Dimensions of Diversity

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Derek Demeri, a New Jersey-based attorney, adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School and lifelong advocate for marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, sex workers and workers’ rights. Most recently, Derek founded Q Law NJ, Inc., New Jersey’s first LGBTQ+ bar association.

Derek and Lloyd explore Derek’s inspiration for becoming an attorney and their personal journey in anti-discrimination work and community organizing. The conversation also touches on Derek’s optimism about the current generation of law students, as well as their vision for Q Law, including its potential to cultivate advocacy-minded attorneys now and in the future.
 

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.
 

For more information about Q Law NJ, Inc., visit https://www.qlawnj.org/

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Shari Leid, a former attorney turned author and life coach, for a discussion on managing identity shifts as an empty nester. Leid outlines three power moves for navigating empty nest syndrome: the stories you tell yourself change everything about yourself; human connection outlasts any automated task; and rather than waiting for community to find you, you should go out and create it.

The conversation covers practical advice for caregivers, including setting communication expectations with children before they leave home, preparing financially and physically, investing in community through volunteering or new hobbies, and being kind to yourself and your partner during this transitional period. The discussion closes with guidance for workplace leaders to model vulnerability, check in with colleagues experiencing empty nest syndrome and foster psychological safety so that employees feel seen and supported without fear of professional consequences.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I. 

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Tito Valdes, the executive director of LGBTQ affairs for the City of Philadelphia, to discuss his leadership of the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and explore how public policy, cross-sector partnerships, cultural expression and community-centered approaches can help create more inclusive cities and institutions.

Valdes outlines the primary focus areas of his office and recounts how conducting a listening tour with dozens of community leaders when he was first appointed enabled him to identify priorities and bridge gaps between organizations and city government. The conversation also touches on the legal landscape for LGBTQ+ workers, including the significance of the Bostock decision and Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance, as well as Valdes’ intersectional approach to leadership.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I. 

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Jummy Kirby, Founder of Relinquish & Transcend Counseling + Consulting, to discuss the emotional and mental health needs that currently exist surrounding pregnancy loss, particularly for Black women.

Jummy shares with Lloyd her personal journey with miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy, which inspired her to create a therapeutic space for historically excluded communities. Their conversation covered the importance of using specific language such as “grief”, “trauma”, and “loss” to validate experiences, the different ways partners grieve, and the societal silence that often surrounds miscarriage.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Gigio Ninan and Swee Shankar, partners at Shankar Ninan & Co. LLP Law Firm, to discuss their long and challenging journey to parenthood – including their experiences working through various fertility treatments, surrogacy, and ultimately a remarkable, unexpected natural pregnancy.

Lloyd discusses with Gigio and Swee how their parenthood journey began back in 2018 and the unfortunate news of their “unexplained infertility”. Several years of different fertility treatments and then the eventual decision to choose surrogacy, Gigio and Swee were able to successfully welcome two sons, Jayden and Jasper, through surrogacy before revealing that Swee was naturally pregnant with their third child.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Pennsylvania House Speaker Representative Joanna E. McClinton during Black History Month to discuss the recent passage of the C.R.O.W.N. (“Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”) Act. This piece of legislation bans discrimination based on hair type, texture, etc.

Lloyd discusses with Rep. McClinton the details that went into the challenging, multi-year legislative process of passing the act, what it means for the broader conversation about inclusivity and authenticity in the workplace and society, and why it is so personal to Rep. McClinton’s own journey and identity as not only the first woman, but also the first woman of color, to be elected the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.  

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes the newly minted Dr. Ky’a Jackson, to discuss her doctoral research which focused on the academic resilience of African-American female college students from Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Jackson explains how the intersection of race, gender, and place shaped the students' experiences, drawing heavily on her own background growing up in Camden.

Lloyd and Dr. Jackson discuss the societal and personal pressures these young women face, the critical role of "golden nuggets" of support from their community, and the specific strategies they employ to persevere. She introduces two memorable frameworks: the "Four Cs" (Color, Carat, Clarity, Cut) to describe the pressures that shaped these students, and the "SHINE" acronym (Stability, Help, Investment, Nurturing, Empathy) as a guide for others to support them effectively.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.  

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes Squire Servance, the founder of the life sciences investment firm Syridex Bio, to discuss how his career in law and life sciences, combined with the health equity issues highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspired him to start his firm and consider public service.

Lloyd leans in to that calling to public service and chats with Squire about his exploratory campaign for the U.S. Congress in New Jersey's 12th congressional district and the top issues that currently face his district – including affordability, healthcare access, infrastructure, and economic opportunity.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman welcomes David Eapen and Sarina Aghazadeh-Alavi, two Buchanan attorneys, to discuss their involvement as board members of the South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia (SABA-Philly).

Lloyd chats with David and Sarina about the history of SABA-Philly, their personal journeys with the organization, and the current leadership’s focus on revitalizing the organization post-pandemic by rebuilding the pipeline of young lawyers and increasing membership engagement through valuable programming. The conversation also touched on the importance of intentional inclusivity to represent the diverse cultures within the South Asian diaspora and the trend of increased engagement from members and allies despite a broader societal backlash against diversity initiatives.

 Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I. 

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity we revisit a conversation Lloyd Freeman had during a webinar earlier this year celebrating Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. He welcomed Patricia Liu, a Korean American author, entrepreneur, and media executive.

The conversation focused on Korean American representation in leadership and the media. Liu shared her personal story of immigrating to the U.S. as a child, the challenges of assimilation, and the family advocacy that shaped her. She explained how these experiences inspired her to found "Best of Korea," a media platform celebrating Korean culture.

Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I.