Break the Bias

If you’ve ever faced the challenge of having a difficult conversation at work, today’s episode of Breaking the Bias is for you. Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal has a candid conversation with Quinne Teske, Global Director of DEI & Employee Experience at Allegis Global Solutions. The DEI leaders offer invaluable insights on having difficult conversations at work with a focus on empathy. Learn how to navigate workplace polarization, social media misinformation, and empowering quiet voices in meetings. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased co-founder Bindu Lokre sat down in a studio in New York with special guest Aliza Licht, founder of Leave Your Mark and author of the amazing book On Brand: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception. They dive deep into the world of personal branding and overcoming fears. They also cover how to keep your job title from becoming your identity, why a career change starts with changing the way you think about yourself, and how identifying and understanding our fears is the first step to breaking through them to help grow your confidence at work. Get show notes at ConsciouslyUnbiased.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

We’re shaking things up on this episode of Breaking the Bias by exploring issues surrounding mental health, motherhood and conscious communication. Consciously Unbiased co-founder Bindu Lokre sat down in a studio in New York with Sandrine Marlier, a meditation teacher, Reiki master practitioner, model and author of the new children’s book “Odette’s Alphabet,” a story about handling big emotions. Bindu and Sandrine keep it real by diving into Sandrine’s journey of the tools she uses to manage her anxiety and how to identify your triggers and create healthy boundaries. Their conversation also covers how Sandrine’s daughter inspired her to write a book about mindfulness for children, and the biggest lessons adults can also take away from the story. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

What does it mean to be a white ally? What are microaggressions exactly? What can I do to help create an inclusive culture? To get deeper insights into these questions and more, check out this episode of Breaking the Bias with Mita Mallick, co-host of the Brown Table Talk podcast, author of the upcoming book, Reimagine Inclusion and head of equity, impact and inclusion at Carta. Mita is saying all the quiet parts out loud of what holds us back from building real inclusion at work. Mita’s candid conversation with Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, dives into:  How being bullied as a child led to her lifelong search for inclusion. The most common myths about inclusion we tell ourselves that stop us from making meaningful progress.  How to meet people with kindness and grace when they make mistakes. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Michael Perry, a father of two and the founder and CEO of Maple, an app that helps parents take the stress out of planning and organizing your home, is making it his mission to help normalize caregiving in the workplace for all. The research shows the majority of caregiving duties continue to fall on the shoulders of women. The truth is that a lack of gender equality is not a woman’s problem or a man’s problem; this is everyone’s problem. That’s in part because most men don’t want to live in a world where they have to live up to the always-on ideal worker norm and feel guilty taking paternity leave or going to their child’s game.  In this episode of the Breaking the Bias podcast, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, sits down with Michael for a candid conversation that dives into how Michael’s journey to fatherhood changed him, the regrets he had being a leader at Shopify who didn’t consider caregiving duties because he wasn’t yet a parent, and how cis men in heterosexual relationships can help advance gender equality in the home. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

It’s 2023, and still only 33% of women are in tech positions—with representation for women in leadership being much lower. In this episode of the Breaking the Bias podcast, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, speaks with Jill Stelfox, CEO of Panzura—the only woman CEO in data management. Jill stepped into this top leadership position during the pandemic when the company suddenly went remote.  In this conversation, Jill shares how she successfully navigated pulling her new team together during a crisis and turned the company around, why she encourages her employees to “bring your weird” to work, and why she thinks companies who lack radical transparency are set up to fail. RELATED: How Technology Can Help Us Close The Gender Gap At Work Beyond The Numbers: A DEI Leader On How To Create a More Inclusive Workplace How To Diversify Your Network, According To A Super Connector --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

In honor of Women’s History Month and Gender Equality Month, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, spoke with Nina Simons, author of Nature, Culture, and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership, for this episode of Breaking the Bias. Nina is also the co-founder of Bioneers, a nonprofit she started with her husband, that focuses on innovative solutions for some of the planet’s biggest social and environmental issues. In this behind-the-scenes interview, Nina talks about her personal journey to embracing her own power and leading from the heart, the history of a time when women were prosecuted in the thousands or even millions for using their voice, and how joy is a bigger motivator than guilt when it comes to advancing equity. The 34th annual Bioneers conference is happening in Berkeley, CA from April 6 to 8, 2023, and Nina is offering the Consciously Unbiased community a 20% discount on registration by using the code: Nina20. If interested in attending, you can register here. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Did you know the U.S. incarcerates Black people at a nearly five times higher rate than white people?  This is part two in our Breaking the Bias series for Black History Month, where we are highlighting people and organizations who are creating alternatives to incarceration. Today we’re speaking to Brian Stanley, Court Advocate for Avenues for Justice, an organization that’s been around for more than 40 years and that has successfully kept thousands of African American and Hispanic youth and young adults in New York City out of the criminal justice system. In New York City, it costs about $450,000 to incarcerate a young person for a year, but to put them through Avenues For Justice’s program, it costs about $6,000. Brian Stanley has some fascinating insights about this. In addition to serving as a court advocate, he  also works with youth as  a writing tutor, basketball coach, and art teacher with a focus on hip hop. Here is what he has to say about lowering incarceration rates, and new paths forward. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Our justice system is broken: The U.S. incarcerates more people than any country in the world, in part because other countries do not use prison as a one-size-fits-all solution to crime. This Black History Month, Breaking the Bias will be highlighting the change agents who are building career paths for the formerly incarcerated, or who are creating alternatives to incarceration, as the U.S. incarcerates Black people at a nearly five times higher rate than white people. In this conversation, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sat down with  entrepreneur and CEO of Flikshop, Marcus Bullock, and his mother, Reverend Dr. Sylvia Bullock. They share how Marcus’ personal story of being incarcerated at just 15 years old in an adult prison reflects larger systemic issues related to our justice system, and how daily letters sent to him by his mother paved the way for him to launch Flikshop, an app that connects family members to their incarcerated loved ones. *You can donate to the Flikshop Angels program here: https://www.flikshop.com/flikshop-angels --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

As we kick off 2023, many of us may be reflecting on the past year and thinking ahead about how we want to show up and who we want to connect with in the new year. This topic may be especially important, given that research shows that loneliness increased for Americans during the pandemic. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased,  spoke to Susan McPherson, author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships, to find out how we can use technology for good to reverse the growing trend of disconnection, build more meaningful relationships and authentically diversify our networks and overcome similarity bias. Relationship building takes time, but Susan shares practical advice for how we can focus on making connections and expand our networks without feeling overwhelmed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

As we head into 2023 and economists are saying we’re on the verge of a recession, the impact this will have on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives remains to be seen. Yet companies can’t afford to let DEI fall to the bottom of their priority list if they want to remain relevant and survive during an economic downturn and beyond. In today’s conversation, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Christopher Bylone Van Sandwyk, who was named one of this year’s top 15 Diversity Champions by Diversity Global magazine. They cover everything from the privilege Christopher has when he steps into the room as a white man and how he talks to other white men about DEI; why DEI leaders have to be more comfortable with data, and the DEI conversations leaders really need to be having in 2023. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

We are almost to 2023, and we’re still having conversations about how to make gender equity happen. In the U.S., women represent 48% of the entry-level workforce; but only 24% of C-suite executives. Men are promoted at a rate of 21% more than women. We still have a gender and racial pay gap and a motherhood penalty. Yet closing the gender gap is not only the right thing to do; it’s good for the economy and would increase the U.S. GDP by $3.1 trillion. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Katica Roy, a gender economist and founder of Pipeline, a company that uses analytics to quantify unconscious bias within an organization. Katica also has an extraordinary story as the daughter of a refugee and immigrant on why she is so passionate about advancing equity. They cover everything from the difference between equality and equity, how gender equity helps men too, and whether salary transparency policies are truly effective. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

For the first time ever, we have five generations together in the workplace. When we talk about DEI, it’s important to also talk about ageism and generational diversity. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Chip Conley, founder & CEO of Modern Elder Academy. Just a little about Chip: At age 26, Chip grew a successful boutique hotel company and later became a best-selling author. Then, at 52, he joined AirBnB as the Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, where most of the employees were half his age. Today he is promoting the idea of a “Modern Elder,” with his latest book, Wisdom at Work. He defines an elder as someone who is as curious as they are wise, and is helping to reframe aging as an opportunity for growth. In this episode, Chip shares how a near-death experience changed the way he lives his life, how his work at AirBnB helped him bridge generational divides, and how to hold on to a beginner mindset in midlife and beyond. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

It’s been five years since #MeToo went viral after actress Alyssa Milano tweeted “me too” and encouraged others who had experienced sexual harassment to do the same, though activist Tarana Burke originally coined the phrase “me too” in 2006. The #MeToo movement sparked a societal reckoning as thousands of women’s voices about the sexual violence they’d experienced at the hands of powerful men put a spotlight on gender inequities and power dynamics. No longer silent, this collective of voices resulted in real-world consequences that spread around the world, with heads of companies being fired and public figures being held accountable. As #MeToo was gaining momentum and the Harvey Weinsten scandal was dominating the news, the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund was launched to offer legal assistance to survivors of harassment and assault.  In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, speaks with Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center and co-founder of Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. This episode covers: How the National Women’s Law Center started the Time’s Up legal Defense Fund as the Harvey Weinstein case broke. Today 6,000 people have gone to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund for help, and they have a network of 400 attorneys. What the #MeToo movement means today, and a growing awareness of Black survivors of sexual violence and other people with marginalized identities, and how they see themselves as part of this movement. What needs to happen next to help keep fighting sexual harassment in the workplace and protect against retaliation for those who report it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Women’s Equality Day falls on August 26th, in honor of the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920 that granted some women the right to vote. It reminds us of the importance of how far we’ve come in the fight for equal rights, and how far we still have to go. One prominent woman from history you may not have heard of is Matilda Josyln Gage, whose story did not get as much attention in history books as other suffragists, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Sally Roesch Wagner, a major historian of the women's suffrage movement, author, and founder of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, shares her extraordinary story. The conversation covers: Who Matilda Joslyn Gage was exactly, what made her so bad ass, and why she was written out of history. In what ways Matilda’s vision of equality for all was shaped by the local Native American culture, where women had an equal voice in political leadership for more than 1000 years. Parallels between the issues women were fighting for more than a century ago, and the issues we’re still working on today. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The last time Daisy Auger-Dominguez was a guest on Breaking the Bias, she shared how she took time off for self reflection with what she called her “year of the heart,” and how the power of a pause not only positively impacts our own lives, but also benefits our organizations. That time away helped her deepen her purpose, and today she is the Chief People Officer at VICE Media Group, and author of the new book, Inclusion Revolution. “All humans, no matter where they come from, want to feel seen, heard, and valued. That is a human need,” says Daisy. In this episode, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal  (virtually) sits down with Daisy to talk about her personal journey, how to find joy and belonging at work, and ways each and every one of us can use our voice to build inclusion. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Having lived and worked in different countries, Vaishali Shah, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Randstad Sourceright, was exposed to many ways of living.  It was these experiences that led her to realize the need to recognize the strengths that our differences can make within organizations. Her personal experiences inspired her to pursue diversity and inclusion as her full-time job. “I've often seen myself as being a little bit different from the people around me. I've been fortunate to find, to create, and to thrive in the opportunities that enabled me to add value—not in spite of being different, but because of being different in my experiences, my background, the way I think, or the way I solve problems. I realized that this isn't the case for a lot of people, and there's a lot that we can do with our own experiences. I wanted to do something about it.” In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal  (virtually) sits down with Vaishali, to talk about her journey and her passion for diversity and inclusion. They cover: Why diversity should not be only a metric—and how to track the impact that DEI initiatives have on people The benefits of normalizing mental health at work How to better listen to employees during The Great Resignation and beyond, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The ongoing pandemic and social unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd sparked a greater emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training within organizations. As the demand for DEI trainers continues to rise, many lack a clear path for making progress and must learn on their own without clear guidelines. Maria Morukian, President of MSM Global Consulting,  authored the new book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Trainers: Fostering DEI in the Workplace, to create a guide for trainers to develop the skills needed to deliver sustainable change and unpack their own biases. For Maria, DEI is personal and is largely influenced by her upbringing as a first-generation American: Maria’s father, Val Morukian, had a bi-cultural identity. He was an Armenian whose family fled Istanbul during the Armenian diaspora and he was born in Cuba to a single mother of three. Maria opens her book by sharing how her father embodied the old adage, ‘looks can be deceiving.’ “I would say people looked at my dad as this small in stature, older, hard-of-hearing guy with kind of a funny accent who always looked a little disheveled and like he was lost,” says Maria.“But the truth was that he had had this incredible life and so many rich and sometimes hard- to-imagine stories…looking at what was on the surface, if people just saw him or knew this one little bit of the story, they would never know all of the richness that was underneath.” As a young man, her father was enlisted in the U.S. Army, during which he was shot in the line of duty. Val was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for saving members of his battalion. He went to college after the army and became a Detroit public school teacher for nearly 40 years, and at various times was a bartender, a carni, and even a security guard for Jimmy Hoffa.  Maria’s father’s life inspired her to become a diversity trainer and educator. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal (virtually) sits down with Maria, to talk about her journey and the power that DEI training, when done right, can have in the workplace. They cover: Why blame and shame aren’t effective for creating change—and what is How to encourage people to look at the world from others’ perspectives The most essential skills diversity, equity and inclusion trainers should have in order to make a real impact The next frontier of DEI training in the workplace, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

In this episode, we dive into the world of fashion, beauty and inclusion with our guest, Megan Ixim, also known as “Ms. Gigggles”—she is a Marketing Director and the founder of Socially Deviant Media and Plus Size Thrift. Evolution of the Fashion Industry  We journey through the shifting sands of beauty standards in America from the Marilyn-Monroe-1950s, to the rise of the Kardashian era, exploring how national economic conditions have sculpted society’s view of the ideal body type. Megan shares her own battles with body image and the harsh realities of 'body privilege’ in healthcare and the workforce.  Breaking Rigid Beauty Standards As we move into the broader implications of these beauty norms, we discuss how New Jersey and New York lead the way with new anti-discrimination laws. We’ll also touch upon the growing concern of eating disorders and the essence of self-acceptance. Championing Diversity and Inclusion Inspirational and brave, Megan recounts her life's journey and how she became a driven entrepreneur and a vocal fat activist. And our host, Bindu, also shares some of her own personal cultural encounters with beauty standards. Together, they advocate for room-making in leadership for marginalized voices in the fashion industry, grapple with the power of personal branding and the imperative of clothing as empowerment. This episode is a juicy one, so tune in, and share with those who you think may learn something! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

This episode features the dynamic Adriana Carrig, founder and CEO of Little Words Project. Ten years into her business, it's been a beacon of growth and influence, especially after icons like Taylor Swift and Lance Bass featured her bracelets live at the VMA’s. Adriana brings us into her journey of dealing with initial worries that quickly transformed into a burgeoning brand presence, inspiring partnerships, and an adorning celebrity clientele. We're diving deep into more than business growth, as Adriana courageously leads the charge in shattering the silence around breastfeeding in the workplace and on social media. She recounts her experiences and the importance of supporting women's choices and pushing for a corporate culture of understanding and empathy. We'll also delve more into workplace equity, civic engagement, and the personal stories that shape us. This episode is truly centered on self-love, resilience, and the power of positivity to transform not just our inner lives but the communities we're part of. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message