The Will to Change: Where Leadership Meets the Courage to Evolve

Mark McBride-Wright, author of "The Safe Leader" and Founder & CEO of EqualEngineers, joins Jennifer,  Jenn T. Grace of Publish Your Purpose, and Eduardo Placer of Fearless Communicators to discuss the critical importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the engineering and STEM fields. Mark shares his journey of writing the book, the support he received from Jennifer, Jenn and Eduardo along...

In this episode, we dive deep into the fight against discrimination in the retail industry with Calla Devlin, Managing Director of the transformative organization Open to All. Through Calla's insights and the inspiring work of Open to All, we explore the multidimensional challenges of bias and exclusion in retail and the innovative strategies being employed to drive systemic change. From groundbre...

In this episode, Jennifer is joined by coach and artist Alexandra Jamieson as they explore the challenges and opportunities facing women leaders in their 40s and 50s. Through the lenses of their own experiences and those of their clients, Jennifer and Alex delve into the impact of external factors, the importance of creativity and community, and the power of reconnecting with one's values in the f...

In this episode, Jennifer is joined by renowned consultant, keynote speaker, and bestselling author, Dorie Clark, for a conversation about the challenges faced by DEI practitioners, Dorie shares her insights on the importance of personal branding and authenticity in driving change.  Together, Jennifer and Dorie explore the need for a paradigm shift in how DEI is perceived and communicated, focusin...

In this episode Jennifer welcomes Jay Van Bavel, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University. Together, they discuss the complex challenges facing the DEI field, exploring how extreme stances and political backlash have overshadowed much of the good work being done. Jennifer and Jay consider ways to rebrand and reinvent DEI by focusing on broader issues like orga...

In this episode originally recorded as a community call, Jennifer is joined by Kat Gordon, a trailblazing leader who has made significant contributions to the fields of advertising, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and leadership coaching. As the founder of the 3% Movement, Kat has been a driving force in increasing female representation in creative leadership positions within the advertisi...

In this episode Jennifer welcomes Amie Kromis and Lina Clavijo from Essity, a leading global hygiene and health company, to discuss the company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their products and workplace. Amie and Lina share insights on how Essity incorporates inclusive design principles to create products that are accessible to all, regardless of ability or circumstance...

Tune in as Jennifer is joined by Jane Hyun, a leading expert on cultural fluency, diversity, and inclusion. Jane shares her personal journey as an Asian American navigating the complexities of identity and leadership in corporate America. They discuss Jane's groundbreaking book, "Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling," and her upcoming release, "Leadership Toolkit for Asians." Jane reflects on the challenge...

In this special Women's History Month episode, Jennifer shares valuable insights and inspiration from the stories of five remarkable women previously featured on The Will to Change podcast. The episode explores topics such as finding community and belonging in the workplace, the ongoing fight for pay equity, body inclusivity, and the importance of breaking the stigma around addiction and recovery....

In this episode, originally recorded as a community call, Jennifer sits down with Djuana Beamon, the Chief Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Empower. With a wealth of experience across various industries, including financial services, pharma, insurance, and healthcare, Djuana shares her journey in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space. She also discusses the impor...

In this episode, Jennifer welcomes back Rhodes Perry, an award-winning social entrepreneur, sought-after speaker, podcast host, and nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader. Jennifer and Rhodes dive deep into the current state of DEI work, exploring the challenges practitioners face in navigating pushback and misinformation, as well as the opportunities to reframe the vision for inclusion. They...

This episode was originally recorded as a Community Call and features a conversation with Jackye Clayton, Textio's VP of Talent Acquisition and DEIB. Jackye reveals how AI tools like Textio can mitigate exclusionary workplace communications, and how your most subtle word choices may inadvertently perpetuate bias.  She also outlines Textio's approach to developing equitable language technology and...

Jorge Quezada, Chief Inclusion Officer and VP of People & Culture at Granite Construction, joins the program for a conversation with Jennifer about their decades of experience guiding organizations on the journey toward diversity, equity and inclusion. Jorge and Jennifer discuss the pendulum swings of progress and pushback, the difference between checklist "doing" and transformative visionary "bei...

In this special minisode, Jennifer provides invaluable insights on how leaders can effectively direct their message through impactful storytelling. She also shares perspectives on why many hesitate to share their stories, often failing to recognize the wisdom they have to offer. Discover how to shape and structure a compelling leadership story, and how to push past doubts and vulnerability to conv...

In this special episode of the Will to Change, Jennifer reflects on conversations with influential black leaders and changemakers. Hear clips and insights from author and DEI expert Jessica Bantom; Lorraine Orr, COO of Boys and Girls Clubs of America; author Martinus Evans; award-winning trans advocate Dr. Elijah Nicholas, Tony DeGruy of Cisco, and Carin Taylor, CDO of Workday. As we honor Black H...

DEI trailblazer Dr. Poornima Luthra joins the program to discuss how underlying fears are fueling resistance to DEI efforts globally. She discusses research on the top fears around not knowing enough and saying the wrong thing, and the need to create psychologically safe environments that encourage vulnerability, intelligent failures, and growth mindsets. Dr. Luthra also shares perspectives on avo...

In this episode, Jennifer is joined by Audra Jenkins, Chief Equity Officer at Randstad. Audra discusses the important role supplier diversity plays in furthering inclusion, tapping into untapped talent pools such as people with disabilities and veterans, and the business imperative for organizations to create equitable and welcoming cultures. She also shares insights from her unique position worki...

In this thought-provoking episode, Jennifer explores the nuances between different professional roles like coaching, consulting, public speaking, and thought leadership. She also shares wisdom on finding one's unique voice and platform to make a difference in the world, overcoming imposter syndrome to embrace our most powerful stories, and the responsibilities leaders have to lift up diverse voice...

In this episode, Jennifer is joined by Deloitte's Sameen Affaf and The Meltzer Center's David Glasgow, as they discuss findings from the recent "Uncovering Culture" report. Detailing the latest data around workplace "covering" behaviors among marginalized groups, they explore surprising statistics on intersectionality, younger generations, and executive leadership. Touching on storytelling, allysh...

This episode was originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, and features a conversation with Jennifer and JBC Consultants as they reflect on learnings and positive change from 2023 that give hope for further progress, while also confronting the roadblocks still firmly in place across society and workplaces. Touching on challenging issues around dialogue, activism, leadership buy-in, capacity for...

In this episode, Jennifer speaks with Laura Alvarez Schrag, Senior Consultant at JBC, about making personal connections to foster belonging in organizations. They discuss Laura's background, the importance of sharing personal stories and being vulnerable, generational differences in connecting, and how leaders can role model embracing learning and change. Laura emphasizes that while technology ena...

In this minisode, Jennifer offers an inside look into her approach for architecting high-impact sessions with leadership teams. From managing anxious executives to contending with vocal CEOs,  Jennifer shares her tactics for establishing psychological safety while also driving towards candor and vulnerability. She spotlights common C-Suite dynamics, competency levels, and fears that manifest aroun...

Tune in as Jennifer welcomes Carla Knapp, National Vice President of Native Services at Boys & Girls Clubs of America., as Carla discusses empowering indigenous youth and professionals to thrive as their authentic selves. Carla reveals how to use storytelling to preserve rich cultural traditions, and shares her personal journey of leading with grace and courage to pave the way for future indigenou...

From the Best of the Will to Change: In this episode, originally recorded at the Belonging at Work Summit, Jennifer Brown is joined by Rhodes Perry, founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting and Joel Brown, Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos, as they discuss the importance of self-care. Discover how to develop sustainable self-care practices and increase your resilience. 

In this episode, Jennifer continues her conversation with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal about human development frameworks. Christopher and Aman reveal how most DEI conversations happen at lower action logics, creating exclusion and division. Discover the importance of meeting people where they are developmentally, structurally changing systems, and bringing more joy and humanity...