Authenticity, Belonging, Community

Kevin Chan Bradley is the Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community for HUB International. Joining the organization in 2021, oversees the company’s overarching DEI strategy and provides coaching and consultation to ensure the execution of the strategy on all levels or the organization. Mr. Bradley is a seasoned Diversity & Inclusion practitioner with over 30 years in Human Re...

Ed Thomson is the founder and CEO of Uptimize the leading neuro-inclusion training company whose mission is to help organizations embrace and leverage every type of thinker. Born and raised in London and educated at the University of Oxford, Ed founded Uptimize in 2016 recognizing the urgent need for greater understanding and appreciation of neurodiversity within the working world. His role with U...

Content warning: Please note this episode includes a brief discussion of gun violence at minute 16 and minute 19. Take care as you listen. On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Laura Coe. Laura was born in Chicago and found her calling in philosophy, which she studied at Brandeis as well as in graduate school at Tufts University. After realizing she didn’t want to pursue aca...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Billy Daniel, an episcopal priest and rector at Church of the Ascension in Knoxville Tennessee. Billy received his PhD in theology from the University of Nottingham, England and is the author of Inhabited by Grace and Christ the Liturgy. Billy has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in theology, ethics and the humanities and is the...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Mark Wynn! Mark is a former police officer and consultant for the justice department. He served as an officer in Nashville for 21 years and worked to create the largest police domestic violence investigative unit in the United States. He trains professionals, from executives to officers to social workers and more, on how to address domes...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Henry Davis! Henry is a professional filmmaker, movement instructor, and the executive director of Love Bolt, a grassroots effort to spark organic friendships across racial and socio-economic barriers. In this conversation, Michael and Henry discuss the importance of learning about your community and its history, having curiosity for the...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews David O’Donnell! David is a design strategist and researcher with over 25 years of experience in innovation consulting and the field of design thinking. He holds a Masters in Urban Planning and Public Policy, is a member of the Sonder Collective, an international cooperative of designers based in the US, the EU and several African countr...

S4 Ep 8: Giving Gifts to Others | Dionna Griffin-Irons On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Dionna Griffin-Irons! Dionna is the longtime former Director of Diversity Talent, Inclusion, and Development for the world's largest comedy theater, The Second City. A multi-faceted producer, writer-alumni, and fierce advocate for DIB, she's used her twenty-year expertise in...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Audrey Francis! Audrey serves as the Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, alongside Glenn Davis, where she has been an Ensemble member since 2017. She is an actor, director, educator, and coach, as well as the co-founder of Black Box Acting. In this interview, Michael and Audrey discuss the importance of embracing your imperfections...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Ellie Krug! Ellie is a former civil lawyer and current national inclusivity trainer/speaker, author, radio host, and transgender rights activist based in Minnesota. In this conversation, Michael and Ellie discuss what it means to show up as you are, to practice compassion for yourself and others, and how the foundation of diversity and i...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Dr. Monica Cox! Dr. Cox is a change agent, disruptor, and trailblazer, as well as a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at The Ohio State University, the CEO of STEMinent, and an authenticity coach/DEI practitioner. In this episode, Michael and Dr. Cox discuss the burden of leadership, the need to speak up against the status quo, and...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Janeane Bernstein! Janeane is a journalist, mental health advocate, radio host/producer with KUCI 88.9fm, and creator of the mental health podcast and event series, OUTSIDE THE BOX. She is a 2021 Age Boom Academy Fellow with the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center in partnership with Columbia Journalism and the author of GET THE FUNK...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Katie Remington! Katie is the Research Director for the Minnesota Justice Research Center where she leads MNJRC’s efforts to engage in participatory and collaborative community-led research on topics including the criminal legal system, youth development, and education. In this episode, Katie and Michael discuss the need to address your...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Juan Acosta! Juan is a mental health advocate, activist, and author, whose advocacy work began in his hometown of Woodland, California at age 13. Since then, Juan’s work has focused on underserved communities, specifically the LGBTQ+, Immigrant, and Latinx community, and has impacted not only communities in California, but across the cou...

Welcome back to another season of INCOGNITO the podcast! In the first episode of Season 4, Michael offers his thoughts on the challenging political conflicts we are facing today, including book bans, censorship of Black history, policies threatening LGBTQ+ rights, and more. Michael shares his insight into navigating these divides, and reminds listeners to focus on making connections with others, i...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp! Steven and Mildred are the founders and directors of UNIVERSES, a national Ensemble Theater Company of multi-disciplined writers and performers of color, who fuse theater, poetry, dance, jazz, hip hop, politics, down home blues and Spanish boleros to create moving, challenging and entertaining works for...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Larry Thompson! Larry is a lawyer, law professor, and former US Deputy Attorney General under President George W. Bush. In this episode, Michael and Larry discuss the necessity of teamwork, transparency, and a willingness to listen and speak honestly to the cultivation of an inclusive workplace. Larry shares his insight into the incredib...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Trinity Villanueva! Trinity is an advocate on the intersections of justice, liberation, and creative and artistic spaces. An incredibly multi-talented person, Trinity now serves as a Managing Partner at TOSHA, an organization which partners with the creative industry to cultivate inclusive workplace cultures through mindful leadership pr...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Mary Amrita Arden! Mary holds a Master’s degree in public health, is a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming coach, and, since 1991, has been a teacher and coach at the Hoffman Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to transformative adult education, spiritual growth, and the personal dimensions of leadership. In this episod...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Cecilia B. Loving! Cecilia is the Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at PBS, where she is responsible for developing organizational strategy, providing ongoing advice and counsel, and cultivating future partnerships. With over 20 years of experience as a practicing attorney, Cecilia has held various DEI leadershi...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Toni Wynn! Toni is a museum content curator, DEI speaker, and poet who sees big and small to craft inspired opportunities for engaging and learning. In this episode, Michael and Toni discuss the importance of living in kindness, celebrating the arts, and having compassion towards both ourselves and others, and Toni shares her philosophy...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Ronnie Malley! Ronnie is a multi-instrumentalist musician, theatrical performer, producer, and educator, who has collaborated with artists internationally, composed and consulted for many cultural music projects in film and theater, appeared as a guest artist on several works, and is executive director of Intercultural Music Production i...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Alderman Debra Silverstein! Alderman Silverstein has been the representative of Chicago’s 50th Ward since 2011, working tirelessly to make her neighborhood a better place for the many residents who call it home through both groundbreaking projects and everyday actions. In this episode, Michael and Alderman Silverstein discuss the importa...

On this episode of INCOGNITO the podcast, Michael interviews Angela Ford! Angela is the founder and executive director of The Obsidian Collection Archives, an organization that works to preserve Black historical journalism through digital archiving in hopes of making the historic and factual accounts of Black life in the United States accessible to the public and, in doing so, illuminating Black c...

Welcome back to another season of INCOGNITO the podcast! In the first episode of Season 3, I not only tell the story of how this podcast came to be, but also reflect on the many fantastic tools and practices towards creating a more diverse and inclusive society that guests have shared with me and INCOGNITO listeners throughout the first two seasons. I offer my pitch for why people should listen to...