SCBWI’s Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer April Powers joins host Christopher Locke for a candid conversation about actions independent publishers can take to bring about real change for marginalized communities, and actions that are unhelpful. Plus, what does April have to say about people who complain that companies shouldn’t get “political” by supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and antiracism? Also, what can independent publishers learn from the American Dirt controversy?

PARTICIPANTS

April Powers is the chief equity & inclusion officer for the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, SCBWI.org. A highly-rated trainer for Fortune 50, government and non-profit organizations, she is also the Managing Director of First Impression Rx, a full service consulting firm that helps companies manage differences through training and diversity and inclusion strategy.

Her client work includes LGBTQI+ bench-marking through the Human Rights Campaign, project managing a cultural dexterity roll-out and delivering certified training in the areas of Generational Diversity, Intersectionality, Unconscious Bias, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, LBGTQI+ Understanding, Empathy, Customer Service, Effective Teams, Effective Communication, Positive Workplace, Climate Reality, Difficult Conversations and Cultural Competence.

After graduating from UC Berkeley, April began her recruiting career with Ryan, Miller & Associates; launched Manifest Search; then became the Manager of Diversity and Recruiting for Nestlé USA as well as an Inclusion Trainer & Consultant at Amgen. Most recently, she was offered her dream job impacting young readers all over the world. She has lived in the US, South America and Europe. She is bilingual and, thus brings a global perspective with local understanding to her clients' goals in the inclusion space.

Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest trade association for independent publishers in the United States. As the IBPA Member Liaison, Christopher Locke helps guide the 3,600+ members as they travel along their publishing journeys. As one of his major projects, he oversees the IBPA NetGalley program, which generates buzz and garners reviews for indie publishers’ titles. He’s also passionate about indie publishing, because he’s an author publisher himself, having published two novels so far in his YA trilogy, The Enlightenment Adventures.

LINKS

To learn more about #OwnVoices and the creator of the term, Corinne Duyvis, read this interview here https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/84336-q-a-with-corinne-duyvis.html

To learn more about how you can attend IBPA Publishing University (the premier educational event for independent book publishers), visit https://www.publishinguniversity.org/

There's a special 15% discount on IBPA Publishing University registration for podcast listeners, but you have to listen to this episode for details!

To learn more about the many benefits of becoming a member of Independent Book Publishers Association, visit here https://www.ibpa-online.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

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