In today’s evolving workplace, five generations are working side by side—each shaped by different historical, social, and technological contexts. While generational diversity can be a source of innovation and strength, it can also lead to misunderstandings, biases, microaggressions and communication gaps that hinder collaboration.

Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking session on Bridging the Generational Gap, where we will explore:

Intergenerational Dynamics: How different generations perceive work, leadership, and inclusion—and how these perspectives shape workplace culture.
🔹 Challenging Assumptions: The pitfalls of generational labeling and how to foster dialogue that respects lived experiences rather than reinforcing biases.
🔹 Bridging the Divide: Practical strategies for building workplaces where knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and psychological safety allow individuals across generations to thrive.
🔹 The Future of Work: How organizations can create inclusive policies and cultures that respond to shifting generational expectations, from career development to flexibility and purpose-driven work.

Join us for this discussion featuring Chisom Udeze, Charlie Fonda and Sarah Campbell.

Our 'Is Everyone in the Room?' podcast is a global platform dedicated to fostering open conversations and learning around equity, and inclusion in workplaces and communities worldwide. 

Since 2020, these monthly sessions have brought together professionals, leaders, and advocates from across the globe to explore best practices, share personal experiences, and discuss actionable strategies for creating more inclusive environments. These sessions serve as a space for collective growth, critical reflection, and meaningful dialogue in society. 

We are beginning 2025 with a topic that is more relevant than ever: Is DEI Dead? Rationale For and Against 

As organizations across industries grapple with changing societal expectations, economic pressures, and political polarization, the relevance and future of DEI initiatives are under scrutiny on a global scale. In this climate of increasing pushback against DEI initiatives, from budget cuts to critiques of their effectiveness, the question looms large: is DEI as a framework for change still relevant? 

Critics argue that DEI has become a checkbox exercise, stripped of its transformative potential, while advocates contend that it’s more critical than ever as organizations navigate systemic inequities and social tensions. 

This month, we confront the hard truths and polarizing opinions around DEI: 

✔ Is DEI failing, or are we failing DEI? 

✔ How do organizations strike a balance between accountability and impact? 

✔ What does the future of workplace equity look like in the face of resistance and fatigue? 

This session is designed to provoke thought, spark dialogue, and inspire action. 

Join our speakers Chisom Udeze and Dr. Poornima Luthra as they tackle these critical issues head-on, offering space for constructive debate and shared learning. 

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team. This series is designed by Diversify to centre Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.

Intersectionality is a term coined by Professor Kimberley Crenshaw. It is an analytical framework for understanding how a person’s social or political identity such as ethnicity, race, social class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other facets of social stratification combine to create different modes of privilege and discrimination. 

Speakers: Chisom Udeze (she/her) and Miguel A. Leyva S. (He/him) 

 Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team. 

This series is designed by Diversify to centre Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. 

In honour of Black History Month, our topic for discussion in February is Anti-Racism with Rahwa Tilahun Yohaness (founder of Manifold, activist and campaign strategist) and Chisom Udeze (founder of Diversify and HerSpace, DEIB strategist and economist)

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team.

This series is designed by Diversify to center Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.

In this episode, our speakers, Chisom Udeze (three times Founder, Economist and DEI Strategist), Dr. Poornima Luthra (Author, Educator and DEI Expert), and Astrid Sundberg (Director DEI at Oda), will explore how inclusive are workplace DEIB initiatives, learnings from the past and the common mistakes to avoid in the future.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team.

This series is designed by Diversify to centre Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. We look forward to seeing you!

In December we will explore 4 practical tips that you can easily implement at your workplace in 2023, that will amplify and promote awareness of DEIB. The session will be co-facilitated by Diversify founder, Chisom Udeze, and Program Director, Iva Ogrizovic.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: LGBTQIA+

June is Pride Month, a month dedicated to uplifting LGBTQIA+ voices, celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture and supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. It commemorates the years of struggle for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit of justice, equity and equality for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive acronym that describes either a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, intersex, asexual/aromantic/agender, pansexual, and allies.

Gender identity describes a person’s internal sense of being female, male, or someone outside of that gender binary, while sexual orientation refers to ‘a person’s sexual and emotional attraction to another person and the behavior and/or social affiliation that may result from this attraction.’

People from the LGBTQIA+ community face discrimination and hate regularly in their personal lives, workplaces and in public spaces. Furthermore, the intersectionality of traits such as race, ethnicity, religion can influence their experience and lead to discrimination on multiple fronts. In the workplace, they’re subjected to microaggressions like being asked inappropriate questions and hearing homophobic jokes and comments. Conscious and unconscious bias can prevent them from being hired or getting a promotion or opportunity at work. Many LGBTQIA+ individuals feel the need to hide their identity in the workplace for fear of discrimination, which causes high levels of stress, anxiety and other mental health issues among them. 

During this session of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, we will discuss how workplaces and organisations can create a genuinely inclusive culture for LGBTQIA+ employees. On an individual level, using pronouns in email signatures, on social media profiles, and stating them in meetings, being mindful of using gender neutral language and calling out discriminatory behaviours are some of the ways to be active allies.

For companies, using gender neutral language, diverse visuals on the website and options beyond male and female on the job application can help attract a more diverse workforce, while including anti-discrimination and harassment policies that address sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination can help retain this workforce.

In this session, we will discuss 

• How can we ensure that workplaces have strong inclusive policies and practices in place? 
• How can they attract, successfully recruit and retain LGBTQIA+ talent? 
• How can companies create a safe environment for employees of all sexualities and gender expressions to reveal as much or as little as they want? 
• How can we, as individuals, be active allies to the LGBTQIA+ community? 

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Mental health as a key topic in your D&I strategy

Mental health, especially in the workplace, is often overlooked and stigmatized. Most people will experience a mental illness or mental health issues in their working lives. In the wake of the pandemic, the sudden transition into remote and subsequent readily changing work situations have drastically affected mental wellbeing of people across organisations. It is important for employers to recognize this and understand that the mental health of their employees and of themselves is as important as their physical well being. Work stress and pressure can often aggravate and cause depression, anxiety and other mental health issues in employees. Further, people of colour, racial or ethnic minorities, women and the LGBTQIA+ community can face lack of representation, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and other stressors that negatively impact their mental health. With a majority of our lives spent at work, it is important for workplaces to focus on mental health as a part of their DEI strategy.

In this session of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, we will discuss how to destigmatize mental health in the workplace and promote open communication.

• What systems and resources must be put in place to support employees with their mental health?
• How to raise awareness of mental wellness and break stereotypes regarding mental illness?
• How to prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed at work due to the pressures and stress that they may be facing?