Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox

According to Everett Harper, "there's no perfect culture...from a DEI perspective or even just a business perspective."  So if it can't be perfect, how do you start to build a solid corporate culture that lasts?  For individuals, it includes hard work, intentional recovery, and finding a purpose. For companies, it's about supporting all of that and more. Everett Harper is the CEO and Co-founder of...

Lisa Cunningham started in hip hop, ultimately producing music videos for artists such as Ludacris, Missy Elliott, and Young Jeezy.  But one day, she realized her life and career had a higher purpose, and she decided to produce her own remix. She's now a human rights advocate, LGBTQ influencer, and proponent of Black women's health. Lisa Cunningham is the Digital Content Manager of the Black Women...

Kelly Cooper has been involved in sustainable development her entire career, even representing Canada at the United Nations on issues involving sustainability and environment. 12 years ago, she started to think about the social impact of sustainability. But what does that mean, and how does social intelligence affect organizational sustainability? Kelly Cooper is the founder and CEO of the Centre...

When David Ryan Castro-Harris talks about restorative justice, it's not only a practice but also a philosophy and way to connect with our ancestors.  So what does restorative justice really mean to him?  David Ryan Castro-Harris is the founder of Amplify RJ and host of the This Restorative Justice Life Podcast . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by...

Through her traumatic and abusive childhood, Sheena Mason found her safe haven in school and literature. Her thirst for knowledge and escape led her down the path of consuming all she could on race, liberation, resistance, African-American history, psychology, and more. Ultimately, she came up with the Theory of Racelessness . Dr. Sheena Mason is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Oneonta, keynote spe...

Today we continue our WAY Beyond the Checkbox series with fads, fatigue, and the "Did you really just say that?!?" WTF moments DEI professionals  experience.  Recorded after hours with drinks in hand, we're joined by VP of Products and Innovation Kurt Merriweather , Senior DEI Consultant and Strategist Susie Silver , and Head of Client Services Jamie Ousterout .  Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is b...

Today we share our first episode in a new series, WAY Beyond the Checkbox. On episode 1, Jackie is joined by three other members of The Diversity Movement team: CEO Donald Thompson, Director of Business Intelligence Bob Batchelor, and Senior Content Strategist Roxanne Bellamy. This was recorded after hours, and everyone had a drink in their hands. So no summary, just enjoy. :) Diversity Beyond the...

In this special bonus episode of Diversity Beyond the Checkbox, The Diversity Movement CEO Donald Thompson chats with Lenovo Chief Diversity Officer Calvin Crosslin about his rude introduction to being Black and looking for a job, microaggressions, his journey to becoming Lenovo CDO, product diversity, and the Lenovo Foundation . Watch the full video of Don's interview with Calvin. Diversity Beyon...

Omar L. Harris has worked and lived all over the world - Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, and the United States. So he's experienced a variety of cultures and has the experiences to know what works in business and what doesn't - especially in leadership. Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss: Leadership in the Era of Corporate Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion , by Omar L. Harris Diversity Bey...

A career is never a straight line, and Denice Torres' is no exception. After years of working as a janitor, she knew that she wanted to start her big career adventure. She studied psychology, attended law school and worked for United Way before she realized a job might not be the key to her pursuit of making a difference. Hear about the rest of her journey and what she's learned from it in this ep...

When Chelsea C. Williams first stepped foot on Spelman College 's campus, she started to understand diversity. As an HBCU, Spelman is (mostly) racially homogenous, so that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Except that Chelsea could see other types of diversity, such as regional differences and differences of upbringing.  Her curiosity for how we can better understand differences in people led her...

Shailvi Wakhlu was in technology from the beginning. At two, her mom brought home a computer that she would play with. At eight, she started coding and found her passion. But as she got older, she started to realize that most of the coders didn't look like her, and she was working in a very homogenous field. Now she's on a mission to change that. Shailvi Wakhlu is the Senior Director of Data at St...

Growing up in rural North Carolina, people would always ask Jess Jolley, "What are you?" or "What are you mixed with?"  In the South, you were either white, Black, or other, and as a light-skinned Black person, that wasn't always easy. And as Jess would discover by looking into historical records, race is not a binary construct. Jess Jolley is the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Pendo...

When Elaine Montilla came to the United States from the Dominican Republic to attend college, she barely understood English and struggled to fit in. Today, she's the CIO of The Graduate Center at City University of New York , Founder of 5xminority , and member of the Forbes Technology Council . Tune in to hear how she forged her path to technology leader and what advice she has for other underrepr...

Season 5 of Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is coming soon, but until then, take a listen to another podcast that Jackie Ferguson hosts, Executive Women's Day from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. ____ According to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Segment CFO of Government Markets Dr. Endya Perry, "You can close that window and you can close every door in this place, but it'...

Season 5 is almost here, but we wanted to give you some highlights from season 4 of Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox! In this episode, you'll hear clips from: Fishbowl Live: Recruiting Diverse Talent, with Bree Sarlati and Lauren McDonald Intentional Allyship and Diversity in Design with Dwell with Dignity’s Ashley Sharp Are you Diversity Resistant, Inclusive AF, or Somewhere in the Middle? with Jen...

With 28,000 PGA professionals and over 2 million jobs in golf, PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross has a lot in her plate, and as she puts it, a "workforce diversification challenge," with a workforce that's "a little bit homogenous, from a demographic perspective." Sandy recognizes that "we have to evolve the composition of that workforce if they're going to attract Americans diverse...

With different backgrounds, experiences, and personalities, how can we lead teams effectively? In her first career, Pam Boney worked her way up in the hospitality industry and eventually became Senior Vice President of a large chain of hotels. Through the various personalities on her teams and in leadership, she started to notice that many in leadership didn’t have the tools to utilize their stren...

Vickie Gibbs is passionate about changing the way we look at entrepreneurship and venture capital.  As a veteran of both, Vickie knows that "being an entrepreneur is not a solo sport" and creative cultures of inclusion from the ground up is imperative to the long-term success of startups. " Who We Are " original song and music video by The Diversity Movement. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is broug...

Having grown up in foster care, Di Ciruolo knows what it's like to feel left out. And she's made it her life's mission to foster inclusivity in the workplace. With her new book, Ally Up: The Definitive Guide to Building More Inclusive, Innovative, and Productive Teams , Di is hoping that people will get off the sidelines and into the DEI conversation. Di Ciruolo Consulting Ally Up: The Definitive...

Charlene Wheeless is a recovering c-suite executive who is unapologetically authentic. When she started immersing herself in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) conversations, she heard so many excuses for why corporations were failing at DEI, including the "we have a pipeline issue" rationale.  That wasn't going to fly with Charlene. Charlene on Linkedin Charlene's book, You Are Enough! Reclai...

Derri Stormer is a Major on the Wake Forest University Police Department as well as the founder and president of Stomer and Associates Consulting. As a Black woman in law enforcement, she has felt microaggressions, has broken through stereotypes, and has risen through the ranks. "It's one thing to be in the room, but it's also another to be heard while you're sitting at the room." Tune in to hear...

You may know Precious Brady-Davis as the first transgender woman who appeared on Say Yes to the Dress. You may have heard that Precious and her husband Myles, who's also transgender, gave birth to a now 19 month old daughter.  Today, Precious gives us the inside scoop on her experiences growing up in rural Nebraska, her courage to transition, and becoming an inspiration to so many who don't want t...

The Diversity Movement's Jackie Ferguson and Bob Batchelor discuss controversy and racism at the Olympics, touching on Sha'Carri Richardson, the ban on Afro swim caps, and Allyson Felix versus Nike. Full episode video LIVE at the Earfluence studio in downtown Raleigh Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson , and is a pro...

Jen O'Ryan was in tech for 20 years, but she started to realize that she wanted to do something to give back to the community. She wanted to help companies move from really good intentions and really good ideas - and having no idea where to start - to actual results. So like so many in diversity and inclusion work, she became an accidental expert. Jen O'Ryan on Linkedin Inclusive AF: A Field Guide...