Uplifting Impact

Uplifting Impact

By Deanna SinghSociety & CultureBusinessEducationSelf-Improvement
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Uplifting Impact episodes

  • Valuing Diversity Among Veterans

    I am so excited to be here with Jessica Hope, a diversity and inclusion strategist for USAA, where she develops holistic, data-driven strategies that advocate for people, marginalized populations, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a whole host of other amazing things. She shares with us how her background in the military and as a social worker, as well as through the art of storytelling, she is able to connect with others and do the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through our conversation she talks about the role of politicians in this work, and challenges us to check with ourselves, are we just checking boxes off? Or are we actually making a difference. I so enjoyed this conversation and I know you will too.

    Topics in this episode

    • The importance of empathy to bring new people to the table
    • Everyone has a diversity autobiography
    • Techniques for creating a dialogue with someone around their experiences
    • Economic disparities, and the work she is doing in this space
    • Covid’s effect on low economic families
    • A major opportunity companies can re-think the role of veterans within their organization

      • Connect

      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-hope-people-leader/

       

      Recent Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

      • How To Diversify Your Corporate Board
      • ‘Demanding More’ From Systems, Leaders, and Ourselves

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        21 min
      • How To Diversify Your Corporate Board

        I am so excited to share with you my conversation with Lesley Slaton Brown, the Chief Diversity Officer at HP Inc. Lesley was also named one of the most powerful women in corporate diversity by Black Enterprise, and a top influential woman in corporate America by Savoy Magazine. In our conversation, we talk at length about the strides HP has taken in prioritizing diversity, particularly at the board level. She also shares some of the strategies they are applying to ensure that the diversity of the board is applied throughout other levels of the organization as well.

        Topics in this episode

        • Building an infrastructure of diversity
        • The role reverse mentorship plays at HP
        • Front-lines of employee engagement, culture, and community
        • Building relationships that amplify the culture
        • Recognizing and building systems around transparency
        • Having a multiplying effect to the work that you are creating

          • Connect

          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-slaton-brown-345988/

          Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailySlate

           

          Other recent conversations we really enjoyed:

          • ‘Demanding More’ From Systems, Leaders, and Ourselves
          • Onboarding as an Intentional Practice of Inclusivity

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            23 min
          • ‘Demanding More’ From Systems, Leaders, and Ourselves

            Today we have an amazing guest, Sheree Atcheson - one of the UK’s most influential women in tech and an international multi-award winner for her services in diversity and inclusion in the industry. Sheree is currently the Global Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Peakon, an advisory board member for Women Who Code, contributor of Forbes, and author of Demanding More. In our conversation, we learn more about the reason she wrote Demanding More and the work to be done within the DEI space, how she launched Women Who Code in the UK and across Europe, and the work she does within her role at Peakon. 

            This was a fascinating conversation, and I cannot wait for the release of Demanding More, coming April 2021. For pre-order information, be sure to check the resources section below.

            Topics in this episode

            • Looking at inclusion from an analytical perspective
            • Beginning the work of inclusion with education and understanding
            • Taking a look at how you can do more for DEI within the systems you have access to
            • Recognizing the impact of covid among minority groups
            • Leveraging the success of work and organizations that already exist
            • The importance of recognizing where you are best suited within an organization
            • Looking beyond metrics that only capture diversity data - the importance and process of collecting data around inclusion as well

              • Resources

              • Forbes pieces written by Sheree: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shereeatcheson/
              • Articles relevant to our conversations:
              • Women are not a monolith and we must stop treating them like one
              • There is no race card to play because race is intertwined into everything

                • Book links

                • Kogan Page - use DEMANDINGMORE for 20% off: https://www.koganpage.com/product/demanding-more-9781398600447#showKeyFeatures
                • Amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demanding-More-Diversity-Inclusion-Doesnt/dp/139860044X
                • Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55876483-demanding-more

                  • Connect

                  • Twitter
                  • LinkedIn

                    • Other recent conversations we really enjoyed:

                    • Onboarding as an Intentional Practice of Inclusivity
                    • Let's Link Arms to Bridge the Gap and Transform Ourselves

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                      23 min
                    • Onboarding as an Intentional Practice of Inclusivity

                      I am so delighted to share with you the recent conversation I had with Michelle Bess, the Vice President of Talent and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at OppLoans. In her role, she focuses on creating systems and processes to ensure an equitable company where individuals from all backgrounds are seen, validated, and where they’re able to succeed. In this episode, we talk about the work that OppLoans is doing, what it looks like doing DEI within a company with a very small team, and some often overlooked areas of inclusion within organizations.

                      Topics in this episode

                      • Prioritizing mission-based work within your career
                      • Economic inclusion and the ripple effect it has on families and their communities
                      • Techniques Michelle has found to be successful in her DEI work
                      • The importance of creating allies and ambassadors of DEI work within your organization, and the process of getting them plugged into doing the work
                      • The wide scope of what inclusion means
                      • Thinking about off-boarding and re-onboarding parents around times of leave - another area of inclusion to consider for companies
                      • Having to be more intentional when employees are distributed and aren’t in a central location

                        • Connect

                        • LinkedIn
                        • Twitter
                        • Instagram

                          • Other recent conversations we really enjoyed:

                          • Let's Link Arms to Bridge the Gap and Transform Ourselves
                          • Creating Equity and Social Justice Must Be Intentional, Methodical, and Continuous

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                            21 min
                          • Let's Link Arms to Bridge the Gap and Transform Ourselves

                            Grady Crosby is a dynamic senior-level executive leader and corporate officer for Johnson Controls, which was honored to be called one of the world’s most ethical companies under his leadership from 2014-2020, and was ranked 18th on the 2020 list of the 100 best corporate citizens by CR Magazine. In his role he is responsible for driving Johnson Controls’ global strategies regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, government relations, and its philanthropic endeavors to maintain the company’s commitment to improvement.

                            In our conversation, we focus on how companies can engage with their communities, and how to create pipelines when there may be a gap within the areas of talent and diversity. As with Grady, we truly believe that this work only gets done through our collective power, and the more we can link arms and walk together to create these spaces, the more inclusive we can become, and the better we are as a country and as a people.

                            Topics in this episode

                            • Knowing how to bring people alongside you and your work
                            • Getting up the courage to use your platform
                            • Changing norms and creating pipelines
                            • Partnerships with HBCUs
                            • Challenging the way we look at talent
                            • Youth and community engagement from a large company
                            • The ROI on community investment
                            • Why DEI is important from a global perspective

                              • Connect

                              • LinkedIn
                              • Twitter 

                                Other recent conversations we really enjoyed:

                                • Creating Equity and Social Justice Must Be Intentional, Methodical, and Continuous
                                • Our Environment, Community, and Businesses All Impact Social Change

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                                  23 min
                                • Creating Equity and Social Justice Must Be Intentional, Methodical, and Continuous

                                  I am so excited to share with you the conversation I had with Rob Michalak, who has done some incredible things and works for a company that I love, Ben & Jerry’s. Rob is the Social Mission Special Projects Director there, and the core of his role is to ensure that their products and missions can thrive together. In our conversation, we talked about internal and external accountability, and how Ben & Jerry’s works to create equity and justice through the entire supply chain, from farmers to customers, and putting their values into action.

                                  Topics in this episode

                                  • Tension between the social interest of the company and the economic purpose of the company
                                  • Looking at why Ben & Jerry’s is more expensive than other brands - from value and quality interests
                                  • Creating brand loyalty with customers, as well as within the supply chain
                                  • Living the values within the company that you wish to see externally
                                  • Having confidence in the company’s core values, even when they come into question
                                  • Creating an independent board of directors, made up of activists
                                  • Results-based accountability
                                  • What’s the best we can do today? And how can we raise the bar tomorrow?

                                    • Connect

                                    • Ben & Jerry’s Website
                                    • LinkedIn

                                      • Other recent conversations we really enjoyed:

                                      • Elevating Business Resource Groups into Business Practices
                                      • Our Environment, Community, and Businesses All Impact Social Change

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                                        24 min
                                      • Elevating Business Resource Groups into Business Practices

                                        Today I am talking with a woman who has done so many amazing things in our community and in her career. Lydia Smith is the director of diversity and inclusion at Kohl’s. She leads the development and execution of the company’s diversity and inclusion strategies. Outside of her role there, she is also the co-owner of Social X, a young professional diversity and inclusion consulting group, which provides professional development and connections in order to attract and retain talent in the city of Milwaukee. In our conversation, we discuss the importance of business resource groups and listening sessions between associates and executives in order to achieve true understanding, and how that plays out within the organization.

                                        TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE

                                        • Helping professionals navigate networking and development
                                        • Being committed not only to DEI, but also ensuring that it is applied both internally and externally
                                        • Ensuring economic empowerment as part of a larger DEI strategy
                                        • Examining how companies can partner with external organizations
                                        • Leveraging diversity groups within the organization
                                        • Elevating business resource groups into business practices
                                        • The power of not creating a solution in the moment

                                          • CONNECT

                                          • LinkedIn
                                          • Instagram
                                          • Social X

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                                            23 min
                                          • Our Environment, Community, and Businesses All Impact Social Change

                                            I am so excited to share with you the conversation I had with Cristy Garcia-Thomas, the Chief External Affairs Officer at Advocate Aurora Healthcare, one of the top 10 largest healthcare systems in the United States. She is responsible for shaping the overall experience for patients, team members, and community partners in a broad and very strategic way. We talk about the relationship between diversity, equity, and inclusion on overall health, and how Advocate Aurora Healthcare is investing in their community and partnering with community groups in order to address the life expectancy gap. As Cristy says, “It takes a village,” and I’m sure you will enjoy hearing how AAH is investing in theirs.

                                            Topics in this episode

                                            • Helping people live better lives
                                            • 80% of someone’s overall health is based on the environment in which they live
                                            • Factors that dictate your health
                                            • Creating equity around social determinants for health outcomes
                                            • Covid’s role in increasing awareness around healthcare inequalities
                                            • Developing a culture around inclusivity and it’s effect on turnover and improving the bottom line
                                            • The relationship between DEI and healthcare costs

                                              • Connect

                                              • Website
                                              • Facebook
                                              • Twitter

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                                                21 min
                                              • Recognize Your Own Ability to Affect Change

                                                I am so excited to share with you my recent conversation with Melinda Briana Epler, the Founder and CEO of Change Catalyst, which works to create inclusive tech ecosystems through strategic advising, startup programs, and resources. In our conversation, she shares how her personal experiences gave her the opportunity to see inequalities as a result of the corporate culture, and how it inspired her to start Change Catalyst in order to have a bigger impact in the tech space. She shares the importance of recognizing the change you can affect, and how to influence those who may be able to do more. I really enjoyed our conversation, and whether you are in tech or outside of it, I know you will too.

                                                Topics in this episode

                                                • Creating behavioral and organizational change through storytelling
                                                • Your ability to create the change you seek within an organization
                                                • Imposter syndrome
                                                • Recognizing microaggressions
                                                • Owning the work that we can do
                                                • Strategy and accountability comes from the top, down
                                                • Techniques to build trust with leadership
                                                • Lessons learned in the tech industry that can be applied to other spaces
                                                • Using the media as a way to hold companies accountable

                                                  • Connect

                                                  • Website: http://changecatalyst.co/
                                                  • TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k12j-E1LsUU

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                                                    21 min
                                                  • Making a Social Impact Starts with YOU First

                                                    Today I am talking with Sadiki Etienne, who has spent the last ten years partnering with leaders at some of the world’s most influential organizations to address global development challenges and enhance economic inclusion. Throughout his career, he has applied his experience in operational strategy, program implementation, and public policy reform in over 25 countries! I am particularly excited to talk with him from the perspective of us both doing the work of social entrepreneurship, and how we use these skills to help facilitate change in small and big ways in a consistent effort to make the world a better place.

                                                    Topics in this episode

                                                    • Applying this work to many different sectors
                                                    • Creating inclusive ecosystems within a company and within the larger community
                                                    • Understanding the nuances within consumer groups so that all of their needs are addressed
                                                    • The connection between internal diversity and being able to serve your customers to the fullest extent
                                                    • The virtues of what it takes to do social impact work
                                                    • Asking team members: what are your strengths and weaknesses, and how does that impact the team, the client, and the work you are doing?
                                                    • The importance of self-assessments, and sharing it with those around you

                                                      • Connect

                                                      • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadikie/
                                                      • Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadikiEtienne

                                                        • Thank you so much for joining us for another episode of Uplifting Impact. We would love to have you tell your friends and family and people you work with about the podcast, because we know that the more people we have who are out there in the world trying to create internal and external change, the better we’re going to leave this world for the people that follow us.

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                                                        22 min

                                                      About Uplifting Impact

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                                                      We explore the intersection of leadership and meaningful change. While many highlight the challenges that divide us, few focus on how to bridge the gaps. This podcast is for leaders ready to break the…