We live in a time where separating life and work is impossible. What happens outside of the workplace impacts how we show up in our roles. Especially when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Tamara Page, Head of BP’s Western Hemisphere Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, joins me to discuss the power of speaking up and creating space for vulnerable conversations. In this week's episode, we discuss the leaders' role in: Knowers vs. learners. In knowing work cultures, leade...
Nov 16, 2022•38 min•Ep. 75
Good intentions make little impact where lasting change is concerned. You must work to make your intentions a reality. Sonya Kaleel, founder of The Inclusion Practice and adjunct faculty for Northwestern University’s Leading Equity & Inclusion in Organizations Masters Program, joins me to discuss the importance of moving beyond intention to taking action. In today's episode, we explore:Intention vs. action. Organizations talk about DEI, but talking about it and doing it are two different thi...
Nov 02, 2022•47 min•Ep. 74
Culture change is about operationalizing your values, asking for input, and adapting when something is no longer working. Leaders at every level should be culture champions in their organizations. Rich Johnson, VP of Global Leadership Development at Spaulding Ridge and one of Crain’s Chicago Business 22 notable executives in DEI, joins me to explore if culture can be scaled and, if so, what that looks like. We’ll be exploring…Defining culture. Culture is the collective behaviors of an organizati...
Oct 19, 2022•38 min•Ep. 73
Balance, readiness and change. We say we want to embrace DEI, but are we ready? In order to create a workplace where we can all thrive, we must walk the fine line between personal and organizational readiness for change. Shawntal Mallory, attorney, professor, and Executive Director of the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council, joins me today to talk about the challenges and objections to discussing DEI in the workplace. You’ll hear us discussing key ideas, such as:The pendulum swing. It’s been observ...
Oct 05, 2022•49 min•Ep. 72
Belonging is integral to DEI, yet not enough focus is placed on it. Companies often unintentionally block themselves from creating cultures of belonging, which affects the way their employees show up at work. Gisele Marcus, Professor of Practice in DEI at Washington University in St. Louis, joins me to explore belonging and inclusion and how companies can start being intentional about fostering it in their environments. You’ll hear us discuss key ideas, such as:Belonging as an extension of inclu...
Sep 21, 2022•38 min•Ep. 71
We do our best work when we can show up as our whole selves, but there are usually several obstacles when we do. It’s especially difficult when your identity has historically not been centered in the workplace we exist in today. The workplace was designed around a very specific set of identity factors, and the further away you are from those factors, the less chance you have to win the game - which results in the less “you” you bring to work. Sandhya Sudhakar, coach, consultant and founder of SE...
Sep 07, 2022•46 min•Ep. 70
This episode is a replay of one of the year's most popular episodes. Enjoy!“We talk about diversity, equity and inclusion as if it’s a program or a series of dashboards with an endpoint,” Betsy Leonard remarks, “when what we’re really doing is transforming the very water we swim in and the very air we breathe. It’s never-ending work.”Betsy Leonard is Executive Director of Kartemquin Films, an Oscar-winning collaborative non-profit that uplifts and empowers documentary makers who create stories t...
Aug 24, 2022•41 min•Ep. 69
This episode is a replay of one of the year's most popular episodes. Enjoy!“Meritocracy is a myth. It suggests that your success is based solely on your work ethic, your grit, your resilience, your ability to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go make something of yourself,” John says. “I would suggest that there has [historically] been no one who has worked harder in this country than a Black American, and yet the outcomes don’t reflect that.”John Graham Jr. is VP of Global Employer Brandi...
Aug 10, 2022•38 min•Ep. 68
“A lot of the malaise happens because there’s a reconfiguration of the internal goals that you set in your younger years and the reality [that] you may not be where you thought you were going to be,” Adrion Porter shares. “You have the traffic jams of life coming at you… at the same time.”Adrion Porter is the founder of Mid-Career Mastery, a platform dedicated to building the most powerful personal and professional growth community for people over 40. He is the creator and host of the Gen X Ampl...
Jul 27, 2022•36 min•Ep. 67
“If you’re an advocate for organizational justice and workplace equity, you need to be looking through that lens in your day-to-day operations as well,” Melissa Horne shares. “These are big systems that we’re all working with, but we can resist when we’re intentional about it.”Melissa Horne is Director of Business Growth and Development at Dialect, an inclusive workplace learning company creating custom experiences based on science. She is the host of the Just One Q podcast, and an advocate for ...
Jul 13, 2022•39 min•Ep. 66
“When we are fearful and isolate ourselves from other people who might not see things or believe in things as we do, we create fissures in our society,” Jeanne McInerney shares, “and those fissures weaken us as a city, as a country, and as individuals.”Jeanne McInerney is Board President at Heal Chicago, a nonprofit that creates life-changing workshops that reduce bias and promote equity by developing interpersonal connections between people from all walks of life. She is also the founder of Ali...
Jun 29, 2022•46 min•Ep. 65
“I believe that the current standards of professionalism within the capitalist system were not made for or by people of the global majority and of marginalized groups,” Desi Carson shares. “Debunking professionalism, for me, is just bringing back the human component of it and how we can lead with love, compassion, kindness and understanding within the workplace.” Desi Carson is Development Partner and Director of Programs and Partnerships at IDEAS Generation. In addition to being a community bui...
Jun 15, 2022•39 min•Ep. 64
PLEASE NOTE: This episode touches on sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. If you are uncomfortable with that topic, we encourage you to avoid this episode. “When it's about finding our voice and speaking our truth… what I like to draw back to is: this is a job that you have, but who you are, how you feel about yourself and the way you function in the world is more paramount,” Minita Gandhi shares. “And so in terms of whether to speak up or not and finding truth, the really simple thin...
Jun 01, 2022•48 min•Ep. 63
“The purpose of equity work is [so we can all] exist as full humans. White supremacy culture [and] other systems of oppression [are] about dehumanization,” Rachel Vicente shares. “Equity work is about [ensuring] people [can] be human - all of the emotions, life experiences and complexities that come with it, and for us to be able to learn from each other and grow from each other.”Rachel Vicente is founder and CEO at Rachel Vicente Consulting, where she provides coaching, professional development...
May 18, 2022•43 min•Ep. 62
“[Things] have changed some, but if you look at technology teams at most companies in America, it still skews quite a bit to male and white,” John Higginson remarks. “There has been progress, but there’s still a lot of way to go.”John Higginson is Chief Technology Officer at Chief, where he oversees the creation of the technology and data science that underlies the sites and mobile apps used every day by its members. Chief is dedicated to changing the face of leadership by connecting and support...
May 04, 2022•33 min•Ep. 61
“A lot of people recognize the concept of imposter syndrome, but what they don’t identify is that these limiting beliefs that we learn and internalize throughout our lives come from a patriarchal system,” Michelle Mokert comments. Michelle Morkert is a coach and Global Gender Scholar and Professor. She is the founder of Michelle Morkert Coaching, where she incorporates 17 years of academic experience in women’s and gender studies with her certified professional coach training. Michelle is a self...
Apr 20, 2022•43 min•Ep. 61
“The courageous space is saying ‘Not only am I feeling comfortable and safe [enough] that I can have these conversations and not be attacked, I’m also going to be completely transparent,’” Dr. Dwight Rhodes says.Dr. Dwight Rhondes is the Founder and CEO of Rhodes2Equity Consulting. He is on a mission to create equitable and just classrooms where ALL students thrive. He is an experienced educator with a history of success working in K-12 public and charter schools before launching his consulting ...
Apr 06, 2022•38 min•Ep. 59
In honor of Women’s History month, I'm speaking with amazing women who are pushing boundaries and uplifting others by the great work they are doing.“When we were shopping this idea to agents, people really wanted to focus on the sensational stories that were raw in pain and misery,” Melonie Boone shares, “but we were trying to focus on overcoming the pain versus keeping people in it.” Melonie Boone serves as Partner at RHR International, where she works as a business psychologist to help executi...
Mar 23, 2022•47 min•Ep. 58
“We work in silos,” Leona Christy claims. “We have a certain set of people we know well, who have probably gone through similar sets of professional experiences as us, and that really limits our worldview; what kind of solutions are possible, who we might want to work with, what kinds of value those people can add, as well as how we can learn as individuals and as teams.”It’s International Women’s Month, and I’m speaking with phenomenal women in leadership like Leona Christy. Leona is the founde...
Mar 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 58
“We talk about diversity, equity and inclusion as if it’s a program or a series of dashboards with an endpoint,” Betsy Leonard remarks, “when what we’re really doing is transforming the very water we swim in and the very air we breathe. It’s never-ending work.”Betsy Leonard is Executive Director of Kartemquin Films, an Oscar-winning collaborative non-profit that uplifts and empowers documentary makers who create stories that encourage equity, justice, and engagement in society. As a passionate l...
Feb 23, 2022•41 min•Ep. 57
“Sincere and sustained behavior change almost always involves a certain amount of identity change,” Joe Gernstandt believes. “You’ve got to uncover some stuff about yourself and why you care about this work if you’re really going to be a leader.”Joe Gernstandt is a DEI consultant, keynote speaker, and author dedicated to helping leaders understand that the work of DEI starts within yourself.In this week’s episode, Joe talks about his work as an inclusion strategist, the journey that led him into...
Feb 09, 2022•38 min•Ep. 56
“There was this misunderstanding that the work of DE&I just lies within changing policies, processes, and procedures, but what’s emerging now is the idea that all of this work ultimately starts within,” Emily Nordquist says. “You can’t go to your company and say, ‘I love that DE&I statement; that’s really good for us’ and then go sit down at your dinner table and not live out those values.”Emily Nordquist is Interim Director and Senior Program Manager for the Baumhart Center at Loyola Un...
Jan 26, 2022•33 min•Ep. 54
Although 65% of HR is white and female, things like pay equity still haven’t been achieved because the organizational structure of companies was designed by white men for white men, Nicole Dessain claims. “This isn’t to blame HR; it’s to understand the context of why things are the way they are,” she adds.Nicole Dessain is Chief Employee Experience Designer at talent.imperative inc and the founder of the #HRvsRacism. She helps organizations craft human-centered, equitable workplaces. She has wor...
Jan 12, 2022•38 min•Ep. 53
“I hope that you will join us as we embark on new things and focus on what's possible in the new year,” Nancy shares. “I want to thank everyone for your time, for sharing, for all that you do in terms of making the workplace more equitable, more inclusive and more just.” In this week’s show, host Nancy Harris wraps up the year with a special message to listeners, guests, and all contributors to The Intersection Podcast. Tune in to listen to Nancy, and then let us know: what are you looking forwa...
Dec 29, 2021•5 min•Ep. 52
I’m bringing back one of the most popular episodes of 2021, Aaron Walker, 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 dollars a year is spent in investing in small businesses that one’s friends and family memb...
Dec 15, 2021•31 min•Ep. 51
“We’re at the transformation trifecta right now, which is this pivot point of change,” Angela Howard claims. “A huge piece of this is this emerging generation, who is a different breed of holding organizations accountable to things like social justice and environmental sustainability… They’re expecting them to walk the walk and talk the talk.”Angela Howard is founder and Chief Transformation Officer of Angela R. Howard Consulting, where she partners with executives, founders, and leaders to shap...
Dec 01, 2021•36 min•Ep. 50
“I think collectively we are suffering from a form of PTSD,” says Alexandra Levit, “and we’ll continue to do so because there's never been an opportunity to stop and grieve for what we've lost over the last 18 months.” Alexandra Levit is the founder and CEO of Inspiration at Work, an organization dedicated to preparing organizations and their employees to be competitive and marketable in the future business world. She was named to the international global ranking of business thought leaders, Thi...
Nov 17, 2021•38 min•Ep. 49
“The higher you go up the corporate ladder, the more you need a coach,” says Maria Campillo. “The information you have and the way you receive feedback may be a little tainted, due to your position and perspective.” Maria Campillo is Associate Director of Leadership Development at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is also a Global Design specialist at BTS Coach. Maria is dedicated to designing and delivering world-class, end-to-end leadership programs that attract, grow, an...
Nov 03, 2021•40 min•Ep. 48
“There are three factors to below the surface leadership,” LaTonya shares. “There’s REAL leadership, which is relatable, equitable, aware, and loyal; empathetic leadership; and psychologically safe relationships.”LaTonya Wilkins is a leadership, executive, and team coach, keynote speaker, and founder of The Change Coaches. She is passionate about influencing real change in the workplace. LaTonya is the author of Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationship...
Oct 20, 2021•37 min•Ep. 47
“Meritocracy is a myth. It suggests that your success is based solely on your work ethic, your grit, your resilience, your ability to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go make something of yourself,” John says. “I would suggest that there has [historically] been no one who has worked harder in this country than a Black American, and yet the outcomes don’t reflect that.”John Graham Jr. is VP of Global Employer Branding, Diversity and Culture at Shaker Recruitment Marketing and an HBCU gradu...
Oct 06, 2021•38 min•Ep. 46
