Imagine Belonging at Work

Do you struggle with finding a common language that can help bring people together, especially those who often disagree with one another, hold different beliefs, and become defensive when conflicting values arise at work?

Then you'll want to tune into this episode where you'll have the chance to learn more about Leah's Kyaio's newest book, Between the Bars. Her book offers a powerful foundation to help you successfully engage in meaningful, difficult, and uncomfortable conversations that when done well, can help us move forward.

Leah Kyaio has dedicated the past 25 years of her life supporting business and community leaders successfully engage in challenging conversations like these. She identifies as Two-Skinned, having a Blackfoot Native American mother and an Appalachian white father. These identities inform her work about privilege and oppression and are amplified in much of her work, including this book.

During this episode, Leah and Rhodes discuss the Cage of Oppression Framework featured in Between the Bars to explore critical concepts such as privilege, internalized oppression, and strategies to embrace acts of allyship that will help us consciously recognize and value different perspectives when we gather together at work.

A few key highlights from this conversation include:

--Exploring how Leah's Two-Skinned identity helps informs the way she connects with audiences when discussing complex topics such as privilege and oppression.

--Identifying why having a shared language when discussing oppression is critical, and also recognizing some of the barriers we are up against when trying to create one at work.

--Naming the skills we need to develop that will help us neutralize the problematic behaviors that arise when challenging conversations arise that spark disagreement, conflict, and defensiveness.

--Underscoring the importance of inclusive behaviors and learning strategies to begin engaging in skill practice to embody them at work (and beyond).

--Recognizing what has gone wrong with most DEI learning programs, and ways to course correct by following the adult learning process.

--Sharing guidance on how leaders can make it safe to make mistakes and learn from them as they engage move from awkward practice to more skill practice.

--Offering strategies on ways DEI professionals can utilize the Cage of Oppression to engage in challenging conversations about power, privilege, and oppression.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders Leah, be sure to check out the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members of our community have the opportunity to participate in live podcast recordings and engage in a private Q&A session after the recording is complete. Your membership is appreciated as it helps make this podcast possible.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

What are you are about to hear is a recording from a Pride Panel Conversation we held in June. Given the current cultural climate and the reality that the lives of LGBTQ+ people are being politicized for nefarious reasons, I wanted to amplify the discussion and strategies shared earlier this year because the knowledge and skills discussed are simply too important to leave in our archives. Rather, we wanted to democratize this valuable information to enhance your own diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practice.

To help answer the question about how leading brands of choice can build gender inclusive cultures that last, I've shared important context below to set the stage for this dynamic conversation with leading TGX business owners and DEIB practitioners.

Since the rise of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the late 1960s, the experiences of transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive (TGX) employees in the workplace have dynamically shifted. Over these past five decades, TGX employees have benefited from workplace protections, greater social visibility, and acceptance in a growing number of workplaces.

Given all of these gains, many falsely believe transgender and gender expansive employees have equal access to jobs, promotions, and stretch assignments they are qualified for. Many more also falsely believe that trans employees can no longer be fired, denied a promotion, or even a job interview simply because of who they are.

Tragically, today's reality presents a different story:

--According to the Human Rights Watch, "at least 9 countries have national laws criminalizing forms of gender expression that target transgender & gender expansive people." Legal punishments vary including life imprisonment and even the death penalty.

--In the U.S., the Supreme Court ruled a landmark case in 2020 stating that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 extends protections from workplace discrimination for LGBTQ+ employees. Despite this monumental ruling, trans & gender expansive employees in the United States, particularly BIPOC trans employees, frequently endure workplace discrimination and harassment, resulting in lower job security, economic stability, and a lack of psychological safety.

--While most workplaces recognize that discrimination has no place in business, let alone society, critical gaps in legal protections still remain and create barriers to building gender inclusive cultures at work. Specifically, the U.S. still lacks a federal law protecting employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and even in states and localities that do offer these protections, transforming workplace culture to fully include trans & gender expansive workers remain unfinished.

--And in 2023 alone, 574 anti-transgender bills were introduced in 49 states. This legislation attempts to block TGX people from receiving basic healthcare, education, legal recognition, and the right to public accommodations. Over 14% of these bills have already been signed into law, and their impacts reverberate throughout our country, with many trans people and their families relocating to friendlier states in an attempt to flee from anti-transgender political agendas and their negative messages.

Tragically, many leaders struggle to recognize how their businesses can be adversely impacted if they fail to respond to this moment. While many want to demonstrate their support for their TGX colleagues, many don't know how. If you also find yourself struggling with how to avoid performative actions, and instead wish to take long-lasting actions that will help you build a gender inclusive workplace, you are in the right place. This panel discussion was created for you. The conversation we are about to have will help reduce any feelings of overwhelm, and offer concrete ideas on how to improve your workplace culture.

Fortunately, we have a dynamic group of panelists to help clarify why anti-transgender legislation is a business concern and to learn how anyone participating in today's panel discussion can take meaningful actions to build a gender inclusive workplace. Our panelists include:

--Celia Sandhya Daniels (she/they), Founder of Rebekon Consulting

--Gavriel Legynd (he/him), CEO of Visioneer IT

--Rex Wilde (they/them), Founder of Rex Wilde Consulting

--Rhodes Perry (he/him), Host, Founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting

Together, we will explore how to move beyond performative actions and we also discuss the importance of current LGBTQ+ employees potential to ascending into the highest ranks of leadership to enjoy better company performance, accelerating the company's DEIB commitments, and attracting new clients and vendors.

Savor this insightful conversation, and if you're looking for ways to build gender inclusive cultures that last year round, consider joining our Belonging Membership Community by visiting: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com

According to UCLA's Williams Institute, there are over 8 million LGBTQIA+ employees living in the United States. Tragically, nearly half of these employees have endured unfair treatment on the job at some point in their careers, with 57% of this unfair treatment motivated by religious beliefs. These experiences of discrimination are amplified for LGBTQIA+ people who are BIPOC, transgender, and those who live at these intersections.

Given these harsh realities, it's no surprise 50% of LGBTQIA+ employees are not out to their current supervisor, and 26% are not out to anyone on the job. Covering the things that are most precious to who we are compromises our sense of safety and erodes interpersonal trust at work. Exacerbating these barriers, is a renewed anti-LGBTQIA+ legislative campaign attempting to erode the limited rights secured over the past few decades, most acutely targeting transgender and gender expansive people.

If you are committed to advancing your organization's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) commitments and want to do more for you LGBTQIA+ colleagues during these chilling times, the conversation you're about to hear was created for you. During this conversation, Fiona Dawson provides an opportunity to build more solidarity within & beyond LGBTQIA+ communities, including workplace employee resource groups (ERGs).

Fiona is an Emmy®-nominated and award-winning filmmaker. She's a proud bisexual, cisgender, immigrant woman from the LGBTQIA+ community, and she is the founder and director of Free Lion Productions, where she and her team create content to make diversity, equity, and inclusion programs work. She has received many notable awards including President Obama's LGBT Artist Champion of Change for her Emmy®-nominated short, Transgender, at War and in Love, and the 2018 SXSW Audience Award for her documentary, TransMilitary.

Together, our conversation supports DEIB professionals, along with other inclusive leaders, build stronger and psychologically safer teams across differences. Listeners like you will gain a deeper appreciation of the many dynamic cultures that exist within LGBTQIA+ communities, including workplace employee resource groups (ERGs). Topics explored include:

-Fiona's bestselling book, Are Bisexuals Just Greedy? Animated Answers for All People Who Simply Want to Understand the Spectrum of Being LGBTQ+

-Learning how to engage the silent majority within the LGBTQIA+ community

-Recognizing the power of LGBTQIA+ solidarity within ERGs and what gets in the way

-Fiona's vision for the future of work

Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Fiona, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Now, let's jump into the conversation!

A good friend and colleague, Lillian Tsai, sent this quote my way last week in anticipation of this learning session from AESOP Fables: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

And this topic of kindness is what we are focused on for today's Imagine Belonging Vodcast…now…

If you were to write a list of the adjectives you use to describe your workplace, is kindness even included on the list? If so, does kindness rise to the top of that list?

The Oxford Dictionary defines kindness as "the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate."

Sounds easy enough to do, right? It's something that we all have the capacity for, and it's something that can make a big difference in our workplaces.

Why?

There are many reasons why kindness matters at work, and here are three primary benefits to consider when kindness is a shared workplace value:

- Fosters Belonging. Promoting kind behaviors at work can lead to increased safety and trust, which are the foundations for belonging at work.

- Enhances Engagement. A sense of belonging leads to higher levels of engagement resulting in more creativity, connection, and innovation.

- Improves Morale. When people feel engaged and supported by their team, they're more likely to feel valued and remain loyal to their company.

So, if we all have the capacity to embody kind behaviors at work, what gets in the way from engaging in these very accessible and simple actions?

There are three primary barriers that can block our successes to nurture kindness at work:

1. Toxic competition, which manifests when we find ourselves hoarding profit, credit, and power. These behaviors arise when we compete for promotions or raises in an unhealthy manner. In these moments, it can be easy to forget about being kind to one another.

2. Stress and Burnout. When employees experience high levels of stress and even burnout, they're more likely to be impatient and short-tempered, which erodes our sense of safety, trust, and belonging. This can lead to unhealthy conflict and a lack of cooperation and collaboration.

3. Unconscious Bias leads to microaggressions, discrimination, and a hostile work environment, undermining a shared value of kindness. These negative behaviors can lead to people being treated unfairly, even if it is not intentional.

Despite these barriers, there are many things that we can do to foster kindness in our workplaces, and our featured guest, Preet Dev, Co-Founder and CEO of Kind-namic will share some of her wisdom with us. Preet has dedicated her career to reshaping the business landscape by infusing kindness, empathy, and conscious leadership into every aspect of organizational culture.

Together, we will discuss the role conscious leadership and spiritual wisdom can play in helping us nurture kinder, healthier workplace cultures, which has the potential of reshaping the future of work.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Preet, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has generated quite a buzz over the past few months. Given the promise of this evolving technology, many of us charged with advancing our workplace's DEI goals wonder how AI can accelerate them? Many others exercise caution, recognizing the many ethical pitfalls AI can have if those who create & implement it are unable or refuse to mitigate their biases.

If you're ready for a conversation about AI's power, pitfalls, and impact on our #BelongingMovement, then you're in the right place! In this episode, we have the opportunity to learn from Shayne Halls, author of Inclusivity 2.0: How AI is Accelerating the DEI Movement.

Shayne is the founder of Manifested Dreams, a company that helps clients merge AI technology and career growth, exclusively tailored for corporate professionals. With 15+ years of HR experience, Shayne's dedication to championing DEI has motivated him to create equitable opportunities for underrepresented talent in various industries, including bioPharma, IT, healthcare, and engineering.

Together, we will explore creative ways you can utilize AI to advance your DEI goals while systematizing check-and-balances to neutralize the ethical pitfalls. Things we explore during this conversation include:

-Shayne's new book, Inclusivity 2.0: How AI Is Accelerating the DEI Movement.

-AI's potential to promote the career growth of underrepresented talent.

-Mitigating this technology's ethical pitfalls.

-Shayne's vision for the future of work.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Shayne, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Now, let's jump into the conversation!

One size does not fit all.

To truly build an equitable workplace, employers must give each employee what they need to do their best at work. When an employer gives each of its employees exactly the same kind of support, this good intention often results in disengagement and exclusion.

Why? Because many of us have different roles, we likely are at different places in our careers, we have different learning and work styles, and we need different kinds of emotional support. When an employer honors these differences, and works to meet them, their employees achieve success.

Giving our employees the support they need to do their best at work, is a core ingredient to build a belonging culture at work. This kind of work culture translates into a workforce more capable to design for identity, meeting the different needs of their clients and customers.

Today's guest, Jessica Bantom, author of Design for Identity, will help us recognize why this kind of inclusive design helps improve the culture of work. Jessica's career as a DEI practitioner and interior designer has led to her ongoing exploration of the intersections of design and diversity.

She completed her master's degree in interior design at Marymount University and her Bachelors at the University of Virginia, and she is certified as an Associate Diversity Coach through the CoachDiversity Institute in collaboration with the Howard University School of Business. Jessica's unique blend of business and design practices give her practical and artistic capabilities that inform her approach to solve for very real human challenges.

During our conversation we discussed why human-centered design matters, what the six habits of culturally responsive designers include and how to apply them, how to overlay Jessica's Design for Identity Blueprint with the standard design process, and why the future of work is one that knows how to design for identity.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Jessica, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

This episode is the 3rd and final episode of our three-part Pride at Work series. In this series, we take a deeper dive into learning how one company, Northwestern Mutual, moved beyond performativity, and embraced impactful actions that have led to meaningful progress. NM, along with other brands of choice, know the competitive advantage of creating a more LGBTQ+ inclusive culture. Specifically, they know that LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces…are

1) better at retaining and attracting talent from underrepresented groups at work.

2) (capable of) building brand strength and consumer loyalty, and

3) (skillful at) unlocking innovation, creativity, and business success.

These three factors lead to stronger financial performance – specifically, better share price performance, higher return on equity, higher market valuations, and stronger cash flows.

In this particular episode, we amplify how leading Fortune 100 companies honor their DEI commitments by supporting local LGBTQ+ communities. In recent years, there has been a growing trend of businesses speaking out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

This is a positive development, as it sends a clear message to lawmakers that the vast majority of Americans support equality for all. There are a number of reasons why businesses should denounce anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

• First, it's the right thing to do. LGBTQ+ people are just like everyone else, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

• Second, it's good for business. A recent study found that businesses that are seen as supportive of LGBTQ+ rights are more likely to attract and retain top talent, as well as customers.

• Third, it's good for the economy. When businesses denounce anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, it sends a message that the United States is a welcoming place to do business. This can attract investment and jobs to the country.

Our guest today Belle Ives, will help business leaders recognize the enormous business opportunities available for brands of choice who show up for LGBTQ+ people and our communities. Belle is a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual, and she's been running her firm for five years, and she is the first openly LGBTQ+ advisor in the history of her Boston office.

Through her time as an advisor, she has built a practice that focuses on working specifically with LGBTQ+ clientele. She is wildly passionate about empowering the pride community around their financial planning so that they can live confidently and purposefully in their own professional and personal life pursuits. Together, we'll explore NM's commitment to showing up for LGBTQ+ people and our communities throughout the U.S.

Savor this insightful conversation, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders building more inclusive workplaces be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guests.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Want more insights on how to build LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace cultures that last?

Then register for our June 27th Pride Panel moderated by Rhodes Perry. The panel features some of today's most celebrated transgender DEI thought leaders including Celia Daniels, Gavriel Legynd, and Rex Wilde: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/pridepanel.

This episode is the 2nd of a three-part Pride at Work series, where we take a deeper dive into learning how one company, Northwestern Mutual, moved beyond performativity, and embraced impactful actions that have led to meaningful progress. NM, along with other brands of choice, know the competitive advantage of creating a more LGBTQ+ inclusive culture. Specifically, they know that LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces are:

1) Better at retaining and attracting talent from underrepresented groups at work.

2) Capable of building brand strength and consumer loyalty.

3) Skillful at unlocking innovation, creativity, and business success.

These three factors lead to stronger financial performance – specifically, better share price performance, higher return on equity, higher market valuations, and stronger cash flows.

In this particular episode, we amplify how LGBTQ+ inclusive companies build brand strength and consumer loyalty when they show up for LGBTQ+ people and our communities, especially during these challenging times when so many states are introducing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that is bad for business. Afterall, the LGBTQ+ community is a powerful force in the economy. In the US, LGBTQ+ consumers spend an estimated $1 Trillion (with a T!) annually. There are a number of reasons why brands of choice ought to consider building more inclusive organizations for LGBTQ+ employees and their customers.

• First, the number of LGBTQ+ adults in the US is expected to reach 30 million by 2025, which means there's a significant market opportunity to provide culturally specific products and services.

• Second, LGBTQ+ consumers are loyal. We are more likely to spend our hard-earned money with businesses that they feel are supportive of our community. We're more likely to recommend those businesses to their friends and family.

• Third, LGBTQ+ consumers are affluent. On the whole, we tend to have higher incomes and higher levels of education than the general population. This means that we're more likely to spend money on discretionary items, such as travel, dining out, and entertainment.

In today's interview we are speaking with Northwestern Mutual – Park Avenue Financial Advisor, Matthew Erickson, whose practice focuses on the growth, visibility and prosperity of the LGBTQ+ community.

His relationship to Northwestern Mutual has led to his work on the Field Advisory Council for the LGBTQ+ segment for the company. He has worked closely with specialized medical risk in rolling out the Northwestern Mutual HIV+ programs now in place, has helped change and update underwriting procedures for the transgender community, and is the financial planning resource specializing in adoption, surrogacy and IVF planning with the organization Gays with Kids.

Matt offers powerful tips empowering your business to enjoy the power of LGBTQ+ consumer spending and boost your business profits.

Savor these insightful conversations, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders building more inclusive workplaces be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guests.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Want more insights on how to build LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace cultures that last?

Register for our June 27th Pride Panel moderated by Rhodes Perry. The panel features some of today's most celebrated transgender DEI thought leaders including Celia Daniels, Gavriel Legynd, and Rex Wilde:

https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/pridepanel.

Since the rise of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the late 1960s, the experiences of LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace have dynamically shifted. Over these past five decades, LGBTQ+ employees have benefited from workplace protections, greater social visibility, and acceptance in most workplaces.

Given all of these gains, many falsely believe LGBTQ+ employees have equal access to jobs, promotions, and stretch assignments they are qualified for. Many more also falsely believe that LGBTQ+ employees can no longer be fired, denied a promotion, or even a job interview simply because of who they are.

Tragically, today's reality presents a different story:

• According to the Human Rights Watch, "at least 68 countries still have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults," and "at least 9 countries have national laws criminalizing forms of gender expression that target transgender & nonbinary people." Legal punishments vary including life imprisonment and even the death penalty.

• While most workplaces recognize that discrimination has no place in business, let alone society, critical gaps in legal protections still remain and create barriers to building LGBTQ+ inclusive cultures at work. Specifically, the U.S. still lacks a federal law protecting employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and even in states and localities that do offer these protections, transforming workplace culture to fully include LGBTQ+ workers remains unfinished.

Thankfully, many leading Fortune 100 businesses have a long history of recognizing the value LGBTQ+ employees add to their company's culture. Many brands of choice have made significant strides championing LGBTQ+ inclusive cultures, beyond the performativity of pride celebrations – AKA, "food, fun, and famous people." Many of these organizations are leaning into innovative and impactful ideas by asking and listening to their LGBTQ+ employees on ways to truly roll out the rainbow welcome mat.

In this three-part interview series, we'll take a deeper dive into learning how one company, Northwestern Mutual, moved beyond performativity, and embraced impactful actions that have led to meaningful progress; specifically, the company provides greater access to leadership, stretch opportunities and influence for their LGBTQ+ employees. Leaning on the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ employees, leaders at NM contribute to building more LGBTQ+ practices and systems in a responsible way.

In our first interview of three…we'll be speaking to Gina Pagan, a Financial Advisor at NM. Her practice primarily focuses on serving diverse markets with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ planning. As a leader, she both mentors and develops new advisors within the firm and is heavily involved in diversity and inclusion efforts at Northwestern Mutual, both locally and nationwide.

Together, Gina and I will explore the NM employee experience, learning first-hand from Gina's perspective on how the company is committed to rolling out the rainbow welcome mat for LGBTQ+ prospective employees.

Savor this insightful conversation, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders building more inclusive workplaces be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Want more insights on how to build LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace cultures that last?

Then register for our June 27th Pride Panel moderated by Rhodes Perry. The panel features some of today's most celebrated transgender DEI thought leaders including Celia Daniels, Gavriel Legynd, and Rex Wilde: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/pridepanel.

Hello & Welcome to the Imagine Belonging at Work Podcast brought to you by Rhodes Perry Consulting…I'm your host, Rhodes Perry.

Since the start of the Pandemic, anti-Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate has surged at an unprecedented rate in the U.S.

The previous Presidential Administration's racist and divisive language linked COVID-19 to AAPI communities, further exacerbating this surge.

DEI leaders like us play a critical role in raising awareness and taking workplace specific actions to support our AAPI colleagues. Yet, 3 years into the pandemic, far too many workplaces still remain silent.

Today, we will explore meaningful actions that we can take using our relative power privilege, along with actions our peers can take, to support our AAPI colleagues.

As you listen to this episode, I invite you to take a look back over the past 12 months and ask yourselves the following questions:

• What can I do to learn more about anti-AAPI hate, bias, and discrimination – particularly with how it shows up at work?

• How can I unlearn misconceptions and biases I may have about AAPI people and communities?

• "How can I support AAPI communities near me? Donations? Pro bono work? Attending community events?...in other words, what's available to me?

• And lastly, "What will I do if I witness an act of hate, bias, or discrimination in my workplace, my community, or my family?

Seeking answers to these questions is an action you are uniquely situated to take – you are uniquely positioned to take this action even if it feels clumsy, imperfect, or incomplete. As you work to answer these questions, engaging in trusted conversations with those you have proximity to are perhaps some of the best ways to show up and support AAPI people right now.

To build up your knowledge, skills, and confidence, I am honored to share this conversation the Belonging Membership Community had with Lillian Tsai last May. If you're not familiar with Lillian's work, here's a bit about her impressive background:

Lillian was born and raised in Malaysian Borneo to a former Davis Cup tennis player and a superintendent of Chinese schools. She is an award-winning consultant, facilitator, trainer, coach, and keynote speaker on cross-cultural fluency, intercultural communications, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She works with C level executives, DEI committees, conducts organizational assessments, team interventions, and specializes in coaching women, people of color, and leaders of diverse teams. Prior to starting her own company, TsaiComms LLC, in 2002, she spent 25 years in global high-tech marketing and communications which culminated in an expatriate assignment in Germany.

As some of you know, Lillian is a friend of our Belonging Membership Community and is a seasoned DEI thought leader.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Lillian, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com

Everyday actions offered to the Belonging at Work Community:

1. Inform yourself about what anti-AAPI hatred is & why it is occurring.

2. Share safety tips to support your AAPI colleagues.

3. Issue a workplace statement denouncing anti-AAPI racism.

4. Support AAPI-owned businesses through supplier diversity efforts.

5. Donate to help respond to the surge in AAPI racism & xenophobia

Now, let's jump into the conversation!