---
title: "Onboarding for Inclusivity: Creating Equitable Work Environments"
description: Michelle Bess focuses on creating systems and processes to ensure an equitable company as VP of Talent and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at OppLoans.
---

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# [Onboarding for Inclusivity: Creating Equitable Work Environments](https://www.upliftingimpact.com/uplifting-impact/onboarding-as-an-intentional-practice-of-inclusivity)

 Written by [Deanna Singh](https://www.upliftingimpact.com/uplifting-impact/author/deanna-singh) | Feb 4, 2021 9:00:00 AM

I am so delighted to share with you the recent conversation I had with Michelle Bess, the Vice President of Talent and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at OppLoans. In her role, she focuses on creating systems and processes to ensure an equitable company where individuals from all backgrounds are seen, validated, and where they’re able to succeed. In this episode, we talk about the work that OppLoans is doing, what it looks like doing DEI within a company with a very small team, and some often overlooked areas of inclusion within organizations.

## Topics in this episode

- Prioritizing mission-based work within your career
- Economic inclusion and the ripple effect it has on families and their communities
- Techniques Michelle has found to be successful in her DEI work
- The importance of creating allies and ambassadors of DEI work within your organization, and the process of getting them plugged into doing the work
- The wide scope of what inclusion means
- Thinking about off-boarding and re-onboarding parents around times of leave - another area of inclusion to consider for companies
- Having to be more intentional when employees are distributed and aren’t in a central location

## Connect

- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleybess/)
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/michellebess)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mbess1987/)

**Other recent conversations we really enjoyed:**

- [Let's Link Arms to Bridge the Gap and Transform Ourselves](https://www.upliftingimpact.com/uplifting_impact/lets-link-arms-to-bridge-the-gap-and-transform-ourselves)
- [Creating Equity and Social Justice Must Be Intentional, Methodical, and Continuous](https://www.upliftingimpact.com/uplifting_impact/creating-equity-and-social-justice-must-be-intentional-methodical-and-continuous)

[View full post](https://www.upliftingimpact.com/uplifting-impact/onboarding-as-an-intentional-practice-of-inclusivity)

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