36 - Systemic Change, Not Charity: Moving DEI Work from Superficial to Sustainable with Ovell Barbee

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 leadership diversity by 30% in just one year, the critical role of governance and accountability in DEI work, and why silence around difficult conversations is one of the biggest barriers to progress. He also talks about the importance of advocating for others and offers actionable insights for HR and business leaders who want to create more inclusive workplaces.

Key Takeaways:

• How to connect HR and DEI for greater organizational impact.
• Strategies for recruiting diverse talent and increasing leadership diversity.
• The importance of systemic change—focusing on policies, practices, and procedures.
• How to overcome the challenge of silence in DEI conversations.
• Why advocating for others can create thriving communities.

To learn more about Ovell's work, click HERE.

To connect with Ovell on LinkedIn, click HERE.

Want to learn more about Juan’s work at DEI Pro Finder? Check out his website HERE.