Episode description

Watchen Nyanue is the Founder and CEO of I Choose the Ladder, a career development agency that works with corporations to develop and retain black female talent. She was also the Senior Vice President of Marketing partnerships at Chicago Sky WNBA and the Co-founder of the Little Doebahyou activity box. Her career has led her to work with prominent companies, including Yahoo, Comedy Central, and Time.

Historically, black women have dealt with enormous biases in the corporate world, dealing with both racism and sexism. The tide is beginning to turn, but much work is left to do. Some corporations that promote diversity are either not diverse themselves or don’t have a deep understanding of it. Watchen Nyanue, however, has both.

Born in Liberia, Watchen has experienced firsthand the difficulties of being an immigrant and a black woman. She has worked in several fields and knows the corporate framework that limits most minorities. She has dedicated her career to helping others like her navigate the current business landscape. 

Dov Pollack invites Watchen Nyanue, the Founder and CEO of I Choose the Ladder, onto the Next Wave Leadership podcast to talk about her work and her life’s story. They begin with her childhood, her introduction to privilege at university, and why she started her organization. They also talk about validation in careers, developing black female talent, and why talent alone isn’t enough.