This week I’m speaking with Matt Blakely, the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. Previously, he coordinated efforts in inclusion, equity, and diversity at Motorola Solutions for 3 years. He now leads RGA’s humanitarian work in areas such as philanthropy and volunteerism. He shares details about the ideals RGA promotes. One such ideal is that there is an intersection between society and the organizations within it, and those organizations have a role to play to enrich and enhance their surrounding communities. In addition, equity, diversion, inclusion and community efforts should be a part of the organization’s culture.Matt discusses his professional journey and lessons he learnt along the way. He says that while we are subject to historical forces, we can change that by working together.ResourcesMatt Blakely on LinkedInEmail: [email protected]

This week I’m speakinging with Trisha Daho, a Chief Strategy Officer, D&I Authority Change Agent, and the founder and CEO of Empowered Leadership Cultivation. Empowered is an organization dedicated to helping growing companies with business strategy and developing diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments with inclusive leaders. Trisha talks about how leaders are dealing with the fallout of the current pandemic. As this crisis is unprecedented, leaders do not know how to coach their employees through it, and employees are not equipped to be fully productive right now. The lines that used to separate one’s personal life from their professional life are gone, and interacting with someone on a strictly professional level when they are juggling copious amounts of stress is impossible. The more you can show up to help your employees navigate that stress, the more gravitas you have as a leader, Trisha says. ResourcesTrisha Daho on LinkedInEmpoweredLC.com

This week, I’m speaking with Ify Walker who is the Founder and CEO of Offor, the talent broker company. Offor is dedicated to challenging how executives of color are hired, promoted, and paid in the United States. Over the past several years, 90% of the new hires Offor has matched have come from black, asian, or latinx backgrounds. Ify is an attorney turned entrepreneur, driven by her desire to give people of color fair opportunities in the corporate world. She speaks about Offor’s mission, gives insights about racial injustice, and debunks myths surrounding people of color in the workplace. Two such myths are that the lack of diversity in the workplace is attributed to the lack of talent in communities of color, and that hiring is a meritocracy. In reality, research shows that companies hire people in their networks, and that the majority of white Americans only know one other black person. ResourcesIfy Walker on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: [email protected]

This week I’m speaking with Lisa Cockrell, a payroll diversity and inclusion expert, and the Senior Payroll Lead at Radio Flyer. Lisa is passionate about public speaking, which stems from her experience as an orator during high school. Lisa speaks about the power black women possess and how the corporate world can cultivate it, which was the topic of her DisruptHR talk last year. She shares insights into the experience of a working black woman, and the “superpowers” we have to offer. One such insight is the dichotomy of black women having to juggle two worlds: our world, which we leave in the car, and the world of whatever environment we are in, in which we immerse ourselves.ResourcesLisa Cockrell on LinkedInThe Power Of Black Women: Six Ways Corporate America Can Cultivate This Power! by Lisa Cockrell

This week I’m chatting with Levi Baer, who is the Director of Training for Chicago United for Equity, an organization committed to dismantling systemic racism through training and education. He is also the co-founder and Community Builder of Second Shift Chicago, an innovative coworking space. He is very passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. Growing up on a farm taught him the value of community, connectedness, and hard work, which he still carries with him today. He shares insights he gained over the years about racial equity. One such insight is that people do not only want to be heard, but also have input in decision-making processes, especially when it directly affects them.Levi’s hope is that organizations recognize that everyone has unique, powerful things to offer and seek to create a mosaic out of each diverse contribution instead of molding a homogenous workforce.ResourcesLevi Baer on LinkedIn | Instagram SecondShiftChicago.comChicagoUnitedforEquity.org

This week I’m chatting with Ericka Carmona-Vega, a part-time Human Resources Leadership Advisor for the Latin American branch of Streigenics. Growing up in the wake of the LA riots of 1992 pushed Ericka toward social justice and activism at a young age, leading her to organize protests and community efforts in her community. She shares details about her experiences in the fields of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Significant and sustainable movement toward a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace must be driven through leadership, Ericka urges. Organizations must not only support the programs and initiatives, but also put those practices to work within their highest levels of leadership.Ericka’s wish is for every level of the workplace to be as diverse as the customers they serve. ResourcesEricka Carmona-Vega on LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramXipe: The corporate Gap Year and Professional Renewal - Ericka Carmona-Vega

This week I’m speaking with Chris Lemark, a mental health advocate, hip hop artist, and founder of Coffee, Hip Hop and Mental Health. Chris shares the story of how he spent many years suffering in silence, before a pivotal moment that pushed him to first go to therapy, which resulted in him creating his business and bringing access to mental health care to more people. Right now mental health in the workplace (and home, and community) is a critical issue, particularly for black people, and too often people are going about their lives and into workplaces without even knowing the extent of their trauma, or that they need help. That help is often stigmatized, which is one of the key issues Chris’s work tries to address. Using music to help bridge the gaps, and mitigate the anxiety about therapy and mental health discussions, makes it more accessible for more people, especially under a system of systemic racism.ResourcesCoffee, Hip Hop, and Mental Health on Facebook or InstagramChhamh.com

This week I’m chatting with LaTonya Wilkins, Director of Talent Management at the GIES College of Business, and the Principal of LaTonya Wilkins Coaching and Speaking. She is in a position of leadership in numerous organizations, which has given her insights into creating work environments that support diversity, equity and inclusion. LaTonya shares some of these insights and the research behind them. One observation she has made is that most people have gone through some sort of unconscious bias training, which makes them fearful of difference. The solution to this problem is exposure to the differences they fear, which has been found to reduce biases and increase levels of oxytocin, a chemical that builds trust. LaTonya discusses the value of coaching to both employees and leaders. She also dismisses the claims of diversifying the workforce as “lowering the standards,” saying that it is instead “lowering the hurdle.”ResourcesLaTonya Wilkins on LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramLaTonyaWilkins.com

This week I’m chatting with Tom Alexander, the CEO and Co-Founder of Holistic. Holistic helps people have better employee experiences through the use of data: they look at every aspect of the employee’s experience, from before they are hired until after they leave, in order to understand challenges and opportunities. Tom shares numerous findings obtained from the data collected by Holistic. One such finding is that the seriousness and timeliness with which performance reviews are performed closely mirrors the pay inequity gap. They have also observed that companies want to be made aware of their shortcomings in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion, but not without a proposed solution. Tom shares insights and solutions for dealing with difficult situations. He also says that the day-to-day efforts put towards building and maintaining an inclusive environment are as much of a reward as the results. ResourcesTom Alexander on LinkedInHolisticIndex.com

Emily Blum is the Executive Director of ADA25 Advanced Leadership, an organization dedicated to advancing and developing leaders with disabilities in the workplace. It was founded during the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and born out of frustration with the lack of leaders with disabilities at tables of influence and power. With a background rooted in social justice and communications, Emily believes that disability is and should be a part of every conversation. She joins me today to discuss the journeys of those with disabilities and the value they bring to the table.Here are a few highlights from our conversation:There is a pervasive belief that disability is a pejorative. Emily’s personal journey taught her that her disability is an asset that gives her unique perspective and insight. It’s not a liability.In Chicago, one in five people have a disability, but studies show only three percent feel comfortable enough disclosing that information to their employer.Accommodations are about allowing people to do the best job they can.Creating the space for people to come as their authentic selves to the workplace is hard and undervalued work.Diversity, equity and inclusion starts with making a commitment.There is a societal expectation for leaders with disabilities to carry the bags of every person who has a handicap. Disability looks different on every person, and is experienced in ways unique to each individual.There is incredible power that leadership can create.Leaders with disabilities should be involved in policy making departments, especially when it affects those within that community.ResourcesEmily Blum on LinkedIn | TwitterADA25Chicago.com | Twitter | Facebook