The Literacy Crisis We Can’t Ignore

The Literacy Crisis We Can’t Ignore

This episode, "The Literacy Crisis We Can't Ignore," is produced in partnership with the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center. Host Mickey Desai sits down with children’s author and entrepreneur Tiffany Obeng, founder of Sugar Cookie Books, to explore a powerful and often overlooked truth: inclusion in the workforce doesn’t begin in college or even high school. It begins with literacy in early childhood. Tiffany shares her perspective on...
Secrets of the Killing State

Secrets of the Killing State with Corinna Lain

In this powerful episode, Inclusion Catalyst sits down with Professor Corinna Lain, legal scholar and author of the forthcoming book Secrets of the Killing State, to examine the realities behind lethal injection in the United States. Lain’s work exposes a system shrouded in secrecy, built on medical misconception, and sustained by public misunderstanding. Corinna Lain’s research confronts the core question: Why are states so bad at lethal...
SB-17 Is Changing The Nonprofit Landscape

SB-17 Is Changing The Nonprofit Landscape

This episode was originally produced for the Nonprofit SnapCast.  Dr. Johanna Moya Fábregas visits the SnapCast. Dr. Fábregas is the Executive Director of Con Mi MADRE, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latina girls and their loved ones through education and emotional support. We talk about Texas State Bill-Seventeen, which is known informally as “the anti-DEI law,” shutting down diversity, equity and inclusion offices like university...
Board Recruiting Through A DEI Lens

Board Recruiting Through A DEI Lens

Christal M. Cherry is a nationally recognized nonprofit board consultant and certified leadership coach. She is the Principal and CEO of The Board Pro. We talk about Board Recruiting with an eye on Diversity and Equity. Changing beliefs, behaviors, and practices related to board service and leadership can be challenging, but with the right coaching and tailored training you can steer your organization toward a sustainable future and an...
Welcoming Back Our Neighbors

Welcoming Back Our Neighbors

Today on the show, Julien speaks with Richard Mireles, the Director of Communications at the Oakland-based non-profit CROP Organization. CROP stands for Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs and their mission is to reimagine reentry (for justice-involved folks) through a holistic, human-centered approach to advocacy, housing, and skill development for the future of work. Richard's story is a testament to the power of resilience,...
Veterans & Higher Ed

Veterans & Higher Ed (Pt. 2): Perspectives on Navigating the Transition to College as a Student Veteran

Join LeNaya Hezel, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) as she chats with three alumni of the WSP program, Army veteran Chris Twigg, Navy veteran Desaree Edwards, and Marine Corps veteran Jessica Nelson. In this episode, they’ll discuss life after military service, the role higher education plays in transitioning to civilian life, owning the veteran narrative, and their plans to continue to serve and...
Veterans & Higher Ed

Veterans & Higher Ed (Pt. 1): Why Supporting Military Students Requires an Inclusive Strategy

Join LeNaya Hezel, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) as she chats with WSP’s director of education, Dr. Cassie Sanchez, about how the WSP program supports transitioning service members in their pursuit of higher education by meeting the nontraditional student veteran community “where they are.” The two also discuss how using an assets-based approach ensures inclusivity is embedded in WSP’s...
Addressing Youth Mental Health

Addressing Youth Mental Health: A Grassroots Approach

Today on the show, Julien speaks with Ashanti Branch. Ashanti is a key-note speaker, advisor to the US Surgeon General, a Fulbright Fellow and 4x TedX Speaker. His work with youth has been featured at SXSW, on CNN with Lisa Ling, on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and in the documentary about American masculinity 'The Mask You Live In', which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club (EFC),...
Sunsetting Racism

Sunset Racism: A White Anti-Racist’s Take

Today on the show, Julien speaks with Jamey Harvey. Jamey is a technologist and white guy from Washington DC who in 1999, with a collective of multi-racial friends, founded the 2020 Project. Their goal and commitment to one another was to be accountable to each other for pursuing the end of racism in the United States by the year 2020. Though the group dissolved in the early 2000s, Jamey has successfully founded multiple tech organizations and...
Evolution Of DEI

The Evolution Of DEI In America and The Workplace

Today on the show, Julien and Bill Hawthorne discuss the evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion in America and in the workplace. In recent years, the rise of the #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, #StopAAPIHate movements have forced Americans to reflect on the persistent social injustices in our country. The harsh and bitter truths of these inequities have repercussions in the corporate sphere. Companies are scrambling to implement effective DEI...