Diversity Experts to know or follow ✅
It is October and in our industry, that means: Diversity Month has started. Where most people are changing their summer wardrobe for warm and comfy clothes, our team is getting ready for one of the busiest months of the year.
Your Talent Agency (YTA) leads with diversity and has inclusion embedded in its DNA. No surprise that they decided to not just celebrate Diversity Day on October 4th like all normal companies. Your Talent Agency chose to take a whole month. Go big or go home, right?
If you are new to the diversity domain. Do not worry, you are in good and capable hands. At Your Talent Agency, we eat these topics for breakfast. But we understand you also want to get inspired by other experts. In this blog, I will share the top 5 voices I believe you should follow to learn, get inspired and be motivated to also put diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the core of your team and business. You can click on their names to be redirected to their LinkedIn profile.
Imagine you never have to adapt, because people always adapt to you. Imagine you have never been treated differently or have been discriminated against. And on top of that, imagine that you have graduated from a privileged school and all your friends and family look the same and act the same. 💭
Joris Luyendijk belongs to this group of indiscriminate and socially invulnerable Dutch people. In his book, “De Zeven vinkjes” Joris tries to understand what his starting position has done with his image of himself, man and society. And what does it do to a country when men like him rule it? Because in many places at the very top of politics, the serious media, public administration and business, a man like Joris Luyendijk is the boss. He is a true ally because he understands his privilege and uses it for good! 🙌
Techleap’s vision and mission is to create a well-connected, inclusive and self-empowered Dutch tech ecosystem. As a member of the Leadership Team at Techleap, Ingrid is responsible for translating Techleap’s vision and strategy into great team performance by creating clarity around execution and developing the required mindsets, team dynamics and behaviours. 👏
In her role as DEIB Lead, she helps the community of Dutch Tech founders develop diverse and inclusive company cultures that attract and retain top-talent, create impact and scale at speed. 🚀
She is also a guest lecturer at Nyenrode Business University, frequently asked panel member and shares a lot of interesting data on LinkedIn. Go follow her!
Danny is on a mission to change the system, not the individual. With his company, the Inclusion Studio, he supports companies to become more inclusive. A sustainable approach to make the diversity policy more specific and explicit. With his ‘evidence-based’ approach, he challenges companies to really look at what is happening inside of the business and supports them in this ongoing journey to a more diverse and inclusive world. 🤝
He is definitely a voice of the future and is rewarded with a nomination for one of the most inclusive voices according to MT Sprout.
Chanel has a big marketing heart and sells her authentic self as a colored, neurodiverse, power woman who never holds back. She is on a mission to get more people of color in the media and is not afraid to name and call out when needed.
With her direct and honest approach, she has already reached the stage of TedX and has been called a LinkedIn Top Voice to watch in 2021.
Give her a follow and you will not be disappointed.
Save the best for last you say? Humble as I am I will put myself last, but I do believe I am a great addition to this list. For the simple fact that I come from 12+ years of experience in HR/Recruitment and have survived almost all biases that you can find in the tech ecosystem.
As a colored female entrepreneur covered in tattoos, I know how to deal with prejudices and that is why I promote awareness toward issues of multiculturalism, racism, inequality, and social injustice.
I do that by building a kick-ass inclusive team and sharing my knowledge, opinion and passion for a better world as a keynote speaker, workshop host, consultant and on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Don’t be a stranger, connect and/or follow me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachamartina/
Of course, I have a much longer list of diverse & inclusive top talent that you should know and follow. Diversity and Inclusion is not a trend, it is here to stay. And if you can make this a strategic topic on your company’s agenda and get your leadership team onboard to make the world a better and more equal place; I am happy to share much more information.
Challenge accepted? ✔️ I will wait for your LinkedIn invitation so we can continue there!
Sacha out 😉