Leading With Empathy & Allyship

Join Empovi (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Jeannie Gainsburg, Founder Savvy Ally Action, in conversation about how we can become better advocates for the LGBTQ+ community.

Melinda and Jeannie talk about actionable steps companies can make to create a more inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+  employees and some tips about having difficult conversations with people who might not think like we do. Jeannie shares some strategies based on her 15 years of practice leading workshops for companies.

Learn more about Jeannie’s work at https://www.savvyallyaction.com/

Additional Resources

• Savvy Ally Action YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNTbZy88kyTvZklSdiCi00w
• "What To Do When You Mess Up": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCs09m3Tpy0&t=5s&ab_channel=SavvyAllyAction
• “The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate” by Jeannie Gainsburg: https://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Ally-JEANNIE-GAINSBURG/dp/1538136775/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=savvy+ally&qid=1601379141&sr=8-1
• Free Educational Handouts from Savvy Ally: https://www.savvyallyaction.com/programs 

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Producer: Juliette Roy
Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa
Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford
Created by: Melinda Briana Epler

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

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Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler and Dr. Adia Gooden, Clinical Psychologist, in conversation about how we can support ourselves and each other to overcome Imposter Syndrome.

Dr. Gooden describes how Imposter Syndrome manifests in our lives, preventing us from reaching our full potential. The pervasive influence of Imposter Syndrome is underestimated and often exacerbated by discrimination and stereotype threat. It can prevent us from asking questions and speaking up. It can hold our career and relationships back. Dr. Gooden shares some solutions and practices we can implement to overcome this widely spread syndrome. 

Learn more about Dr Adia Gooden at https://dradiagooden.com/

Additional Resources

• “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome” - Dr. Adia Gooden's Course on Insight Timer
• “Cultivating Unconditional Self-Worth” - Dr. Adia Gooden's TEDx Talk
• "The Impostor Phenomenon" by Jaruwan Sakulku in The Journal of Behavioral Science

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Producer: Juliette Roy
Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa
Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford
Created by: Melinda Briana Epler

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

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Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Danny Allen, VP of Tech Diversity & Inclusion at SAP Labs in conversation about Using Data to Drive Change.

Danny Allen has been an engineer in the tech industry for over 30 years, and the last four as an executive focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. In this episode he talks about why he made the jump to create change, and the different projects he oversees across the tech ecosystem to make that happen. We discuss how he uses a diversity dashboard to help drive understanding, accountability, behavior change and equity across the organization.

Learn more about Diversity and Inclusion at SAP - including their integrated report: https://www.sap.com/corporate/en/company/diversity.html

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Additional Resources:

• SAP.IO's inclusive entrepreneurship initiative No Boundaries
•  "Driving Inclusion and Innovation In Workplace Culture" at Tech Inclusion - with Danny Allen, Melinda Briana Epler, Candice Morgan and Candi Castleberry Singleton
• SAP's Project Propel, working with HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities)

Producer: Juliette Roy
Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa
Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford
Created by: Melinda Briana Epler

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

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Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Corey Ponder, Empathy Practitioner & Facilitator at em|PACT Strategies, in conversation about Cultivating Empathy as a Skill.

We talk about Corey's story, and how he started emPACT Strategies after the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Then we dive into three types of empathy, and ways to build empathy inside organizations by using design thinking frameworks. We talk about allies as being the "trusted sidekick" in a super hero movie, and how to show up as an ally in this crucial moment - to ensure we are moving racial equity forward. And we discuss ways that we can facilitate difficult conversations so that people with widely different backgrounds find common ground to move toward solutions. We end with a conversation with the audience about what barriers they face as allies, and talk through some solutions.

Learn more about Corey's work at https://www.empactstrategies.com/ 

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Additional Resources:

• David Grey’s Empathy Map
• Durably Reducing Transphobia
• Update to the Durably Reducing Transphobia Study
• Having a Difficult Conversation Around Diversity
• Determine The Root Cause: The Five Whys

Producer: Juliette Roy
Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa
Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford
Created by: Melinda Briana Epler

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

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Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Irma Olguin Jr, CEO & Co-Founder at Bitwise Industries, in conversation about Leading the Change. 

We talk about Irma's story as a granddaughter of immigrants, who starting out working as a farm laborer in the California Central Valley. After earning an engineering degree, she eventually became CEO of a company working to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in tech through technology education. Irma recently closed a Series A round of fundraising of $27M, one of the largest ever led by a Latinx female founder. We discuss innovative ways that leaders can build empathy and allyship across the organization, how to build a sense of belonging during unprecedented times, and what allyship looks like for Irma.

Learn more about Irma's work at Bitwise Industries: https://bitwiseindustries.com/ 

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Resources:

• “From Recycling Bottles for Cash to Tech CEO” by Ruth Umoh, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthumoh/2020/06/26/from-recycling-bottles-for-cash-to-tech-ceo-meet-the-latinx-founder-building-a-100-million-tech-hub-in-californias-gritty-central-valley/#3a0dfd1b1b4b 
• “I’m a Latinx female founder, and this is how much rejection it took to get to $27 million” by Irma L. Olguin, Fast Company https://www.fastcompany.com/90365868/im-a-latinx-female-founder-and-this-is-how-much-rejection-it-took-to-get-to-27-million

Producer: Juliette Roy
Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa
Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford
Created by: Melinda Briana Epler

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Support the show

Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Lionel Lee, Head of Diversity Engagement at Zillow Group, in conversation about Engaging Leadership. We talk about Lionel's story, what empathy looks like in 2020, how Lionel has worked with leadership to build allyship and deepen understanding for people from underrepresented identities, and the deep work of building empathy across the company.

Learn more about Zillow Group's work on Equity and Belonging: https://www.zillowgroup.com/careers/equity-belonging/ 

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Resources:

• Zillow’s Commitment to Equity & Belonging: https://www.zillowgroup.com/careers/equity-belonging/
• AfroTech Feature on Lionel Lee: This Zillow Exec Wants to Reshape the Face of Tech: https://afrotech.com/this-zillow-exec-wants-to-reshape-the-face-of-tech
• Watch the 2019 “Tech Inclusion Seattle Summit, Presented By Zillow and Hosted by Change Catalyst” on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EqXgYRlq-0
• Anti-Racism Resources compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein: bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES 

Producer: Juliette Roy
Project Manager: Sally Moywaywa
Finance & Logistics: Renzo Santos
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist: Antonia Ford
Created by: Melinda Briana Epler

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Support the show

Join Leading with Empathy and Allyship Host Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), as she shares what it means to be an ally in 2020. She’ll discuss her own path to allyship and the Stages of Allyship. She touches on ways to be anti-racist, interrupt microaggressions, and address systemic inequities in the workplace, and of course some very tangible ways you can be a better ally in the workplace.

This is the end of Season 1 - we will be back with Season 2 in early September!

Learn more about Melinda Briana Epler and her work at https://changecatalyst.co/ally

Additional resources:
➡ Melinda's TED Talk "3 Ways to Be a Better Ally in the Workplace": http://go.ted.com/melindaepler
➡ Listen to all episodes in this 16-week series, and join us for season 2 in early September: https://changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries
➡ Tech Inclusion Conference & Career Fair October 13-15: https://sf20.techinclusion.co
➡ How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1
➡ Laura Park's NY Times full-page spread "The Diary Project: 400 Hours. $500.": www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/arts/l…ks&pgtype=Article
➡ "The unbearable whiteness of social networks" by Zack Beauchamp, Vox: www.vox.com/xpress/2014/8/22/60…l-networks-ferguson
➡ Kiyun Kim's photo essay on microaggressions: nortonism.tumblr.com/

⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Support the show

Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Rachel Williams, Head of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity at X – the moonshot factory to discuss Creating Structural Change in the Workplace.

Learn more about Rachel on her website: www.rachelannwilliams.com/

⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑

Additional resources:
➡ "Continuing DEI Work During a Pandemic" with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Ulysses Smith and Jennifer Brown at Tech Inclusion Global Summit 2020 https://youtu.be/fS_RR4sUbsI 
➡ "Keeping It 100: What's Next with Culture & Inclusion in Tech?" with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Aubrey Blanche, and Candice Morgan at Tech Inclusion 2019 https://youtu.be/fU81EBsTJoY
➡ Equity 101: Learn the basics of Startup Employee Stock Options carta.com/blog/equity-101-stock-option-basics/
➡ Suggested Reading: There Are Actually 3 Types of Empathy. Here's How They Differ--and How You Can Develop Them All www.inc.com/justin-bariso/there…velop-them-all.html
➡ Learn from HRC President Alphonso David on the Hierarchy of Identities https://youtu.be/ksuEv4Q6dhM?t=714 

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries.

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Support the show

Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Dr. Angel Acosta, Principal Consultant at Acosta Consulting, to discuss "Moving From Structural Inequality to Human Flourishing."

About Our Guest
For the last decade, Dr. Angel Acosta has worked to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness. He completed his doctorate in curriculum and teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. Angel has supported educational leaders and their students by facilitating leadership trainings, creating pathways to higher education, and designing dynamic learning experiences.

Learn more about Dr. Acosta's work at https://www.drangelacosta.com/

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For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts

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

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Join Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President & CEO at Anitab.org to discuss Women Championing Women.

We address the role allyship plays in advancing gender and racial equity for Black women, how women can better support and champion other women, and how companies can support women and build allyship between women.

Learn more about Brenda's work at anitab.org

Additional resources:
➡ Grace Hopper Celebration 2020 ghc.anitab.org/
➡ COVID-19 Jeopardizes The Future For Students And Employers tcin.co/38FJPAY
➡ Top Companies for Women Technologists: 2019 Key Findings and Insights tcin.co/3iNK95q
➡ Computer Science for All www.csforall.org/ 

⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!⭑⭑

For more about Empovia, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseries 

Support this series: patreon.com/changecatalysts
YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Support the show