate hearts, minds, and bodies through joy, love, and knowledge.
As a certified meditation and yoga instructor, Doc Jana is also the author of several best-selling books, four on inclusion and one book of poetry. They are the founder of TMI Consulting Inc, the world’s first diversity-focused Certified Benefit Corporation. Doc Jana has been featured in numerous publications and media including Fast Company, NY Times, and Forbes for their work on diversity, equity, empowerment, and inclusion. They’ve done a TEDx on privilege and were named one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers by Inc.com.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Doc Jana On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyjana/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTiffanyJana/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/twiffanyjana/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyjana/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with photos of Doc Jana, an African-American nonbinary person with short curly blue hair, matching blue glasses, gray suit on top of blue and white t-shirt, and an electric smile; beside them is the white book cover of SUBTLE ACTS OF EXCLUSION: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 81, Melinda is joined by leadership and management experts LaTricia Frederick and Jared Seide in a live recording. They discuss important ways for us to recognize, as well as protect our well-being from, the impact of current events on our work lives. They also dive into how managers, companies, and allies can take part in creating safe, compassionate spaces for addressing our experiences—whether it be through showing support, harnessing the power of vulnerability, or sharing stories.
About LaTricia (she/her)
LaTricia “LT” Frederick is a Director of People & Communities (P&C) focused on driving Workforce Planning, Organization Design, and People Strategies across the Cisco enterprise. In this role, LT provides strategic consultation with global leaders by ensuring organizations optimally align their talent investments with the people and business strategy. She is also a Certified Executive Coach and a recent graduate of the McKinsey Black Executive Leadership program.
LT is known for helping people discover their true passions, overcome barriers to achievement, and establish a plan for personal and professional success.
With a lifelong commitment to learning, LT is currently studying to complete her Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations at Vanderbilt University.
LT enjoys genealogy, traveling the world, watching ACC Sports (in particular, NC State Wolfpack), and spending time with family & friends. She resides in Alexandria, VA.
About Jared (he/him)
Jared Seide is the author of the book, “Where Compassion Begins: Foundational Practices to Enhance Mindfulness, Attention and Listening from the Heart.” He is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Council, a nonprofit organization that trains groups and individuals to promote wellness and resiliency, to foster compassion, and to build community. Jared has worked extensively with schools, businesses, healthcare organizations, elder care facilities, prisons, law enforcement organizations, and community-based organizations to build resources and to help these groups thrive and grow.
Jared has led trainings and retreats focusing on compassion, reconciliation, and community-building around the world and has been a Resident Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center. He is a graduate of Brown University and the chaplaincy program of the Upaya Institute.
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With LaTricia On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ltfrederick/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ltfrederick
Connect With Jared On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-seide-576b5572/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jared.seide/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Center4Council Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/center4council/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com/.
[Image description: LEA promo with photos of LaTricia, an African American woman with short black curled hair wearing a black blazer and a red and black top; Jared, a White cis male with salt and pepper facial hair wearing a patterned blue and white button-down; and host Melinda, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 80, Melinda is joined by her amazing co-producers from the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show, Christina Swindlehurst Chan and Renzo Santos, to discuss helpful ways for organizations to understand and support intersectional identities at work. Christina and Renzo describe how intersectionality has shaped their own experiences within their communities and workplaces. They also suggest practical steps that allies can take to foster an empathetic and inclusive work culture that is mindful of intersectional experiences.
About Christina (she/her)
Christina Swindlehurst Chan supports the marketing team at Change Catalyst through content creation, event coordination, and brand marketing & communications. She also serves as the co-producer for the “Leading With Empathy & Allyship” podcast. She previously worked in marketing for music and financial services organizations, where she became passionate about addressing systemic inequality and the need to improve diversity and inclusion across a wide range of industries. She also previously served as an event coordinator on the board of wayOUT LGBT, empowering LGBTQIA+ youth to feel safe as they are.
Christina holds a Master of Music and a Postgraduate Diploma in Voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is an internationally trained opera singer but now prefers to spend her time painting, crafting, and exploring the world for the next best thing to eat.
About Renzo (he/him)
As the Finance & Operations Analyst at Change Catalyst, Renzo oversees the company’s finances across the planning, tracking, and evaluation stages. He also provides in-depth technical and data analysis support for research projects on diversity and inclusion.
He is passionate about supporting communities, especially underrepresented groups, to create safe spaces to pursue excellence. Through his expertise and love for data and numbers, he hopes to build more equitable opportunities for everybody. He is committed to bring valuable and visible impact in identifying solutions for diversity and inclusion.
Growing up in the Philippines, his values were honed by his parents’ humble beginnings in the Northern provinces of the country.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Christina Swindlehurst Chan On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-swindlehurst-chan-1456976a/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaashleysc/
Connect With Renzo Santos On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rainierrenzosantos/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IamRenzoSantos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamrenzosantos/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Christina Swindlehurst Chan, an Asian-White biracial woman with long wavy brown hair wearing an olive green dress with a beige cardigan; Renzo Santos, a Filipino man with black hair and white/gray striped button-down shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 79, Sherrell Dorsey, Founder & CEO of The Plug and Author of Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us, dives into an insightful conversation with Melinda about the future of work and strategies for supporting inclusive innovation. They discuss important ways for people from marginalized communities to thrive and actively take part in the tech-driven economy, whether that is by reskilling, upskilling, fighting coded bias, or getting started in tech.
About Sherrell (she/her)
Sherrell Dorsey is the founder and CEO of The Plug—a digital news and insights platform covering the Black innovation economy. Her work has been featured in VICE, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, The Information, and more. Sherrell has been a contributing writer for notable publications like Columbia Journalism Review, Fast Company, Black Enterprise, and others. In 2018, she was named an inspiring woman in tech by CNet, and the most creative people in business by AdWeek in 2021.
Prior to launching The Plug, Dorsey served as a marketing manager for companies like Uber and Google Fiber. She holds a Master's degree in data journalism from Columbia University. She is the author of Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us published by Wiley.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Sherrell Dorsey On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrelldorsey/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherrell_Dorsey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrell_dorsey/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Sherrell Dorsey, a Black woman with black hair in twists, silver and green statement earrings, and a yellow suit; beside her is the blue book cover of UPPER HAND: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 78, Dr. Komal Bhasin, Senior DEI Consultant & Mental Health Expert-in-Residence at bhasin consulting inc. and Founder at Insayva Inc., joins Melinda in a conversation about centering empathy and allyship in communities impacted by injustice during times of crisis, pain, and tragedy.
Komal explains how individuals and organizations alike can learn the skill of empathy according to science. She recommends practical ways to drive inclusion and build psychological safety at work by creating an environment where managers recognize and address marginalizing behaviors. Throughout the episode, she shares how we can use our power, resources, and privilege to impactfully support others even when we experience marginalization ourselves.
About Komal (she/her)
Dr. Komal Bhasin [KOH-muhl bah-SEEN], MSW, MHSc, DocSocsci, is BCI's Senior DEI Consultant and Mental Health Expert-in-Residence and an accomplished DEI facilitator, coach, and strategist. She has over 20 years of experience in providing strategic and advisory guidance and program development across a range of sectors, with a particular concentration in mental health equity, racial inclusion, and inclusive leadership. Komal is also the Founder of Insayva Inc., a social enterprise focused on providing accessible DEI and health equity support to charities and non-profit organizations.
Komal has extensive experience in creating and delivering programming in a range of DEI areas, and she has provided one-on-one inclusion coaching to hundreds of senior leaders, bringing a unique approach that is informed by her background as a therapist and expertise in racial inclusion. She previously held a faculty appointment at Ryerson University where she taught courses on social policy and social inclusion.
As a doctoral trained mental health clinician, certified health executive, and registered social worker, Komal works with organizations to advance employee mental health inclusion and wellbeing by offering programs on inclusive dialogue, anti-stigma, burnout prevention, psychological safety, resilience, and self-care.
Komal is committed to advancing mental health and wellness across the life course; she currently serves on the board of the Alzheimer's Society of Ontario and previously served on the board of Children’s Mental Health Ontario and the YMCA of Greater Toronto. She is also a certified Yoga teacher specializing in mindfulness, resilience, and self-care.
When Komal is not working, you’ll find her painting, cooking, or snuggling with her cats.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Komal Bhasin On Social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/komal-bhasin-a85aab63/
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Komal Bhasin, a South Asian woman with long, wavy black hair, nose stud, and black blazer, and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 77, Ruchika Tulshyan, Founder of Candour and author of “Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work”, joins Melinda to discuss how we develop an inclusion mindset that centers women of color, build empathy for people from a broad range of cultures and backgrounds, and focus on the importance of intersectionality and anti-racism in our work as allies and advocates.
About Ruchika Tulshyan (she/her)
Ruchika Tulshyan is the founder of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review, and as a keynote speaker, Ruchika has addressed audiences at organizations like NASA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and U.S. Congress.
Ruchika is the author of “The Diversity Advantage: Fixing Gender Inequality in the Workplace.” Her forthcoming book “Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work” is available for pre-order now (MIT Press, March 2022.)
Ruchika is on the Thinkers50 Radar list and named among Hive Learning's Most Influential D&I Professionals for the past two years. She is a former international business journalist who is now regularly quoted as a media expert in outlets like NPR, The New York Times, and Bloomberg.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Ruchika Tulshyan On Social
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtulshyan/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Ruchika-Tulshyan-102495005571311 Twitter https://twitter.com/rtulshyan Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rtulshyan
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description; Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Ruchika Tulshyan, a South Asian woman with medium-length dark brown hair, a blue necklace, and a colorful red jacket. She is smiling at the camera and is accompanied by the multicolored cover of her book “Inclusion on Purpose.” Next to Ruchika is host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
Trigger warning: This podcast episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation.
In Episode 76 (recorded live), Dr. Vivienne Ming, Founder, and CEO of Socos Labs, joins Melinda to discuss her new research on the neuroscience of trust in the workplace. They explore why we tend to feel an innate sense of trust in certain people over others, how we can overcome these biases to strengthen the trust on our teams, and how working remotely can shift how we build trust and psychological safety.
About Dr. Vivienne Ming (she/her)
Dr. Vivienne Ming explores maximizing human capacity as a theoretical neuroscientist, delusional inventor, and demented author.
Over her career, she’s founded 6 startups, been chief scientist at 2 others, and launched the “mad science incubator”, Socos Labs, where she explores seemingly intractable problems—from a lone child’s disability to global economic inclusion—for free.
Vivienne’s other companies apply machine learning to lessen the corrosive health effects of chronic stress in communities, fight bias in hiring and promotion, develop neurotechnologies to treat dementia and TBI, and promote learning at home and in school. As a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley's Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, she pursued her research in cognitive neuroprosthetics.
In her free time, Vivienne designs AI systems to treat her son’s diabetes, predict manic episodes in bipolar sufferers, and reunite orphan refugees with extended family members. For relaxation, she writes science fiction and spends time with her wife and children.
Vivienne was named one of “10 Women to Watch in Tech” by Inc. Magazine and one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2017. She is featured frequently for her research and inventions in The Financial Times, The Atlantic, Quartz Magazine, and the New York Times.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Dr. Vivienne Ming On Social
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivienneming/ Twitter https://twitter.com/neuraltheory
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Dr. Vivienne Ming, a White trans female with shoulder-length blonde hair, who is wearing a black sleeveless blouse and smiling at the camera, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 75, Deepa Purushothaman, author of THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, joins Melinda to discuss the structural and cultural dynamics of what women of color are experiencing in the workplace, how women can get comfortable sitting in positions of power, and why it’s important to shift away from a scarcity mindset to allow more women of color a seat at the table.
About Deepa Purushothaman (she/her)
Deepa Purushothaman is the co-founder of nFormation which provides a brave, safe, new space for professional women of color. Deepa is also a Women and Public Policy Program Leader in Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Prior to this, Deepa spent more than twenty years at Deloitte and was the first Indian American woman to make partners in the company’s history. Deepa was also Deloitte’s national WIN (Women’s Initiative) leader, the firm’s renowned program to recruit, retain, and advance women.
Deepa has degrees from Wellesley College, Harvard Kennedy School, and the London School of Economics. Deepa is an Aspen Fellow and speaks extensively on women and leadership. She has been featured at national conferences and in publications including Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Harvard Business Review.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Deepa Purushothaman On Social
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepapuru Facebook https://www.facebook.com/deepa.purushothaman.75 Twitter https://twitter.com/deepapuru Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepa.puru
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Deepa Purushothaman, an Indian woman with black hair who is wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, resting her chin on her hand, and smiling at the camera; her orange, red, and pink book cover for ‘THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY’; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 74, Tim Goldstein, Neurodiverse Communication Specialist, joins Melinda to explore what it means to have a neurodistinct team. They discuss the breadth of neurodiverse experiences, how we can be good allies to neurodistinct colleagues, and the significant benefits of having neurodiversity in the workplace.
About Tim Goldstein (Autistic he/him)
Diagnosed with Asperger’s at 54, Tim Goldstein is a global trainer for a major tech company, a Neurodiverse Communications Specialist, and a Roger Love method vocal coach. He trains all employees neurotypical and neurodistinct how each other functions and strategies to communicate.
With deep experience in business and consulting, Tim, helps companies recognize and overcome the challenges to excelling the neurodistinct face. Using his Neuro Cloud™ concept, he explains the Spock-like logical approach common among many autistics. Tim has lectured on his concepts at Cornell, Vanderbilt, major global companies and coached privately. His book, Geeks Guide to Interviews: 15 Critical Items for the Technical Type, helps to better understand the challenges the autistic face in joining the workforce.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Tim Goldstein On Social
LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/timgoldstein
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Tim Goldstein, a White cis male with grey hair and facial hair who is wearing a white shirt and smiling at the camera, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 73, Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO & Founder at ReadySet and author of How to Talk to Your Boss About Race, joins us to discuss how our labor history has informed the racism and microaggressions we observe in our workplaces today, how we can create change through difficult but important conversations, and how we can rethink the role of power as we discuss these issues with our bosses.
About Y-Vonne Hutchinson (she/her)
Y-Vonne is the author of How to Talk to Your Boss About Race and CEO of ReadySet, a diversity and inclusion training firm that helps tech giants, political leaders, media outlets, and Fortune 500 companies speak more productively about racism and turn talk into action. To date, ReadySet has worked with hundreds of companies around the world to build, manage, and grow diverse teams. In a former life, prior to founding ReadySet, Y-Vonne worked as an international labor and human rights lawyer for nearly a decade.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Y-Vonne On Social
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/y-vonne-hutchinson-5884903/ Twitter https://twitter.com/hutchamachutch
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Y-Vonne Hutchinson an African-American Woman with brown curly hair who is wearing a multicolored floral top and smiling at the camera, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 72 (recorded live), Tonita Webb, CEO at Verity Credit Union, and William A. Adams, Technical Advisor at Microsoft & Technologist, join us to discuss the systemic barriers and biases that Black leaders experience in the workplace, the importance of self-care and addressing healing, and how we can build workplace culture where Black leaders can thrive.
About Tonita Webb (she/her)
Tonita Webb was named the CEO of Verity Credit Union in early 2021, the first woman and first Black American to be CEO in the organization’s history. She continues to move Verity forward in socially responsible banking to create vibrant communities. Tonita brings a strong vision for harnessing financial tools, data, & technology, with a passion for diversity, equity, & inclusion, to enhance the lives of underserved members of the community.
As an Air Force veteran, an MBA, and mother of four, Tonita leads by example and gives herself freely to her community work. She currently serves on boards for non-profits like Southeast Effective Development (SEED) and 21 Progress, as well as social enterprises like Pioneer Human Services. She is a champion of diversity and inclusion and is a frequent public speaker on the subject.
As important as her credentials are, Tonita learned empathy and compassion while being raised by her single mother in low-income housing projects in Virginia. Her mother’s work ethic has inspired her to lead, whether serving her country, her employers, or her members.
About William A. Adams (he/him)
William A. Adams is an award-winning D&I innovator, engineering trailblazer, and philanthropist. He was named the first Technical Advisor to Microsoft’s CTO, Kevin Scott.
As co-founder of the LEAP apprenticeship program – Microsoft’s D&I Program of the Year in 2020 – he helped launch the training of more than 26 cohorts around the world. His most recent collaboration with the U.S. Virgin Islands aims to train technical talent and build critical technical infrastructure.
Early in his 30-year career, William was one of the first Black entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. He developed mission-critical custom enterprise apps for NeXT computers and pioneered an instant messaging service purchased by the CIA.
Today, in addition to his role as Technical Advisor at Microsoft, William is the philanthropic founder of The Event, a collaborative, community-based hackathon. When he’s not tinkering with code, the husband and father of three builds cabinets, knits, and rides a motorcycle.
Find LEA useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live events, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources from this episode.
Connect With Tonita On Social
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/tonitagwebb/ Twitter twitter.com/toniCULife
Connect With William On Social
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/thewilliamaadams Twitter twitter.com/LeapToTech
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com
[Image description: LEA promo with photos of Tonita Webb, a Black woman with brown hair & a gray knit top; William A. Adams, an African American man with short gray hair, thin-framed glasses, & a white shirt; and host Melinda, a White woman with red hair, glasses, & an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 71, Minda Harts, Speaker & Author at Memo LLC, joins us to discuss the trauma that women of color experience in the workplace, the role allies can play in the healing process, and how managers can reduce workplace trauma.
About Minda Harts (she/her)
Minda Harts is the CEO of The Memo LLC and an award-winning and best-selling author of The Memo: What Women of Color Need To Know To Secure A Seat At The Table and Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace.
Minda is a Professor at NYU Wagner and hosts a live weekly podcast called Secure The Seat. In 2020, Minda was named the #1 Top Voice for Equity in the workplace by Linkedin.
She is an Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar and has been featured on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Fast Company, The NY Times, and Time Magazine. Minda frequently speaks at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, and Bloomberg on topics such as Managing Diverse Teams, Courageous Leadership, and Advancing women of color in the workplace.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Minda On Social
Minda’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mindaharts/ Minda’s Twitter: twitter.com/MindaHarts Minda’s Facebook: facebook.com/MindaHarts/ Minda’s Instagram: instagram.com/mindaharts/ Minda’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCkZfsSIp1-Cvpenl1Z3Lb-g?view_as=subscriber
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo; a photo of Minda Harts, a Black woman with long brown hair, gold necklaces, and a black top with a tanned overcoat, along with her grey book cover that has a darkened profile of a person’s face and pink writing over it that says: “Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace”; and a photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 70 (recorded live), Founder of The Good Success Network, Lekisha Middleton, and HR business partner director in Intuit’s Consumer Group, Catie Harriss, join Melinda to discuss what they’ve learned from the ‘Great Resignation’; how we can build diversity, equity, and inclusion in remote and hybrid workplaces; and the unique opportunities that these workplaces provide around DEI.
About Lekisha (she/her)
Lekisha is the Founder of The Good Success Network, a global management consulting and executive coaching firm that focuses on creating a workforce that is equipped and a workplace that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive.
She is a proud techie and human advocate, who is driven by the desire to empower people, especially underrepresented and minoritized groups, with the tools and strategies necessary to achieve success in every area of their lives.
Whether she is dealing with 1:1 clients, teams, or an entire organization, all of her work is centered around transformation and positive impactful change. Her clients experience a safe space to clarify their vision, cultivate their strengths, and gain the confidence needed to move forward into their most optimal path.
About Catie (she/her)
Catie Harriss is an HR business partner director in Intuit’s Consumer Group, bringing her expertise in innovation, design thinking, executive coaching, and mindfulness to translate business strategy into people strategy and help employees grow.
Prior to her current role, Catie led HR teams at Intuit to re-invent key employee experiences, including hiring, goal-setting, career growth, talent reviews, and performance assessment, to increase transparency, effectiveness, and inclusion for all employees. In these efforts, she drew upon her 20 years of earlier experience as a product manager focused on customer-driven innovation at Intuit and Hewlett-Packard.
Catie has also been a mindfulness practitioner for 10 years, is a member of the Black Mountain Sangha, and trained as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor. She loves hiking, horseback riding, and enjoying San Diego’s beaches with her 12-year old son.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Lekisha On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ltmiddleton/ Twitter: twitter.com/ThePeopleTechie Facebook: facebook.com/goodsuccessnetwork Instagram: instagram.com/thepeopletechie/
Connect With Catie On Social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catie-h-3270171/
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at firsttechfed.com.
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst & show logos and photos of Lekisha Middleton, a Black woman with short natural hair, hoop earrings, and a beaded necklace; Catie Harriss, a White woman with long blonde hair; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 69, Scott Hanselman from Microsoft joins us to discuss how we can bring more people in to become allies and what allyship means to Scott. We discuss Scott’s path to allyship, why Scott works to be an ally, and what to do when you make mistakes as an ally.
About Scott Hanselman
Scott Hanselman is a programmer, teacher, speaker, technologist, podcaster, writer, inclusion advocate, and more.
Scott Hanselman has been a developer for over 30 years and has been running his own blog www.Hanselman.com for over 20 years. He is also a prolific podcaster and has produced over 800 episodes of The Hanselminutes Podcast and 700 episodes of Azure Friday.
Scott works in Open Source on .NET and the Azure Cloud for Microsoft out of his home office in Portland, Oregon, and has written a number of technical books and spoken in person to over one million developers worldwide.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Scott On Social
Scott’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shanselman Scott’s Twitter: twitter.com/shanselman Scott’s Facebook: facebook.com/shanselman Scott’s Instagram: instagram.com/shanselman Scott’s TikTok: tiktok.com/@shanselman
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Scott, who has a salt and pepper beard and brown hair and is wearing a purple shirt that says "include everyone," and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 68, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst, talks us through how we can build allies in the workplace by understanding the Stages of Allyship and people’s motivations for being allies. She explains the behavioral science behind moving people toward action, addresses how we can convince people who don’t want to be convinced, and shares how we can grow allyship across our teams, organizations, and communities.
View this episode’s accompanying infographic at https://ally.cc/EP68Graphic.
About Melinda (she/her)
Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.
As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients.
Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, and empathy.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect With Melinda On Social
Melinda’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melindaepler Melinda’s Twitter: twitter.com/mbrianaepler Melinda’s Facebook: facebook.com/melindabrianaepler Melinda’s Instagram: instagram.com/changecatalysts
Connect With Us On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and a photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, black glasses, and a black shirt, smiling at the camera with her book, How to Be an Ally.]
In Episode 67, Melinda Briana Epler concludes Season 5 of the Leading With Empathy & Allyship Show by guiding us through the first steps to becoming an ally. She provides some simple but powerful actions that managers and team members can take to help create a safe space in the workplace where learning, growth, and allyship are supported. She also answers the most often-asked questions around microaggressions, what performative allyship is, and how to talk about the business case for allyship.
About Melinda (she/her)
Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.
As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients.
Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, and empathy.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt; and the orange book cover of HOW TO BE AN ALLY.]
In Episode 66, Melinda is joined by the founders of Own Trail: Rebekah Bastian and Kt McBratney. Rebekah and Kt share their journey on how they’ve blazed their own trail as entrepreneurs building a platform that’s intentionally diverse, builds empathy, encourages authenticity, and creates impact for women globally. They also provide actionable takeaways on how you can increase allyship and incorporate DEI into your own platforms.
About Rebekah (she/her)
Rebekah Bastian is an entrepreneur, award-winning writer, artist, tech executive, mentor, wife, mother, and aerial acrobat. She is the CEO & Co-founder of OwnTrail and was previously vice president of product and vice president of community and culture at Zillow. Rebekah is the author of Blaze Your Own Trail, is a contributor to Forbes, and is a frequent speaker on social impact, career navigation, and building AuthenTech companies.
About Kt (she/they)
Kt McBratney is obsessed with disrupting the status bro. She’s the co-founder and chief brand officer at OwnTrail, the platform where women visualize and navigate their paths through life. She’s also a visual artist, borderline book hoarder, and former marketing executive who’s spent her career building communities and brands across industries.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Kt McBratney, a White nonbinary person with long platinum hair and pink animal print blouse; Rebekah Bastian, a White woman with long brown hair, dangling turquoise earrings, and leather jacket on top of a white shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 65, Melinda is joined by Jennifer Brown and Rohit Bhargava, the incredible authors of the book Beyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways To Build A More Inclusive World. Jennifer and Rohit share their personal experiences and perspectives on creating a more inclusive world. They present key learnings from their book on storytelling, retail, and leadership, as well as their own educational moments they experienced while writing the book and how those moments helped them grow as allies.
About Jennifer
Jennifer Brown (she/her) is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, author, and diversity and inclusion expert who is deeply passionate about building more inclusive workplaces where more of us can feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. As the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), a certified woman- and LGBT-owned firm, Jennifer and her team design and execute inclusion strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. She is also the bestselling author of two books, Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace and The Will to Change (2017) and How To Be An Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive (2019), a shortlist winner of the O.W.L. Award and winner of the 2019 Nautilus Book Awards' Business & Leadership category. She also recently co-authored a groundbreaking book on diversity, equity, and inclusion in society with thought leader and fellow bestselling author, Rohit Bhargava. The book, Beyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways To Build A More Inclusive World will hit bookshelves on November 9, 2021. Jennifer’s podcast, The Will to Change, is downloaded by nearly 15,000 listeners per month, and she is a sought-after keynote speaker and expert for leading research institutions and business schools. She lives in New York City with her partner of over 20 years, Michelle.
About Rohit
Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world. He is the #1 WSJ bestselling author of 8 books on marketing, trends, and how to create a more inclusive world including Non-Obvious Megatrends & Beyond Diversity. Rohit has been invited to keynote events in 32 countries around the world. He loves the Olympics, actively hates cauliflower, and is a proud dad of boys.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & AllyShip promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Jennifer Brown; a White cisgender woman with blonde wavy hair and royal blue blouse; Rohit Bhargava; an Indian-American male in his mid-40s with black hair and white shirt paired with navy blue suit; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 64, Sara Wachter-Boettcher, Founder of Active Voice, joins Melinda in a discussion on how pandemic-related trauma affects leaders’ abilities to manage their teams. Sara provides practical tips on how we can regain access to our critical thinking and work through the trauma without harming people around us. She also touches on what organizations, managers, and allies can do to build trust and create a safe space for courageous conversations in the workplace.
About Sara
Sara Wachter-Boettcher is an author, speaker, coach, and strategist dedicated to changing design and tech for good. She’s the founder of Active Voice, a coaching and training company helping organizations build radical, courageous leadership practices. Her most recent book, Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech, was named one of the best tech books of the year by Wired. She also wrote Design for Real Life (with Eric Meyer) and Content Everywhere, and has been published in The Washington Post, The Guardian, and McSweeney’s. Find her at home in Philly, on Twitter @sara_ann_marie or at sarawb.com.
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & AllyShip promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Sara Wachter-Boettcher, a White woman with short black hair who’s wearing a black denim jacket paired with a white top, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 63, Meag-gan O'Reilly, CEO & Co-Founder of Inherent Value Psychology INC, joins Melinda in an illuminating conversation about the importance of embracing your anger and how it helps us foster empathy with one another. They also discuss how anger helps us build resilience by allowing us to recognize our own needs and boundaries and how Systems Centered Language can be the first step to dismantling oppression and marginalization.
About Meag-gan
Dr. Meag-gan O’Reilly (she/her), is a staff Psychologist at Stanford University's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Adjunct Faculty in the Stanford School of Medicine. While completing her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at CAPS, Dr. O'Reilly created the first satellite clinic for Black undergraduate and graduate students across the African Diaspora. She currently serves as a Program Coordinator for Outreach, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, Dr. O’Reilly co-created the Outreach and Social Justice Seminar in 2016 with the goal of training the next generation of culturally conscious and justice-oriented clinicians.
Outside of Stanford, Dr. O'Reilly is the Co-Founder and CEO of Inherent Value Psychology INC., her private practice that provides DEI consulting, workshops, trainings, and international speaking engagements. Dr. O'Reilly is a DEI consultant for companies including Google, LYRA Health, and The United Negro College Fund's STEM Scholar Program that supports Black college students nationwide to navigate underrepresentation and discrimination in STEM fields. She also serves as the lead clinician in a partnership with Google to provide therapeutic spaces called The Gathering Space for Black Google Employees in response to the murder of George Floyd and the chronic trauma, and grief, in the Black community. Her TEDx talk: Enough is Enough: The Power of Your Inherent Value, can be seen on YouTube and is a helpful reminder of unconditional self-worth and that our lives matter to the world.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Meag-gan O'Reilly; a Black woman with curly black hair and yellow shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 62, Leila McKenzie-Delis, Founder and CEO of DIAL Global, Author, Activist, Speaker and Podcast Host shows how research is driving transformative change across industries and how data can enrich an organization's decision-making processes around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leila and Melinda also look into some key findings from the McKenzie Delis Packer Review 2020 study conducted in the UK workforce where a disconnect is observed between the company’s claimed priorities and the execution and strategy of said priorities.
About Leila
Leila has a proven track record of recruiting Director, C-suite Executive and Board level positions throughout the UK and Internationally. Passion, tenacity and personal service is at the heart of all the work carried out and each individual search mandate is managed personally by Leila with the backing of a highly skilled and dedicated research function; ensuring that consistency, personal service and continuity are achieved and that each assignment is nurtured to a successful conclusion.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: https://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: https://facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: https://instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Leila McKenzie-Delis; an Asian woman with long black hair and a navy and white sleeveless top; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 61, Melinda Briana Epler is joined by an incredible panel of experts and catalysts for anti-burnout in the workplace: Erayna Sargent, Anthony Ware, and Al Dea. They examine the common drivers of burnout, how to spot its symptoms and take action for yourself and your team, and what managers can do to prevent burnout at work. They also share some tips on how to support teams through the emotional impact of an acquisition.
About Erayna
Erayna is a contributing writer for Well+Good and has guest appeared on podcasts including NPR Life Kit, Dribble Overtime, Balanced Black Girl and featured publications for Ozy Media, Hour Detroit, and Architectural Digest. Originally from Detroit, she currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and their two cats.
About Anthony
A latchkey kid from Indianapolis. He and his two younger brothers were raised by his dad. Anthony’s first job was cleaning toilets for his dad's janitorial business. After going the traditional route of getting a degree and a job, he jumped from the corporate ladder to launch multiple startups. Ignoring his scarcity mentality and trauma from childhood, he broke down mentally in November 2010 after his third startup failed. It was a pivotal moment in his life that shaped the focus on his business and life mission. As a result, he now focuses his business and research on the mental wealth of the global community of underestimated entrepreneurs and business professionals.
About Al
Al is the Founder of Betterwork Labs, an organization focused on helping companies create cultures where their people can thrive. He is an author, speaker, podcast host, and researcher on workplace trends and talent development. Al is passionate about helping individuals and organizations flourish in the changing world of work, and in unlocking individual purpose and potential to achieve organizational performance.
Al researches, writes, and publishes on leadership development, workplace trends, and company culture, and his thinking and insights have been published in outlets such as Business Insider, The World Economic Forum, Inc and Time Magazine. Al previously worked at Salesforce as a Product Marketer, helping launch products and features that touched thousands of customers. He previously worked as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting LLP, where he advised Fortune 500 companies on developing and executing digital transformation.
Al received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Theology from Boston College, and his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst
Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts
Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts
Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Project Manager: Emilie Maas
Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos
Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com/.
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Erayna Sargent; a Black woman in a yellow cardigan and white printed t-shirt; Anthony Ware; a Black man, African-American, bald, wearing glasses; Al Dea; an Asian man in a light blue plaid shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and a black shirt.]
In Episode 60, J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network, shows us how networking can be critical for women's success and allyship. Kelly and Melinda discuss the strategies to diversifying your network, building a community that will help you reach your fullest potential, and cultivating relationships with people in the era of hybrid work environments.
About Kelly
Networking expert, Kelly Hoey is the author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World (Penguin Random House). She’s working on her second book which focuses on the unique networks women need for career success. A speaker sought out for her networking insights, Kelly has been lauded from Forbes (“1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship”) to Business Insider (“1 of the 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter”) and Inc. (1 of “10 Most Well-Connected People in New York City's Startup Scene”). Not bad for a former corporate lawyer from Toronto.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Kelly Hoey; a White female with dirty blonde hair in white blouse; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 59, Emily Ladau, Disability Rights Activist, Author, and Communications Consultant at Words I Wheel By, introduces the topic of disability through an insightful discussion with Melinda on systemic ableism, disability history, representation, and rights. Emily explains why it's alright to use the term 'disabled', how accommodation and inclusion should be viewed upon, and how we can build allyship within the disability community.
About Emily
Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10 when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. She serves as the Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives on the disability experience through an intersectional lens.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: https://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: https://facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: https://instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Emily Ladau; a White woman who is wearing glasses and has curly brown hair pulled back halfway, with the rest framing her face. She is wearing a black dress dotted with red flowers and green leaves. She is sitting in a power wheelchair, facing the camera, and smiling. One of her hands is resting in her lap and the other hand is resting on the joystick of her wheelchair, turned so that a tattoo of a peacock feather is visible on her inner arm; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 58, Ulysses Smith, Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Blend, joins Melinda in a conversation that focuses on the approach to rebuilding structures that are equitable across different organizations. Ulysses shares his take on collaborating with various business entities to develop the DEI vision, using the lens of DEI in product design and development to impact consumers, and how business leaders can contribute to creating structural change in the workplace.
About Ulysses
As a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Ulysses builds organization-wide DEI functions that drive social impact through products. Much of his work has been centered around participatory governance structures and creating access to institutions and decision-making processes for under-served and underrepresented groups. In his role as the Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Blend, he drives leaders to think critically about the impact of diversity in their business functions, and develops strategies to create a more equitable consumer banking ecosystem. He is a graduate of Cornell University earning concurrent degrees in Urban and Regional Studies and Government.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: https://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: https://facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: https://instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Ulysses Smith; a Black man with curly black hair, navy shirt, and gray cardigan; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 57, Melinda Briana Epler is joined by four inspiring DEI experts: Ritu Bhasin, Wayne Sutton, Rachel Williams, and Tiffany Yu. They explore what allyship means to each of them, specific examples of how allies have impacted them, and how they think about being allies for others. This conversation was originally recorded during the launch event for How to Be an Ally, Melinda’s book.
About the Panelists
Ritu Bhasin, LL.B. MBA, President of bhasin consulting inc., is an award-winning speaker, author, and expert in diversity and inclusion, women’s advancement, and authentic leadership. Her Amazon bestselling book, The Authenticity Principle: Resist Conformity, Embrace Differences, and Transform How You Live, Work, and Lead, was released in Fall 2017.
Wayne Sutton is a serial entrepreneur and founder of the Icon Project. The Icon Project mission is to address Black and Brown Men’s mental health and professional development needs in tech. Wayne is also the Co-Founder and CTO of Change Catalyst. In addition to mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, Wayne’s life goal is to advocate for the awareness of humans to address their mental health.
Rachel Williams is a Bay Area native with more than 20 years of experience in Silicon Valley. Her experience spans human resources – recruiting, strategic employee relations and engagement, organizational change, culture & learning development, inclusion programming and implementation. Rachel is currently the Head of Equity Inclusion & Diversity Talent Acquisition for X – the moonshot factory.
Tiffany Yu is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, an award-winning social enterprise to rebrand disability through the power of community and the Founder of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, a monthly micro-grant for disability projects that has awarded $37.5k to 38 projects in 8 countries. She was appointed to the San Francisco Mayor’s Disability Council by San Francisco Mayor London Breed in 2019.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: https://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: https://facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: https://instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop; Ritu Basin, a Punjabi Indian-Canadian woman with long black hair and beaded necklace; Wayne Sutton, a Black man with a goatee, glasses, and a dark grey button-down; and Tiffany Yu, an Asian woman with brown hair and beige shawl.]
In Episode 56, Melinda brings in her husband, Co-Founder of Change Catalyst, and greatest ally, Wayne Sutton, for an honest conversation about addressing the mental health of Black and Brown men. Find out about Wayne's motorcycle trip and learn about how Wayne and Melinda show up for each other in their interracial relationship.
About Wayne
Wayne Sutton is a serial entrepreneur and founder of the Icon Project (https://theiconproject.org). The Icon Project mission is to address Black and Brown Men’s mental health and professional development needs in tech. Wayne is also the Co-Founder and CTO of Change Catalyst. In addition to mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, Wayne’s life goal is to advocate for the awareness of humans to address their mental health.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Wayne Sutton; a Black man with a goatee, glasses, and a dark grey button-down; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In Episode 55, Cynthia Overton, Senior Director of Tech Workplace Initiatives at the Kapor Center, dives into conversation with Melinda about the impact of storytelling. They discuss important ways storytelling can change our perception, whether that is by advocating through storytelling, interrupting our own stories to create internal change, or using stories to build empathy and trust.
About Cynthia Overton
Cynthia Overton, Ph.D., serves as Senior Director of Tech Workplace Initiatives at the Kapor Center, a racial justice organization dedicated to leveling the playing field in tech. In this role, she leads Diversity Advocates, a professional learning community dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce throughout the tech industry and Our Collective, a group of tech professionals working to advance inclusion for Black and Latinx talent through employee resource groups. Cynthia also serves as co-principal investigator for a research study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that seeks to expand the evidence-based understanding of HBCU STEM learning environments in which undergraduate students are most likely to thrive and subsequently go on to attain doctoral degrees in science and engineering.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: https://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: https://facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: https://instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Cynthia Overton; a Black woman with natural, curly hair swept up wearing a black turtleneck; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]
In episode 54, Ritu Bhasin, Founder & President of bhasin consulting inc. and author of The Authenticity Principle, joins in discussion with Melinda Briana Epler — the human behind Leading With Empathy & Allyship, CEO of Change Catalyst, and new author of How to Be an Ally. We flip the script: Ritu hosts this episode in an intimate interview with Melinda as her new book launches! They explore Melinda’s journey to allyship, the process of writing How to Be an Ally, and why allyship matters.
About Ritu Bhasin
Ritu Bhasin, LL.B. MBA, President of bhasin consulting inc., is an award-winning speaker, author, and expert in diversity and inclusion, women’s advancement, and authentic leadership. Her Amazon bestselling book, The Authenticity Principle: Resist Conformity, Embrace Differences, and Transform How You Live, Work, and Lead, was released in Fall 2017.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: https://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: https://facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: https://instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Ritu Bhasin; a Punjabi Indian-Canadian woman with long, wavy black hair and a navy and pink floral dress; and host Melinda Briana Epler; a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt laughing.]
For the first episode of Season 5, Melinda is joined by Change Catalyst team members Renzo Santos and Merve Bulgurcu to discuss key insights from the newly released State of Allyship Report: The Key to Workplace Inclusion. Melinda, Renzo, and Merve take you through the important findings the team has uncovered about what people want and need from allies, why allyship is important for business, and how people become better allies. Download the State of Allyship Report at ally.cc/report.
About Renzo Santos
As the Finance & Operations Analyst at Change Catalyst, Renzo oversees the company’s finances across the planning, tracking, and evaluation stages. He also provides in-depth technical and data analysis support for research projects on diversity and inclusion. He is passionate about supporting communities, especially underrepresented groups, to create safe spaces to pursue excellence.. Growing up in the Philippines, Renzo’s values were honed by his parents’ humble beginnings in the Northern provinces of the country.
About Merve Bulgurcu
Merve is a Data Analyst at Change Catalyst, leading data analysis and visualization mainly for the State of Allyship Report and Leading With Empathy & Allyship. With a background in Brand Management for more than 6 years, she holds an MBA and a Master’s in Business Analytics from Hult International Business School. Originally from Turkey, Merve is fueled by her passion to promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and delivering data-driven impact at the personal, team, and organizational level. Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social
YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team
Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan Data Analyst Intern: Merve Bulgurcu
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and red shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop; Renzo Santos, a Filipino man with black hair and a white/gray striped shirt; and Merve Bulgurcu, a Turkish woman with long brown hair and a cream shirt.]
In Episode 52: “Recognizing & Overcoming Microaggressions - Part 2,” Melinda Briana Epler draws from her book How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill 2021) for the fundamentals of understanding, identifying, and interrupting microaggressions in the workplace. Melinda discusses nonverbal and environmental microaggressions, as well as some tactics for intervening and treating the impact of microaggressions. You can order your copy of How to Be an Ally at ally.cc/book for a deeper dive into the subject.
About Melinda
Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs. As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, startups, investors, and activists around the world. She is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive, and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients. Melinda is a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, and empathy, and has spoken on hundreds of stages around the world.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Intern: Olivia Wirsching Intern: Gabriella Mahmoud
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and color photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt, and the orange book cover of HOW TO BE AN ALLY.]
In Episode 51: “Recognizing & Overcoming Microaggressions - Part 1,” Melinda Briana Epler answers the most often-asked questions about microaggressions: what they are, how humans are impacted by them, and examples of alternative language that can replace common verbal microaggressions in the workplace. This episode is based on fundamentals from Melinda’s book, How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill 2021). You can order your copy of How to Be an Ally at ally.cc/book for a deeper dive into the subject.
About Melinda Melinda Briana Epler is the Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst and the creator and host of the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show. Melinda has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs. Using her background in storytelling, behavioral science, and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for leaders around the world, working with them to solve diversity and inclusion together. Melinda is a TED speaker who speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, inclusive innovation, empathy, and entrepreneurship.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit ally.cc There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Intern: Olivia Wirsching Intern: Gabriella Mahmoud
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and color photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt, and the orange book cover of HOW TO BE AN ALLY.]
Welcome to Episode 50 in our special Season 4! In “Understanding & Correcting Our Biases,” Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, shares key learnings from a few chapters of her book, How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill 2021). She explores some common workplace biases, how they show up in the workplace, and how to correct them in ourselves, along with some intervention strategies for reducing biases in the workplace. Melinda also addresses gaslighting and making sure we show empathy when people talk about their own experiences. To go deeper into this subject, you can order your copy of How to Be an Ally at ally.cc/book!
About Melinda Melinda Briana Epler is the Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst and the creator and host of the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show. Melinda has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs. Using her background in storytelling, behavioral science, and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for leaders around the world, working with them to solve diversity and inclusion together. Melinda is a TED speaker who speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, inclusive innovation, empathy, and entrepreneurship.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit ally.cc There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Special thanks to First Tech Federal Credit Union, sponsor of our Episodes 49 & 50. First Tech Federal Credit Union is the nation's premier credit union serving employees & family members of the world's leading technology companies. Learn more at www.firsttechfed.com
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Intern: Olivia Wirsching
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and color photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt, and the orange book cover of HOW TO BE AN ALLY.]
Episode 49 kicks off Season 4 with “Why Empathy & Allyship Matter In The Workplace.” Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, talks about what people with underrepresented identities need from allies, why empathy is the foundation of allyship work, and the business case for allyship. Valuable Q&A is incorporated from the live broadcast.
About Melinda Melinda Briana Epler is the Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst and the creator and host of the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show. Melinda has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs. Using her background in storytelling, behavioral science, and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for leaders around the world, working with them to solve diversity and inclusion together. Melinda is a TED speaker who speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, inclusive innovation, empathy, and entrepreneurship.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit ally.cc There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Special thanks to First Tech Federal Credit Union, sponsor of our Episodes 49 & 50. First Tech Federal Credit Union is the nation's premier credit union serving employees & family members of the world's leading technology companies. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April Intern: Olivia Wirsching
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and a color photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt.]
Episode 49 kicks off Season 4 with “Why Empathy & Allyship Matter In The Workplace.” Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, shares some key learnings from a few chapters of her book, How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill 2021). She talks about what people with underrepresented identities need from allies; why empathy is the foundation of allyship work; and the business case for allyship. Valuable Q&A is incorporated from the live broadcast.
You can order your copy of How to Be an Ally: Actions You Can Take for a Stronger, Happier Workplace at ally.cc/book!
About Melinda Melinda Briana Epler is the Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst and the creator and host of the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show. Melinda has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs. Using her background in storytelling and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for tech companies around the world, working with them to solve diversity and inclusion together. Melinda speaks, mentors, trains, and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, social entrepreneurship, and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and a color photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and black shirt.]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Sam Sepah, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Product Manager at Google, have an open conversation around “Why Mentorship & Advocacy Are Key To Career Growth." Sam describes his journey as a Deaf Persian in tech. He shares key takeaways from his work in HR and DEI, the difference between having a mentor and having an advocate, and how as allies and advocates we can work to make products and tools like AI universally useful.
About Sam Sam Sepah has worked for well-known organizations for more than 15 years: Google, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), GE-NBC Universal, Siemens, Sprint, MCI, and Apple. Sam was the youngest person appointed by the Governor of Vermont to serve on the Commission on Employment for People with Disabilities.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo, a color photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and a black and white photo of Sam Sepah, a Persian man with black hair, white shirt, and blazer. ]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Aubrey Blanche, Director of Equitable Design & Impact at Culture Amp, talk about why it’s critical to think beyond diversity and representation. With a shift to equitable design, we build equity, right the power dynamics, and create greater access and support for people in our workplaces and communities who are most marginalized. The conversation covers how to build our capacity to create and lead this change.
About Aubrey
Aubrey Blanche is The Mathpath (Math Nerd + Empath), Director of Equitable Design & Impact at Culture Amp, and a startup investor, and advisor. She is the inventor of the balanced teams approach and a culture of belonging, and the Balanced Teams Diversity Assessment in the Atlassian Team Playbook. She open sources these methods and releases thought leadership and tools to create positive change at AubreyBlanche.com
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Aubrey Blanche, a Latina with pink hair, glasses, and yellow shirt.]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Jeff Tidwell, CEO & Co-Founder of Next For Me, explore the often overlooked topic of ageism at work, and share strategies for dealing with this type of discrimination - as the recipient or as a bystander.
About Jeff Jeff Tidwell founded Next For Me as a new resource that connects and inspires our generation to evolve +50 life through new work, a new purpose, or a new social contribution. Jeff began his career with alternative newspapers and then moved online, where he has worked in Silicon Valley and New York overseeing online communities and user experiences for E*TRADE, WebMD, Oncology.com, MarketTools, Chirp Interactive, and many startups via his consulting practice prepop.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Jeff Tidwell, a White man with short hair, glasses, and white shirt.]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Jeremy Sussman, Senior Product Manager at Google, explore “An Allyship Journey As A Straight, White Man.” Jeremy shared why becoming an ally is so critical to seeing real improvements in diversity, equity, and inclusion at work, and the role of allies in ERGs to actively create change.
About Jeremy Jeremy Sussman is a Senior Product Manager at Google, working on data privacy. He sits on the Steering Committee for the NY chapters of the Women's ERG and the Allyship ERG. He is actively involved in different mentorship programs in and outside the company. Prior to Google, Jeremy worked at the IBM Watson Research Center. He has a BA in Computer Science from Princeton and a PhD in Computer Science from UCSD.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Jeremy Sussman, a White man with short black hair and black shirt.]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Two Eagles Marcus, Founder of MPWRDX, talk about “Centering BIPOC Voices In Business & Social Justice.” They explore what it means to embrace your heritage, reimagine business and social justice to center Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific, and Indigenous Native American experiences, and bridge our siloed communities through solidarity work.
About Two Eagles Marcus Two Eagles Marcus is a Tiwa Puebloan Indigenous Native American, known also as the Red Willow people. MPWRDX Media Group (Pronounced Empowered X) centers, and amplifies the voices Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific, and Indigenous Native Americans in business, and entrepreneurship; MPWRD Talent, a diverse job board and talent center that advances opportunities for Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific, and Indigenous Native Americans professionals and students.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Two Eagles Marcus, an Indigenous Native American man with glasses, black moustache, and salt-and-pepper beard.]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, talks with TDo, Senior Solutions Engineer at Gladly, for “Influencing Your Company To Address Racism.” TDo describes her work to address racism and violence against the AAPI community in her workplace, as well as building coalitions, influencing leaders, and the role allies have in this work.
About TDo TDo (Theresa Do) is a Sr. Solutions Engineer at Gladly based in San Francisco, CA. She has over 10+ yrs of pre-sales experience in SaaS based companies. Providing insight and offering consulting on how to deliver radically personal customer service is a long-held passion. TDo is well-versed in helping companies of all sizes - from start-ups that are building their name - all the way to established Fortune 100 brands.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and TDo, an Asian woman with short black hair and green shirt.]
In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Sonja Gittens Ottley, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Asana, talk about “Expanding Anti-Racist Allyship.” You’ll learn about anti-racism, strategies to expand our anti-racist allyship to address intersectionality and many forms of racism, and how this can help you can level up DEI efforts in your workplace.
About Sonja Sonja Gittens Ottley is the Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Asana, where she’s responsible for crafting the company’s strategies for recruiting employees from underrepresented groups and creating an inclusive environment that allows people to thrive. Prior to her roles in diversity and inclusion at Asana and at Facebook, Sonja was global policy counsel for Yahoo’s Business & Human Rights Program. She is a native of Trinidad & Tobago.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Sonja Gittens Ottley, a Black woman with black hair, glasses, and green shirt.]
In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Frieda McAlear, Senior Research Associate at the Kapor Center, talk about “Designing For Intersectional Inclusion.” Frieda described what we can do to redress the lack of Native American representation in Computer Science while applying an intersectional lens. She'll also share principles we can use in our workplaces and communities to improve inclusion.
About Frieda Frieda McAlear is the Senior Research Associate, where she brings her skills as a social science researcher and her passion for working with and for marginalized and underrepresented communities, at the Kapor Center. She has nearly a decade of experience managing projects, developing evaluation and research methodology and building nonprofit technology capacity with socially progressive organizations in the Bay Area, Europe, and Southern Africa.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Frieda McAlear, an Indigenous woman with brown hair, glasses, and dangling earrings.]
In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Manisha Amin, CEO of the Centre for Inclusive Design, discuss “It’s OK To Make Mistakes As An Ally.” Our work as allies and advocates continues to shape society for the better. The work can also feel heavy - especially when we stumble. Manisha explores how to get over our fears when it comes to allyship; call each other in rather than out; own our truth; apologize and repair; and forgive others, as well as ourselves.
About Manisha Manisha Amin is the chief strategist and visionary at the Centre for Inclusive Design. A thought leader in the power of thinking from the edge, she has a unique talent for seeing emerging trends beyond the horizon and building powerful communities through inclusive design.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
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In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, speaks with Sheree Atcheson, author of the book "Demanding More." Sheree and Melinda dive into strategies for how to effectively help leaders succeed in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), even when we may not be in a position of power ourselves.
About Sheree Listed as one of the UK's "Top Most Influential Women in Tech," Sheree Atcheson is the Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Peakon, an Advisory Board Member of Women Who Code, and a contributor for Forbes. She's the author of the book "Demanding More: Why Diversity & Inclusion Don't Happen & What You Can Do About It," a critical resource for learning how to be more inclusive despite the historical and systemic exclusion of particular groups.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
[Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Change Catalyst logo against a white background and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with long red hair, and Sheree Atcheson, a Sri Lankan woman with short dark hair, and white text in a red graphic reading "Engaging Leadership To Improve Diversity, Equity & Inclusion."]
In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, speaks with Tammy Cho, Co-Founder & CEO of Hate Is A Virus and BetterBrave. Tammy and Melinda discuss the work we must do together to combat racism against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, starting with raising awareness of what community members have experienced - historically and presently - in the United States. They address what allies and members of the AAPI community can do to create change.
About Tammy Tammy Cho focuses on work that dismantles harassment, discrimination, and racism. She’s the Co-Founder & CEO of Hate Is A Virus, a nonprofit and community of mobilizers and amplifiers dedicated to dismantling hate and racism. Over the past year, they produced national awareness campaigns, educational resources for the community, and raised over $30K+ for essential BIPOC community organizations and small businesses across the nation and are committed to continuing these efforts this year. Tammy also founded BetterBrave, a nonprofit that empowers thousands of employees with free knowledge and tools for navigating workplace harassment and discrimination.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
This episode is sponsored by AppDynamics, builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers
[Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Change Catalyst logo against a white background and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with long red hair, and Tammy Cho, an Asian woman with short blonde hair, and white text in a red graphic reading "How We Can Collectively Address Anti-Asian Hate"]
Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst talks with Karen Catlin, CEO of Karen Catlin Consulting and author of Better Allies, about how we can each build empathy and create positive change for others by first understanding our own privilege.
About Karen After spending 25 years building software products and serving as a vice president of engineering at Macromedia and Adobe, Karen Catlin witnessed a sharp decline in the number of women working in tech. She’s now a leadership coach and acclaimed speaker on inclusive workplaces. Karen shares her expertise in three books: Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces, The Better Allies™ Approach to Hiring, and Present! A Techie's Guide to Public Speaking. Learn more at https://karencatlin.com/
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
This episode is sponsored by AppDynamics, builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers
The live show is made accessible thanks to Interpreter-Now and White Coat Captioning.
[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with Change Catalyst logo, photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with long red hair, and Karen Catlin, a White woman with short hair and text reading “Episode 36: Understanding Privilege & Using It To Create Change”]
In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst and Terri Givens, CEO & Founder of Brighter Higher Ed, discuss how radical empathy can help bridge racial divides. Terri shares her journey researching her family’s history, the need for restorative justice, and what led her to write her latest book, “Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides.”
You’ll learn how to create change by practicing Terri’s six steps of radical empathy: - A willingness to be vulnerable - Becoming grounded in who you are - Opening yourself to the experiences of others - Practicing empathy. - Taking action - Creating change and building trust
About Terri Terri Givens is the CEO and Founder of Brighter Higher Ed. She has more than 30 years of success in higher education, politics, international affairs, and nonprofits. She is an accomplished speaker and uses her platform to develop leaders with an understanding of the importance of diversity and encourages personal growth through empathy.
Highlights From Our Conversation “You have to understand yourself before you can have empathy for others…. I am trying to model vulnerability because when we’re vulnerable, it is so much more impactful and it also helps build trust.”
Additional Resources - Terri Givens https://terrigivens.com/ - Book: “Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides” by Terri Givens: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/radical-empathy - Book: “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” by Richard Rothstein https://epi.org/publication/the-color-of-law-a-forgotten-history-of-how-our-government-segregated-america/ - “La Haine” https://criterion.com/films/216-la-haine - Book: “The History of White People” by Nell Irvin Painter https://www.nellpainter.com/publications/books_authored.html - “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/tuskegee-study-medical-distrust-research/487439/ - Leading With Empathy & Allyship Episode 8: “Understanding Intergenerational Trauma & Its Impact In The Workplace” https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries/#IntergenerationalTrauma - Leading With Empathy & Allyship Episode 14: “Moving From Structural Inequality To Human Flourishing” -https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries/#HumanFlourishing - Leading With Empathy & Allyship Episode 21: “How To Use Empathy To Create Change In The Workplace” https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries/#IrmaOlguinJr
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
This episode is sponsored by AppDynamics, builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers
In Episode 34, Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler engages in an important conversation with Margenett Moore-Roberts, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer of IPG - DXTRA, about how to raise our children as allies and advocates who can disrupt and redress race-based harm.
You’ll come away from this episode with an understanding of why and how to have tough conversations with children about racism, so that they can live in a just, fair, and peaceful world. We also discuss the critical need of reforming the white supremacy built into our American educational system, one that has often taught a one-sided and biased perspective of history.
About Margenett Since joining the industry in May 2018, Margenett Moore-Roberts has been nominated for an IPG Inclusion Award, and selected as one of The Holmes Report’s 2019 Innovator 25 and one of The Network Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business. Her perspective has been featured in industry publications and events, including PRNews, PRSA LA Diversity & Inclusion Panel, The Atlantic Roundtable on Diversity, and the PRSA Tri-State Conference.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations Analyst: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
This episode is sponsored by AppDynamics, builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers
The live show is made accessible thanks to Interpreter-Now and White Coat Captioning.
You can watch the live show on Change Catalyst YouTube Channel here, with live captioning and ASL interpreters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPosjcykHvg
[Image description: promotion for the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show with the Change Catalyst logo, a photo of Melinda Briana Epler, Co-Founder Change Catalyst, white woman with long red hair, smiling and Margenett Moore-Roberts, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer of IPG DXTRA, Black woman with black hair smiling, and text reading “Raising Our Children to be Allies & Advocates for Social Justice”]
In this episode, Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler discusses “How To Advance Pay Equity & Reduce the Pay Gap” with Sharawn Connors, VP of Diversity Equality & Inclusion at Micron Technology.
You’ll learn:
What “pay gap” and “pay equity” really mean How you can prepare for negotiating a salary The research you should do before talking numbers with a prospective employer How to know your professional worth How your company can improve the pay gap and pay equity, and the data and processes to consider implementing to reduce the pay gap across your organization in order to reach pay equity
Our Leading with Empathy & Allship host Melinda Briana Epler is a TED speaker, author of the upcoming book How to Be an Ally (McGraw Hill 2021), and Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst. She works with leaders to build empathy and inclusive leadership skills, and develop diverse, equitable, and inclusive companies.
Some of our favorite quotes from this guest:
“When we look at the pay gap, we know that a lot of time the majority group is paid more because of the positions that they are in. They are more likely to be VP and higher and even manager. Our broken rung starts to happen at the manager level. How do we impact that? One way is through hiring but another way is through growing and retaining the talent we have and paying people fairly helps us to do that.”
“At Micron, I want to be clear. It is not optional whether our managers pay fairly or not. We audit that data. If there needs to be corrections, there are corrections made. We want to understand the disparities in pay and we are committed to paying fairly. I would encourage companies to mandate it. Not to depend on the manager or the process.”
The live show is made accessible thanks to Interpreter Now and White Coat Captioning.
This episode of Leading with Empathy & Allyship is sponsored by AppDynamics - builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers And by Interpreter Now - providing high quality ASL interpreters.
Continue learning with these resources:
Websites for researching company salaries: Glassdoor https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm and Team Blind https://www.teamblind.com/ Micron’s Blog: https://sg.micron.com/in-singapore/news-and-events/busting-bias-why-ai-needs-dei Micron’s Diversity and Inclusion Report: https://www.micron.com/about/our-commitment/empowering-people/diversity-equality-and-inclusion Watch the episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN6pb2GFeV8
#allyshippodcast #changecatalyst #payequity #paygap #inclusion #allyship #diversity #equity #blackhistorymonth
[Image description: promotion for the Leading with Empathy and Allyship show with the Change Catalyst logo, a photo of Sharawn Connors, a Black woman smiling, and text reading “How To Advance Pay Equity & Reduce the Pay Gap” with Sharawn Connors, VP of Diversity Equality & Inclusion at Micron Technology]
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler in a conversation on "What Allies Can Do During Black History Month" with Rachel Williams, Head of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity at X- the moonshot factory, Lionel Lee, Head of Diversity Engagement at Zillow Group, and Almaz Negash, Founder & Executive Director at the African Diaspora Network.
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Production Team Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Emilie Maas Finance & Operations Analyst: Renzo Santos Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa Director of Marketing: Ariyah April
This episode is sponsored by AppDynamics, builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers
The live show is made accessible thanks to Interpreter-Now and White Coat Captioning.
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Kate Johnson, President Microsoft US, for a deep dive on how Microsoft is creating changes within the company by leading with empathy.
About Kate Kate Johnson is the President of Microsoft U.S., a $45 billion subsidiary including all of Microsoft's solutions, services, and support revenues across the public and private sector in the United States. Focused on driving transformation within Microsoft's largest commercial organization, Kate leads a 10,000-person field team to pursue Microsoft's mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.⠀
Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.
Connect On Social YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
[image description: image of Kate Johnson (a White woman on stage, wearing a black leather jacket and black pants, weaving to a crowd) and Melinda Briana Epler (a White woman with red hair and glasses, smiling), with the text "How To Use Empathy To Create Change In The Workplace."
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Deepa Purushothaman and Rha Goddess, co-founders at nFORMATION on how to support women of color as leaders in the workplace.
We talked about
The future of work and what managers can do to become real allies for WOC The new mobile app for women of color that nFORMATION is launching to support the community How to address systemic oppression and create a safe space for WOC to bring their full self to work and lead in the workplace. How the concept of power might differ for WOC and how it can benefit everyone in the workplace
About The Guests Rha Goddess and Deepa Purushothaman were brought together over 5 years ago. Deepa was a “first” Senior Partner at a Big 4. Rha left corporate America and the chemical industry as an “only” two decades ago to focus on helping leaders find their passion, purpose and calling. Deepa has spent years focusing on women’s leadership and inclusion strategies to help women of color navigate corporate structures. Rha has helped hundreds of high impact leaders realize they can work in ways that honor their values and uplift new definitions of power, profitability and success.
Together, they have discovered that there is a collective untapped power that WOC have yet to harness and leverage, so they came together to create nFormation, a first of its kind membership community for professional women of color offering brave, safe, new space and career advancement opportunities.
Favorite quotes
“We need companies to do what they're saying they want to do but show up in a totally different way”. Deepa Purushothaman
“Many women of color don't feel that they can necessarily bring that natural and organic sense of concern into the (working) culture in a way that is valued” Rha Goddess
Learn more about Deepa & Rha’s work at https://www.n2formation.com/index.html
Join the waitlist to download the Safe Space app https://www.n2formation.com/space.html
The Calling: 3 Fundamental Shifts to Stay True, Get Paid, and Do Good” by Rha Goddess https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046800-the-calling
Stay tuned for the upcoming release of Deepa’s book, “The Inclusion Delusion.”
[image description: image of Rha Goddess and Deepa Purushothaman (Indian woman with long black hair, smiling) and Rha Goddess (Black woman with curly hair smiling) Melinda Briana Epler (White woman with red hair and glasses, smiling), with the text " Want to be inclusive? Support Women Of Color As Leaders In The Workplace.
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Kat Gordon, Ceo & Founder of the 3% Movement. Kat Gordon talks to us about the evolution of gender equity in the advertising space. We discussed
- Kat’s background as a creative director and what led her to create the 3% movement.
- How she helped move the industry from 3% of creative directors to 29%.
- And how to create a culture of belonging in the workplace, with the importance of putting people at the center.
Some of our favorite quotes of the conversation:
"This is working from home in an absolutely impossible situation where society has failed us and I am nervous that the motherhood penalty is being reinforced with every Zoom call where a child is there, needs something, interrupts or the mother attends to the child at a particular point"
“I think so much of belonging is about having the courage to ask and engage your employees in ongoing conversation about what's working for them, what's making them anxious, what do they need
Learn more about Kat and The 3% Movement at https://www.3percentmovement.com/
“50 Things to Create a More Anti-Racist Workplace” by The 3% Movement: “The Elephant on Madison Avenue” by The 3% Movement: https://www.3percentmovement.com/resources/50-things-create-more-anti-racist-workplace“ - Permission to Feel” by Mark Brackett: https://www.marcbrackett.com/about/book-permission-to-feel/
“Leading with Empathy & Allyship Episode 13: Women Championing Women with Brenda Darden Wilkerson” https://www.elephantonmadisonavenue.com/
[image description: image of Kat Gordon (White woman with short hair, smiling) and Melinda Briana Epler (white woman with red hair and glasses, smiling), with the text " How to create a culture of belonging at work: put people at the center” image shows black and white background with white text]
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts Support the show (http://patreon.com/changecatalysts)
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Andrea G. Tatum Senior Director, Corporate Equity Engagement, Catalyst Inc on discussing how to create a supportive working environment.
We discuss Catalyst's research and the challenges of the emotional tax for women, particularly women of color: the state of being highly "on guard" at work, which can impact well-being and ability to thrive in the workplace. In this rich conversation, we learned about:
- Andrea's personal experience experiencing racism in the workplace and how that led her to become an advocate.
- The role of inclusive leaders to develop workplace cultures where people feel valued and enabled to contribute their skills and expertise fully.
- The powerful change leading with empathy can create in the workplace
Some of our favorite quotes of the conversation:
"I think everybody has the opportunity always to be a learner. And I had never really thought about empathy as a skill. You're not either born with empathy or not. You can learn it. You can learn to have empathy as a leader, and it's really a superpower and has the ability to drive so much change within the workplace"
"Just like anything else. I can't expect to lose weight if I eat what I want to eat and I don't go to the gym. That's not realistic. So I always think about empathy and inclusive leadership as skills that you actively have to work towards. It's a muscle that you can build over time"
"What really makes emotional tax so unique is that it's not limited to just the workplace. As people of color, this is our experience day in and day out. Everywhere we go, we don't have the luxury of being able to put aside our skin and say, well, today, I'm not a woman of color. I'm not a black woman"
Additional resources: - Connect with Andrea and learn more about her work at https://www.andreagtatum.com/ - "Why Empathy is A Superpower in the Future of Work" report by Catalyst: https://www.catalyst.org/research/empathy-superpower-future-of-work/
[image description: image of Andrea G Tatum (Black woman with short hair, smiling) and Melinda Briana Epler (white woman with red hair and glasses, smiling), with the text "Episode 28: How To Become An Empathic Leader In The Workplace" image shows black background with red and white text]
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Victor Calise, discussing how to make disability accommodation and inclusion the new norm.
We talked about Victor Calise's disability journey and how he turned it into a strength, becoming one of the most innovative advocates for disability. In this rich conversation, we learned about:
The forward-thinking work NY is doing in collaboration with other cities to build inclusive working environments. The need for 'accommodation' of the disabled community and how Covid-19 has helped accelerate the workplace's transformation. The impact of outdated regulations on the community How we should not separate disability from the other movement fighting for a more inclusive working environment.
Some of our favorite quotes of the conversation:
“People with disabilities who didn't have the opportunity to get to work because of their disability didn't allow them to for transportation or immune reasons, whatever that might be, now is the opportunity. It is important because people with disabilities live in poverty and a way to get them up from poverty is through work”
"The reality is that people with disabilities aren't really disabled. It is our environments that disable us. If we can fix those environments so we can live our lives there is no such thing as disability."
Additional resources: Watch Commissioner Calise’s talk from Tech Inclusion New York in 2016 on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLjUyvnVEeI NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities - Digital Accessibility Guides: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mopd/resources/digital-accessibility-guides.page NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities - Accessible Virtual Meetings Guide https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/mopd/downloads/pdf/virtual-meetings-accessibility-guide_05-01-2020.pdf Check out #DisabledTwitter to learn more about current issues and follow thought leaders with disabilities Empowered Cities Initiative by the National Disability Institute: https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/capacity-building/empowered-cities/ World Enabled by Dr. Victor Pineda https://worldenabled.org/ Smart Cities Library for resources and innovation in accessibility at https://www.smartcitieslibrary.com/
[image description: image of Victor Calise (white man with grey hair, smiling) and Melinda Briana Epler (white woman with red hair and glasses, smiling), with the text "Episode 27: How to make disability accommodation and inclusion the new working norm" image shows black background with red and white text]
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Daralyse Lyons on understanding what it means to be an upstander: an individual who sees wrong and takes action – an important part of allyship.
We talked about Daralyse Lyons’s upbringing as a biracial child, and what led her to become an advocate and an upstander. In this fascinating conversation, we learned about:
Colorism and the dangerous path of bias based on skin color. The difference between an upstander and bystander. The important asset of intersectional diversity in the workplace and product development process. Leading by example and the inclusive leadership path you can choose to lead in the workplace. Some of our favorite quotes:
“Once people start to connect with other people in a way that is emotional and real and maybe visceral, it becomes impossible to disengage at that point”
“I don't pretend to know what's best for any person. But I do think that when we start allowing ourselves to be defined by society and by other people's expectations of us, that's a huge problem”
“I think that's one thing that people can do if they really want to be allies, is not to superimpose our own definitions on to other people, but to ask them.”
“I think that this idea that we have to kind of rank people, and rank ourselves, is so problematic”
“The bystanders are actually the ones who tend to make up the majority of the social collective, and who tend to be the ones who have the ability to – if they will step into that upstander role – ensure these atrocities don't happen, or at least we could stop them a lot sooner”
Additional resources:
Learn more about Daralyse on her website: https://www.daralyselyons.com/ Demystifying Diversity Podcast https://www.daralyselyons.com/demystifying-diversity The Upstander Project at https://upstanderproject.org/ “Let’s Define Upstander” at Not in Our Town: https://www.niot.org/blog/lets-define-upstander “Perpetrators, Collaborators, and Bystanders” at Holocaust.com.au: https://www.holocaust.com.au/the-facts/perpetrators-collaborators-and-bystanders/ “Dying of whiteness” by Jonathan M. Metzl, How the politics of racial resentment is killing America’s heartland: https://www.dyingofwhiteness.com/ [image description: image of Daralyse Lyons (Mixed woman with brown curly long hair, smiling) and Melinda Briana Epler (white woman with red hair and glasses, smiling), with the text "Episode 26: Exploring what it means to be an upstander" image shows black background with red and white text]
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Support the show http://patreon.com/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Dr. Kevin Simon on Understanding The Effects Of Racism On Black Boys & Men
We talked about Dr. Kevin Simon’s journey to becoming a force for good and his work during COVID-19, helping Black and Brown kids and their families understand intergenerational trauma and historical trauma, and how the effects can manifest through depression and addiction.
We learned:
- What ally can do to support this community
- What are intergenerational trauma and historical trauma and their impact on mental and physical health
- How important is to communicate with teenagers in a time of Covid-19 and social justice protest -How Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) like trauma are the roots of addiction and depression in teenage years
Some of our favorite quotes of our conversation:
"If you're an ally, particularly to black and brown boys, particularly to the persons of color, you should be trying to promote institutions and environments policies that would be protective of that community."
“Whether we're talking about mental health outcomes, depression, anxiety, suicidality, trauma or substance use, adverse childhood experiences are (ACEs) as are classically labeled. The more aces, you have, the worse your physical outcomes. So, hypertension, diabetes, like you're talking about the worst mental health outcomes. So it is hugely important to try as best as we can to create an environment that can be responsive to what happened in my past, yet at the same time, shift, so that my future will look a little bit different”.
Learn more about Dr. Kevin Simons https://www.kevinsimonmd.com/
Additional resources: - Leading with Empathy & Allyship Episode 2 - Addressing Mental Health During COVID-19: https://soundcloud.com/changecatalyst/empathy-allyship-mentalhealth - Leading with Empathy & Allyship Episode 8 - Understanding Intergenerational Trauma: https://soundcloud.com/changecatalyst/intergenerationaltrauma - Leading with Empathy & Allyship Episode 14 - Moving From Structural Inequality To Human Flourishing: https://soundcloud.com/changecatalyst/humanflourishing - “2020 Presidential Election a Source of Significant Stress for More Americans than 2016 Presidential Race” by Sophie Bethune at American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/10/election-stress - “On election day, Bay Area parents and teachers help kids deal with stress of presidential race” by Tatiana Sanchez at San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/On-Election-Day-parents-and-teachers-help-kids-15695719.php
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler interview with Muna Hussaini, Chief of Staff to Indeed CTO in conversation about navigating parenthood during the pandemic.
We talked about Muna’s own story as an American Muslim, working to build more inclusive workplaces, the impact of Black Live Matter on her kids and family, the new norm of handling Zoom calls and full- time work with kids, and how teams and companies and show up for parents.
We learned:
- The opportunity to redefine success in this tumultuous time.
- The fact that it is ok not to do everything, and ways teams can help each other.
- The need for companies to walk the talk when they say that their employees are their most important assets.
Some of our favorite quotes of our conversation:
"We have an opportunity to redefine what success looks like so that the costs that were incurred by the few are now shared collectively, and I think if we can redefine what that looks like, we win together. "
“People have to know that if they share something that maybe makes them vulnerable, that they have the psychological safety to share, and that they won't be penalized for it. And it can be really hard."
"I have always struggled with this guilt from being away from my kids...and I just think I am going to miss this.”
Listen to Muna’s new podcast, 3 Righteous Mamas on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3-righteous-mamas/id1536213832
Additional resources: Connect with them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/3RighteousMamas iACT, the Interfaith Action of Central Texas at http://interfaithtexas.org/ Muslim Space, https://muslimspace.org/
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with KR Liu, Head of Brand Accessibility at Google in conversation about how we can make the working environment more inclusive for people with disabilities.
We talked about KR Liu’s incredible journey to becoming an advocate, based on her own story of struggling in the workplace with dealing with hearing loss.
We learned
- The importance of speaking up and making the disabled community part of every department in a company.
- The dramatic statistic with regards to the representation of the disabled community in the workplace and even more for the Black disabled community
- The simple actions you can put in place to help to make this community more visible. 1 in 4 people experience disability at some points including permanent, temporary or situational.
Some of our favorite quotes of our conversation
"Every day I have the power to influence someone's life"
"50% of the people killed by the police are black and have a disability"
" Disability is something we all experience at some point in our lives”
"If anything, we want people to feel empowered by us on what we have been able to achieve.
That's really, really important that people understand the contribution that disabled people have made to society"
Learn more about KR Liu https://www.krliu.com/
Additional resources: -“Crip Camp” on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81001496 - Andrea LaVant’s conversation on CripCamp and ADA30 with former President Barack Obama: https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/barack-obamas-surprise-visit-crip-camp-ada-30-1034038/ - “Being Heumann” by Jennifer Heumann: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Heumann-Unrepentant-Disability-Activist/dp/0807019291 - “Disability Visibility Project” by Alice Wong at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/about/
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Jeannie Gainsburg, Founder Savvy Ally Action in conversation about how we can become a better advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
We talk about actionable steps companies can make to create a more inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ employees and some tips about having difficult conversations with people who might not think like us. Jeannie shares some tips based on her 15 years of practice leading workshops for companies.
Learn more about Jeannie Gainsburg: https://www.savvyallyaction.com/about Learn more about Jeannie’s work at: https://www.savvyallyaction.com/
Additional Resources:
Savvy Ally Action YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNTbZy88kyTvZklSdiCi00w "What To Do When You Mess Up": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCs09m3Tpy0&t=5s&ab_channel=SavvyAllyAction “The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate” by Jeannie Gainsburg: https://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Ally-JEANNIE-GAINSBURG/dp/1538136775/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=savvy+ally&qid=1601379141&sr=8-1 Free Educational Handouts from Savvy Ally: https://www.savvyallyaction.com/programs
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Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Dr Adia Gooden, Clinical psychologist in conversation about how we can support ourselves and each other to overcome Impostor Syndrome.
We talk about how Impostor Syndrome shows up and how it is affecting our lives preventing us from reaching our full potential. The pervasive influence of Impostor Syndrome is underestimated, and often exacerbated by discrimination and stereotype threat. It can prevent us from asking questions, and speaking up. It can hold our career and relationships back. Dr. Adia Gooden discusses with us some of the solutions and practices we can implement to overcome this well-spread syndrome.
Learn more about Dr Adia Gooden: https://dradiagooden.com/
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- Dr. Adia’s “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome” Course on Insight Timer https://insighttimer.com/meditation-courses/course_dr-adia-gooden-imposter-syndrome
- Dr. Adia’s TEDx Talk, “Cultivating Unconditional Self-Worth” https://youtu.be/EirlZ7fy3bE
- "The Impostor Phenomenon" by Jaruwan Sakulku in The Journal of Behavioral Science https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/IJBS/article/view/521
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Danny Allen, VP of Tech Diversity & Inclusion at SAP Labs in conversation about Using Data to Drive Change.
Danny Allen has been an engineer in the tech industry for over 30 years, and the last four as an executive focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. In this episode he talks about why he made the jump to create change, and the different projects he oversees across the tech ecosystem to make that happen. We discuss how he uses a diversity dashboard to help drive understanding, accountability, behavior change and equity across the organization.
Learn more about Diversity and Inclusion at SAP - including their integrated report: https://www.sap.com/corporate/en/company/diversity.html
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Additional Resources: - SAP.IO's inclusive entrepreneurship initiative No Boundaries https://sap.io/noboundaries/ - "Driving Inclusion and Innovation In Workplace Culture" at Tech Inclusion - with Danny Allen, Melinda Briana Epler, Candice Morgan and Candi Castleberry Singleton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYzqCYAgZ7A&t=6s - SAP's Project Propel, working with HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities)https://news.sap.com/2015/04/sap-asug-delaware-state-university-support-hbcus/
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Corey Ponder, Empathy Practitioner & Facilitator at em|PACT Strategies, in conversation about Cultivating Empathy as a Skill.
We talk about Corey's story, and how he started emPACT Strategies after the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Then we dive into three types of empathy, and ways to build empathy inside organizations by using design thinking frameworks. We talk about allies as being the "trusted sidekick" in a super hero movie, and how to show up as an ally in this crucial moment - to ensure we are moving racial equity forward. And we discuss ways that we can facilitate difficult conversations so that people with widely different backgrounds find common ground to move toward solutions. We end with a conversation with the audience about what barriers they face as allies, and talk through some solutions.
Learn more about Corey's work at https://www.empactstrategies.com/ ⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Additional Resources:
- David Grey’s Empathy Map: https://medium.com/the-xplane-collection/updated-empathy-map-canvas-46df22df3c8a
- Durably Reducing Transphobia: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/352/6282/220
- Update to the Durably Reducing Transphobia Study: https://www.vox.com/2020/1/29/21065620/broockman-kalla-deep-canvassing
- Having a Difficult Conversation Around Diversity: https://blog.usejournal.com/how-to-have-a-difficult-conversation-about-diversity-22c8a868fbd4
- Determine The Root Cause: The Five Whys: https://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/cause-effect/determine-root-cause-5-whys/
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Irma Olguin Jr, CEO & Co-Founder at Bitwise Industries, in conversation about Leading the Change.
We talk about Irma's story as a granddaughter of immigrants, who starting out working as a farm laborer in the California Central Valley. After earning an engineering degree, she eventually became CEO of a company working to improve diversity and inclusion in tech through technology education. Irma recently closed a Series A round of fundraising of $27M, one of the largest ever led by a Latinx female founder. We discuss innovative ways that leaders can build empathy and allyship across the organization, how to build a sense of belonging during unprecedented times, and what allyship looks like for Irma.
Learn more about Irma's work at Bitwise Industries: https://bitwiseindustries.com/
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Resources: - “From Recycling Bottles for Cash to Tech CEO” by Ruth Umoh, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthumoh/2020/06/26/from-recycling-bottles-for-cash-to-tech-ceo-meet-the-latinx-founder-building-a-100-million-tech-hub-in-californias-gritty-central-valley/#3a0dfd1b1b4b - “I’m a Latinx female founder, and this is how much rejection it took to get to $27 million” by Irma L. Olguin, Fast Company https://www.fastcompany.com/90365868/im-a-latinx-female-founder-and-this-is-how-much-rejection-it-took-to-get-to-27-million
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Lionel Lee, Head of Diversity Engagement at Zillow Group, in conversation about Engaging Leadership. We talk about Lionel's story, what empathy looks like in 2020, how Lionel has worked with leadership to build allyship and deepen understanding for people from underrepresented identities, and the deep work of building empathy across the company.
Learn more about Zillow Group's work on Equity and Belonging: https://www.zillowgroup.com/careers/equity-belonging/
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Resources: - Zillow’s Commitment to Equity & Belonging: https://www.zillowgroup.com/careers/equity-belonging/ - AfroTech Feature on Lionel Lee: This Zillow Exec Wants to Reshape the Face of Tech: https://afrotech.com/this-zillow-exec-wants-to-reshape-the-face-of-tech - Watch the 2019 “Tech Inclusion Seattle Summit, Presented By Zillow and Hosted by Change Catalyst” on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EqXgYRlq-0 - Anti-Racism Resources compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein: bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES
Producer: Juliette Roy Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford Created by: Melinda Briana Epler
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Leading with Empathy and Allyship Host Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, as she shares what it means to be an ally in 2020. She discusses her own path to allyship and the Stages of Allyship. She touches on ways to be anti-racist, interrupt microaggressions, and address systemic inequities in the workplace, and of course some very tangible ways you can be a better ally in the workplace.
This is the end of Season 1 - we will be back with Season 2 in early September!
Learn more about Melinda Briana Epler and her work at https://changecatalyst.co/ally
Additional resources: ➡ Melinda's TED Talk "3 Ways to Be a Better Ally in the Workplace": http://go.ted.com/melindaepler ➡ Listen to all episodes in this 16-week series, and join us for season 2 in early September: https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries ➡ Tech Inclusion Conference & Career Fair October 13-15: https://sf20.techinclusion.co ➡ How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1 ➡ Laura Park's NY Times full-page spread "The Diary Project: 400 Hours. $500.": https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/arts/latasha-harlins-laura-park.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article ➡ "The unbearable whiteness of social networks" by Zack Beauchamp, Vox: https://www.vox.com/xpress/2014/8/22/6056835/white-black-social-networks-ferguson ➡ Kiyun Kim's photo essay on microaggressions: http://nortonism.tumblr.com/
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Rachel Williams, Head of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity at X – the moonshot factory to discuss Creating Structural Change in the Workplace.
Learn more about Rachel on her website: https://www.rachelannwilliams.com/
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Additional resources: ➡ "Continuing DEI Work During a Pandemic" with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Ulysses Smith and Jennifer Brown at Tech Inclusion Global Summit 2020 https://youtu.be/fS_RR4sUbsI ➡ "Keeping It 100: What's Next with Culture & Inclusion in Tech?" with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Aubrey Blanche, and Candice Morgan at Tech Inclusion 2019 https://youtu.be/fU81EBsTJoY ➡ Equity 101: Learn the basics of Startup Employee Stock Options https://carta.com/blog/equity-101-stock-option-basics/ ➡ Suggested Reading: There Are Actually 3 Types of Empathy. Here's How They Differ--and How You Can Develop Them All https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/there-are-actually-3-types-of-empathy-heres-how-they-differ-and-how-you-can-develop-them-all.html ➡ Learn from HRC President Alphonso David on the Hierarchy of Identities http://swervmagazine.com/community/alphonso-david/ ➡ “Continuing DEI Work During a Pandemic” with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Ulysses Smith and Jennifer Brown at Tech Inclusion Global Summit 2020 youtu.be/fS_RR4sUbsI ➡ “Keeping It 100: What’s Next with Culture & Inclusion in Tech?” with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Aubrey Blanche, and Candice Morgan at Tech Inclusion 2019 youtu.be/fU81EBsTJoY
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Dr. Angel Acosta, Principal Consultant at Acosta Consulting to discuss Moving From Structural Inequality to Human Flourishing.
Learn more about Dr. Angel Acosta at https://www.drangelacosta.com/
Additional resources: ➡ Train with The Flow Research Collective to Unlock Peak Performance https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/ ➡ Suggested Reading: Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen https://www.npr.org/2018/08/09/634991713/lies-my-teacher-told-me-and-how-american-history-can-be-used-as-a-weapon ➡ Suggested Reading: The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler https://futurefasterbook.com/ ➡ The Work of Modern Mystic and Spiritual Teacher: Dr. Thomas Hubl https://thomashuebl.com/
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President & CEO at Anitab.org to discuss Women Championing Women.
We address the role allyship plays in advancing gender and racial equity for Black women, how women can better support and champion other women, and how companies can support women and build allyship between women.
Learn more about Brenda's work at https://anitab.org/
Additional resources: ➡ Grace Hopper Celebration 2020 https://ghc.anitab.org/ ➡ COVID-19 Jeopardizes The Future For Students And Employers https://tcin.co/38FJPAY ➡ Top Companies for Women Technologists: 2019 Key Findings and Insights https://tcin.co/3iNK95q ➡ Computer Science for All https://www.csforall.org/
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Jerome Hardaway, Founder & Executive Director at Vets Who Code to discuss Hiring Veterans to Drive Innovation.
Learn more about Jerome's work at https://vetswhocode.io/ or donate at https://vetswhocode.io/donate/
Additional resources: ➡ US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Veteran Employment https://tcin.co/3gGuOBJ ➡ Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC)https://tcin.co/2AJB5gw
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For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Tonya Ladipo, Founder of The Ladipo Group to discuss Advancing Racial Equity in the Workplace.
Learn more about Tonya's work at https://theladipogroup.com/
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Additional resources: ➡ Racial Economic Inequality at Inequality.org https://inequality.org/facts/racial-inequality/ ➡ How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1 ➡ Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience by Laura Morgan Roberts, Anthony J. Mayo, David A. Thomas https://store.hbr.org/product/race-work-and-leadership-new-perspectives-on-the-black-experience/10290 ➡ "Towards a Racially Just Workplace" HBR article by Laura Morgan Roberts and Anthony J. Mayo https://hbr.org/cover-story/2019/11/toward-a-racially-just-workplace ➡ "Talking about Race" and "Being Antiracist" by National Museum of African American History and Culture https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
In Episode 10, join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Ritu Bhasin, Speaker, Author & Consultant at Bhasin Consulting Inc. to discuss Living & Leading through Fear, Bias & Othering.
Learn more about Ritu's work at https://bhasinconsulting.com/
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Highlights From Our Conversation
➡ The Authenticity Principle by Ritu Bhasin https://ritubhasin.com/my-book ➡ Bhasin Consulting’s Recommended D&I Resources https://bhasinconsulting.com/resources/ ➡ My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem https://www.resmaa.com/books ➡ Project Implicit - Harvard University assessment of bias (note that some of this is a bit outdated but you can still learn a bit about how you might have biases) https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler (she/her) with Sloan Leo (they/them), Max Masure (they/them) and Madelena Mak (she/her) to discuss Being a Great Ally for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Colleagues.
Learn more about Sloan's work at https://sloanleo.com/ and https://thevaidgroup.com/ Learn more about Max's work at http://www.maxmasure.com/ Learn more about Madelena's work at https://startupbus.com/
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Resources:
➡ "Why I Put Pronouns on my Email Signature (and LinkedIn profile) and You Should Too" by Max Masure https://medium.com/gender-inclusivit/why-i-put-pronouns-on-my-email-signature-and-linkedin-profile-and-you-should-too-d3dc942c8743 ➡ "Remembering Lorena Borjas, The Mother of A Trans Latinx Community" by Masha Gessen https://www.newyorker.com/news/postscript/remembering-lorena-borjas-the-mother-of-a-trans-latinx-community ➡ Healing Resistance by Kazu Haga https://www.healingresistance.com/ ➡ Learn more about gender identity at Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity ➡ "Dismantling a Culture of Violence: Understanding Anti-Transgender Violence and Ending the Crisis" by Human Rights Campaign: https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/2018AntiTransViolenceReportSHORTENED.pdf ➡ "Being African American and LGBTQ+: An Introduction" by HRC: https://edubirdie.com/translations/being-african-american-lgbtq-an-introduction/
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
In this episode, Change Catalyst CEO Melinda Briana Epler speaks with Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, about Strengthening LGBTQIA+ Leadership in the Workplace. We discuss language, covering, coming out, intersectionality, employee resource groups, and creating safe and inclusive workplaces.
Learn more about Jennifer's work at https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
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Resources:
➡ Jennifer's latest book "How to Be an Inclusive Leader" https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/inclusive-leader-book/ ➡ JBC's Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment https://dei1.jbconlinelearning.com/self-assessment/ ➡ Jennifer's podcast with Vivienne Ming on "The Tax on Being Different" https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/2017/02/23/the-tax-on-being-different-with-vivienne-ming/ ➡ "A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide" by Human Rights Campaign https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-report-startling-data-reveals-half-of-lgbtq-employees-in-us-remain-clos ➡ "The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ Community" by Human Rights Campaign https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-economic-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-lgbtq-community
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Michael Thomas, Shareholder at Ogletree Deakins to discuss Intergenerational Trauma & Its Impact in the Workplace.
We discuss deep, intergenerational racial trauma that can be passed from generation to generation. We explore how that can show up physically, emotionally and spiritually; what some triggers are; how we can recognize and heal these in ourselves; and how we can collectively recognize and correct continued trauma and make space for healing.
Please note this episode does talk about trauma, as well as ways to heal. Please make sure you watch in a safe space where you have time to reflect and practice self-care afterward.
Learn more about Michael's work at https://ogletree.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-thomas-46b7a212/
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Resources:
➡ Ogletree Deakin's D&I Compliance Tools, Training & Resources https://tcin.co/OgletreeDI ➡ Michael's Tech Inclusion 2016 Talk: https://tcin.co/MichaelTechInclusion ➡ Niroga Institute (Oakland, CA): Niroga Institute promotes equity through trauma-informed dynamic mindfulness, strengthening resilience and empathy in schools and communities. https://www.niroga.org/ ➡ Centre for Restorative Justice and Reconciliation: Restorative Justice Circles https://tcin.co/RestorativeJusticeCircles
Reading:
➡ Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy DeGruy https://www.joydegruy.com/shop ➡ The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD https://tcin.co/BodyKeepsScore ➡ The Black Body As a Fetish Object by Anthony Farley https://tcin.co/AnthonyFarley ➡ CDC-Kaiser Study on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) https://tcin.co/ACEstudy ➡ Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankel https://tcin.co/SearchForMeaning
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
In this episode, Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler speaks with Najeeba Syeed, Associate Professor of Interreligious Education at Claremont School of Theology on Empathy, Islamophobia and Muslim Identity.
Najeeba speaks a bit about her story as a young immigrant from Kashmir, who grew up bicultural and exposed to many religions, which has given her a great skill to work with people across religions. We talk about the breadth of intersectional Muslim identities, Islamophobia vs. anti-Muslim bias, and religious pluralism. We dive into embodied empathy and how to build empathy and prevent conflicts across organizations, and Najeeba shares a wishlist for allies.
Learn more about Najeeba's work at https://najeeba.com/ and https://twitter.com/NajeebaSyeed
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Additional learning:
➡ "Experiments in Empathy: Critical Reflections on Interreligious Education" Edited by Najeeba Syeed and Heidi Hadsell https://brill.com/view/title/56542 ➡ "The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict" By Christopher W. Moore https://tcin.co/Conflict ➡ Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative http://www.muslimarc.org/ ➡ Islamic Speakers Bureau https://ing.org/islamic-speakers-bureau/ ➡ Check out your local Muslim or Islamic Speakers Bureau (in most major cities)
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries Support this series: http://patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: http://twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: http://facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Tiffany Yu, CEO & Founder at Diversability to discuss ways to be an effective ally and advocate for people with a wide diversity of disabilities.
In this episode, we talk about Tiffany's disability origin story, and her path to growing into her disability identity. We speak a bit about #NoBodyIsDisposable and what people with disabilities are experiencing during COVID19. Tiffany shares her experience as a person with intersectional identities as an Asian disabled woman, we discuss the significance of the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and go over disability identity language. And we go over many ways that leaders can better lead with empathy and allyship for people with disabilities.
Learn more about Tiffany's work at Diversability http://www.mydiversability.com/
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More to learn for Allies - Tiffany mentioned many of these in this episode:
1 ➡ Diversability's Resources for Allies: http://www.mydiversability.com/be-an-ally 2 ➡ "Building Equity and Allyship for People with Disabilities” at Tech Inclusion 2019, panel moderated by Tiffany Yu https://youtu.be/Uz3c5tXYndI 3 ➡ "Disability is Diversity" - Tiffany’s Tech Inclusion talk: https://youtu.be/U1r6AaqudfE 4 ➡ "The Power of Exclusion" - Tiffany’s TEDx talk https://youtu.be/qVtDejw8ZBw 5 ➡ Change Catalyst's Ability in Tech playlist on Youtube: https://tcin.co/AbilityinTechPlaylist 6 ➡ Watch "Crip Camp" on Netflix https://tcin.co/CripCamp 7 ➡ "I’m disabled and need a ventilator to live. Am I expendable during this pandemic?" by Alice Wong on Vox https://tcin.co/AliceWongArticle 8 ➡ "I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much" by Stella Young on TED https://tcin.co/StellaYoungTED 9 ➡ No Body Is Disposable https://nobodyisdisposable.org/ 10 ➡ Stop AAPI Hate http://www.asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate/
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Daisy Auger-Domínguez, CEO of Auger-Domínguez Ventures, to discuss Amplifying the Latinx Experience in the Workplace. Daisy has been an executive at Moody's, Time Warner, Disney, Google and Viacom, and is the new Chief People Officer at Vice Media Group.
In this episode, we talk about Daisy's path to leadership as a Dominican-Puerto Rican - a journey full of sponsors and allies that believed in her, promoted her, pushed her and supported her. We discuss the difference between Hispanic, Latino/Latina, and Latinx, and we dive deep into how to create change through amplification. Finally, we discuss what individuals can do to be great allies and create culture change within organizations.
Learn more about Daisy's work at https://www.daisyauger-dominguez.com/
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Additional resources for allies:
➡ "Getting Over Your Fear of Talking About Diversity" by Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Harvard Business Review https://tcin.co/GetOverFearAboutDiversity ➡ Hollywood Commission to Eliminate Harassment and Advance Equality in the Workplace https://hollywoodsurvey.org/ ➡ Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility "Corporate Inclusion Index" https://www.hacr.org/hacr-cii/ ➡ "Vice Media Hires HR Veteran Daisy Auger-Domínguez as Head of Human Resources" by Todd Spangler https://tcin.co/DaisyViceMedia
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Vanessa Roanhorse, CEO at Roanhorse Consulting, for lessons in "Supporting Indigenous Power, Leadership & Community."
In this third episode of Leading With Empathy & Allyship, we talk about Vanessa's path to leadership and helping entrepreneurs access capital, what’s happening with Native American tribes during COVID-19, what power really means and why it's so important, and how allies can help repair the deep inequities created by years of colonialism and marginalization. Vanessa also talks about her own path as an ally and advocate for other people.
Learn more about Vanessa's work at https://roanhorseconsulting.com/ and https://www.nativewomenlead.org/
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Additional Resources
➡ COVID-19 Resources for Native Communities from Roanhorse Consulting: https://roanhorseconsulting.com/nm-covid-19-resources-for-native-communities/ ➡ Help by donating to Native American Community Response Fund: tcin.co/NACRF (also a great resource to continue your learning) ➡ "Navajo community left to fight COVID-19 with limited resources" ABC News: tcin.co/NavajoCOVID19ABCNews ➡ Navajo Department of Public Health COVID-19 Resources: tcin.co/NDPH ➡ Recommended Reading List from FirstNations.org: tcin.co/FirstNationsBooks ➡ Reclaiming Diné History by Jennifer Nez Denetdale tcin.co/ReclaimingDineHistory ➡ An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: tcin.co/IndigenousHistory
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts YouTube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler in Episode 2 of a new series: Leading with Empathy & Allyship. In this episode we discuss Mental Health During COVID-19 with Dr. Jessi Gold and Dr. Ayana Jordan.
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If you need help to support your mental health, please reach out now to:
➡ Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 ➡ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 ➡ Crisis Textline: Text TALK to 741741 ➡ Physician Support Line: physiciansupportline.com ➡ Project Parachute - pro-bono therapy for COVID-19 Frontliners: eleos.health/parachute
Additional Resources
➡ Learn more about the work of Dr. Jessica "Jessi" Gold, MD, MS: https://www.drjessigold.com and follow her on Twitter twitter.com/drjessigold ➡ Follow Dr. Ayana Jordan on Twitter twitter.com/DrAyanaJordan ➡ "Mental Health and COVID-19" by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org/mental-health-and-covid-19
Thank you to our sponsor Interpreter-Now. Learn more at interpreter-now.com
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/changecatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler for the first installment in a new series: Leading With Empathy & Allyship. In the first episode we discuss Countering Xenophobia in the Workplace with Co-Founder & CEO of Awaken, Michelle Kim.
Defining xenophobia and anti-Asian racism, harassment and bullying during COVID-19 and beyond; intersectionality and the myth of the “model minority”; holding ourselves accountable as allies and accomplices; practical ways companies can address these issues in the workplace; and more!
⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑
Additional Resources
➡ Awaken’s virtual training on Combating Xenophobia: visionawaken.com/virtual ➡ "Allyship (& Accomplice): The What, Why, and How" by Michelle Kim: tcin.co/MichelleKimAllyship ➡ Coronavirus fears show how ‘model minority’ Asian Americans become the ‘yellow peril’ by Matthew Lee, NBC News: tcin.co/NBCModelMinorityinCOVID ➡ Report Hate Crimes and Incidents via Stop APPI Hate: tcin.co/StopAPPIHate
Thank you to our sponsor Interpreter-Now for ASL interpretation. Learn more at interpreter-now.com
For more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.
Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts Youtube: youtube.com/c/ChangeCatalyst Twitter: twitter.com/changecatalysts Facebook: facebook.com/changecatalysts Instagram: instagram.com/techinclusion LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalysts
allyship #empathy #xenophobia #COVID19 #MichelleKim #MelindaBrianaEpler #MelindaEpler #Awaken #ChangeCatalyst #diversity #inclusion #DEI
Shruti Shah, Entrepreneur In Residence At Silicon Valley talks to us about her work at Silicon Valley Bank and her experience as a women of color entrepreneur.
This week, it is my pleasure to welcome Jessica Loché to the show. Since I recorded this episode with Jessica, she started a new position as the Head of Culture & Innovation at The Riveter. In this interview, she talks to us about why tech companies need more than ping pong tables to make their employees happy and why we should not expect diversity inclusion teams to do everything
Steve Huffman, Co-Founder and CEO of Reddit shares with us why he thinks diversity and inclusion is core to Reddit’s success.
Meghan Nesbit is the Director of Nonprofit Market Development at Twilio. She talks to us about how companies can make their technology more accessible to nonprofit and the importance of having diversity and inclusion strategies in the nonprofit sector.
Emilie Hsieh is the co-founder and Ceo of Allie, an engagement platform that allows employees to give feedback and get personalized coaching on issues like inclusion.
Benjamin Evans is the Airbnb design lead to the anti-discrimination team. You’ll learn how Benjamin landed his job at Airbnb and how his work supports his desire to create more inclusive tech platforms.
Carolina Huaranca Mendoza is a principal at Kapor Capital, a social impact venture fund based in Oakland. Carolina shares with us what she likes the most working for a VC company and her own experience as an entrepreneur. She also talks about the Startup Weekend Latinx she launched in partnership with Techstars.
Nicole Lazzaro, the CEO of XEODesign talks about her journey to build a VR impact game company and her takeaway from being a female game developer and entrepreneur in the Tech industry.
Monique used to be a venture partner at 500 Startups. She talks about the positive changes she has noticed in the VC world and all the different initiatives she is working on to support under-represented founders and companies with a social impact. Monique is also the Founder and Executive Director of Black Founders.
One in seven people might live with a disability. Victor talks to us about why we most certainly will experience disability at some point in our lives. He shares his work of bringing awareness to include the disabled community in the design of products and cities.
Arlan is the managing director of Backstage Capital, a seed investment firm with a focus on underserved founders.
Lexi Curtice, Development Team Girls Who Code on how scholarships are crucial to girls success by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Christina Ulerio, program manager Tech Kids on why it is important to change hiring practices by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Sabeen Ali, CEO & Founder of Angelhack on building the largest diverse community of developers by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Julie talks about SheEO, the radical generosity approach, and alternative fund. She shares the experience of the ambitious venture SheEO has undertaken with the goal of funding 10,000 female-led ventures by 1 million women with 1 billion in funding by 2020.
Producer&Host: Juliette Roy Audio Engineer: Peju Makun
Kathryn Brown is the founder of Scout Savvy, a diverse and inclusive recruiting app. Based in Portland, she talks about her journey as a female tech leader. https://www.scoutsavvy.co
EP & Host: Juliette Bouquerel Roy Audio Engineer : Peju Makun
Zeeshan Khan is the founder of Enabled Tech, a company dedicated to helping tech companies to build a product with users with disabilities in mind. http://enabledtech.co
Audio engineer Peju Makun
Kamilah Taylor, senior software engineer at Linkedin on why women in tech should speak up by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Karen Fleshman, Founder, Racy Conversation on the importance of having difficult conversations by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Eileen Brewer, Director of Enterprise Security Strategic Projects at Symantec talks about working with the U.S Department's TechWomen initiative mentoring girls and women from 20 different countries and what it taught her about changing one's mindset. She also speaks about the opportunity to increase more diversity in hiring practices and training managers about unconscious bias.
BeVisible is a career focused social media platform for US Latinxs.
BeVisible is about connecting Latinas with each other and to educational, career, entrepreneurial, and mentoring opportunities to give them the tools they need to succeed in education, at work, in government, and in their communities. Website: http://bevisible.soy/ Executive Producer & Host Juliette Roy
Christine Tabony, Computer Technologies Program on training people with disability by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Ellen Petry Leanse on catalyzing the change that leads people to doing better by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Lucienne Gigante, founder of Animus & Access Latina, talks about the need for an educational revolution to close the technology gender gap
Deldelp Medina, director of residency at Code2040 on what it means to be an entrepreneur by Change Catalyst/ Melinda Briana Epler
Abby Maldonado, the diversity and inclusion specialist at Pinterest shares best practices for creating change in the workplace. She reminds us there will always be a little hesitation, and that most people are uncomfortable with change. The trick, she tells us, is to reframe diversity as an asset within the business.
Antonio Williams, Sr. Director of Government and External Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal, joins us to discuss the importance of outreach and engagement with the different communities and cultures that make up their customer base. He points to how your workforce needs to reflect the cultures that it serves and that only a diverse slate of candidates can fulfill on that promise.
Sarah Clatterbuck, Director of Engineering at LinkedIn, oversees client facing technology and the product accessibility team. Listen in as she talks about the value and expediency of building product with a diverse team, and that newer talent joining tech companies are very interested in assistive technologies. She touches on how company culture is evolving, introducing accessibility earlier in the product life cycle and looking at your product through a global lens.
Maica Gil, co-founder at San Francisco International Women Entrepreneurs Forum, an international voice for empowering and educating women entrepreneurs. She is also the co-founder of Heroikka.com, a platform to connect women to empower the world. She shares her perspective on what it means to hire women in tech and how women should not change the nature of what they bring to the table. She offers advice and insight around three recurring themes: lack of visibility, funding, and resources for women entrepreneurs. http://sfwomentrepreneurs.com/ www.heroikka.com
Melinda Briana Epler and Wayne Sutton Introduce An In-Depth Video Series And Set Of Guides On How To Build Inclusive Technology Hubs."
Host & Producer: Juliette Roy Audio Producer: Peju Makun
Son Kim, an expert in assistive technology, touches on the nuances around accessibility in tech. He explains how visually imparied engineers or designers are able to create solutions that serve a wider audience as a result of their direct experience around usability. This thoughtful episode covers ADA compliance, focusing on abilities, not disabilities, and navigating a path to success.
Producer: Juliette Roy Audio Producer: Jasmin Mara
Juliette and Marco discuss how to build a diverse engineering team, creating opportunity and why the investment pays off. They touch on best practices, the role of culture, and why the right resources help everyone win. Includes advice on pathways to leadership, mapping skills to available roles and building a more transparent ecosystem.
Host & Producer: Juliette Roy Audio Producer: Peju Makun
Interview with Rachel Williams at the Ability and Tech Conference in Berkeley - May 2016 Executive Producer & Host: Juliette Bouquerel Roy Producer: Jasmín Mara López
Interview with Melinda Briana Epler at the Ability and Tech Conference in Berkeley - May 2016 Executive Producer & Host: Juliette Bouquerel Roy Producer: Jasmín Mara López
Hadiyah Mujhid, an engineer and entrepreneur talks about her latest project HBCU to start up and how she is building a platform to connect students from historically black colleges to HPC us to tech opportunities. Executive Producer & Host: Juliette Bouquerel- roy Producer: Peju Makun Interview recorded at the Tech Inclusion Conference in San Francisco Oct 2016