In this episode, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst, and Manisha Amin, CEO of the Centre for Inclusive Design, discuss “It’s OK To Make Mistakes As An Ally.” Our work as allies and advocates continues to shape society for the better. The work can also feel heavy – especially when we stumble. Manisha explores how to get over our fears when it comes to allyship; call each other in rather than out; own our truth; apologize and repair; and forgive others, as well as ourselves.
Additional Resources
- Learn more about Manisha Amin at Centre for Inclusive Design
- In the US: Land Acknowledgment and Global Map of Indigenous People
- In Australia: Acknowledgement of Country and Map of Indigenous Australia
- Podcast: The Hidden Brain
- “Walking in the middle of the street” by Manisha Amin
- “The Benefit of Designing for Everyone” by Centre for Inclusive Design
[Image description: promo for Leading With Empathy & Allyship with Change Catalyst logo and photo of Manisha Amin, a woman of color who is smiling and wearing a striped jacket, and text reading “It’s OK To Make Mistakes As An Ally.”]
The live show is made accessible thanks to Interpreter-Now and White Coat Captioning.
#AllyshipPodcast #ChangeCatalyst #Empathy #Allyship #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #WomensHistoryMonth #InclusiveDesign
Quotes
- “… Often allies, I think, have high empathy. We tend to really care about the people we work with. When we get called out – when I get called out – I feel shame, you know, that I have done the wrong thing and I am a terrible person…. And that shame can go two ways: we can learn from it, or we can stand our ground and try to deflect it and reject it. That second part does not lead to change.”
- “I think cancel culture fits into the notion we have to be perfect and right all of the time. The right comes from whoever has got that righteous anger. There is somebody on the other side who then feels shame and anger, who then becomes righteous in their anger – and the more we do that, the more we push each other away and teach each other we are different and not the same. The more different we are, the less likely we are to come together.”
- “I think cancel culture fits into the notion we have to be perfect and right all of the time. The right comes from whoever has got that righteous anger. There is somebody on the other side who then feels shame and anger, who then becomes righteous in their anger – and the more we do that, the more we push each other away and teach each other we are different and not the same. The more different we are, the less likely we are to come together.”
Manisha Amin
CEO at Centre for Inclusive Design
Manisha is the chief strategist and visionary at Centre for Inclusive Design. She is a thought leader in the power of thinking from the edge. Manisha has a unique talent for seeing beyond the horizon to emerging trends and building powerful communities to bring them in to being through inclusive design.
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.
Watch Melinda’s TED Talk
Speaking Engagements
Change Catalyst Co-Founder Melinda Briana Epler has spoken across the globe in hundreds of venues and virtual events. Empathy, Allyship, Advocacy, Microaggressions, Inclusive Leadership, and Building Inclusive Teams are just some of the topics Melinda has spoken on. Let us know about your next speaking engagement needs! Melinda has also spoken on how to build organizational capacity to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as how to lead behavior change or how to build allies and advocates.
Testimonials
The show shaped my scope of reasoning on the dynamics in the corporate world, brand building, harmony across board with team mates. Your series has helped me feel less alone and less daunted by the challenges I face as a leader at a company that is used to moving fast with decisions and making swift progress across the board. I so earnestly want to grow and deepen my perspective when it comes to diversity and allyship; it’s not always clear how to do it. This series has felt like a path I can follow and revisit and draw strength and insight from. Thank you.
This show has given me clear opportunities to learn in the midst of 2020’s numerous social and personal challenges, including engaging remote content. I’ve learned new terms, heard new voices, diversified my interests and internalized personal narratives that have inspired me to get more active.
I watched many of your live shows in 2020, and I learned something from every discussion. They were inspiring on many levels. Early on during the pandemic (especially), the show also provided me with a sense of community that I was sorely needing. Thank you.
