Leading With Empathy & Allyship

Leading With Empathy & Allyship

By Melinda Briana EplerBusiness
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Leading With Empathy & Allyship episodes

  • Influencing Your Company To Address Racism With TDo

    Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), talks with TDo, Senior Solutions Engineer at Gladly, for “Influencing Your Company To Address Racism.” TDo describes her work to address racism and violence against the AAPI community in her workplace, as well as building coalitions, influencing leaders, and the role allies have in this work.

    About TDo

    TDo (Theresa Do) is a Sr. Solutions Engineer at Gladly based in San Francisco, CA. She has over 10+ yrs of pre-sales experience in SaaS based companies. Providing insight and offering consulting on how to deliver radically personal customer service is a long-held passion. TDo is well-versed in helping companies of all sizes - from start-ups that are building their name - all the way to established Fortune 100 brands.

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/



    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and TDo, an Asian woman with short black hair and green shirt.]

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    44 min
  • Expanding Anti-Racist Allyship With Sonja Gittens Ottley

    In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), and Sonja Gittens Ottley, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Asana, talk about “Expanding Anti-Racist Allyship.” You’ll learn about anti-racism, strategies to expand our anti-racist allyship to address intersectionality and many forms of racism, and how this can help you can level up DEI efforts in your workplace.

    About Sonja

    Sonja Gittens Ottley is the Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Asana, where she’s responsible for crafting the company’s strategies for recruiting employees from underrepresented groups and creating an inclusive environment that allows people to thrive. Prior to her roles in diversity and inclusion at Asana and at Facebook, Sonja was global policy counsel for Yahoo’s Business & Human Rights Program. She is a native of Trinidad & Tobago.

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Sonja Gittens Ottley, a Black woman with black hair, glasses, and green shirt.]

    Support the show

    46 min
  • Designing For Intersectional Inclusion With Frieda McAlear

    In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), and Frieda McAlear, Senior Research Associate at the Kapor Center, talk about “Designing For Intersectional Inclusion.” Frieda described what we can do to redress the lack of Native American representation in Computer Science while applying an intersectional lens. She'll also share principles we can use in our workplaces and communities to improve inclusion.

    About Frieda

    Frieda McAlear is the Senior Research Associate, where she brings her skills as a social science researcher and her passion for working with and for marginalized and underrepresented communities, at the Kapor Center. She has nearly a decade of experience managing projects, developing evaluation and research methodology and building nonprofit technology capacity with socially progressive organizations in the Bay Area, Europe, and Southern Africa.

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Empovia logo, photo of Frieda McAlear, a woman who is smiling with short hair, with the text reading “March 30, Designing For Intersectional Inclusion”]

    Support the show

    49 min
  • It’s OK To Make Mistakes As An Ally With Manisha Amin

    In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), and Manisha Amin, CEO of the Centre for Inclusive Design, discuss “It’s OK To Make Mistakes As An Ally.” Our work as allies and advocates continues to shape society for the better. The work can also feel heavy - especially when we stumble. Manisha explores how to get over our fears when it comes to allyship; call each other in rather than out; own our truth; apologize and repair; and forgive others, as well as ourselves.

    About Manisha

    Manisha Amin is the chief strategist and visionary at the Centre for Inclusive Design. A thought leader in the power of thinking from the edge, she has a unique talent for seeing emerging trends beyond the horizon and building powerful communities through inclusive design.

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Empovia logo and photo of Manisha Amin, a woman of color who is smiling and wearing a striped jacket, and text reading “It's OK To Make Mistakes As An Ally."]


    Support the show

    48 min
  • Engaging Leadership To Improve Diversity, Equity & Inclusion With Sheree Atcheson

    In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), speaks with Sheree Atcheson, author of Demanding More. Sheree and Melinda dive into strategies for how to effectively help leaders succeed in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), even when we may not be in a position of power ourselves.

    About Sheree

    Listed as one of the UK's "Top Most Influential Women in Tech," Sheree Atcheson is the Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Peakon, an Advisory Board Member of Women Who Code, and a contributor for Forbes. She's the author of Demanding More: Why Diversity & Inclusion Don't Happen & What You Can Do About It, a critical resource for learning how to be more inclusive despite the historical and systemic exclusion of particular groups.

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Empovia logo against a white background and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with long red hair, and Sheree Atcheson, a Sri Lankan woman with short dark hair, and white text in a red graphic reading "Engaging Leadership To Improve Diversity, Equity & Inclusion."]

    Support the show

    50 min
  • How We Can Collectively Address Anti-Asian Hate With Tammy Cho

    In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), speaks with Tammy Cho, Co-Founder & CEO of Hate Is A Virus and BetterBrave. Tammy and Melinda discuss the work we must do together to combat racism against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, starting with raising awareness of what community members have experienced - historically and presently - in the United States. They address what allies and members of the AAPI community can do to create change.

    About Tammy

    Tammy Cho focuses on work that dismantles harassment, discrimination, and racism. She’s the Co-Founder & CEO of Hate Is A Virus, a nonprofit and community of mobilizers and amplifiers dedicated to dismantling hate and racism. Over the past year, they produced national awareness campaigns, educational resources for the community, and raised over $30K+ for essential BIPOC community organizations and small businesses across the nation and are committed to continuing these efforts this year. Tammy also founded BetterBrave, a nonprofit that empowers thousands of employees with free knowledge and tools for navigating workplace harassment and discrimination.

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    This episode is sponsored by AppDynamics, builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at appdynamics.com/company/careers 

    [Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Empovia logo against a white background and photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with long red hair, and Tammy Cho, an Asian woman with short blonde hair, and white text in a red graphic reading "How We Can Collectively Address Anti-Asian Hate"]

    Support the show

    39 min
  • Understanding Privilege & Using It To Create Change With Karen Catlin

    Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) talks with Karen Catlin, CEO of Karen Catlin Consulting and author of Better Allies, about how we can each build empathy and create positive change for others by first understanding our own privilege. 

    About Karen

    After spending 25 years building software products and serving as a vice president of engineering at Macromedia and Adobe, Karen Catlin witnessed a sharp decline in the number of women working in tech. She’s now a leadership coach and acclaimed speaker on inclusive workplaces. Karen shares her expertise in three books: Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces, The Better Allies™ Approach to Hiring, and Present! A Techie's Guide to Public Speaking. Learn more at karencatlin.com

    You can watch the live show onEmpovia YouTube Channel here, with live captioning and ASL interpretation: https://youtu.be/tdEpSDOeLJQ

    The live show is made accessible thanks to ASL interpretation by in-kind sponsor Interpreter-Now and live captioning by White Coat Captioning.

    This episode of Leading With Empathy & Allyship is sponsored by AppDynamics - builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers 

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with Empovia logo, photos of Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with long red hair, and Karen Catlin, a White woman with short hair, and text reading “Episode 36: Understanding Privilege & Using It To Create Change”]

    Support the show

    39 min
  • Bridging Racial Divides Through Radical Empathy With Terri Givens

    In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) and Terri Givens, CEO & Founder of Brighter Higher Ed, discuss how radical empathy can help bridge racial divides. Terri shares her journey researching her family’s history, the need for restorative justice, and what led her to write her latest book, “Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides.”

    You’ll learn how to create change by practicing Terri’s six steps of radical empathy: 

    1. A willingness to be vulnerable
    2. Becoming grounded in who you are
    3. Opening yourself to the experiences of others
    4. Practicing empathy
    5. Taking action
    6. Creating change and building trust

    About Terri 

    Terri Givens is the CEO and Founder of Brighter Higher Ed. She has more than 30 years of success in higher education, politics, international affairs, and nonprofits. She is an accomplished speaker and uses her platform to develop leaders with an understanding of the importance of diversity and encourages personal growth through empathy.

    You can watch the live show on Empovia YouTube Channel here, with live captioning and ASL interpretation: https://youtu.be/93F0FxH8UDI

    The live show is made accessible thanks to ASL interpretation by in-kind sponsor Interpreter-Now and live captioning by White Coat Captioning.

    This episode of Leading With Empathy & Allyship is sponsored by AppDynamics - builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers 

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Terri Givens, a Black woman with short curly hair and purple top.]

    Support the show

    47 min
  • Raising Our Children To Be Allies & Advocates For Social Justice With Margenett Moore-Roberts

    In this episode, Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler engages in an important conversation with Margenett Moore-Roberts, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer of IPG DXTRA, about how to raise our children as allies and advocates who can disrupt and redress race-based harm. 

    You’ll come away from this episode with an understanding of why and how to have tough conversations with children about racism, so that they can live in a just, fair, and peaceful world. We also discuss the critical need of reforming the white supremacy built into our American educational system, one that has often taught a one-sided and biased perspective of history. 

    About This Episode’s Guest:

    Since joining the industry in May 2018, Margenett Moore-Roberts has been nominated for an IPG Inclusion Award, and selected as one of The Holmes Report’s 2019 Innovator 25 and one of The Network Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business. Her perspective has been featured in industry publications and events, including PRNews, PRSA LA Diversity & Inclusion Panel, The Atlantic Roundtable on Diversity, and the PRSA Tri-State Conference.

    You can watch the live show on Empovia YouTube Channel here, with live captioning and ASL interpretation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPosjcykHvg

    The live show is made accessible thanks to ASL interpretation by in-kind sponsor Interpreter-Now and live captioning by White Coat Captioning.

    This episode of Leading With Empathy & Allyship is sponsored by AppDynamics - builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers 

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with theEmpovia logo and photos of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair and glasses, and Margenett Moore-Roberts, a Black woman with a curly black bun and hoop earrings.]

    Support the show

    47 min
  • How To Advance Pay Equity & Reduce The Pay Gap With Sharawn Connors

    In this episode, Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler discusses “How To Advance Pay Equity & Reduce the Pay Gap” with Sharawn Connors, VP of Diversity Equality & Inclusion at Micron Technology.

    Melinda and Sharawn talk specific strategies on:

    • What “pay gap” and “pay equity” really mean
    • How you can prepare for negotiating a salary 
    • The research you should do before talking numbers with a prospective employer
    • How to know your professional worth
    • How your company can improve the pay gap and pay equity, and the data and processes to consider implementing to reduce the pay gap across your organization in order to reach pay equity

    Our Leading With Empathy & Allyship host Melinda Briana Epler is a TED speaker and Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst). Melinda works with leaders to build empathy and inclusive leadership skills, and develop diverse, equitable, and inclusive companies.

    You can watch the live show on Empovia YouTube Channel here, with live captioning and ASL interpretation: https://youtu.be/uN6pb2GFeV8

    The live show is made accessible thanks to ASL interpretation by in-kind sponsor Interpreter-Now and live captioning by White Coat Captioning.

    This episode of Leading With Empathy & Allyship is sponsored by AppDynamics - builders of the world’s only full-stack Business Observability platform. Join their team to help businesses thrive by turning performance into profit. Learn more at www.appdynamics.com/company/careers 

    Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode! 

    For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

    Connect On Social
    YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
    Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
    Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
    Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/


    Production Team
    Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler 
    Producer: Juliette Roy 
    Project Manager: Emilie Maas
    Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos 
    Data Analyst: Sally Moywaywa 
    Director of Marketing: Ariyah April

    [image description: promotion for the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show with the Empovia logo, a photo of Sharawn Connors, a Black woman smiling, and text reading “How To Advance Pay Equity & Reduce the Pay Gap" with Sharawn Connors, VP of Diversity Equality & Inclusion at Micron Technology]

    Support the show

    38 min

About Leading With Empathy & Allyship

From the publisher's feed

Join us each week for deep, real conversations about how we can all be more inclusive leaders in our workplaces and communities. In intimate conversations with advocates, activists, and allies, TED…