What kind of benefits will companies reap from embracing intersectionality into the corporate culture?
We are moving towards a world where people can no longer compartmentalize themselves inside our outside the workplace. People are multi-faceted. As we talk about DEI, we can’t just focus on one part or the other. You can look at the history of the Suffragette movement to see how that fared for women who weren’t white. We have an opportunity to make our environments inclusive and considerate to many different aspects of people’s lives. That’s really what we mean when we say DEI increases innovation.
Who is your most influential personality? How did your most influential personality change your life?
I could never say there was one. Much like intersectionality there can’t just be one influence for me. I have always admired my parents, Oprah, my best friends, my mentors, fictional characters – they all contributed something to me that made me…well, me. That’s the influence. We don’t realize that we influence people just by our interactions. That’s why we have to be more mindful of how we support but also how we unconsciously harm through microaggressions. Influence is powerful.