Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Melinda Briana Epler has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.
As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda currently works with the tech industry to solve diversity and inclusion together. Using her background in storytelling and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for tech companies, tech hubs, and governments around the world. She co-leads a series of global solutions-focused conferences called Tech Inclusion, where she has partnered with over 450 tech companies and community organizations and hosted 43 solutions-focused diversity and inclusion events around the world.
Previously, Melinda was a Marketing and Culture Executive and award-winning documentary filmmaker – her film and television work includes projects that exposed the AIDS crisis in South Africa, explored women’s rights in Turkey, and prepared communities for the effects of climate change. She has worked on several television shows, including NBC’s The West Wing.
Melinda is a TED speaker. She speaks, mentors and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, social entrepreneurship, underrepresented entrepreneurs and investing. She has spoken on hundreds of stages around the world, including SXSW, Grace Hopper, Wisdom 2.0, the World Bank, Obama White House, Clinton Foundation, Black Enterprise, Google, Indeed, Capital One and McKinsey.
Episode 16:
Join Leading with Empathy and Allyship Host Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, as she shares what it means to be an ally in 2020. She’ll discuss her own path to allyship and the Stages of Allyship. She touches on ways to be anti-racist, interrupt microaggressions, and address systemic inequities in the workplace, and of course some very tangible ways you can be a better ally in the workplace.
This is the end of Season 1 – we will be back with Season 2 in early September!
Learn more about Melinda Briana Epler and her work.
Additional resources:
- Melinda’s TED Talk “3 Ways to Be a Better Ally in the Workplace“
- Listen to all episodes in this 16-week series, and join us for season 2 in early September
- Tech Inclusion Conference & Career Fair October 13-15
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Laura Park’s NY Times full-page spread “The Diary Project: 400 Hours. $500.“
- “The unbearable whiteness of social networks” by Zack Beauchamp, Vox
- Kiyun Kim’s photo essay on microaggressions
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Episode 15:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Rachel Williams, Head of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity at X – the moonshot factory to discuss Creating Structural Change in the Workplace.
Learn more about Rachel on her website: www.rachelannwilliams.com/
Additional resources:
- Equity 101: Learn the basics of Startup Employee Stock Options
- Suggested Reading: There Are Actually 3 Types of Empathy. Here’s How They Differ–and How You Can Develop Them All
- Learn from HRC President Alphonso David on the Hierarchy of Identities
- “Continuing DEI Work During a Pandemic” with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Ulysses Smith and Jennifer Brown at Tech Inclusion Global Summit 2020
- “Keeping It 100: What’s Next with Culture & Inclusion in Tech?” with Melinda Briana Epler, Rachel Williams, Aubrey Blanche, and Candice Morgan at Tech Inclusion 2019
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Episode 14:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Dr. Angel Acosta, Principal Consultant at Acosta Consulting to discuss Moving From Structural Inequality to Human Flourishing.
Learn more about Dr. Angel Acosta at www.drangelacosta.com/
Additional resources:
- Train with The Flow Research Collective to Unlock Peak Performance
- Suggested Reading: Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen
- Suggested Reading: The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
- The Work of Modern Mystic and Spiritual Teacher: Dr. Thomas Hubl
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Episode 13:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President & CEO at Anitab.org to discuss Women Championing Women.
We address the role allyship plays in advancing gender and racial equity for Black women, how women can better support and champion other women, and how companies can support women and build allyship between women.
Learn more about Brenda’s work at https://anitab.org/
Additional resources:
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Episode 12:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Jerome Hardaway, Founder & Executive Director at Vets Who Code to discuss Hiring Veterans to Drive Innovation.
Learn more about Jerome’s work at vetswhocode.io/ or donate at vetswhocode.io/donate/
Additional resources:
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Episode 11:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Tonya Ladipo, Founder of The Ladipo Group to discuss Advancing Racial Equity in the Workplace.
Learn more about Tonya’s work at theladipogroup.com/.
Additional resources:
- Racial Economic Inequality at Inequality.org
- How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience by Laura Morgan Roberts, Anthony J. Mayo, David A. Thomas
- “Towards a Racially Just Workplace” HBR article by Laura Morgan Roberts and Anthony J. Mayo
- “Talking about Race” and “Being Antiracist” by National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Episode 10:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Ritu Bhasin, Speaker, Author & Consultant at Bhasin Consulting Inc. to discuss Living & Leading through Fear, Bias & Othering.
Learn more about Ritu’s work at bhasinconsulting.com/
Resources:
- The Authenticity Principle by Ritu Bhasin
- Bhasin Consulting’s Recommended D&I Resources
- My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
- Project Implicit – Harvard University assessment of bias (note that some of this is a bit outdated but you can still learn a bit about how you might have biases)
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Episode 9:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler (she/her) with Sloan Leo (they/them), Max Masure (they/them) and Madelena Mak (she/her) to discuss Being a Great Ally for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Colleagues.
Learn more about Sloan’s work at sloanleo.com/ and thevaidgroup.com/
Learn more about Max’s work at www.maxmasure.com/
Learn more about Madelena’s work at startupbus.com/
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Resources:
- “Why I Put Pronouns on my Email Signature (and LinkedIn profile) and You Should Too” by Max Masure
- “Remembering Lorena Borjas, The Mother of A Trans Latinx Community” by Masha Gessen
- Healing Resistance by Kazu Haga
- Learn more about gender identity at Planned Parenthood
- “Dismantling a Culture of Violence: Understanding Anti-Transgender Violence and Ending the Crisis” by Human Rights Campaign
- “Being African American and LGBTQ+: An Introduction” by HRC
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Episode 8:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Michael Thomas, Shareholder at Ogletree Deakins to discuss Intergenerational Trauma & Its Impact in the Workplace.
We discuss deep, intergenerational racial trauma that can be passed from generation to generation. We explore how that can show up physically, emotionally and spiritually; what some triggers are; how we can recognize and heal these in ourselves; and how we can collectively recognize and correct continued trauma and make space for healing.
Please note this episode does talk about trauma, as well as ways to heal. Please make sure you watch in a safe space where you have time to reflect and practice self-care afterward.
Learn more about Michael’s work at ogletree.com/ and www.linkedin.com/in/michael-thomas-46b7a212/.
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Resources:
- Ogletree Deakin’s D&I Compliance Tools, Training & Resources
- Michael’s Tech Inclusion 2016 Talk
- Niroga Institute (Oakland, CA): Niroga Institute promotes equity through trauma-informed dynamic mindfulness, strengthening resilience and empathy in schools and communities.
- Centre for Restorative Justice and Reconciliation: Restorative Justice Circles
Reading:
- Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy DeGruy
- The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
- The Black Body As a Fetish Object by Anthony Farley
- CDC-Kaiser Study on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankel
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Episode 7:
In this episode, Change Catalyst CEO Melinda Briana Epler speaks with Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, about Strengthening LGBTQIA+ Leadership in the Workplace. We discuss language, covering, coming out, intersectionality, employee resource groups, and creating safe and inclusive workplaces.
Learn more about Jennifer’s work at jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
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Resources:
- Jennifer’s latest book “How to Be an Inclusive Leader”
- JBC’s Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment
- Jennifer’s podcast with Vivienne Ming on “The Tax on Being Different“
- “A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide” by Human Rights Campaign
- “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ Community” by Human Rights Campaign
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Episode 6:
In this episode, Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler speaks with Najeeba Syeed, Associate Professor of Interreligious Education at Claremont School of Theology on Empathy, Islamophobia and Muslim Identity.
Najeeba speaks a bit about her story as a young immigrant from Kashmir, who grew up bicultural and exposed to many religions, which has given her a great skill to work with people across religions. We talk about the breadth of intersectional Muslim identities, Islamophobia vs. anti-Muslim bias, and religious pluralism. We dive into embodied empathy and how to build empathy and prevent conflicts across organizations, and Najeeba shares a wishlist for allies.
Learn more about Najeeba’s work at najeeba.com and twitter.com/NajeebaSyeed
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Additional learning:
- “Experiments in Empathy: Critical Reflections on Interreligious Education” Edited by Najeeba Syeed and Heidi Hadsell
- “The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict” By Christopher W. Moore
- Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative
- Islamic Speakers Bureau
- Check out your local Muslim or Islamic Speakers Bureau (in most major cities)
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Episode 5:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Tiffany Yu, CEO & Founder at Diversability to discuss ways to be an effective ally and advocate for people with a wide diversity of disabilities.
In this episode, we talk about Tiffany’s disability origin story, and her path to growing into her disability identity. We speak a bit about #NoBodyIsDisposable and what people with disabilities are experiencing during COVID19. Tiffany shares her experience as a person with intersectional identities as an Asian disabled woman, we discuss the significance of the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and go over disability identity language. And we go over many ways that leaders can better lead with empathy and allyship for people with disabilities.
Learn more about Tiffany’s work at Diversability
More to learn for Allies – Tiffany mentioned many of these in this episode:
- Diversability’s Resources for Allies
- “Building Equity and Allyship for People with Disabilities” at Tech Inclusion 2019, panel moderated by Tiffany Yu
- “Disability is Diversity” – Tiffany’s Tech Inclusion talk:
- “The Power of Exclusion” – Tiffany’s TEDx talk
- Change Catalyst’s Ability in Tech playlist on Youtube:
- Watch “Crip Camp” on Netflix
- “I’m disabled and need a ventilator to live. Am I expendable during this pandemic?” by Alice Wong on Vox
- “I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much” by Stella Young on TED
- No Body Is Disposable
- Stop AAPI Hate
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Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Daisy Auger-Domínguez, CEO of Auger-Domínguez Ventures, to discuss Amplifying the Latinx Experience in the Workplace. Daisy has been an executive at Moody’s, Time Warner, Disney, Google and Viacom, and is the new Chief People Officer at Vice Media Group.
In this episode, we talk about Daisy’s path to leadership as a Dominican-Puerto Rican – a journey full of sponsors and allies that believed in her, promoted her, pushed her and supported her. We discuss the difference between Hispanic, Latino/Latina, and Latinx, and we dive deep into how to create change through amplification. Finally, we discuss what individuals can do to be great allies and create culture change within organizations.
Learn more about Daisy’s work at daisyauger-dominguez.com
Additional resources for allies:
- “Getting Over Your Fear of Talking About Diversity” by Auger-Domínguez, Harvard Business Review
- Hollywood Commission to Eliminate Harassment and Advance Equality in the Workplace
- Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility “Corporate Inclusion Index”
- “Vice Media Hires HR Veteran Daisy Auger-Domínguez as Head of Human Resources” by Todd Spangler
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Episode 3:
Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler with Vanessa Roanhorse, CEO at Roanhorse Consulting to discuss Indigenous Power, Leadership and Community. In this episode, we talk about Vanessa’s path to leadership and helping entrepreneurs access capital, what’s happening with Native American tribes during COVID-19, what Power really means and why it’s so important, and how allies can help repair the deep inequities created by years of colonialism and marginalization. Vanessa also talks about her own path as an ally and advocate for other people.
Take Action:
- Learn more about, and support, Vanessa’s work at Roanhorse Consulting and Native Women Lead.
- Donate to Native American Community Response Fund (also a great resource to continue your learning).
- RELEARN American history from the point of view of Native Americans. History is usually told from the point of view of colonizers, we have to relearn what we’ve been taught.
- Recommended Reading List from FirstNations.org
- Reclaiming Diné History by Jennifer Nez Denetdale
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- Read more about the COVID Crisis and take action:
- “The risk to Native American nations from Covid-19” by Kent Sepkowitz (CNN)
- “10 steps to save Native Americans from Covid-19 catastrophe” by Van Jones (CNN)
- “Navajo community left to fight COVID-19 with limited resources” by Matt Gutman, Robert Zepeda, Tenzin Shakya and Allie Yang (ABC News)
- Navajo Department of Public Health COVID-19 Resources
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Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler in Episode 2 of a new series: Leading with Empathy & Allyship. In this episode we discuss Mental Health During COVID-19 with Dr. Jessi Gold and Dr. Ayana Jordan.
If you need help please reach out:
- Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Textline: Text TALK to 741741
- Physician Support Line: physiciansupportline.com
- Project Parachute – pro-bono therapy for COVID-19 Frontliners: eleos.health/parachute
Additional resources for allies:
- Learn more about the work of Dr. Jessica “Jessi” Gold, MD, MS: drjessigold.com and follow her on Twitter @drjessigold
- Follow Dr. Ayana Jordan on Twitter @DrAyanaJordan
- “Mental Health and COVID-19” by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- “Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health and Well-being” by American Psychiatric Association Center for Workplace Mental Health
- “COVID-19 exacerbating inequalities in the US” by The Lancet
- Latinx Therapy – resources & therapists addressing mental health in the Latinx community
- Psychology Today website – articles, resources, and search for therapists
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Join Change Catalyst Founder & CEO Melinda Briana Epler for the first installment in a new series: Leading with Empathy & Allyship. In the first episode we discuss Countering Xenophobia in the Workplace with Co-Founder and CEO of Awaken, Michelle Kim.
Defining xenophobia and anti-Asian racism, harassment and bullying during COVID-19 and beyond; intersectionality and the myth of the “model minority”; holding ourselves accountable as allies and accomplices; practical ways companies can address these issues in the workplace; and more!
Additional resources for allies:
- Awaken’s virtual training on Combating Xenophobia
- Allyship (& Accomplice): The What, Why, and How by Michelle Kim
- Coronavirus fears show how ‘model minority’ Asian Americans become the ‘yellow peril’ by Matthew Lee, NBC News
- Report Hate Crimes and Incidents via Stop APPI Hate
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