The Key Learning Points:

1. The life of a serial social entrepreneur and the power of purpose

2. The need to consider diversity, equity and inclusion as a strategic business priority, rather than a philanthropic action alone

3. Three pieces of advice for financial services business looking to do better when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion 

On this week's remote Risky Mix podcast, we're thrilled to be joined, all the way from Wisconsin, by Deanna Singh - business consultant, keynote speaker, and podcaster who is internationally recognized for her work in leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’re excited today to hear about Deanna’s eclectic background and the fantastic work she’s doing to give power to marginalised communities.

Deanna is an African American and Sikh American mum based in Milwaukee and is the founder of four social enterprises. Deanna explains that her first company is called Uplifting Impact, which is focused on diversity, equity and inclusion work, providing coaching and training to almost 100,000 people to date across 30 countries. Her second company is Purposeful Hustle, with aims to help people find their purpose and bring that purpose to life. Deanna adds that her third business, Story to Tell Books, is a children’s book company which creates more positive images of children of colour, explaining: “Our children of colour make up more than 50% of our school-aged children, but are represented in less than 14% of books for kids. How do we change the narrative?” Deanna’s two sons, aged 8 and 12, are chairmen of Story to Tell Books and Deanna adds: “Unfortunately one of our biggest marginalised communities is our children. Where are their voices being heard? We make decisions about them and for them all day long. How often do we actually step back and give them the opportunity to use their own voices.”

Deanna’s fourth social enterprise is called Birth Coach Milwaukee. She is a certified Doula – a type of coach for people before, during and after birth – a move which was motivated by the high disparities in birth outcomes in her area: "If you are a woman of colour in our area you’re five times more likely to have a tragic experience during the birthing process.” Deanna learnt that by introducing a Doula or a midwife to the process, you can eliminate those disparities. 

The conversation moves onto Deanna’s experience working with financial services firms around diversity, equity and inclusion. “When you’re thinking about what you can do as a sector and where you can have the greatest impact, so much of it has to do with not what you’re offering but it’s in how you’re doing the business that you’re doing.” Much of her work involves helping clients to understand that diversity, equity and inclusion are not only altruistic things, they’re a business conversation: “This is a conversation about how you're thinking about the new markets you’re going to go into. This is a conversation about recruitment and retention. This is a conversation about growth opportunities. This is a conversation about your competitiveness and your ability to have innovation. This is a conversation about your marketing and branding.” Deanna explains that because diversity, equity and inclusion conversations are often seen as philanthropic, rather than strategic, it becomes harder to accept that there’s a real business case and even if the business case is accepted, business execs often don’t know how to implement the necessary change. 

Finally, Deanna shares her top three pieces of advice for financial services firms looking to get better around diversity, equity and inclusion:

1. Agree where you are now and where you want to go? 

2. Do an inventory - what will it require from us as an organisation to get to that place?

3. Do it! “Make a commitment and hold yourself accountable to the commitments that you’re making”