In this episode, LaTranda Irons helps us understand the role that scrappiness plays in our catalytic success. LaTranda shares stories from her youth and organizational experience in which scrappiness allowed her to adapt to new contexts, build friends and allies and become successful within each – again and again. For her, scrappiness is not just a skill that one is born with, rather it is a commitment each day. Check out more about LaTranda's business Unamamagetic and LaTranda's family's foundation Southern Scholars Initiative. Original music by Lynz Floren.

In this episode, Zaineb Haider, Senior Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisor at Cigna, shares how important it is to be clear on the value you provide and the necessity of leaning into opportunities where you can provide value. As a child, Zaineb experienced the harsh realities of being a young immigrant, constantly being made to feel "otherness." Later on in her life, particularly as she earned her Masters in Human Resources Management - Diversity & Inclusion, she realized that her unique "otherness" was her strength. She realized that the times she showed up strong, were the times she showed up with those differences. She now leverages those skills to create inclusive cultures that allow for a sense of belonging. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

Calvin Hosey, Head of Ops and Payment Partnerships at Regpack, shares his hard-won lessons about building out diverse teams. Data tells us that diverse teams drive better outcomes. But at one point his career, Calvin was too focused on demographics, but not enough on other attributes. "I got a diverse team but not a high performing team." So Calvin pivoted to establish a process that can be a gateway to diversity rather than chasing it explicitly. He stopped looking at people's names, and colleges, and rather looks at the idea of the person - using the resume to present who they are. Calvin shares that you need to remove the person as a first step and instead focus on core competency fit. Once you've identified the candidates that have all the necessary core competencies, then you move to the next step of trying to identify if they're going to work with your team. He uses culture and fit to be a final determinant, ensuring that every candidate speaks with multiple team members as well as at least one other executive outside his organization, to ensure a good cultural fit. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

In this episode, Wil Lewis, Experian’s Global Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Talent Acquisition Officer talks to us about situational leadership. Openness and willingness to take the time to bring others along can help move the needle in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. We discuss strategies for keeping stakeholders focused on DEI, even in the midst of the ebb and flow of collective interest in DEI, as well as ways to help other leaders recognize the value that DEI work will bring to them. Wil’s passion for DEI work and the ways it positively impacts people shines through so powerfully during our talk we found ourselves moved by the joyful and empathetic approaches he takes. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Taisha Nurse, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at McDermott, explains the power of understanding your catalytic nature and then developing the skills and persistence to drive change in some of the most challenging change initiatives that intersect with people's identity. Having persistence allows us to navigate the impatience we can feel about the change not happening as fast as we want. Persistence requires us troubleshooting the cultural implications of change all the way down to the individual buy-in. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

How do you create systems of change in an organization of 75,000 employees? In this episode, Jesse Cortez, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at McKesson, talks about the importance of being able to see the big picture before creating a clear vision that helps bring others along. "You have to be able to diagnose before you can prescribe." Then, Jesse says, you have to leverage storytelling to bring others along on the journey. Everyone is looking to belong and telling stories help bring people into the work to understand the 'why'. "This is where the magic comes to life." Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

In this episode, we hear from Lauren Gutherie, VP, Americas Inclusion and Diversity, Talent Development and Acquisition, VF Corp (holding company of brands like Vans, Timberland, The North Face, SUPREME, with over 35,000 employees globally). In order to be an effective Catalyst, particularly in the DEIB space, Lauren shares that every strategy we build, every conversation we support, we're seeking to bring people along on the journey. And we must constantly find multiple entry points for others to find value in this work. She acknowledges that race and social justice aren't always the easiest entry points for some people. At VFC, they're always thinking about how they can pull people into the work, whether that's from an accessibility perspective or a gender identity perspective. Lauren and her team are constantly thinking through the full diversity of their consumers and tying it back to business initiatives in a way that's hyper-relevant for VFC's leaders and associates, pulling together multiple connection points to bring people along on the journey. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

In this episode, Giselle Mota, Chief of Product Inclusion at ADP, talks about how taking a holistic approach has helped her accelerate change. Her holisitic approach is heavily based on understanding where people are coming from and taking the time to understand their needs and perspectives. But she also talks about having a broader holistic approach that takes into account short- and long-term visions, holisitically monitoring the DEI space including legislation, other organization's approaches, and what's emergent in your own company. Giselle shares how she leveraged these skills to create her Chief of Product Inclusion position. Don't miss this insightful and high energy episode. Check out Giselle's TED Talk and learn more about NFTY Collective. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

In this episode, Jackie Cureton, Chief Diversity Officer at Bitly, talks about the importance of meeting people where they are (openness & listening) and "calling folks in" (instead of calling people out). Only by listening deeply, can DEI leaders hear the "whisper of the organization" which helps to create the space for courageous conversations. Jackie also shares about how her strong commitment to her personal rejuvenation practices (physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual) sustain her energy, and allow her sit in her power as a DEI leader. Her advice: "Be who you say you are." Learn more about Shirley Chisholm's history. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.

Chris Williams first remembers becoming aware of race when his brother was stabbed several times in the back. His brother survived, but it gave Chris a lifelong passion of working for equity. As Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at CBRE, Chris is igniting change in a 68,000 person organization that operates in over 100 countries. To lead change on this scale, Chris talks about the importance of effective communication and collaboration. In order to create change with such a diverse audience, he notes it's important to be able to read the audience, practice active listening, and not assume that your normal messaging translates to different audiences. Chris shares stories of several times where he realized that his communication may have created a barrier and how his self- and situational awareness helped him recognize that he made a mistake. He explains how he apologized and learned from those experiences - modeling the power of humble DEI leadership. You won't want to miss this high-energy and deeply vulnerable conversation. Original music by ⁠Lynz Floren⁠.