Contributors to this episode are:

• Amaia Arrubarrena, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ezCater
• Anna Whitlock, People Strategy & Culture at LabCentral
• David Tedeschi, Consultant at World Bank Group
• Dr. Erika Powell, DEI and Leadership Consultant and Coach
• Dr. Victoria Verlezza, DEI Facilitator at She+ Geeks Out
• Elisa Campos-Praetor, Sr. Recruiter at Scott’s Cheap Flights
• Erin Learoyd, DEI Program Manager at New Balance
• Fatima Dainkeh, Staff DEI Programs & Training Manager at She+ Geeks OUt
• Karina Becerra, Director, Customer Advocacy at Podium
• Kia Rivera, DEI Facilitator at She+ Geeks Out
• Snaedis Valsdottir, Product Manager at SparkPost

02:07: Amaia Arrubarrena talks about her journey to becoming director of diversity, equity and inclusion at ezCater.

15:21: Dr. Erika Powell shares her unique arc to becoming a DEI consultant and how it’s different for everybody

22:20: Fatima Dainkeh asks those who are interested in getting involved in this work to ask yourself some questions - why, what, and who?

27:37: Elisa Campos-Praetor reflects on how she started down this work, particularly in tech, an industry she wasn’t initially familiar with

29:58: David Tedeschi shares his experience growing up in a homogeneous environment to gaining more awareness and understanding of difference through his lived experiences

33:08: Anna Whitlock discusses how her genuine interest in people, how they operate, and what their drivers are brought her to focusing on DEI as a core part of her work

38:05: Karina Becerra talks about her experience as a remotely located manager for a company based in Utah and how she’s bringing an equitable lens to her hiring and managing practices

41:04: Snaedis Valsdottir shares how she became passionate about and an advocate for accessibility best practices at work

47:52: Dr. Victoria Verlezza on what DEI is and things to consider when considering a career in DEI

51:22: Kia Rivera also discusses what DEI is, as well as intersectionality

53:48: Erin Learoyd on ways being a DEI practitioner can be challenging while focusing on the tangible aspects that show movement toward a more equitable workplace

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

Rachel Murray and Felicia Jadczak sat down in early December to recap the insanity of 2021 and make predictions for 2022. They get dark at times (when looking at the past year, who could help it?), and attempt to pull each other out of their panic spirals- to varying levels of success. We're covering politics, attempted coups, Animal Crossing, alien overlords, annoying beauty standards, what's next for She+ Geeks Out, and a whole lot more. Listen to the end for some special goodies.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

In honor of October's designation of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we spoke with our friends, Taylor Snook, and Jennifer Sagalyn from Perkins Access about digital accessibility. Perkins Access is the digital accessibility group from Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins Access partners with organizations of all kinds to help them create digital products, services and experiences that engage and include all people, regardless of their abilities. We learned about the ways everyone benefits from accessible universal design, chatted about how the pandemic has changed so much, and just how organizations can get started.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

Melanie Ho, author of BEYOND LEANING IN: Gender Equity and What Organizations are Up Against, sits down with Rachel and Felicia to discuss the cumulative and ripple effects of discrimination against women in the workplace. The novel offers unique insights in a fictionalized (but very familiar) office as men and women try (and often fail) to create an equitable and supportive workplace. Rachel and Felicia also discuss the app Clubhouse, and look back at their own early career experiences.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

She+ Geeks Out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion facilitators Fatima Dainkeh and Jacquis Watters sit down to respond to Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special. Fatima and Jacquis look at the Royal Family’s connection to and complicity with the institutions of whiteness and white supremacy, and why it’s dangerous to separate institutions from people. They also dive into the universality of Meghan Markle’s experiences as a Black woman, how we can all think about dismantling racism in our own families, and a legacy of support within BIPOC communities.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion experts Felicia Jadczak, Fatima Dainkeh, and Erika Powell talk about the myriad of ways companies can meaningfully measure the impact of DEI programs, how to move on from initial benchmarking data, destigmatizing DEI data, what metrics are important to track, and how to measure some of the "squishier" parts of inclusion.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

Boy are you in for a treat! We spoke with the incredibly wise Lauren McGoodwin, aka the Career Contessa, to talk all things job search! We got super practical. We got fantastic answers to these questions and more! I feel overwhelmed by the different options of going back to school to get my masters in CS, getting a certificate, going to a bootcamp, or just trying to transition internally onto a software engineering team at work. Of course time and money are things I am heavily considering, and the opportunity cost of having to cut down time at my current job to pursue a program. Do you have any advice on what is the best path? How do I search for a new job while furloughed and pregnant? Is applying to jobs online worth it when people are saying that most new hires are based on referrals? Especially for people just starting out? How do you explain getting fired when applying for jobs? I realized through COVID that despite being in my current field for 10 years, I want to change careers. I know I’m going to have to start a few rungs down the ladder than I currently am, but how do I get a hiring manager to look at my application for those more junior positions without looking overqualified and out of left field. Is “loyalty” a thing anymore? If someone has a few jobs in a row of 12-18 months, does that start to raise red flags about loyalty or jumping ship? How long do I need to stay? How do you go about asking for the salary range of a position if it’s not stated in the listing? Is that seen as too bold to ask directly during an initial interview? Marijuana is legal in my state, but it seems like there’s still a lot of confusion around this. How could someone address this for a new job with a drug screen if I’m using it legally, either recreationally or medicinally?  What’s the best way to address career gaps? I took some time off when having children, but when I start to apply to go back, I’ll have a 6 year gap in my resume. How do I make sure I’m considered as a candidate with no recent experience?   Learn more about Lauren, get all of your career needs met, and buy her new book, Power Moves!   Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review and reach out to us on the social media platform of your choice. Tell us who you’d like to hear from, ask us questions, or just say hi!

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

Cat Moore. She is a delight and a joy. And has probably the best head of hair we've ever seen. Cat is the Director of Belonging at University of Southern California & President & Chief Communications Officer of ReHuman, which is an app that helps us create strong relationships among friends, family, coworkers, + neighbors. We talk about loneliness, belonging, and how her CLICK (Connect As Is – Listen First – Investigate – Communicate Kindness – Keep in touch) framework is needed now more than EVER. Quick Links: Cat Moore Salon.com article on loneliness & belonging Spectrum News video on CLICK Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review and reach out to us on the social media platform of your choice. Tell us who you’d like to hear from, ask us questions, or just say hi!

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

She+ Geeks Out Co-CEOs Felicia and Rachel are interviewed by SGO team Fatima and Vienna on this very special 100th episode of the She+ Geeks Out podcast! We got INTO it... after 5 official years, and 7 unofficial years of working together, there's a lot to reflect on! Hear what we had to say on the following questions. Here's to another 5 years! What have you been up to? How would you answer that 5 years ago? 3 months ago? Now? What’s been the most valuable advice anyone has given you? What is the most surprising lesson you’ve learned through SGO? What are some of the biggest challenges as a business owner that have come up? (Funding? Investing?) What does it mean to you as a business owner to celebrate the 5 year anniversary? How has your personal life changed over the last 5 years? What do you think the next 5 years hold? What’s next for SGO? How have you grown or changed as a facilitator? As an employer? As a person? What’s something you’ve had to let go of as a business owner, and how did it feel? What has been your most awkward moment? Peak and Pit- What has been the best moment of SGO? The worst moment? What are you currently geeking out about?

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.