I am so excited to be here with Julia Wuench, leadership and career coach, whose mission it is to enhance personal fulfillment at work and in life. In our conversation, we dive into what it means to be a necessity-entrepreneur, and the work she does with Helius to help entrepreneurs. She also shares the unique definition shared by Helius for what it looks like to be successful, and how the concepts of shifting qualifications can also be applied to corporate, university, and other large organization settings. I so appreciate the modeling of the work that she does, and the use of her time, talent, and treasures to to create an example of what this could look like and how this can be achieved. Julia also wanted me to share with you that she has created an online course called Maximizing Your Potential at Work and in Life. And she has even created a discount for Uplifting Impact listeners! It is normally priced at $99, but use the code “UPLIFTINGIMPACT” and get $74 off, making it only $25.

Today we have empathy warrior Corey Ponder with us. He has over 10 years of professional experience as a policy analyst in the public and private sectors and is a huge believer in the power of human connection and how that can drive impact. In our conversation, we really dig into the exploration of the idea that we all have some level of privilege, and how we can use that to leverage the voices of those around us to uplift them. He also shares the two lenses through which he approaches DEI work, and how to address the idea that we all have to be experts in order to do work in this space. I truly enjoyed this conversation, and I know you will too.

I am so glad that you’re here joining us today for such a wonderful conversation I had with Isioma Nwabuzor, an attorney in the Milwaukee area. Currently, she works with Robert W. Baird, an employee-owned financial services firm, supporting the firm’s US and UK transactions in its private equity business. Isioma is a DREAMer, and in this episode, she shares some of the unseen and unknown hardships of what it is like to be an immigrant in the US, how companies can do a better job of being inclusive, and she also shares information about her organization, The Dreamer Next Door Incorporated and the work they are doing to lift others as we rise.

Ashley Ladd is the Manager of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Hubspot, a global tech company, and I am so excited to have her own the show today. Hubspot is vital to the work we do here at Uplifting Impact, and after our conversation, it reinforces that I am so happy to use their platform. Ashley’s work is proof that this organization is a leader for D and I work in the tech space, and in our conversation, she shares the role of employee resource groups as part of a larger D and I strategy, and the importance of intersection and ally-ship within these groups.

I am so excited to have the opportunity to speak with Tariq Meyers on this episode and to share our conversation with you. Tariq has spent many years advancing equity and inclusion in the private and nonprofit sectors, served at Lyft and Coinbase as their first Head of Belonging and Inclusion, and recently joined Jumpstart as their Vice President of Strategy. Jumpstart is an example of a company that does DEI very well, and in our conversation, we talk about some of the amazing work he’s doing there, how to bring together companies and recruits that share the same values, and the key steps companies and organizations should take when beginning the work of DEI.

Today we have Torin Ellis with us, who uses his platform as a diversity strategist, published author, and host of Career Mix on Sirius XM, to assist clients in optimizing recruiting efforts using strategies of collaboration, transparency, and performance monitoring. Our conversation kicks off with Torin explaining that he approaches the work differently than other practitioners in this space, and we can see that through our discussion of his core values of love and process. He explains more about what this means on a day to day level, and how he applies his unique approach to making teams, corporations, and humanity as a whole, better.

I am so honored to have Fields Jackson Jr on the podcast today. Fields is a thought leader in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space and is currently the Founder and Chief Cheerleader of Racing Toward Diversity magazine, which is focused on showcasing the best DEI work being done all over the world. He is also the Executive Director of the HBCU Business Deans Roundtable, and as such, he has been able to connect students and young people with companies looking to hire. In our conversation, we discuss how we can help those that are on the journey of understanding and providing diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments. And we also talk about the impact of this moment, and the longevity and accountability of the changes we’re seeing around us.

I am so excited that we have Dawn Bennett-Alexander on the episode with us today. I have had the great fortune to watch and see how she has used her legal background with her educational background and blended that so beautifully in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. Through her work in this space, she has received over 50 awards and recognitions for her work and has also lead a Ted talk on practical diversity, taking inclusion from theory to practice. In our conversation today, she impresses upon us the importance of heart-work and approaching diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging from a place of love and connection.

Today our guest is Edward M. Jones, the Vice President of Programs at ABFE, a Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities. In his role, he brings together leaders across the country who are focusing on philanthropic work for organizations led by leaders of color. One of the great things about ABFE is that it creates a great space to learn, convene people, and make sure we are including everybody, particularly African-American issues in our conversations. In our conversation, Edward shares the power of thinking differently about the investments we can make using our time, talent, treasure, and testimony, and challenges us to think about how we can each make a difference.

In this episode, I am very excited to share with you the conversation I had with Nate Todd. Nate has more than 14 years of experience in higher education and was named Tulsa Community College’s Dean of Diversity Equity and Inclusion in 2019. In that role, he’s responsible for leading and driving change through the development and implementation of strategic equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives across the college. In our conversation he explains the importance of bringing in students and young people to help drive change, and the context of being in Tulsa has shaped the work he does.