Inclusive Leader Spotlight

Your host, Juan Taveras, closes out Season 1 of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight with an inspiring conversation with Andre Bradford, award-winning poet and motivational speaker, known by his stage name, S.C. Says. Andre uses slam poetry to explore identity, mental health, and social justice, creating transformative experiences that foster empathy and connection.

In this episode, Andre shares:

• How storytelling builds bridges and fos...

Your host, Juan Taveras, sits down with Katie McLaughlin, founder and transformation artist at McLaughlin Method. With over 20 years of experience and a background in theater, Katie brings a fresh, creative approach to building healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures.

In this episode, Katie shares her innovative strategies, including:

• Why team health is the new metric leaders need to track for organizational success.
• How to b...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, Juan Taveras sits down with workplace dynamics expert Juan Kingsbury, Founder of Career Blind Spot. With over a decade of experience in human behavior and leadership coaching, Juan brings a refreshingly honest perspective on why DEI work is so challenging—and so worth it.

Listen in as Juan shares:

• How leaders can turn workplace bias into opportunities for growth.
• Why emotional int...

In this episode of Inclusive Leader Spotlight, host Juan Taveras sits down with Danette "Danni" Buie, founder and CEO of Thrive Limitlessly, to explore how DEI strategies can transform organizations.

Danni’s unique co-collaborative methodology ensures that DEI initiatives are built with input from leaders, employees, and even customers, resulting in systemic change that aligns with long-term business goals. Together, they discuss:

Your host, Juan Taveras, sits down with Tyler Plant, Chief Revenue Officer at Simpli5®, to explore how self-awareness, empathy, and the 5 Dynamics framework can transform workplace collaboration. With over 20 years of experience leading sales and customer service teams, Tyler shares actionable insights into creating sustainable results by aligning people and process.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why self-awareness is the founda...

Your host, Juan Taveras, sits down with Ayanna Anderson, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Highwire, to discuss the future of DEI leadership. With over 20 years of experience in PR, strategic communications, and community engagement, Ayanna shares how she leverages lived experiences to drive organizational transformation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✔️ Why retention is the new frontier for DEI and how...

Your host, Juan Taveras, chats with Deshawn Rose, VP and Partner at Mind Wire Consultancy, who has over 28 years in diverse fields like education, healthcare, and finance. Deshawn’s passion for problem-solving shines as he dives into creating inclusive workplaces, bridging communication gaps, and leveraging tools like the Predictive Index for DEI.

In this episode, Deshawn discusses conflict as an opportunity for alignment, his TED q...

Your host, Juan Taveras, talks with Dr. Jerry Fu, founder of Adapting Leaders, who brings a unique blend of experience as both a pharmacist and leadership coach for Asian American directors and managers. In this episode, Jerry reveals how conflict, rather than being avoided, can serve as a powerful truth revealer in workplaces, helping to build stronger connections and drive real inclusion. He also discusses how leaders can reframe...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, Juan Taveras welcomes Shadé Akande, the visionary Founder and CEO of One X League, the largest private social and professional network for Black and Afro Latina women executives and founders. With 18 years of HR experience at companies like Google, Verizon Wireless, and Walmart, Shadé has a wealth of insight on promoting DEI from the ground up, supporting leaders in creating workpl...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, your host, Juan Taveras, is joined by John and Mark Cronin, the dynamic father-son team behind John’s Crazy Socks. Together, they share their journey of building a multi-million-dollar business centered on a mission to "Spread Happiness" – a mission that comes to life by employing a team where over half of the workforce has differing abilities. Through this conversation, John and M...

Your host, Juan Taveras, talks with Ryan Johnson, founder and CEO of 3 Sparrows Executive Services, about leadership that inspires true ownership in the workplace. With his background in business coaching and operations, Ryan shares his proven framework for transforming teams from “clock punchers” to engaged owners. He emphasizes the importance of leading with empathy, generosity, and an abundance mindset to build trust and commitm...

In this powerful episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, Juan Taveras sits down with Dr. Joe Sherman, founder of Joe Sherman, MD Coaching and Consulting. Dr. Joe brings over 35 years of experience as a pediatrician in diverse settings around the world, and now dedicates his work to helping healthcare professionals reconnect with their core values and find fulfillment in their work.

Dr. Joe shares his personal journey of navigatin...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, Juan Taveras speaks with Jebeh Edmunds, the CEO and founder of Jebeh Cultural Consulting. With over two decades of experience as an educator and speaker, Jebeh has dedicated her life to promoting positive change through multicultural education and equitable strategies.

Jebeh shares how her lived experience as an African immigrant in the U.S. informs her work and how she helps organi...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, host Juan Taveras speaks with Sarah Kirwan, Founder and CEO of Eye Level Communications, a disability and woman-owned consulting firm. With her personal journey from misdiagnosis to becoming a fierce advocate for disability inclusion, Sarah brings a unique and powerful perspective to the conversation.

We dive deep into the challenges that individuals with disabilities face in the wo...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, your host, Juan Taveras, sits down with Ovell Barbee, owner and principal of Ask Ovell, and an HR and DEI executive with extensive C-suite experience. Ovell brings a wealth of knowledge from his leadership roles across various industries, sharing how he has leveraged both HR and DEI functions to drive meaningful, systemic change.

Ovell shares the strategies he used to increase leade...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, your host Juan Taveras sits down with Lenna Turner, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Senior Compensation Consultant at Salary.com. Lenna shares her unique perspective on the importance of pay equity as a cornerstone of any successful DEI strategy. With over a decade of experience in compensation, Lenna has been at the forefront of bridging the gap between equitable pay...

Your host, Juan Taveras, sits down with Kenneth Walker, EVP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Culture at Per Scholas, a national nonprofit focused on expanding tech career opportunities for underrepresented communities. With 18 years at the organization, Kenneth brings a unique perspective on fostering cultures of belonging and inclusion.

In this episode, Kenneth shares how Per Scholas created its "Diverse by Design" initiative, ...

In this episode of the Inclusive Leader Spotlight, your host Juan Taveras speaks with Michael Neece, President of Our Future is Kind and author of In Kind: Consciously Craft a Meaningful Life and Career. Michael shares his journey from working in planetariums to leading teams in the pharmaceutical industry, where he discovered the transformative power of kindness in leadership.

Michael explores how curiosity and kindness are essenti...

Your host, Juan Taveras, talks with Tiffany Yu, an award-winning disability advocate, social entrepreneur, and founder of Diversability. Tiffany is also the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto. In this episode, Tiffany shares powerful insights on disability inclusion, challenging ableism, and rethinking workplace accommodations.

Tiffany delves into the "Me, We, Us" framework from her book, guiding listeners through the steps to bec...