The Intersection

“Something that has become even more clear to me is that in all the different ways that we're doing the work [of social justice], we need support,” says Stephanie Hicks. Stephanie Hicks is the founder and director of Yoga for Black Lives, a series of donation-based yoga classes to support Chicago organizations resisting state violence against Black people. She is a lecturer at The Program on...

According to Saba Bondo, since change comes from within, a coach should inspire transformation rather than just tell you that you need to change. Saba Bando is a certified life and leadership coach and positive psychology practitioner. She uses her experience in personal development, psychology, spirituality, and neuroscience research to guide her clients towards the future they want to create in...

When leaders model their vulnerability...it encourages employees to do the same which positively impacts workplace culture, says Claudia Richman, Founder, Principal, and Change Artist at We Grow Forward and my guest this week on the podcast.  Claudia is an Organization Design and Change expert who has done extensive work helping companies plan and navigate high growth. Claudia most recently conver...

This week I’m talking to Dr. Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara, who is the founder and CEO of Luminosa Psychology Services. Eleanor is a licensed psychologist and has done extensive work in tribal communities. She also conducts training on diversity, equity, inclusion, and racism. Eleanor is passionate about helping people be comfortable in the space they occupy. She also advocates for creating avenues and...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and one thing I know for sure is that doing the work of DEI and social justice can be emotionally draining. Finding ways to nurture yourself is critical. This is why, on this week's episode, I'm honored to speak with Taylor Elise Morrison. She is the Founder of The Inner Workout, Facilitator, and Podcast host. Inner Workout is Taylor’s brainchild, bo...

This week, I’m talking to Halleemah Nash, who is the founder of Rosecrans Ventures. She is a people strategist, social entrepreneur, and internship innovator dedicated to scaling professional development solutions for Generation Z talent of color. Halleemah is passionate about creating environments where excellence and cultural authenticity intersect. She discusses how we can build tomorrow’s dive...

This week I’m speaking with Matt Blakely, the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. Previously, he coordinated efforts in inclusion, equity, and diversity at Motorola Solutions for 3 years. He now leads RGA’s humanitarian work in areas such as philanthropy and volunteerism. He shares details about the ideals RGA promotes. One suc...

During National Women’s History month, I’m talking to outstanding women like Keecia James, who is the founder and CEO of KLB Consulting, an organization specializing in executive search, and the School Board President at Oak Park Elementary District 97. Keecia has a passion for nonprofit work, and has dedicated most of her professional career to the nonprofit sector. She has a drive to connect tal...

March is Women's History Month, a time to learn about and celebrate women doing amazing things. One of these women is Lauren Leader, who is the co-founder and CEO of All In Together, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to women's civic education and participation. She is also the Executive Advisor at Leader Chivee Advisors, LLC, specializing in diversity, public affairs, en...

This week, I’m speaking with Myah Irick, who is the founder, Senior Vice President, and Private Wealth Manager of The Irick Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management. Myah is dedicated to educating and empowering others to realize their impact and optimize their time and money. She believes that financial empowerment is about being in control of your money, and not the other way around. She share...

My guest this week is Aaron Walker, who is the founder and CEO of Camelback Ventures. Camelback Ventures is dedicated to supporting innovative, diverse leaders ready to take their social impact vision to the next level. Aaron talks about how Camelback was founded and their professional journey. He gives insights about growing a small business. One such insight is $60-$90 billion investment dollars...

This week I’m talking to Becky Kekula, who serves as the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN. She is also an International Motivational Speaker and a Social Media Marketing Consultant. Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Becky is very passionate about carving a space in conversations about diversity and inclusion for pe...

This year has been rough for everyone. We have had to confront the sinister face of racism, as well as the ravages of COVID-19. I’d like to acknowledge and thank all our front-line workers for their heroic efforts every day to keep us safe. I also thank my guests this past year for their time and their insightful, engaging conversations. Thank you to my listeners, for without you, none of this wou...

*Please enjoy this replay of one of our most popular episodes!*This week I’m speaking with Lisa Cockrell, a payroll diversity and inclusion expert, and the Senior Payroll Lead at Radio Flyer. Lisa is passionate about public speaking, which stems from her experience as an orator during high school. Lisa speaks about the power Black women possess and how the corporate world can cultivate it, which w...

My guest this week is Renetta McCann, who is the Chief Inclusion Experiences Officer at Publicis Groupe, and the Principal of Renetta McCann, LLC. She has 4 decades of experience in the advertising industry, and was the CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Worldwide. She joins me to discuss how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) intersects with business. Renetta shares her insights about the la...

This week I’m speaking with Michele Steele, who is a bureau reporter at ESPN. She is heavily involved in the Special Olympics, even receiving some awards for her work. Seeing her father battle Parkinson’s disease for over 20 years, gave Michelle a passion for inclusivity. She joins Nancy Harris to discuss the intersection of inclusivity and sports, media, and management. She shares what it’s like...

This week, I’m speaking with Nicole Dessain, who is the founder and Chief Employee Experience Designer of talent.imperative inc, an award-winning employee experience design consultancy. talent.imperative inc uses the power of design thinking to make organizations more people-centric. They are trusted by notable corporations like Apple, McDonald’s, and Ford, and have been featured in the Chicago Tr...

This week I’m speaking with Christian Harris, who is actually my nephew! Christian is the co-owner of MaidPro Oak Park, Director of Operations at D.M. Burton, and Senior Consultant at OVP Management Consulting Group. Christian grew up with a lawyer as a mom and a history teacher as a dad, so it’s no wonder he is such a staunch advocate for social justice. He joins me today to discuss inequities ag...

This week I’m speaking with Nassim Abdi, Ph. D. Nassim is the CEO and co-founder of StoryBolt, a platform that uses the power of storytelling to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion, and unpack biases. They use short documentary-like films to create space for meaningful conversations. Nassim talks about her background as well as StoryBolt’s origins, objectives, and impact. She shares some of...

This week, I’m speaking with Stela Lupushor, who is the founder and Chief Reframer at Reframe. Work. Reframe. Work is an organization dedicated to helping companies solve management challenges and maximizing their potential through science, technology, analytics, and human-centered design. Stela is also the founder and Chairperson for the Board of Directors of amazing.community, a non-profit for e...

This week I’m speaking with Matt Blakely, the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. Previously, he coordinated efforts in inclusion, equity, and diversity at Motorola Solutions for 3 years. He now leads RGA’s humanitarian work in areas such as philanthropy and volunteerism. He shares details about the ideals RGA promotes. One suc...

This week I’m speakinging with Trisha Daho, a Chief Strategy Officer, D&I Authority Change Agent, and the founder and CEO of Empowered Leadership Cultivation. Empowered is an organization dedicated to helping growing companies with business strategy and developing diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments with inclusive leaders. Trisha talks about how leaders are dealing with the fal...

This week, I’m speaking with Ify Walker who is the Founder and CEO of Offor, the talent broker company. Offor is dedicated to challenging how executives of color are hired, promoted, and paid in the United States. Over the past several years, 90% of the new hires Offor has matched have come from black, asian, or latinx backgrounds. Ify is an attorney turned entrepreneur, driven by her desire to gi...

This week I’m speaking with Lisa Cockrell, a payroll diversity and inclusion expert, and the Senior Payroll Lead at Radio Flyer. Lisa is passionate about public speaking, which stems from her experience as an orator during high school. Lisa speaks about the power black women possess and how the corporate world can cultivate it, which was the topic of her DisruptHR talk last year. She shares insigh...

This week I’m chatting with Levi Baer, who is the Director of Training for Chicago United for Equity, an organization committed to dismantling systemic racism through training and education. He is also the co-founder and Community Builder of Second Shift Chicago, an innovative coworking space. He is very passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. Growing up on a farm taught him the value of...