At The Diversity Movement, we celebrate Pride all year long. But, each June, we encourage others to be intentional about renewing their commitment to LGBTQ+ learning and empowerment. For this special episode, we are highlighting some of the amazing LGBTQ+ leaders who have shared their stories, experiences and perspectives with me over the past several seasons. For every download of this episode throughout the month of June, Jackie will be personally committing to donating a dollar to The Trevor ...
May 31, 2022•35 min•Season 6Ep. 74
When Jenn T Grace was giving keynotes or providing consulting work, she always led with her queer identity. She had even branded herself as The Professional Lesbian and wrote four books around LGBTQ+ specific topics. But one day she felt like it was an albatross around her neck, and she was so much more than what she was known for. So she took a step back and realized that she didn't have to be the one leading the charge all the time - she could have a much greater impact by helping others share...
May 24, 2022•34 min•Season 6Ep. 73
Less than 1% of the professionals in real estate development are non-white women, and Nicole Furnace is trying to change that by example. Today she talks to Jackie about her experience in a predominantly white world, why underrepresented and marginalized voices in real estate are imperative, and what we can do to fix systemic inequities. Nicole Furnace is the Founder of Roots Consulting Group . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content ...
May 17, 2022•48 min•Season 6Ep. 72
Imagine a society where Black people are the majority and white people are the underrepresented and marginalized race. What has this society's history been like? How is the educational system different than our reality today? This dystopia is what comic book creator Brian Hawkins built with Black Cotton, and today he shares his story on his inspiration for the comic, bias, and empathy for races that are different from our own. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Move...
May 10, 2022•45 min•Season 6Ep. 71
As a child, Paul Zeitz was sexually abused, and he's made it his mission to help those who have suffered through what he has. But with online access, sexual abuse and exploitation has only increased. Today, Dr. Zeitz talks about what we can do as a society to prevent this, plus his views on reparations and other social justice topics. Dr. Paul Zeitz is a justice imagineer, author, physician, epidemiologist and tenacious award-winning advocate for global justice as well as human rights with over ...
May 03, 2022•42 min•Season 6Ep. 70
According to Nancy Murphy, making actual change is "a miserable experience, everyone hates it." But if making those company-wide changes can truly impact sustainability and policy, how do leaders initiate socially conscious decisions that actually stick? Nancy Murphy is the founder and CEO of CSR Communications , where she teaches leaders how to influence and persuade others so they can realize their vision for change faster - with less frustration and resistance. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox i...
Apr 26, 2022•48 min•Season 6Ep. 69
LaTonya Wilkins' team helps clients create cultures of belonging while also amplifying the voices of the underrepresented so that they feel valued and engaged. So how can companies create cultures of belonging? And then if companies aren't committed to DEI, how can employees navigate the corporate environment successfully? LaTonya Wilkins is the founder of The Change Coaches LLC , keynote speaker, and author of the book Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Rela...
Apr 19, 2022•47 min•Season 6Ep. 68
With birth rates plummeting and life expectancy rising, one out of every five people are over 65 - what Bradley Schurman calls The Super Age. This age shift challenges us to change our historical bias about older populations and be intentional about inclusion - in both work and in the community. Bradley Schurman is a demographic futurist and opinion maker on business longevity. He's the founder of The Super Age , a global strategic advisory firm, where he helps organizations understand how shift...
Apr 12, 2022•49 min•Season 6Ep. 67
Season 5 is almost here, but we wanted to give you some highlights from season 4 of Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox! In this episode, you'll hear clips from (with links to their episodes): Elaine Montilla Kelly Cooper Jessica Jolley Patsy Doerr Chelsea C. Wiliams Everett Harper Denice Torres Omar L. Harris Lisa Cunningham Shailvi Wakhlu Sheena Mason David Ryan Castro-Harris Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson , and ...
Mar 18, 2022•31 min•Season 5Ep. 66
As we're all flooded with the busy-ness of work and all the things we need to do in our daily lives, it's important to figure out what keeps us grounded and how to give back. In the season finale, The Association of Junior Leagues International CEO Patsy Doerr talks about her career in DEI, how her team has built an infrastructure around DEIB (yes, with a B), how she keeps herself grounded, and why she focuses on progress over perfection. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Di...
Feb 08, 2022•42 min•Season 5Ep. 65
According to Everett Harper, "there's no perfect culture...from a DEI perspective or even just a business perspective." So if it can't be perfect, how do you start to build a solid corporate culture that lasts? For individuals, it includes hard work, intentional recovery, and finding a purpose. For companies, it's about supporting all of that and more. Everett Harper is the CEO and Co-founder of Truss , which designs, builds, and scales modern software that exceeds standards for speed and securi...
Feb 01, 2022•43 min•Season 5Ep. 64
Lisa Cunningham started in hip hop, ultimately producing music videos for artists such as Ludacris, Missy Elliott, and Young Jeezy. But one day, she realized her life and career had a higher purpose, and she decided to produce her own remix. She's now a human rights advocate, LGBTQ influencer, and proponent of Black women's health. Lisa Cunningham is the Digital Content Manager of the Black Women's Health Imperative , Director at Radiant3 , and part of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens' transition tea...
Jan 25, 2022•53 min•Season 5Ep. 63
Kelly Cooper has been involved in sustainable development her entire career, even representing Canada at the United Nations on issues involving sustainability and environment. 12 years ago, she started to think about the social impact of sustainability. But what does that mean, and how does social intelligence affect organizational sustainability? Kelly Cooper is the founder and CEO of the Centre for Social Intelligence and author of Lead the Change: The Competitive Advantage of Gender Diversity...
Jan 18, 2022•47 min•Season 5Ep. 62
When David Ryan Castro-Harris talks about restorative justice, it's not only a practice but also a philosophy and way to connect with our ancestors. So what does restorative justice really mean to him? David Ryan Castro-Harris is the founder of Amplify RJ and host of the This Restorative Justice Life Podcast . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson , and is a production of Earfluence . For sponsorship options, email i...
Jan 12, 2022•42 min•Season 5Ep. 61
Through her traumatic and abusive childhood, Sheena Mason found her safe haven in school and literature. Her thirst for knowledge and escape led her down the path of consuming all she could on race, liberation, resistance, African-American history, psychology, and more. Ultimately, she came up with the Theory of Racelessness . Dr. Sheena Mason is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Oneonta, keynote speaker, and founder of Theory of Racelessness . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The...
Jan 04, 2022•52 min•Season 5Ep. 60
Today we continue our WAY Beyond the Checkbox series with fads, fatigue, and the "Did you really just say that?!?" WTF moments DEI professionals experience. Recorded after hours with drinks in hand, we're joined by VP of Products and Innovation Kurt Merriweather , Senior DEI Consultant and Strategist Susie Silver , and Head of Client Services Jamie Ousterout . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson , and is a producti...
Dec 28, 2021•59 min•Season 5Ep. 59
Today we share our first episode in a new series, WAY Beyond the Checkbox. On episode 1, Jackie is joined by three other members of The Diversity Movement team: CEO Donald Thompson, Director of Business Intelligence Bob Batchelor, and Senior Content Strategist Roxanne Bellamy. This was recorded after hours, and everyone had a drink in their hands. So no summary, just enjoy. :) Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson , ...
Dec 23, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 58
In this special bonus episode of Diversity Beyond the Checkbox, The Diversity Movement CEO Donald Thompson chats with Lenovo Chief Diversity Officer Calvin Crosslin about his rude introduction to being Black and looking for a job, microaggressions, his journey to becoming Lenovo CDO, product diversity, and the Lenovo Foundation . Watch the full video of Don's interview with Calvin. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , (usually) hosted by Head of Content Jac...
Dec 21, 2021•31 min•Season 5Ep. 57
Omar L. Harris has worked and lived all over the world - Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, and the United States. So he's experienced a variety of cultures and has the experiences to know what works in business and what doesn't - especially in leadership. Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss: Leadership in the Era of Corporate Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion , by Omar L. Harris Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferg...
Dec 14, 2021•55 min•Season 5Ep. 56
A career is never a straight line, and Denice Torres' is no exception. After years of working as a janitor, she knew that she wanted to start her big career adventure. She studied psychology, attended law school and worked for United Way before she realized a job might not be the key to her pursuit of making a difference. Hear about the rest of her journey and what she's learned from it in this episode. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of...
Dec 07, 2021•54 min•Season 5Ep. 55
When Chelsea C. Williams first stepped foot on Spelman College 's campus, she started to understand diversity. As an HBCU, Spelman is (mostly) racially homogenous, so that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Except that Chelsea could see other types of diversity, such as regional differences and differences of upbringing. Her curiosity for how we can better understand differences in people led her down the HR and DEI paths, where she eventually formed College Code , a fast-growing consultancy and...
Nov 30, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 54
Shailvi Wakhlu was in technology from the beginning. At two, her mom brought home a computer that she would play with. At eight, she started coding and found her passion. But as she got older, she started to realize that most of the coders didn't look like her, and she was working in a very homogenous field. Now she's on a mission to change that. Shailvi Wakhlu is the Senior Director of Data at Strava . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of...
Nov 23, 2021•36 min•Season 5Ep. 53
Growing up in rural North Carolina, people would always ask Jess Jolley, "What are you?" or "What are you mixed with?" In the South, you were either white, Black, or other, and as a light-skinned Black person, that wasn't always easy. And as Jess would discover by looking into historical records, race is not a binary construct. Jess Jolley is the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Pendo . Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Conte...
Nov 16, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 52
When Elaine Montilla came to the United States from the Dominican Republic to attend college, she barely understood English and struggled to fit in. Today, she's the CIO of The Graduate Center at City University of New York , Founder of 5xminority , and member of the Forbes Technology Council . Tune in to hear how she forged her path to technology leader and what advice she has for other underrepresented people who want to get into tech. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Div...
Nov 09, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 51
Season 5 of Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is coming soon, but until then, take a listen to another podcast that Jackie Ferguson hosts, Executive Women's Day from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. ____ According to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Segment CFO of Government Markets Dr. Endya Perry, "You can close that window and you can close every door in this place, but it's not going to stop me because my dreams are too big to be contained in one building. You didn't cre...
Nov 02, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Season 5 is almost here, but we wanted to give you some highlights from season 4 of Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox! In this episode, you'll hear clips from: Fishbowl Live: Recruiting Diverse Talent, with Bree Sarlati and Lauren McDonald Intentional Allyship and Diversity in Design with Dwell with Dignity’s Ashley Sharp Are you Diversity Resistant, Inclusive AF, or Somewhere in the Middle? with Jen O’Ryan from Double Tall Consulting Controversy and Racism at the Olympics, with Dr. Bob Batchelor T...
Oct 05, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 49
With 28,000 PGA professionals and over 2 million jobs in golf, PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross has a lot in her plate, and as she puts it, a "workforce diversification challenge," with a workforce that's "a little bit homogenous, from a demographic perspective." Sandy recognizes that "we have to evolve the composition of that workforce if they're going to attract Americans diverse consumer to play the game." How will the PGA of America accomplish this? Tune in to today's Diversit...
Sep 07, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 48
With different backgrounds, experiences, and personalities, how can we lead teams effectively? In her first career, Pam Boney worked her way up in the hospitality industry and eventually became Senior Vice President of a large chain of hotels. Through the various personalities on her teams and in leadership, she started to notice that many in leadership didn’t have the tools to utilize their strengths and weaknesses to maximize the growth of their teams. So for her second career, Pam developed T...
Aug 31, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 47
Vickie Gibbs is passionate about changing the way we look at entrepreneurship and venture capital. As a veteran of both, Vickie knows that "being an entrepreneur is not a solo sport" and creative cultures of inclusion from the ground up is imperative to the long-term success of startups. " Who We Are " original song and music video by The Diversity Movement. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox is brought to you by The Diversity Movement , hosted by Head of Content Jackie Ferguson , and is a production...
Aug 24, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Having grown up in foster care, Di Ciruolo knows what it's like to feel left out. And she's made it her life's mission to foster inclusivity in the workplace. With her new book, Ally Up: The Definitive Guide to Building More Inclusive, Innovative, and Productive Teams , Di is hoping that people will get off the sidelines and into the DEI conversation. Di Ciruolo Consulting Ally Up: The Definitive Guide to Building More Inclusive, Innovative, and Productive Teams , by Di Ciruolo Diversity Beyond ...
Aug 17, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 45
