Podcast

Kisha Brown is an established civil rights attorney and the Founder and CEO of Justis Connection, an organization committed to empowering the community about their rights and responsibilities and deliver personalized lawyer referrals. Justis Connection is the nation’s only Black lawyer referral and legal resource platform, and is particularly dedicated to assisting individuals and businesses of all sizes with culturally competent legal counsel.

Sheilina Henry is the Senior Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. She's responsible for cultivating an environment that celebrates diverse backgrounds while providing equitable access to opportunity. Sheilina has had a variety of roles within the company, but is now leading their diversity, equity and inclusion work. She is working to help make sure that everybody, whether you're coming into the dining space or whether you're on the team, is having a wonderful and inclusive experience.

The restaurant industry is no stranger to diversity. However, Sheilina shares that the past 18-months have revealed diversity gaps within the industry, disparities, and lack of resources. She also details some of her personal experiences that have shaped the way she approaches both DEI work and work that she does within the food industry, and how important it is to share these experiences to build trust and safe spaces with others. To connect with Sheilina, you can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilina-henry-07036617

Andre Nellams is a human resource leader with more than 20 years of HR experience. In his current role as Senior Director of Talent Acquisition & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Accolade, Inc., he focuses on strategies that introduce, build and implement human resources programs and initiatives that deliver key results. He also enjoys creating and being a part of a work environment where the sense of belonging is true and honest.

In our conversation, Andre shares many helpful strategies for approaching this work for those that may be new to DEI as well as for those who have been doing this work for a while. We discuss inherent bias, the importance of one-on-one conversations, and how to use the data that you gather to build policies and practices that will result in positive change. Andre also shares a strong sense of family and community, and how his passion for success shows up for him and impacts those around him. To connect with Andre, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anellamshrleader

Hira Ali is a leadership trainer, career coach, and Founder of Advancing Your Potential. She is passionate about empowering women and ethnic minorities, closing the gender gap, and advocating diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Telegraph, BBC, Harpers Bazaar, and Huff Post and in 2019 she released her first book, Her Way To The Top: A Guide to Smashing the Glass Ceiling. Just recently she released her second companion book, Her Allies: A Practical Toolkit to Help Men Lead Through Advocacy.

Sharon Harvey Davis is the VP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer for Ameren. In her role, she is responsible for leading all DEI strategic efforts, including diversity training, employee resource groups, diversity communications, and the executive diversity council. Under Sharon's leadership, Ameren has been ranked as one of the nation's top utilities by DiversityInc for 12 consecutive years.

Throughout her 19 years of experience with Ameren, Sharon has seen many changes within the diversity space. She shares some of the developments and progressions that have taken place, both within Ameren and with diversity work overall. We discuss some challenges she has faced, and some of the coming trends for DEI work as well. To connect with Sharon, you can find her on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-harvey-davis-76234a5