The Belonging Project

In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Hélène Bejjani, global L&D leader at Atlantis. Hélène is on a mission to build better workplaces where people feel empowered to learn and grow. She focuses her work on 3 key areas: the corporate culture and work environment, leadership development and employee development.

"In the workplace, all behaviours matter, including those that are tolerated or accepted. In fact, they often are the true indicators of a company’s culture.", says Hélène.

Building on Hélène’s personal and professional experiences, we explore:

🔸 Cross-cultural awareness and how it helps you understand others on a deeper level and adapt

🔸 The importance of intentionality in the virtual world

🔸 How the pandemic has been a catalyst to influence the workplace transformation

Links from this episode:

• Follow Hélène’s work here

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

Do you know what a stateless person is? 



Someone where the country they are from doesn't recognize them as a citizen, often due to political or religious reasons.



Today in the world there are around 10 MILLION stateless people. People that don’t have the right to have a birth certificate, go to a regular school, hospital or have a death certificate. 



In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Maha Mamo. Maha was one of them, her story is an example of #resilience #determinationand #perseverance. After so many attempts, she found a new home in Brazil and at 26 years old, she got her first official document and a citizenship. Maha Mamo is now a spokesperson for the UN #IBelong campaign in order to contribute to eradicating statelessness worldwide by changing the laws and giving more visibility.

Links from this episode:

• The UN #IBelong campaign


• Maha’s work and book


• Resources on statelessness

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Anna Chen, founder of @etrefemmeasiatique. Anna is a French born Chinese living in Paris, France. In 2020, she launched @etrefemmeasiatique, a vibrant Instagram community of Asian women living in France. She shares her experience as an Asian woman living in France. She talks about her struggles and inspirations about identity, racism, the relationship with Asian parents, the generational gap, cultural transmission and being a daughter of immigrants. She gathered a thriving community of Asian women who feel heard and seen.

In this episode, we talk about:

🔸 Growing up in France as the child of immigrant Chinese parents

🔸 Microagressions

🔸 Positive stereotypes can be as damaging

"To feel that you belong you need to be able to see that who you are is accepted entirely. You don't feel that you need to stretch yourself to feel that you belong. You don't need to fulfil somebody else’s expectations.", says Anna.

Links from this episode:

• Anna’s Instagram community: Etre Femme Asiatique

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Nicole Barile, founder of NB Intercultural. We explore:

🔸Growing up in a multi-cultural and multi-faith family

🔸How can workplaces adapt to the diversity of their people’s celebrations and why that's important to feel included and build a sense of belonging

🔸How your gut feel can serve you AND how you may want to cross check it sometimes too!

"Belonging is being able to be myself, to be honest and open, without fear of any repercussions. Belonging is when somebody gets you", says Nicole Barile.

Links from this episode:

• NB Intercultural


• Connect with Nicole Barile

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Camille Deniau, ex-Google and now artist and founder of Project Roots. We talk about her personal journey growing up across cultures and also about her professional journey, across different countries, and from Google to her art and setting up her own business.

We explore:

🔸Growing up across countries and cultures

🔸The feeling of rootlessness

🔸The soul-searching journey for our identity and true belonging.

"Belonging is knowing who I am and what I need", says Camille Deniau.

Links from this episode:

• Project Roots


• Connect with Camille Deniau

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Dr Sandra Upton, Vice-President of Global Diversity Practice at the Cultural Intelligence Center.

We talk about the connections between Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the workplace and beyond. We also talk about how Cultural Intelligence provides practical strategies that allow us to move from awareness and conceptual knowledge to action, helping us on our journey towards Belonging and in managing unconscious biases.

"Belonging for me is a space where I can bring all of who I am to an experience. There's no shrinking back. The environment is such that it celebrates and embraces that. I am not asking permission to be there.", says Dr Sandra Upton.

Links from this episode:

• What is Cultural Intelligence (CQ)?


• Cultural Intelligence Center


• Follow Sandra’s work here

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

In this episode of The Belonging Project Podcast, we talk with Kristen Lisanti, BCW's Chief Culture Officer. We explore how she combines different approaches into her organisational change and culture work -leadership development, mindfulness, neuroscience- and the impact on Belonging. We also explore how a mindfulness approach can help to be a more inclusive leader.

"When I think about belonging, I think of organizational accountability. We can’t place the burden of belonging on the individual. We need to make sure the organization's leaders are prioritising creating an environment where people feel they can belong and show up as themselves", says Kristen.

Links from this episode:

• Follow Kristen’s work here

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!

In the first episode of the Belonging Project Podcast, our guest is Viviana Premazzi, founder of Global Mindset Development. We talk about how Viviana's second life started in Malta and her personal journey towards Belonging.

"Belonging is to be able to shine, with all your light, and be what you are. It's finding a place where you can, indeed, shine", says Viviana.

Links from this episode:

• Global Mindset Development


• Follow Viviana’s work here

Click here to connect with Andrea and Fiorenza!