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Equality Matters

Equality Matters

By The Race Equ(al)ity Project

Equ(al)ity Matters brings stories of professionals who are intentional in their work to dismantle systemic racism and inequities. Our guests are the type of people who consider the small moments of choice (OR NOT) as the work of equity.

We interview a myriad of people in business: from the VP of Sales at Gitlab on being a white male in a puffy vest, to Lily Zheng, acclaimed DEI thought leader and Author of The Ethical Sellout . From these different perspectives, we can more clearly see what's at the heart of equity work (courage), and how it impacts personal growth.
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Doing the work to unlearn biases and behaviours as a male DEI leader

Equality MattersJan 28, 2021

00:00
58:47
Your most valuable asset...Being yourself, a minority in the workplace

Your most valuable asset...Being yourself, a minority in the workplace

This episode was so special to me because I got to speak to Blaire G Harvey and Karen Foster, two incredible women that inspire me and are a continuous reminder that being yourself is your most valuable asset!

Blaire and Karen are the founders of The Visionary Squad, a design studio that specialises in creating networking experiences that cultivate meaningful relationships, powerful connections and transformative conversations. In this episode, we talk about their show called "2020 Ain't Cancelled" which brought together a global community of boss women from different industries to learn from each other every week. I personally found these sessions so fulfilling and a gift, especially during quarantine and lockdown.

I hope that you enjoy this episode and get some inspiration from these amazing women as I do.

You can sign up for their 2021 show for free every Monday at 5 pm PST on Eventbrite.


We have just launched phase 2 of the Race Equality Index so get in touch if you would like to join the likes of Uber and New Relic in our second cohort.


Oct 28, 202101:04:52
Selling Out: Activist to Academic to Corporate Consultant with Lily Zheng
Oct 28, 202156:49
Diversifying corporate supply chains to break down systemic inequity

Diversifying corporate supply chains to break down systemic inequity

It was bitter-sweet recording this episode because it's my last conversation for season one of the Equ(al)ity Matters Podcast.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Roberts, Founder and CEO of Kaleida, the UK's first online, interactive and fully inclusive B2B marketplace for Tenders (RFPs).

Jason brings a dynamic perspective that addresses multiple levels that racism operates on. He illustrates how society's perception of black people will often dictate the opportunities and interactions they face and also shows how corporations have the power to break down generations of systemic inequity simply by choosing diverse suppliers, who in turn benefit their own communities.

We started this podcast to share stories of some incredible people who are doing amazing things in the fight for Racial Equity and how their own life experiences and careers have influenced that fight. We feel honored to have had these conversations with all of our guests because not only have they been a source of great learning but they have also validated the work that we are doing here at the Race Equ(al)ity Project.

I hope that you have been inspired by our guests as I have and I cant wait to bring you more in our next season.

Jun 15, 202101:10:15
Normalizing failure: creating space for minorities to make mistakes, fail and still succeed.

Normalizing failure: creating space for minorities to make mistakes, fail and still succeed.

DEIB isn’t a side project, initiative or program. Inequity affects us all whether we choose to ignore it. We ultimately have a lot more growth potential to tackle Inequality if we are mindful of our own individual ability to change and make change.

In this episode, we speak to KC Jorgensen, the CEO of Textio about the part they are playing in this movement. Textio is a tool that gives talent teams, instant access to the most extensive and up to date performance data in the industry, in real-time as they write.

Language is so important in the practice of inclusion and staying on top of the latest terms being used can be a challenge especially if you’re not keenly aware of how things evolve to become more inclusive.

KC also talks about her experiences as a black woman in corporate America her way of 'Rebelling against the system' - Normalizing failure for minorities, creating a space where minorities can fail, make mistakes and still succeed because that is the advantage that’s afforded to our white counterparts.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

We have just launched phase 2 of the Race Equality Index so get in touch if you would like to join the likes of Uber and New Relic in our second cohort.

May 19, 202101:05:07
Who's the boss? Being brown and female in leadership

Who's the boss? Being brown and female in leadership

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Zaina Orbai, Chief People Officer at The Real Real.

The RealReal is the leader in authenticated luxury consignment sales and we talk about how they are disrupting the luxury retail industry, a space that is the epitome of exclusion by making luxury retail items more accessible. 

Zaina is someone that I have known and admired for a very long time. She is a fellow brown female leader and someone I can always trust in a sea of white male leaders. We talk about how her role as a HR leader takes on different forms in different situations and the importance of being flexible and listening so that you can meet the needs of that individual at that moment. Zaina is someone that does equity work as part of the business and not just as a percentage of her time, and it makes a huge difference when people at any company actually care about the holistic view of the company from a 'human as an asset' perspective as opposed to revenue first.

We hope you enjoy this episode.

Check out The Real Real to find out more, they are hiring too in case you're in the market.

Find out more about our work with the Race Equ(al)ity Project on our website.


Apr 30, 202158:23
What they don't teach you at school...Social Justice!
Apr 14, 202101:11:20
What justice looks like in 2021 and the aftermath of the Derek Chauvin trial
Apr 07, 202101:01:03
To all the Karens of the world...How you can help to dismantle inequity through allyship.
Apr 01, 202155:37
Being mixed is my super power
Mar 24, 202101:01:13
Stand in your shoes, girl.
Mar 16, 202158:52
When starting or doing Diversity work for your Organisation, Education is Key
Mar 10, 202147:49
Breaking into tech: The struggles of landing that technical role as a minority

Breaking into tech: The struggles of landing that technical role as a minority

In this episode, I am joined by Joshua Encarnacion, Executive Coach, Talent & Growth Specialist, Former CEO of Outco, and current Head of Talent at Career Karma

Josh has spent his career building Technical Learning and Development Programs for the likes of Uber and Google and as such, has gained a unique insight into what it really means to “break into tech”.

We go deep into the nuances of equity within the tech industry and how the tech scene continues to seem impenetrable if you’re on the outside. We get vulnerable and talk about how we’ve had to code-switch in our own careers and how we deal with our own identity struggles in the roles we play at work.

As difficult as the topics are, we had a lot of fun and we hope you enjoy the episode!

Find out more about Joshua’s work here

Check out Brotopia by Emily Chang. 

Contact the team here to learn more about the Race Equ(al)ity Index

Mar 08, 202154:45
She's an Andre 3000 in a world full of HR mumble rap.
Feb 18, 202101:01:50
Doing the work to unlearn biases and behaviours as a male DEI leader
Jan 28, 202158:47
Welcome to the Equ(al)ity Matters Podcast!
Jan 07, 202106:10
Puffy vests and white male leadership in tech

Puffy vests and white male leadership in tech

For our inaugural recording of Equ(al)ity Matters, I speak with my dear friend and mentor Ryan O'Nell, VP of Commercial Sales at Gitlab

Ryan shares some memorable moments in his career where it has been not only vital but also challenging to champion race equity. We also talk about how important it is to hold space for conversations about race equity.  

Ryan's daily effort, willingness to admit and move through mistakes, and overall thoughtfulness around his role in Equity and Inclusion as a tall white, company-branded-puffy-vest wearing, SaaS tech leader in Silicon Valley, is what I believe makes him a true accomplice


Nov 10, 202044:11