Uplifting Impact

Raj Verma has over 25 years of global HR transformation and change leadership experience and currently is responsible for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Culture and Employee Experience at Sanofi. Raj is determined to make an impact in the workplace where all Sanofians feel included, engaged and proud to belong. Ultimately, Raj wants them to enjoy a seamless, positive and purposeful experienc...

Nicole Mitchell serves as Cedar-Sinai’s inaugural Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer where she is responsible for providing strategic leadership, developing and driving the implementation of programs and initiatives that promote a culture of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. For over ten years Ms. Mitchell has been creating and driving culture change in both the for-profit and not-for-profit s...

Dr. Christopher Cross is a biomedical engineer, anatomist, neuroscientist, population geneticist, cancer biologist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and entrepreneur. He leads Cross River Strategies, a US-based boutique consulting firm that uses community engagement and scientific research to power health equity strategies and services across biotech, pharma, and academic institutions. He served as a congressiona...

Carla Fulmore is a Marketing Program Manager focused on Enterprise and K-12 Education business to business customers at Office Depot. She began her career at Office Depot in 2007 and has worked in multiple functions of the business including Digital Merchandising and Direct Consumer Marketing. She has served in many leadership opportunities and is currently the leader of the Office Depot Women of...

Happy Valentine’s Day from the team at Uplifting Impact! Justin and Deanna are changing things up a little in this episode, and instead of bringing on a guest, they are sitting down to talk about love. They give a little insight into their relationship and how they make it work, discuss the intersection of love and DEI, and share the role love plays in the workplace. Justin shares a few book recom...

Trisch Smith is the Global Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion officer of Edelman, the world’s leading global communications marketing agency. In her role, she oversees all diversity equity and inclusion, strategic planning, education, cultural development, external partnerships, and recruitment efforts to ensure Edelman's workforce reflects the increasingly diverse marketplace. She has been feat...

Ashley M. Hines is an advocate, strategist, and entrepreneur dedicated to equipping communities to advance equity and create spaces where everyone is safe, valued and respected. She currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Advocate Aurora Healthcare, a top 12 U.S. not-for-profit health system. In her role, Ashley focuses on partnering with leaders as a strategic adv...

Ashton Henderson works as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Detroit Pistons, the tenth organization in the association to add this important role. He is a native of Tallahassee, Florida, but he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from Michigan State University in 2010. He was a four year letterman, playing cornerback for the Michigan State football team, and...

Dr. Decoteau Irby is an associate professor of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research examines the relationship between equity-focused school leadership and the quality of Black youth academic achievement and overall well-being. He is the author of Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership, which analyzes the complex process of racial equity re...

Kisha Brown is an established civil rights attorney and the Founder and CEO of Justis Connection, an organization committed to empowering the community about their rights and responsibilities and deliver personalized lawyer referrals. Justis Connection is the nation’s only Black lawyer referral and legal resource platform, and is particularly dedicated to assisting individuals and businesses of al...

Cecilia Ogude is the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at IRI, working with leadership to facilitate the development, implementation, and continuous evolution of IRI’s DEI strategy, initiatives, programs, tools, and resources. She previously held roles at JPMorgan Chase & Co and McKinsey & Co where she worked to drive intersectional and inclusive experiences...

Welcome to the Season 2 finale of the Uplifting Impact podcast! In this special episode, Deanna Singh and Justin Ponder sit down to talk about their own journeys and perspectives as they think about DEI and how DEI shows up in their day-to-day lifestyles. You’ll hear them each talk about how they continue to grow and develop in this space, and about some of the people who have had the biggest impa...

Dr. Johné Battle is the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Dollar General Corporation and oversees the strategy for diversity, equity, and inclusion for over 157,000 associates. Within this role, he works across the organization to make data-based decisions using tools such as belonging indexes, talent-flow analysis, and inclusive leader assessments. Dr. Johné Battle is recognized by th...

Guillermo Gutierrez and Deanna Singh have quite a lot in common, including their drive to travel across the globe, investing themselves into communities, and sharing that with others. In this conversation, Guillermo and I discuss how important their experiences with travel have impacted their DEI journeys and have helped them exercise empathy and understanding, which we carry with us in our day-to...

Dr. Anthony C. Hood serves as the Executive Vice President and the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for First Horizon Bank. In this role, he leads the development and execution of a firm-wide strategy for embedding DEI into the DNA of the organization. He previously served as the Director of Civic Innovation in the Office of the President at UAB as well as a tenured Associate Professo...

Sheilina Henry is the Senior Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. She's responsible for cultivating an environment that celebrates diverse backgrounds while providing equitable access to opportunity. Sheilina has had a variety of roles within the company, but is now leading their diversity, equity and inclusion work. She is working to help make sure that everyb...

Andre Nellams is a human resource leader with more than 20 years of HR experience. In his current role as Senior Director of Talent Acquisition & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Accolade, Inc., he focuses on strategies that introduce, build and implement human resources programs and initiatives that deliver key results. He also enjoys creating and being a part of a work environment where the se...

Asif Sadiq has had a long and rich career in the equity and inclusion space with senior executive roles at Adidas, the Telegraph and EY Financial Services. He's been listed as one of the Most Influential Global D&I Leaders by Hive Learning, CIPD’s Top 20 Power List, and was honored with an MBE in 2017 by the Queen. As the Senior Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at WarnerMedia International,...

Joseph Machicote is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of Premier Inc. Joe partners with the CEO, executive team, and other stakeholders to formalize a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the company. He also serves as premier spokesperson on matters related to DEI. Some of his specialties include human resource management, diversity and inclusion, organizational p...

Sheri Crosby Wheeler is the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Fossil Group Inc, a global design marketing, distribution, and innovation company with distinctive watches, accessories, and wearables that are all created from some of the greatest brands in the world. She is a diversity leader, employment lawyer, and an avid community volunteer. She's also a member of the state bar of Texa...

Hira Ali is a leadership trainer, career coach, and Founder of Advancing Your Potential. She is passionate about empowering women and ethnic minorities, closing the gender gap, and advocating diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Telegraph, BBC, Harper's Bazaar, and Huff Post, and in 2019 she released her first book, Her Way To The Top: A Guide to Smashing...

Debra Ruh is the founder and CEO of Ruh Global Impact to help empower clients to be global problem solvers and leaders of social change. Debra is also a global disability inclusion strategist, Keynote speaker, and a published author. She also is the host of The Human Potential At Work podcast, sharing inspirational stories and tips for bringing out the best in everyone. Debra Ruh has faced disabil...

Jose Antonio Tijerino is a proud immigrant from Nicaragua, and is President and CEO of the Hispanic heritage foundation, a national nonprofit focused on education, workforce, social impact and culture through the lens of innovative leadership. He also serves as executive producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy center, and co-founded the leadership Institute with Trinity university,...

Jenn Zephirin is the Vice President and Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Match Group, whose mission is to spark meaningful connections for every single person worldwide. In her role, she is responsible for developing and implementing programs to achieve Match Group’s diversity goals. Prior to her current position with Match Group, she worked as the diversity and inclusion business partner...

Sharon Harvey Davis is the VP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer for Ameren. In her role, she is responsible for leading all DEI strategic efforts, including diversity training, employee resource groups, diversity communications, and the executive diversity council. Under Sharon's leadership Amarin has been ranked as one of the nation's top utilities by diversity, Inc fo...