The Will to Change: Where Leadership Meets the Courage to Evolve

Patrick O'Neill, author, consultant and mediator, joins the program to reveal his diversity story and shares insights about the need for greater wisdom and inclusive thinking in the workplace and beyond. Discover the two forces needed for bridge-building, and a hidden opportunity for transformation.

Louise Chernin, President & CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) joins the program to discuss the benefits of being a LGBT-owned business entity and the efforts that the GSBA is making to have an impact both locally and internationally. Louise discusses her own diversity story, which includes moving from New York City to the Washington State, and the lessons and takeaways she learned from her experiences. Louise also reveals her thoughts about the unique challenges that LGBT business owners of color face, and how the common struggles of being a business owner can unite the LGBT business community.

Laura Garnett, performance strategist, motivational speaker and author, joins the program to discuss her own diversity story and how she came to the work of helping people tap into their unique genius. She also reveals the limits of mentorship and why working harder isn't always the answer. Discover a practice and methodology for finding your zone of genius.

Chuck Shelton, Founder and CEO of Greatheart Consulting, joins the program to discuss the work that he does engaging and equipping leaders from normative cultures to grow their business through inclusive leadership. Chuck shares his unique approach of inviting leaders into an "adventure" of inclusion.

Amber recently announced that she has accepted the position of Chief Diversity Officer at the national headquarters of the American Civil Liberties Union in New York City. In honor of her success, we are re-releasing her interview with Jennifer Brown! Amber joins the program to discuss her own diversity story of growing up in the South and her experience of coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community. She reveals the changes that were made to Philadelphia's rainbow pride flag, and the international reaction that resulted from that change. Discover the importance of intersectional allyship, and how to move from symbols to action.

Tania Katan, award-winning author, public speaker, playwright, and creativity expert, joins the program to discuss her diversity story and how it led her to value creativity in the workplace. Tania shares the story behind being the co-creator of the #ItWasNeverADress campaign, a social movement that has inspired over 50 million people worldwide to see, hear and celebrate women for the superheroes they are. She also reveals how to empower all people in the workplace to take creative risks and become innovative problem solvers.

Kim Parker, Director of Social Trends Research at Pew Research Center, joins the program to discuss the results of some of Pew's research, including the differences among male and female leaders. She reveals some of the differences that exist between Generation Z and Millennials, and some of the broader trends that leaders will need to understand about the emerging workforce.

Lydia Fenet, the Managing Director and Global Director of Strategic Partnerships at Christie's Auction House and author of The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You, joins the program to share her story of becoming a successful charity auctioneer. Lydia shares how she found her own auctioneering style, and how she was able to successfully negotiate a significant promotion and salary increase with her employer. She also reveals lessons from her experiences about how women can increase their negotiation skills and claim their power.

Alphonso David, Chief Counsel for NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, shares his experience of living through a military coup in Liberia when he was ten years old, and his subsequent experience of moving to the United States and being taunted and bullied by his peers. Discover how Alphonso found the courage to be true to himself and become an attorney fighting for LGBTQ rights. He also discusses the work he has done as Chief Counsel, including being instrumental in helping to get the Marriage Equality Act passed in 2011, and shares his thoughts on the current political environment and what activists need to do to create positive social change.

Anti-aging activist and author, Ashton Applewhite, joins the program to discuss the importance of confronting ageism and how to create an inclusive culture for people of all ages. Ashton discusses the role of intersectionality in the aging process, and how we can change the way we think about what it means to get older. She also debunks some of the most common myths about aging.

Katica Roy, CEO and Founder of Pipeline Equity, joins the program to discuss her diversity story, including being the daughter of refugees who escaped from Hungary after the 1956 revolution. She reveals how her company's software as a service (SaaS) technology uses AI to assess, address and take action against the unconscious gender biases costing the U.S. alone $2 trillion each year. Discover how technology can help leaders to make better decisions and operationalize their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Brian McComak, Senior Director and Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Tapestry, joins the program to discuss how to make visible the invisible elements of our diversity, and why he decided to join the DEI Practitioner's Program. Brian shares key takeaways from the program and shares lessons for other DEI practitioners.

Professor, author, storyteller, and filmmaker, Murray Nossel joins the program to discuss his diversity story of growing up gay in South Africa and discusses the healing power of listening and hearing on a deep level. Murray also turns the tables on Jennifer and asks her to share her own origin story of moving from being a professional singer to her current work in diversity and inclusion. Discover the importance of valuing your own story and how to shape our stories for maximum impact.

Dorcas Lind, Assistant Vice President and Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Montefiore Medical Center, joins the program to discuss her diversity story, and why she decided to join the DEI Practitioners Program offered through Jennifer Brown Consulting. She reveals the biggest takeaways that she has received from participating in the program, and shares advice for other DEI practitioners.

Kim Churches, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of University Women, joins the program to discuss a report by the AAUW called The Simple Truth, which outlines how the gender wage gap has stagnated over the past 20 years. Kim reveals why policy changes alone are not enough to create real change, and the underlying paradigm changes that need to occur in order to close the gender wage gap. Discover how technology can be helpful, and the changing expectations of the next generation of workers.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, Executive Vice President for Communications and Government Relations at Caesars Entertainment Corporation and former 2-time mayor of Las Vegas, joins the program to discuss how Caesars is working towards achieving 50/50 gender parity in management by 2025. Jan shares her one-of-a-kind journey of becoming the first ever female major of Las Vegas and what she learned from that experience. She also reveals the culture shifts that need to happen in the workplace in order to attract and retain women.

In this minisode, Jennifer shares her thoughts on several pertinent (and previously released) episodes from The Will To Change on the topics of compassion fatigue and self-care. You'll discover the importance of thinking about your thinking, the potential pitfalls of sharing our story in unhealthy ways, and the healing power of community.

Dr. Bandy Lee, psychiatrist and internationally renowned expert on violence, shares her diversity story of growing up as a Korean woman in the Bronx during the 1970s and how it informed her research and career interests. Dr. Lee discusses the psychic toll of structural violence and exclusion, and how inequality creates psychological distress for all members of society. She also reveals tips for staying optimistic even in the midst of adversity, and shares self-care tips for advocates.

Nkem Ndefo, founder of Lumos Transforms and creator of the Resilience Toolkit, joins the program to discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy storytelling, and the importance of self-regulation. Nkem also shares insights about the physical, mental and emotional costs of feeling unsafe at work, and what we need to do to increase our personal resilience. Discover the positive outcomes that can come from modulating our emotions, and how to balance the need to fight and challenge oppression with the benefits of calm and peaceful visioning.

Aubrey Blanche, Global Head of Diversity & Belonging at Atlassian, joins the program to discuss the research that Atlassian has done about creating more equitable organizations, and why they have chosen to make that information available to the public. Aubrey also reveals a language shift that they are using at Atlassian, and the importance of having conversations at a team level. Discover the innovative approaches that Atlassian is taking when it comes to gender diversity and the skill sets that DE&I professionals need to develop.

Claire Wasserman, founder of Ladies Get Paid, joins the program to discuss her own journey of what led her to create an organization and community dedicated to helping women empower and uplift themselves and others. Discover how to overcome self-doubt and the imposter syndrome and why women often feel the need to push themselves further than their male counterparts. Claire also reveals how to reach out to and engage diverse talent.

Mark Greene, senior editor for the Good Man Project, and author of The Little #MeToo Book For Men joins the program to discuss his own journey into exploring what it means to be a man, as well as the dangers of the "man box" culture and the negative impact that toxic masculinity has on a society as a whole. Mark reveals tips for creating safe spaces for men where learning and positive change can occur.

Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, joins the program to discuss the growing number of employees in the workplace who identify as LGTBQ, and how to create a more inclusive workplace. Discover the "moment of truth" that companies are facing, and the international impact of corporate policies. Erin also reveals her vision for Out & Equal and what trends she finds most encouraging and exciting.

Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, and founder of Thrive Labs, joins the program to discuss the importance of creating an intentional structure that allows for inclusion and transformation. She reveals the formative experiences from her childhood that led her to her current work, and how leaders can activate diversity within their organizations.

Leadership coach, speaker, and author Karen Catlin joins the program to discuss her experience as a woman working in the tech sector and how those experiences and observations led to her to her current work helping people to create more inclusive workplaces. She reveals the urgent need for change, and what leaders need to do to attract and retain diverse talent. Discover the future of allyship and how people of all backgrounds can become better allies.

Entrepreneurial soul coach Rha Goddess discusses why we are at a ripe moment for corporate change and the invitation for white male leaders in terms of allyship. She reveals the conversations that we need to be having as a society in an open and transparent way and the work that needs to happen to shift culture and embrace inclusion. Discover how to liberate yourself and others, and how to use your voice to stay true, get paid and do good.

Actress and author Tina Alexis Allen joins the program to discuss her recently-released book, "Hiding Out: A Memoir of Drugs, Deception and Double Lives". Tina shares her astonishing true story of recovering from abuse and finding healing, and shares lessons about the power of sharing your voice and truth as a path to forgiveness. Tina shares her thoughts about what is needed from men in order for societal healing to occur, and the transformation that occurs when people and organizations have the courage to own their story.

Wokie Nwabueze, a communications strategist, organizational ombudsman, mediator and attorney, discusses the work she is doing to help women discover and reclaim their voice. Wokie shares what she sees as the biggest challenges and obstacles for women when it comes to sharing their voice, how to overcome those obstacles, and the work that she is doing with the Seen & Heard Project to help reclaim women's voices, one story at a time.

Keynote speaker, advertising director, and founder of the 3% Conference, Kat Gordon, discusses the efforts and success that she has had in challenging the lack of female creative directors in advertising. Kat shares her earliest experiences which led her to become aware of diversity and inclusion and reveals the common denominator that she sees in the early experiences of allies. Discover how men can best support women in inclusion efforts, why brands need to find the courage to take action and the opportunities that arise in learning from mistakes.

In honor of Women's History Month, Jennifer shares her thoughts on several pertinent (and previously released) episodes from The Will To Change. You'll discover the unique challenges that women face when sharing their voice in the workplace, the generational differences around gender equity and equality, what men can do to be allies and creative actions you can take to support and uplift women.

Entrepreneur, author and speaker Chip Conley joins the program to discuss the importance of treating age as we would other types of diversity in the workplace. He shares his own experience of joining the disruptive startup Airbnb when he was in midlife, and the lessons he learned along the way. He also reveals his perspective on generations in the workplace, and how a sense of shared meaning and purpose can unite workers from all age groups.

Trudy Bourgeois, CEO and Founder of The Center for Workforce Excellence, and author of the book Equality: Courageous Conversations About Women, Men, and Race to Spark a Diversity and Inclusion Breakthrough, joins the program to discuss her own diversity story of growing up as an African-American woman in the segregated south in the 1960s. Trudy shares her journey of going on to break the glass ceiling in the consumer goods industry by becoming the first African American woman to rise to the level of VP, and eventually founding an organizational cultural change, training, consulting and coaching company. Discover an alternative way of thinking about allyship, the need for those with privilege to support marginalized groups, and what is needed to move from rhetoric about diversity and inclusion to true transformation.

Wade Davis, ex-NFL player, speaker and author, shares his journey of being a a gay man in the NFL and subsequently becoming the NFL's first LGBT inclusion consultant. Wade reveals why it can sometimes be easier to have challenging conversations in the sports world than in a corporate environment, and discusses what senior leadership can do to make positive changes in their organizations. He also examines the struggle for gender equality, how to use fear in a constructive manner, and the importance of taking risks in order to grow and change.

Malcom Glenn, strategic partnerships manager at Uber Technologies, discusses what led him to join Uber and the work that Uber is doing to increase accessibility for people with disabilities as well as other diverse populations. Malcom shares his perspective on the Google memo, both as a man of color in the tech industry, as well as a former employee of Google. He also discusses his perspective on what needs to happen to create lasting change in the tech industry when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and expresses why he believes the tech industry will be a source of positive social change.

In honor of Black History Month, Jennifer shares her thoughts on several pertinent (and previously released) episodes from The Will To Change. You'll discover what leaders need to do to increase empathy in their organization, the role of storytelling in DE&I work, how to challenge our own bias and more. Don't miss this special episode!

Rhodes Perry, consultant, author and podcaster, joins the program to discuss his own journey of being a transgender man in the workplace and what he has learned from his experiences. He reveals how creating a culture of belonging in the workplace can leader to greater innovation and productivity and explains why transgender and non-binary people can act as bridges when it comes to gender conversations. He also discusses practical steps that leaders and allies can take to create positive change.

Albert Rizzi, founder of My Blind Spot, a non-profit dedicated to accessibility, education, and advocacy, joins the program to discuss his own diversity of story of losing his sight in 2005 after developing meningitis. Albert shares the theoretical blind spots that can get in the way of progress. He also reveals why digital equity will ultimately benefit people of all abilities and discusses the business case for corporations to become more accessible.

Author and speaker Erica Keswin joins the program to discuss the importance of paying attention to the human aspects of work, and how a lack of flexibility in the workplace can ultimately hurt a company's ability to recruit and retain talent. Discover the steps that leaders can take to help reduce employee stress levels and examples of what a human conversation would look like between a manager and employee. Erica also reveals how to help employees from marginalized groups build community and connection.

In this episode, author and professor Dolly Chugh joins the program to discuss the ways in which seeing ourselves as "good" can lead to greater fragility, and introduces the idea of being a "good-ish" person and what that entails. She also discusses the ways in which creating lasting change requires both confrontation and engagement and how leaders can use both for maximum impact.

Amber Hikes, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia, join the program to discuss her own diversity story of growing up in the South and her experience of coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community. She reveals the changes that were made to Philadelphia's rainbow pride flag, and the international reaction that resulted from that change. Discover the importance of intersectional allyship, and how to move from symbols to action.

Author and speaker Mike Robbins joins the program to discuss how those with privilege can use their influence to help create positive change. He reveals a powerful exercise that he does with groups that helps to deepen the conversation around diversity and shares his thoughts about how and why men need to call each other out on their behavior. Discover how and why to best use your voice and influence to help others.

Romy Newman, Co-Founder and President of Fairygodboss, the largest career community for female professionals, joins the program to discuss her own diversity story of working as a woman in corporate America, and shares her thoughts on what companies can do to improve gender diversity. Romy reveals the most common challenges that she hears from women in the workplace, and how to best engage allies.

Academic, anti-racist educator, and New York Times bestselling author, Robin DiAngelo, joins the program to discuss her own diversity story of growing up in poverty and at the same time recognizing her white privilege. Robin reveals the ways in which white fragility shuts down any meaningful or productive conversations about race and functions to maintain the status quo. She also explores the roots of white defensiveness, a key question that can lead to transformation, and what companies can do to create meaningful change.

Diversity and inclusion expert, author, and executive coach, Lily Zheng, joins the program to discuss how to affirm gender expression in the workplace and the leadership skills that are necessary to validate all gender identities. She also discusses the importance of self-awareness in discerning how to best create change, whether that is from the ground up or through influencing those at the top of an organization. Lily also debunks some of the most persistent myths about what it takes to be an ally and activist.

In this minisode, Jennifer shares her insights and reflections from the Better Man Conference, which was held in San Francisco in October 2018. Jennifer reveals the importance of moving beyond binary discussions about men and women, and what senior leaders can learn from people in marginalized communities when it comes to inclusive leadership.

Alex Jamieson and Bob Gower, co-authors of Getting to Hell Yes: The Conversation That Will Change Your Business (and the rest of your life) join the program to discuss the urgency of moving beyond zero sum thinking and reveal the model they created to resolve conflict and build trust effectively. They discuss the importance of tactical empathy for leaders and how leaders can integrate this model in all areas of their life. Discover the role that a facilitator can play in the process and the conditions that allow people to thrive and do their best work.

In this minisode, Jennifer discusses the upcoming Better Man Conference and a fireside chat that she will be moderating at the event. Discover Jennifer's preparation process for moderating a panel with two executives from Intel as she explores their "Men As Allies" initiative. Jennifer reveals some of the common themes that she sees arise when it comes to DE&I initiatives and why we need a conference for men.

Nkem Ndefo, founder of Lumos Transforms and creator of the Resilience Toolkit, joins the program to discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy storytelling, and the importance of self-regulation. Nkem also shares insights about the physical, mental and emotional costs of feeling unsafe at work, and what we need to do to increase our personal resilience. Discover the positive outcomes that can come from modulating our emotions, and how to balance the need to fight and challenge oppression with the benefits of calm and peaceful visioning.

In this minisode, Jennifer continues the discussion about JBC's powerful prospective client questionnaire. Discover the three strategic pillars of diversity, equity and inclusion, and how asking questions can help raise awareness within an organization. Jennifer reveals the qualities that are most needed from leaders, and the questions that leaders need to be asking to be effective.

Award-winning journalist, celebrated entrepreneur, and bestselling author, Shane Snow, joins the program to discuss how leaders can foster an environment that allows diverse teams to perform at a high level. Shane reveals how the brain categorizes people, and the problem this can create when it comes to creating diverse teams. He also shares the environmental factors that allow companies and teams to innovate, and the importance for leaders of listening deeply to employees' stories.