“When we say the arts are not diverse or that ballet is the foundation of all dance forms, it's actually doing us harm by being exclusive; by disregarding the art forms of people, by disregarding the voices, by disregarding what makes us individuals and what makes our communities special,” José says.José Ochoa is the Founder of The Chicago School for the Arts (ChiArts) and now the President of ChiArts Foundation. He is determined to break down barriers in the arts which have historically held ba...
Sep 22, 2021•39 min•Ep. 45
“Within a culture that is as flawed and filled with errors as the American public school system is, you [have to] do bits and pieces [to fix it],” Andrea Smith-Morgan shares. “The amount of work needed to be done was overwhelming, but once I started internally equipping myself to fix it, it became easier.”Andrea Smith-Morgan is founder and CEO of Mindful Awareness Academy for Children (MAAC). Andrea has over 26 years of experience in teaching and is highly certified as an educator of English, Sp...
Sep 08, 2021•50 min•Ep. 44
" ...There is something too, when you don't have a diverse staff, it's harder to create the systemic change to your marketing that you got to do in order to create...a huge change in your audience. Those things go together, they just do,” Laura Burgos shares.Laura Burgos is Director of Marketing and Communications at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She specializes in marketing and business strategy, data analysis, and community outreach. Laura is passionate about creating welcoming and inclusive sp...
Aug 25, 2021•46 min•Ep. 43
“I’ve always worked with women in engineering, but what I’ve been trying to do in the past few months is talk to girls as they’re exploring what they want to be when they grow up.” Reem Jaghlit says. There are lots of examples that demonstrate amazing careers for women, but none that highlight women in engineering, so she decided to start those conversations with girls to see what they think about programming. None of them say they want to be engineers, and that is something Reem wants to change...
Aug 11, 2021•42 min•Ep. 42
“I always bang my head against a wall at how difficult diversity and inclusion is to cultivate in organizations,” Kevin McFall shares. “It’s a business imperative. A significant percentage of high-performing companies are ones that have embraced diversity and inclusion.”He's a Diversity and Inclusion expert focused on dismantling systems that hold back people of color in tech. He is also a co-host, interviewer, and music journalist at Vintage House. Kevin is the Managing Director and founder of ...
Jul 28, 2021•36 min•Ep. 41
According to Megan McCann, the last 12 months have been pivotal in bringing a much needed and frank dialogue to the forefront regarding diversity, equity and inclusion in tech. Megan McCann is CEO and founder of McCann Partners. The co-founder of ARA (Attract, Retain and Advance) a national organization focused on helping women navigate and advance in tech. Megan is dedicated to advancing diversity and cultivating talent across the technology industry, and is an expert in recruitment, HR, and ge...
Jul 14, 2021•34 min•Ep. 40
“Something that has become even more clear to me is that in all the different ways that we're doing the work [of social justice], we need support,” says Stephanie Hicks. Stephanie Hicks is the founder and director of Yoga for Black Lives, a series of donation-based yoga classes to support Chicago organizations resisting state violence against Black people. She is a lecturer at The Program on Intergroup Relations and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at U-M. Us...
Jun 30, 2021•50 min•Ep. 39
According to Saba Bondo, since change comes from within, a coach should inspire transformation rather than just tell you that you need to change. Saba Bando is a certified life and leadership coach and positive psychology practitioner. She uses her experience in personal development, psychology, spirituality, and neuroscience research to guide her clients towards the future they want to create in their own lives. Saba is passionate about finding ways to make the world a more equitable, inclusive...
Jun 16, 2021•40 min•Ep. 38
When leaders model their vulnerability...it encourages employees to do the same which positively impacts workplace culture, says Claudia Richman, Founder, Principal, and Change Artist at We Grow Forward and my guest this week on the podcast. Claudia is an Organization Design and Change expert who has done extensive work helping companies plan and navigate high growth. Claudia most recently converted her passion into action, at a technology firm, where she helped create a culture focused on equit...
Jun 02, 2021•37 min•Ep. 37
This week I’m talking to Dr. Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara, who is the founder and CEO of Luminosa Psychology Services. Eleanor is a licensed psychologist and has done extensive work in tribal communities. She also conducts training on diversity, equity, inclusion, and racism. Eleanor is passionate about helping people be comfortable in the space they occupy. She also advocates for creating avenues and services that everyone can access. In this week’s show, she talks about the intersection of racism a...
May 19, 2021•57 min•Ep. 36
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and one thing I know for sure is that doing the work of DEI and social justice can be emotionally draining. Finding ways to nurture yourself is critical. This is why, on this week's episode, I'm honored to speak with Taylor Elise Morrison. She is the Founder of The Inner Workout, Facilitator, and Podcast host. Inner Workout is Taylor’s brainchild, born out of her mission to help others beat burnout through sustainable self-care practices. Inner Workout is a ...
May 05, 2021•40 min•Ep. 35
This week, I’m talking to Halleemah Nash, who is the founder of Rosecrans Ventures. She is a people strategist, social entrepreneur, and internship innovator dedicated to scaling professional development solutions for Generation Z talent of color. Halleemah is passionate about creating environments where excellence and cultural authenticity intersect. She discusses how we can build tomorrow’s diverse workforce for today and shares insights about attracting and retaining diverse talent. One such ...
Apr 21, 2021•35 min•Ep. 34
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 ...
Apr 08, 2021•33 min•Ep. 33
During National Women’s History month, I’m talking to outstanding women like Keecia James, who is the founder and CEO of KLB Consulting, an organization specializing in executive search, and the School Board President at Oak Park Elementary District 97. Keecia has a passion for nonprofit work, and has dedicated most of her professional career to the nonprofit sector. She has a drive to connect talented people to organizations in need of their skills and capabilities. As a former teacher, Keecia ...
Mar 24, 2021•34 min•Ep. 32
March is Women's History Month, a time to learn about and celebrate women doing amazing things. One of these women is Lauren Leader, who is the co-founder and CEO of All In Together, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to women's civic education and participation. She is also the Executive Advisor at Leader Chivee Advisors, LLC, specializing in diversity, public affairs, engagement, communications, and corporate social responsibility. She is an author, activist, and DE&I expert...
Mar 10, 2021•29 min•Ep. 31
This week, I’m speaking with Myah Irick, who is the founder, Senior Vice President, and Private Wealth Manager of The Irick Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management. Myah is dedicated to educating and empowering others to realize their impact and optimize their time and money. She believes that financial empowerment is about being in control of your money, and not the other way around. She shares insights about the path to financial empowerment and what it entails, and how it intersects with D...
Feb 24, 2021•32 min•Ep. 30
My guest this week is Aaron Walker, who is the founder and CEO of Camelback Ventures. Camelback Ventures is dedicated to supporting innovative, diverse leaders ready to take their social impact vision to the next level. Aaron talks about how Camelback was founded and their professional journey. He gives insights about growing a small business. One such insight is $60-$90 billion investment dollars a year are spent on small businesses owned by the friends and family members of the investors. Due ...
Feb 10, 2021•29 min•Ep. 29
This week I’m talking to Becky Kekula, who serves as the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN. She is also an International Motivational Speaker and a Social Media Marketing Consultant. Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Becky is very passionate about carving a space in conversations about diversity and inclusion for people with disabilities, which stems from her personal experiences with dwarfism. She shares insights...
Jan 27, 2021•40 min•Ep. 28
This year has been rough for everyone. We have had to confront the sinister face of racism, as well as the ravages of COVID-19. I’d like to acknowledge and thank all our front-line workers for their heroic efforts every day to keep us safe. I also thank my guests this past year for their time and their insightful, engaging conversations. Thank you to my listeners, for without you, none of this would be possible. 2020 has made it clear to me that the road to racial equality is still being paved, ...
Dec 30, 2020•5 min•Ep. 27
*Please enjoy this replay of one of our most popular episodes!*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 B...
Dec 17, 2020•37 min•Ep. 26
My guest this week is Renetta McCann, who is the Chief Inclusion Experiences Officer at Publicis Groupe, and the Principal of Renetta McCann, LLC. She has 4 decades of experience in the advertising industry, and was the CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Worldwide. She joins me to discuss how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) intersects with business. Renetta shares her insights about the lack of proper management that DE&I was started with. HR is blamed for not solving the diversity, ...
Nov 20, 2020•49 min•Ep. 25
This week I’m speaking with Michele Steele, who is a bureau reporter at ESPN. She is heavily involved in the Special Olympics, even receiving some awards for her work. Seeing her father battle Parkinson’s disease for over 20 years, gave Michelle a passion for inclusivity. She joins Nancy Harris to discuss the intersection of inclusivity and sports, media, and management. She shares what it’s like being a woman in a male-dominated field of work. “Adaptability is an underrated skill [when in a mal...
Nov 06, 2020•38 min•Ep. 24
This week, I’m speaking with Nicole Dessain, who is the founder and Chief Employee Experience Designer of talent.imperative inc, an award-winning employee experience design consultancy. talent.imperative inc uses the power of design thinking to make organizations more people-centric. They are trusted by notable corporations like Apple, McDonald’s, and Ford, and have been featured in the Chicago Tribune and HuffPost. Nicole is also the founder of DisruptHR Chicago, and HR.Hackathon. She joins me ...
Oct 23, 2020•36 min•Ep. 23
This week I’m speaking with Christian Harris, who is actually my nephew! Christian is the co-owner of MaidPro Oak Park, Director of Operations at D.M. Burton, and Senior Consultant at OVP Management Consulting Group. Christian grew up with a lawyer as a mom and a history teacher as a dad, so it’s no wonder he is such a staunch advocate for social justice. He joins me today to discuss inequities against black and brown communities, and possible solutions to combat them. One such inequity is the w...
Oct 09, 2020•43 min•Ep. 22
This week I’m speaking with Nassim Abdi, Ph.D. Nassim is the CEO and co-founder of StoryBolt, a platform that uses the power of storytelling to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion, and unpack biases. They use short documentary-like films to create space for meaningful conversations. Nassim talks about her background as well as StoryBolt’s origins, objectives, and impact. She shares some of the insights she has gained from her experience. Employees have spoken about the depth of their lear...
Oct 02, 2020•43 min•Ep. 21
This week, I’m speaking with Stela Lupushor, who is the founder and Chief Reframer at Reframe.Work. Reframe.Work is an organization dedicated to helping companies solve management challenges and maximizing their potential through science, technology, analytics, and human-centered design. Stela is also the founder and Chairperson for the Board of Directors of amazing.community, a non-profit for equipping women aged 45+ to thrive in inclusive workplaces. She talks about amazing.community’s origins...
Sep 11, 2020•42 min•Ep. 20
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 ...
Aug 28, 2020•33 min•Ep. 19
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 thei...
Aug 14, 2020•32 min•Ep. 18
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, give...
Jul 31, 2020•41 min•Ep. 17
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 in...
Jul 17, 2020•37 min•Ep. 16
