In this episode, Jennifer speaks with Laura Alvarez Schrag, Senior Consultant at JBC, about making personal connections to foster belonging in organizations. They discuss Laura's background, the importance of sharing personal stories and being vulnerable, generational differences in connecting, and how leaders can role model embracing learning and change. Laura emphasizes that while technology enables some connections, human relationships are still essential, so leaders should focus on elevating individuals, which then lifts entire organizations. Discover how intimate work that starts with personal transformation can then radiate out to create cultures of belonging over generations.

In this minisode, Jennifer offers an inside look into her approach for architecting high-impact sessions with leadership teams. From managing anxious executives to contending with vocal CEOs,  Jennifer shares her tactics for establishing psychological safety while also driving towards candor and vulnerability. She spotlights common C-Suite dynamics, competency levels, and fears that manifest around DEI, providing guidance for how to move executives along the conscious incompetence spectrum. 

From the Best of the Will to Change: In this episode, originally recorded at the Belonging at Work Summit, Jennifer Brown is joined by Rhodes Perry, founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting and Joel Brown, Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos, as they discuss the importance of self-care. Discover how to develop sustainable self-care practices and increase your resilience. 

In this episode, Jennifer continues her conversation with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal about human development frameworks. Christopher and Aman reveal how most DEI conversations happen at lower action logics, creating exclusion and division. Discover the importance of meeting people where they are developmentally, structurally changing systems, and bringing more joy and humanity into DEI work. 

This episode features a conversation with inclusive language expert Jen O'Ryan on the nuances of language and word choice for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jen reveals how we can expand our linguistic awareness to lead with more humility and precision and provides concrete examples for humanizing workspaces by removing ableist language and replacing problematic words with more inclusive alternatives. Learn practical tips for giving graceful feedback when problematic language is used, while still aligning as fellow learners. Discover how language can be a powerful tool for creating more belonging if we continually educate ourselves on the impacts of our word choices.

This episode features a conversation with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal about using the stages of adult development as a framework for expanding DEI conversations. They discuss the action logics model which describes mindsets and behaviors at different maturity levels and reveal how leaders can apply this model to develop a greater understanding of colleagues. Discover the importance of moving from achievement to exploring potential and how these perspectives can lead to new breakthroughs. 

This episode features a conversation with economist Jeff Korzenik as he explores the overlooked talent pool of people who have interacted with the justice system. Discover the enormous scale of this community, with over 70 million Americans having some involvement with the legal system, and the compelling business case for hiring this untapped talent in light of today’s tight labor market and aging workforce. Jeff also reveals how companies have successfully hired those given a second chance by overcoming assumptions and biases through thoughtful processes. 

This episode was originally recorded as a DEI Community Call and features a conversation with Carin Taylor, Chief Diversity Officer at Workday, about the transformative power of witnessing others' stories for advancing DEI efforts. Drawing from her extensive professional experience and personal journey, Carin shares insights on how the simple yet courageous act of storytelling can profoundly impact workplace cultures when those stories are held with compassion. Discover how we can lift all voices through storytelling and discuss why this matters now more than ever in these challenging times.

This episode was originally recorded for the BE the CHANGE podcast and features a conversation between Jennifer and host Stephanie Howlett as they discuss the importance of allyship. Jennifer shares tips for navigating the journey of allyship and the importance of using our privilege on behalf of others. Discover why and how leaders need to evolve from outdated mindsets focusing on protecting resources and how to enable humanity in our organizations. You'll also hear about how to rethink affinity groups to focus on shared identities rather than traditional, siloed groups.