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
Tonya Ladipo, LCSW
Founder at The Ladipo Group
Founder and CEO of The Ladipo Group, LLC, Tonya Ladipo, LCSW, is the visionary behind the region’s only therapy, counseling and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion consulting practice specializing in serving Black and African-American communities.
Tonya worked for many years in community mental health agencies, and soon realized that a one-size-fits-all approach often ignored the needs of Black and African-American people. Institutionalized racism, a lack of diversity, and a failure of cultural awareness all conspired to mean that people of color often received poor treatment.
Tonya is on a mission to change that.
She works with an incredible team of skilled counselors, therapists, and psychologists who have an expertise in working with Black and African-American communities. What’s more, she leads an ED&I team that consults with companies and organizations to recognize and address unconscious bias and retain diverse talent by creating a truly welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone.
An engaging speaker on diversity and women’s self-care and wellness, Tonya has been the keynote speaker and been a featured panelist for a number of organizations across the U.S. including Black Enterprise, Philadelphia Works’, Villanova University, and Black Women Talk Tech.
She has also been featured on radio (National Public Radio (NPR) and WURD Radio), television (NBC-10, Fox-29, and ABC-6), and in magazines (Black Enterprise, Essence, and Madame Noire).
Tonya is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program (April 2016) and Widener University’s Clinical Social Work Master’s degree program (May 2004).
When not working, Tonya is laughing with her husband and identical twin daughters, taking walks alone, and spending time with friends.
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.
