Workin' it Out Podcast

Patricia Mota, President and CEO of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the challenges that Hispanic/Latino workers face in corporate America. In this Episode·      Introducing Patricia Moto and discussing her work in HACE, or the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement·      Discussing the wage gap between Hispanic/Latino families and white families, feelings of alienation at work, dealing with ethnic discrimination and a higher unemployment rate·      What HACE is doing to mitigate the increasing racial polarization that the nation is currently facing·      How Ms. Mota’s approach to leadership has helped Hispanics and Latinos in business·      What companies can do to ensure the success of their Latino employees Resources·      Patricia Mota·      Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE)·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Dismantling Barriers to Career Advancement for LatinosFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook   

Shayla Atkins, CEO of the Atkins Impact Consulting firm and Author of Black Women Lead With S.P.I.C.E., joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the challenges facing Black women in business and the solutions to these issues.In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Shayla Atkins, her work as a leadership and authenticity coach for women of color, and how she leverages her talents to help Black women·      The high rates of workforce participation for Black women and their adverse experiences with their colleagues·      Discussing Shayla’s book Black Women Lead with S.P.I.C.E. and the elements Savvy, Performance, Image, Communication, and Exposure (S.P.I.C.E) ·      Shayla’s own journey to becoming an authentic leader, how her approach to business has helped Black women in the workplace, and what companies are doing to step up and support Black women ·      What individuals can do to ensure their success and the support their workplaces can offer Resources·      Shayla Atkins·      The Atkins Impact Consulting Firm·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Black Women Lead With S.P.I.C.E.Follow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Sue Ann Hong, President and CEO of The Center for Asian Pacific American Women, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about how Asian American women are navigating a post-COVID-19 workplace and society.  In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Sue Ann Hong and her work as President and CEO of The Center for Asian Pacific American Women·      Disparities in and barriers to representation in senior leadership roles for Asian American women, including the bamboo ceiling·      The racialization of the COVID-19 pandemic, its direct ties to a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, and how it affects the well-being of Asian American women in the workplace and beyond·      How the Center for Asian Pacific American Women addresses the issues faced by working Asian American women·      How audience members can get involved in bettering Asian American women’s working lives and experiences Resources·      Sue Ann Hong·      The Center for Asian Pacific American Women·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Asian American women fall off by 80% at corporate leadership levels, a new report saysFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Dr. Andrea Boudreaux, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s School Services under Children’s National Hospital, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about economic disparities in children’s healthcare and how Dr. Boudreaux uses her services to address them.In this Episode·      An introduction to Dr. Andrea Boudreaux and her work in healthcare and mental health with people of color, in addition to that of children·      Addressing the socioeconomic conditions that drive health outcomes for residents of Washington, D.C., including unemployment, household income, and education, and the stark differences between them when accounting for race or ethnicity·      How poor socioeconomic factors impact the health of children of color, and what Dr. Boudreaux’s firm does to reverse these effects ·      Measurements to determine how and if Children’s School Services are making a positive impact on the health of children of color in the D.C. area·      How listeners and viewers can get involved with Children’s School Services to bring about greater impacts in the D.C. area, or how they can be inspired to support local initiatives similar to CSS Resources·      Andrea Boudreaux·      Guest’s website·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      The Health of African Americans in the District of ColumbiaFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Forest Harper, CEO of INROADS, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about closing the racial wealth gap in America by disrupting standard practices of the corporate culture.In this Episode·      Forest Harper’s beginnings in social justice and DEI work, along with his role as the Chief Executive Officer of INROADS·      Corporate America’s commitment to eliminating racial bias in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and how CEOs disrupt corporate culture to advance racial equality and justice in their companies·      How INROADS’ starts with high school students across the country and prepares them through college for jobs in Corporate America·      Study reveals Black and Brown INROADS alumni outperform their white peers, and ·      What companies that haven’t acted on closing the racial wealth gap can do Resources·      Forest Harper·      INROADS·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Despite Some Back Pedaling on DEI Commitments, INROADS CEO Forest Harper Believes Corporate America is Still on the Right TrackFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook   

Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, Vice President/Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of Allegheny Health Network joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about racism and misogynoir in the medical system and how they impact the maternal health and lives of Black women.In this Episode·      An introduction to Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew and her work in the DEI space at Allegheny Health Network and in the space of maternal health for Black women·      Figuring out how to establish and practice racial health equity within the healthcare system, along with increasing workforce inclusion·      Discussing the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women, both in perinatal and postnatal health, and how the racism that Black women face can alter their emotional, mental, and physical health for the worst, thus leading to complications during and after pregnancy and childbirth·      What Highmark Health is doing to prioritize the maternal health of Black women and other women of color to reduce the rates of maternal mortality among these groups of women, including identifying social determinants of maternal health and putting Black babies into the care of Black physicians ·      A reminder of self-advocacy for women of color in the healthcare system and seeking out groups and individuals who can advocate for said women Resources·      Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew·      Allegheny Health Network·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Highmark Health Enterprise Equitable Health InstituteFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Sacha Connor, founder and CEO of Virtual Work Insider, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about hybrid and remote work in the United States, how workplaces and relationships in them have changed because of both practices, and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on hybrid and remote work.In this Episode·      An introduction to Sacha Connor and her work, and how remote work has changed her views on the workplace, her relationships with her coworkers, and her communications with them·      What workplaces can do to develop a solid company culture with most employees either doing hybrid work or remote work, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic·      How diversity, equity, and inclusion can help address the issues of unconscious and distance bias in remote and hybrid workspaces to help make them more inclusive and welcoming·      Addressing the issues that younger workers have surrounding the ability to form friendships when working remotely·      Tensions between employees with hybrid and remote work schedules and frontline employees, who do not have the option to work from home, and how to alleviate them Resources·      Sacha Connor·      Virtual Work Insider·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Connecting through employee resource groupsFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Sonia Alleyne, Co-Founder of Storytellers, and author of I Kicked Ass at Work: The Strategy Journal for Career Professionals joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about helping workers gain better insight into their job performance and career progression, and how to bolster both.In this Episode·      Sonia Alleyne’s own experiences with self-doubt in her job, how journaling helped her establish feelings of ownership, confidence, and accomplishment in her work, and how she has begun to help other women do the same·      The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers across the United States, how it made them reconsider what were the most important things to them in life, and look at their careers in a new light and possibly change them·      How journaling can help workers reflect on and review their actions, emotions, challenges, and accomplishments and examine what works and what can be improved on·      Generational differences between Generation Z and baby boomers on approaches to the challenges they face in the workplace and how to overcome them·      Advice for workers on how they can make themselves valuable to their organizations and how organizations can make their environments stronger and more supportive Resources·      Sonia Alleyne·      Storytellers: Words. Images. Magic.·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      I Kicked Ass at Work: The Strategy Journal for Career ProfessionalsFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedInFacebook 

Dana Brownlee, author of The Unwritten Rules of Managing and senior contributor for Forbes Careers, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the differences between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace and anti-racism work.  In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Dana Brownlee and her work in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, anti-racism work and the differences between the two spheres of work·      A breakdown of DEI initiatives and why they can sometimes fail professionals of color, particularly Black professionals through a lack of analysis on systemic racism and its effects on the workplace, in addition to centering DEI initiatives around white workers ·      The “three ingredients” to creating productive conversations surrounding racial equality and justice inside and outside of the workplace, including racial literacy, humility, and racial stamina, as well as the challenges of teaching racial literacy in a way that is accurate to American history·      The hostility and negative pushback that Dana has received in her work on DEI initiatives and anti-racism efforts and how she has managed to overcome them, on top of positive feedback that she has received for her work·      What corporations, government agencies, and non-profits can do to continue the dialogue of racism in their spaces and how to better promote anti-racism within the workplace Resources·      Dana Brownlee·      Professionalism Matters·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      The Unwritten Rules of ManagingFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedInFacebook 

Riki Wilchins, Executive Director at TrueChild and author of Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion & the End of Gender and Genderqueer, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the state of transgender rights in the United States in the 21st century.  In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Riki Wilchins and their work, including the founding of GenderPAC, the first transgender rights advocacy group in the United States·      How the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court has created a precedent for transgender Americans’ rights to privacy under the Fourth Amendment to be violated, including the right to seek gender-affirming healthcare·      The increased attacks on trans employees and what businesses can do to protect and support them·      How Generation Z is responding to the increase in attacks on transgender folks, including trans youth and their parents by the media and politicians·      Gender pronouns, microaggressions towards trans people, how Wilchins incorporates trans inclusivity and intersectionality in their DEI work Resources·      Riki Wilchins·      TrueChild·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Genderqueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual BinaryFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook  

Austin Heller, Team Lead of Kennesaw State University’s Civic Engagement Team, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about inclusion initiatives centered around whiteness and how it impacts efforts to boost diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. In this Episode·      Dr. Weaver and Austin Heller discuss the definition of white centering and how it manifests itself in the workplace, from tone policing to hairstyles and attire and other actions that are deemed “abnormal” to white people·      How centering DE&I policies around white feelings and fragility only harms people of color and fails to address their experiences with racism in and outside of the workplace, thus creating more feelings of alienation for people of color·      Generation Z’s major political and social involvement and how it could change the way that companies approach the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace·      How different policies such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and Disney’s lackluster response uphold norms of white normativity and heteronormativity, thus putting them into conflict with companies’ DE&I goals and how Gen Z is actively calling these companies out·      What Gen Z is doing to influence policies and practices to improve the workplace and their quality of life Resources·      Austin Heller·      Guest’s Website·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Hybrid work: Making it fit with you diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy·      Addressing the unprecedented behavioral-health challenges facing Generation Z·      Gen Z: How young people are changing activismFollow Us on:Workin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Ricki Fairley, CEO of Touch Black Breast Cancer Alliance, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about Black women’s experiences with breast cancer, medical racism, and how she has helped numerous Black women fighting breast cancer navigate their diagnoses and the medical field to get the help they need.In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Ricki Fairley and her work with TOUCH Black Breast Cancer Alliance, her experiences with battling and conquering triple-negative breast cancer, and how she has used her experiences to help other Black women fighting breast cancer as a patient navigator·      A look into the statistics of breast cancer in Black women, including a higher likelihood of developing breast cancer and a higher mortality rate than white women, and how it ties back into representation issues in the workplace for Black women·      How TOUCH Black Breast Cancer Alliance is helping increase the representation of Black female breast cancer patients, included in treatments and clinical trials, in addition to helping foster a positive relationship between Black patients and non-Black doctors, a crucial element to eliminating racism in the medical field·      How Fairley created the “When We Tri(al)” campaign, a support group designed to connect Black female breast cancer patients to one another, especially around clinical trials and dispelling myths about medical testing and treatments·      What listeners can do in terms of helping Black women navigate breast cancer diagnoses, treatments, and appointments, and how that can translate into helping and supporting Black women in the workplace and beyond Resources·      Ricki Fairley·      Touch Black Breast Cancer Alliance·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      When We Tri(al)Follow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Tony McQueen, Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Colaberry Inc., joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about The Great Resignation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the root causes of this phenomenon. Dr. Weaver and McQueen also dive into how the high rates of attrition during the pandemic will affect the economy and society in the future. In this Episode·      A quick introduction to Tony McQueen and his work in helping organizations search for top-tier and diverse talent, growing brand awareness, creating marketing strategies, and identifying partnership opportunities·      Diving into the causes of The Great Resignation, including feelings of undervaluation, lack of adequate pay and benefits, poor flexibility (especially for working parents), feelings of being expendable, and either overt or covert discrimination, especially in the case of people of color·      How The Great Resignation has led to many workers seeking jobs that accommodate their schedules and promote a good work-life balance and many companies implementing bonuses and benefits to attract new hires or keep their current workers·      A need for companies to continue adapting to the ever-changing nature of work during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are having to rethink what talent means and how to bring out talents that have gone unrecognized·      What companies can do to help slow down or end The Great Resignation, including re-aligning their corporate values to closely match those of their employees, especially those from underrepresented groups Resources·      Tony McQueen·      Colaberry·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      ‘Great Attrition’ or ‘Great Attraction’? The Choice is YoursFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook   

Claudine Miles, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Restore More joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of working parents across the United States. She and Dr. Weaver also talk about how the pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of children, especially teenagers, and how it affects their parents. In this Episode·      An introduction to Claudine Miles’ work in mental health and trauma-informed care, especially among children and working parents during the COVID-19 pandemic·      The changes to parents’ personal lives because of the pandemic, and how they have had to take on more responsibilities regarding their children’s mental health, thus causing parents to become extremely stressed·      An increase in mental health challenges in children because of pandemic-related isolation and lack of connectedness, including increased diagnoses of depression and suicidal ideation among children, and how parents are struggling to address these issues·      The stigma of mental health issues in the workplace – especially for working parents – and among older generations, in addition to helping working parents obtain adequate mental health resources for their children and the parents themselves·      How workplaces can better support the mental health of working parents, including creating spaces to openly have conversations about mental health, and implementing different methods, techniques, and programs to address issues surrounding mental health Resources·      Claudine Miles·      Restore More·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      Rose, Bud, and Thorn exerciseFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook   

Dr. Kanika Bell, a licensed psychiatrist and co-owner of ATL and Psychotherapy and Consulting Services, LLC, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of workers across the United States, the need for companies to address the state of emotional and mental health within the workplace and how to help their workers. In this Episode·      The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of millions of people across the nation, including workers, and how the conversation around mental health has changed from one that was rarely had to one that has come to the forefront of the American conscience ·      How the death of George Floyd and the resulting racial trauma added onto the already-present trauma faced by Black communities and workers and other groups of color because of the ongoing pandemic·      The effect that the pandemic has had on working mothers, including issues of stress, isolation, increased online browsing, and mental health challenges, especially when children are involved·      The outreach that Dr. Bell has received from different companies on how to reanalyze the way that their workplaces are run and how to be more emphatic towards their workers during a time of uncertainty and anxiety for many people in the American workforce·      Addressing the ongoing problem of a mass exodus of women from the workforce with many not planning to return to the office, a need for workplaces to improve their culture to be more considerate of the demands of their workers, and a cultural shift on views of mental health in the workplace with Generation Z entering the workforce Resources·      Dr. Kanika Bell·      A.T.L. Psychotherapy and Consulting Services, LLC·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      SilverCloudFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook   

Dr. Melanie Dillett-Dukes, Founder and CEO of BeyondFree, LLC, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about her latest book My Freedom: Be Free. Be Brave. Be Radical., as well as the concept of growth and self-reflection in the world of DEI work. In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Dr. Melanie Dillett-Dukes and her work, her upbringing as a daughter of a United Nations official and international student, and how that influenced her to begin her work in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as individual growth and self-management·      A dive into Dr. Dillett-Duke’s newest book My Freedom: Be Free. Be Brave. Be Radical., which highlights the importance of personal exploration and vulnerability as tools for navigating topics of diversity and inclusion ·      How storytelling can be used as a method of self-reflection, addressing past trauma, finding closure on different events that have happened in one’s life, and discovering who one truly is·      How the book is tied to a need for companies to understand authenticity in the workplace and how that intersects with their personal lives, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for one to truly understand what their life is about·      How listeners can begin their journey into self-discovery, transparency, and using those to deconstruct biases they have of the people around them Resources·      Dr. Melanie Dillett-Dukes·      BeyondFree, LLC·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      My Freedom Journey: Be Free. Be Brave. Be Radical.Follow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter  Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter  Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Allegheny Health Network, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about disparities within the healthcare system towards patients and medical professionals of color, and how to alleviate those biases for better outcomes for both groups. In this Episode·      A brief introduction in Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew’s work with Allegheny Health Network, and how it aims to curtail racial discrimination and inequities within healthcare, especially in the sector of obstetrics and gynecology·      How biases within the healthcare system affect the quality of care that patients of color, particularly Black patients, receive, and how it affects the mental well-being of doctors of color and their ability to perform their duties efficiently·      Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew’s experiences with growing up in the Jim Crow era and how it inspired her to enter the medical field with the goal of dismantling racism and making healthcare access and quality equal for all·      The maternal mortality rate of Black women in the United States and how social and political determinants of health play into the mortality rate, and what can be done to end it·      The role of leadership in employing diversity, equity, and inclusion training in healthcare networks and hospitals to help doctors and other medical professionals deliver quality healthcare for patients of color, and to make the environment more equitable for doctors of color Resources·      Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew·      Allegheny Health Network·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      The Color of My Heart: Embracing My Blackness Through History, Family, Fear and FaithFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter  Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter  Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook   

Damon Jones, Chief Communications Officer for Procter & Gamble, and the creator of the Take on Race Initiative, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the work Take on Race has done to solve existing inequities within the workplace and in communities across America.  In this Episode·      A brief introduction to Procter & Gamble’s Take on Race Initiative, which aims to tackle racial inequalities in the workplace and in different communities across the United States, and what steps Take on Race is taking to resolve them·      How Mr. Jones has taking on health and educational disparities in communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic through the One Million Connected Devices Now Initiative, with the goal of giving students and their families access to the Internet for education and employment ·      The topic of wealth creation by Take on Race, in collaboration with Bank of America and BMO Bank, and how it pertains to minority-owned businesses to help them continue to thrive during the pandemic, at a time where many minority-owned businesses closed for good·      The challenges encountered by Take on Race, including the longevity of certain projects and initiatives, how to boost talks of diversity and inclusion in the corporate world and beyond, and how Mr. Jones seeks to overcome those challenges·      How others can get involved in Take on Race and help to amplify the effect that the initiative has on corporate America and the general American populace Resources·      Damon Jones·      Take on Race·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      One Million Connected Devices NowFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter  Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter  Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook 

Leah D. Daughtry, founder of Power Rising and a renowned political activist and organizer, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to speak about the political power of Black women, and how Daughtry helps harness that power to help Black female political candidates, voters, and other Black women in her work. In this Episode·      Ms. Daughtry’s experience as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, which oversaw the nominations of Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020, in addition to her book For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics·      An examination into the voting bloc of Black women, how their decision-making in their personal lives shows up in elections, and the ascendency of Black women in politics, including the election of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States·      How historic and systemic racism and sexism against Black women in politics and broader American society attempt to put Black women at a disadvantage for being selected as politicians or judges, and how to rectify the problem·      The nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson by President Joe Biden as Supreme Court Justice and ensuing conversations about her qualifications speaks on the broader issue of the assumption of Black women as being less qualified or fit to be in certain political positions due to race and gender·      A brief introduction in Ms. Daughtry’s organization Power Rising, how it came to be in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, the work that the organization engages in, and how it inspires and empowers Black women to exercise their political power, whether it be through voting or running for office

Anthony Hudson, Regional President of BMO Harris Bank, joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver to share his expertise in the financial industry. He also speaks about his dedication to nurture wealth creation and business development in communities of color.In this Episode·      The explanation of the racial wealth gap that exists between White families and Black and Latino families, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic·      The role that the BMO EMpower initiative plays in building the wealth of Black and Latino businesses and their respective communities·      The challenges that Black and Brown-owned businesses face when it comes to funding, including accessing loans and investment opportunities to allow their businesses to thrive·      How Mr. Hudson uses the platform given to him by the BMO Empower Initiative to provide support, opportunities, and access to minority-owned businesses·      Steps that Black and Latino business owners can successfully grow and expand their businesses, including establishing a trusted financial team and utilizing resources for education and thought leadership Resources·      Anthony Hudson·      BMO Harris Bank·      Dr. Vanessa Weaver·      Alignment Strategies·      BMO Harris Bank EMpowerFollow Us on Social MediaWorkin’ It Out·      LinkedIn·      Facebook ·      Instagram·      Twitter  Alignment Strategies·      LinkedIn·      Facebook·      Twitter  Diversity and Inclusion Television·      LinkedIn·      Facebook