47: Dads in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Part 1

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are back with the second of their series of episodes featuring moms and dads who are diversity, equity, and inclusion professionals.

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori and Jason are excited to talk to the fabulous dad, Ken Imo!   

Ken Imo is the Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Adobe. He is an accomplished executive, author, lawyer, and U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps veteran who promotes organizational change through diversity, equity and inclusion, and other strategic human capital initiatives.

Ken is a proud husband to his wife, Jennifer, and is the father of three girls, Olivia, who is fifteen, twelve-year-old twins, Cecelia and Juliette, and two dogs, Julio Jones, and the puppy they got during Covid, Sir Lewis Hamilton, also known as Louie. Ken was a four-year scholar-athlete at Southern Methodist University and received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. 

Ken talks about his evolution as a working dad and describes what it’s like to be a working parent in the DEI space. He also shares his recommendations for workplace improvements for parents and discusses the similarities between the issues faced by working parents and those that exist in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Stay tuned to hear Ken’s inspiring working dad story!

Show highlights:

• Ken and his wife are setting an example for their daughters in how they navigate their personal and professional lives. (3:22)
• Why Ken likes to look at his work as an extension of the Civil Rights Movement. (4:09)
• Ken would like his children to understand why his work is so important to him. (4:38)
• The challenges of being a working parent in the DEI space. (6:12)
• What Ken does for self-care and to reset and restore himself. (11:05)
• Ken appreciated getting parental leave when his daughters were born. (16:11)
• Some companies could do a better job of advertising the benefits they offer for working parents and encouraging people to use them. (22:28)
• Most Americans tend to underutilize their paid time off. (22:54)
• Ken talks about his first paid job, his motivation for doing it, and the lessons he learned. (27:51)
• Ken’s career trajectory started in service, and much of what he does today is about intentionally helping others. (32:02)
• Ken discusses his role in helping organizations to stay vigilant and creative while promoting a more inclusive environment, addressing workplace challenges, and coming up with solutions. (35:07)

 

“Anything that allows us to effectively do our jobs, and effectively do our most important job, that is parenting, we should take full advantage

Mentioned in this episode:

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