17 | Jennifer Brown – Diversity and Inclusion

Do you know how being aware (or unaware) of diversity in our population is affecting your life? Most of the time we go through life without truly being aware of the difficulties that people in diverse groups have in their personal and professional lives, OR we are a member of a diverse group and feel like we are marginalized, unaccounted for, or misunderstood. It is ALL OF OUR responsibilities to make this world more inclusive for all people, especially if we are in positions of privilege or power. In this episode we explore what the challenges are for people in diverse populations as well as what structural changes need to occur to allow everyone to feel welcome and cherished. Our interview with Jennifer Brown teaches us: 1) What it means to be in a diverse group of the population (and what it can feel like!), 2) How leaders must shift their thoughts and actions in order to create a more inclusive environment for diverse members of a workforce, and 3) What inner shifts we all can make in order to bring more empathy and understanding to the world.

Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard. Her new book is called How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.