Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox

Avantha Arachchi had done everything right, and she was one clearance away from achieving her life-long dream of joining the CIA when she was rejected because of her transgender identity. In response, she built her career around encouraging others to be their authentic selves. As COO of A-Frame Brands, Avantha works with celebrities—including Gabrielle Union, Dwayne Wade, John Legend and Naomi Osa...

We've all heard the phrase "The only constant is change," and it can be difficult, stressful and unsettling. In this episode, Dr. Deborah Gilboa shares using a growth mindset to reframe our attitudes towards change and help us navigate life with renewed intention and purpose.   Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson and...

Nils Vinje is a leadership coach and head coach of the B2B Leaders Academy, and he says that leading diverse teams effectively requires more than just leading the way you'd like to be led. In this episode, hear the top mistakes to avoid as an emerging leader and Nils' best advice for experienced leaders to stay up to date on inclusive leadership best practices.  Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is br...

If you're part of an underrepresented or marginalized group in the United States, you likely have faced or will face a health disparity at some point in your life. As the inaugural Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at UNC Health, Dr. Audrea Caesar is working to expand health equity efforts at UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine. In this episode, learn why inequities in healthcare...

A former member of the U.S. Air Force, Kimberly Wiefling knows what it takes to build a strong team—and the signs of a weak one—and that's why she started her consulting business, Wiefling Consulting. In her decades of consulting in Silicon Valley, she's gathered data and observations from teams she's transformed to perfect her recipe for success of human skills in a technical world. In this episo...

Sara Bowen is the VP of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Boeing, a multinational aerospace company founded more than 100 years ago. How do you lead diversity, equity and inclusion at an award-winning level for more than 140,000 people worldwide? In this episode, Sara shares best practices on leading global teams, the imperative of transparency and authenticity and becoming a "magnet" for high-per...

Leigh Steinberg is a sports legend, representing a dozen NFL Hall of Famers and iconic figures in every sport, including Olympic champions. Famously a role model for Tom Cruise's character in Jerry Maguire, Steinberg is on a mission to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront in the sports industry. Steinberg has secured over $4 billion for his 300+ pro athlete clients (including to...

We're looking forward to season seven starting next week, but we can't forget to listen back to these awesome lessons from season six of Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox! In this episode, you'll hear pieces of conversations from our episodes with... Bradley Schurman Jackie Font-Guzmán and Bernie Mayer Jen Fry Nancy Murphy Jenn T Grace LaTonya Wilkins Irina Konstantanovsky Ashley Marchand Orme Nicole...

Inclusive language skills help you communicate more effectively and build relationships where people feel safe, respected and seen personally and professionally, but, sometimes, it can be difficult to know the right thing to say. Jackie Ferguson and Roxanne Bellamy are here to help make decisions like those a little easier, and we are excited to share our Word Choice Workshop webinar with you. We...

Sometimes it's not OK to be just neutral. In fact, it can be very dangerous when talking about effecting change and establishing social justice for everyone. In this episode, hear why the problem led these Eastern Mennonite University professors, Jackie Font-Guzmán and Bernie Mayer, to co-authored "The Neutrality Trap: Disrupting and Connecting for Social Change." Purchase "The Neutrality Trap: Di...

As an NCAA volleyball 15-year head coach, Jen Fry has plenty of experience with uncomfortable conversations, seeing different cultures (and standing out), and understanding what it's like to be a good teammate.  Although many questioned her decision, Jen's experience made her career transition to DEI consulting a very natural fit. Dr. Jen Fry is a 15 year NCAA volleyball coach turned keynote speak...

As a floating secretary for Ernst & Young, Tana Session found herself spending a lot of time in HR and soaking up every bit of knowledge she could. A boss saw potential in her, and she climbed the corporate ladder focusing on DEI and culture. She eventually decided it was time to step out on her own - she made the leap to entrepreneurship, where she now consults with brands such as Madison Ree...

Interviewing diverse candidates for a position sounds like a great idea, and, if you have the right intentions, it is. But, a recently suspended policy at Wells Fargo led managers to conduct "fake interviews" with employees of color to check the box. In this special episode, hear Jackie and The Diversity Movement's Bob Bachelor discuss what went wrong at Wells Fargo. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox...

Horizon Therapeutics specializes in solving problems in rare diseases, and the biopharmaceutical company develops medications that only 500 patients worldwide require. As the Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer, Irina Konstantinovsky knows that a commitment to DEI is essential to a company where inclusion is at the heart of its mission. In this episode, hear...

It's easy for public corporations to talk about moving the needle on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But what happens when the curtain is pulled back and there's full transparency?  For JUST Capital (founded in 2013 by Paul Tudor Jones, Deepak Chopra, Arianna Huffington and Alan Fleischmann among others), the mission is to build an economy that works for all Americans. And with its 241 point eva...

At The Diversity Movement, we celebrate Pride all year long. But, each June, we encourage others to be intentional about renewing their commitment to LGBTQ+ learning and empowerment. For this special episode, we are highlighting some of the amazing LGBTQ+ leaders who have shared their stories, experiences and perspectives with me over the past several seasons. For every download of this episode th...

When Jenn T Grace was giving keynotes or providing consulting work, she always led with her queer identity.  She had even branded herself as The Professional Lesbian and wrote four books around LGBTQ+ specific topics. But one day she felt like it was an albatross around her neck, and she was so much more than what she was known for.  So she took a step back and realized that she didn't have to be...

Less than 1% of the professionals in real estate development are non-white women, and Nicole Furnace is trying to change that by example.  Today she talks to Jackie about her experience in a predominantly white world, why underrepresented and marginalized voices in real estate are imperative, and what we can do to fix systemic inequities. Nicole Furnace is the Founder of Roots Consulting Group . D...

Imagine a society where Black people are the majority and white people are the underrepresented and marginalized race. What has this society's history been like? How is the educational system different than our reality today? This dystopia is what comic book creator Brian Hawkins built with Black Cotton, and today he shares his story on his inspiration for the comic, bias, and empathy for races th...

As a child, Paul Zeitz was sexually abused, and he's made it his mission to help those who have suffered through what he has. But with online access, sexual abuse and exploitation has only increased. Today, Dr. Zeitz talks about what we can do as a society to prevent this, plus his views on reparations and other social justice topics.     Dr. Paul Zeitz is a justice imagineer, author, physician, e...

According to Nancy Murphy, making actual change is "a miserable experience, everyone hates it." But if making those company-wide changes can truly impact sustainability and policy, how do leaders initiate socially conscious decisions that actually stick?   Nancy Murphy is the founder and CEO of CSR Communications , where she teaches leaders how to influence and persuade others so they can realize...

LaTonya Wilkins' team helps clients create cultures of belonging while also amplifying the voices of the underrepresented so that they feel valued and engaged. So how can companies create cultures of belonging? And then if companies aren't committed to DEI, how can employees navigate the corporate environment successfully? LaTonya Wilkins is the founder of The Change Coaches LLC , keynote speaker,...

With birth rates plummeting and life expectancy rising, one out of every five people are over 65 - what Bradley Schurman calls The Super Age. This age shift challenges us to change our historical bias about older populations and be intentional about inclusion - in both work and in the community. Bradley Schurman is a demographic futurist and opinion maker on business longevity. He's the founder of...

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 (with links to their episodes): Elaine Montilla Kelly Cooper Jessica Jolley Patsy Doerr Chelsea C. Wiliams Everett Harper Denice Torres Omar L. Harris Lisa Cunningham Shailvi Wakhlu Sheena Mason David Ryan Castro-Harris Diversity Beyond the Che...

As we're all flooded with the busy-ness of work and all the things we need to do in our daily lives, it's important to figure out what keeps us grounded and how to give back. In the season finale, The Association of Junior Leagues International CEO Patsy Doerr talks about her career in DEI, how her team has built an infrastructure around DEIB (yes, with a B), how she keeps herself grounded, and wh...