Then, Now & Tomorrow

"The body is our doorway to greater wisdom, compassion, and growing a presence that is trustworthy and life-affirming," says Staci K. Haines, an innovator in the Somatics field for over 30 years.

Staci believes that Somatics addresses our deep human yearning for wholeness, connection, and belonging by guiding us back to our bodies. This embodied transformation is not just a concept but a practical approach that helps us rec...

As a leader, it’s tempting to feel like you need to have all the answers. Being a great problem solver helped you get to where you are, but once you start leading a team, you need to evolve into someone who enables problem-solving. “Performance is a team sport, not a solo act,” says Jon Low, a performance coach and tactical advisor to early-stage founders.

In helping leaders tackle various challenges in growing their busine...

Can we really challenge racism with both fierceness and compassion? Can we confront discriminatory actions head-on without shaming others, and interrupt hate in ways that foster genuine change? Using Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Beloved Community framework, activists are finding new ways to create equity through bold yet empathetic dialogue against systemic white supremacy. Dr. Roxy Manning believes this balance is not onl...

“Even a momentary lack of love and safety as children can follow us for the rest of our lives,” says Rainbow Markell, an early childhood education expert. Since her start in the field in the 1970s, she has been part of some of the most forward-thinking programs that put the idea of “trauma-informed care” on the map. How do you help children identify and regulate their emotions? How can you signal trust and build connection...

By championing creative thinking, leaders cultivate a space where ideas flourish, collaboration thrives, and the extraordinary becomes possible, paving the way for sustainable success and growth. "Yet we don't program time for leaders to be creative," says Eugene Sepulveda. "When can they let their mind relax and daydream? The best organizations create environments where that can happen."

With a career spanning decades as a...

The homelessness crisis in the United States is at an all-time high, with 653,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night, the highest number since 2007. Homelessness involves complex factors such as mental health, economic instability, and inadequate social support. Yet recently, a Supreme Court case debated whether sleeping on the streets should be a crime, drawing attention to the lack of humanity that often...

In the past few years, DEI efforts in the U.S. have hit some setbacks. Political divides have deepened, with some states passing laws that limit conversations about race and gender, and the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in the workplace.

"I've been here before," says Cindy Owyoung, who has been at the forefront of DEI for over 20 years at organizations like GitHub, Charles Schwab, Robinhood, and most recen...

White supremacy isn’t just in the history books; it’s baked into our daily lives, from the shows we watch to the ways we work, often without us even noticing. "It's the water that we swim in. And we don't know because we're the fish," says Jill Nagle.

Jill has written multiple books, created a somatic counseling approach called Wisdom of the Body, and founded Evolutionary Workplace to help leaders build anti-racist organiza...

At a time of crisis at home and abroad, we find ourselves in a state of unprecedented disharmony. "But that doesn't mean we're going to act," says Dr. Shariff Abdullah, with a reminder that "the call to action may make you very uncomfortable."

Shariff has devoted much of his life to the work of inclusivity and societal transformation. His award-winning book, The Power of One: Authentic Leadership in Turbulent Times, was pub...

Face recognition technology is becoming a part of our daily lives in simple yet impactful ways. Unlocking your phone with a glance, tagging friends on social media, or verifying your identity at the airport are all examples of face recognition at work. Alongside its many practical benefits, there is a growing focus on addressing ethical concerns, especially when it comes to reducing bias.

As one of the pioneers in this fiel...

Amid ongoing debates about the efficacy of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB+) initiatives, Indeed stands out as an example of how high-growth organizations can integrate these principles effectively. With over 10,000 employees across more than 60 countries, Indeed not only prioritizes DEIB+ as a strategic and moral imperative but also demonstrates its tangible impact.

Led by Misty Gaither, VP of DEIB+, Inde...

"Workplace burnout is essentially unmourned grief," says Sarah Peyton, neuroscience educator and author of "Your Resonant Self." Much of her work has centered around attachment styles and how they impact our everyday interactions. In this episode, Sarah and neurobiology expert Rajkumari Neogy explore what it looks like for leaders to acknowledge grief and model healthy emotional responses at work. They delve into the lates...

Recently, affirmative action has ignited a fiery debate across the U.S., partly fueled by a Supreme Court reversal with major consequences for college admissions and workplace DEI policies. Amidst this contentious backdrop, the narrative extends far beyond American borders, touching on global discussions about race, inclusion, and equity.

For decades, South Africa's public consciousness has been defined by the lingering eff...

Americans are divided on whether being described as "woke" is an insult. Jennie Yang, a specialist in neuro-linguistic programming, thinks a lot about the power of language. Her career has been rooted in fast-paced tech environments, including AppAnnie and TigerConnect, and, in recent years, she has led the people function at 15Five.

In this episode, Jennie joins neurobiology expert Rajkumari Neogy to explore the origins of...

"When the basis of belonging is conforming to a group, that's not belonging. It's a contingency," says Adina Sterling, an organizational theorist and economic sociologist whose research focuses on inequality in the workplace. She has studied topics like hiring processes, social networks, bias, and how they perpetuate social disparities.

She developed the popular MBA class at Stanford University called "Equity by Design: How...

Rising inequality, conflicts at home and abroad, and record-high employee disengagement are part of today’s reality at work. It has become even more difficult to build what Stuart Crabb calls a “flourishing organization.” But it can be done.

For the past three decades, this has been at the core of Stuart’s work at the highest levels of Meta, Yahoo!, and dozens of hyper-growth startups.

In this episode, he and neurobiology ex...

Think back to the last time you washed your hands under a touchless water faucet (at the airport, a gas station, any public restroom). Did it easily turn on for you? Chances are it did—if you have light skin. That’s because the infrared technology automatic water and soap dispensers use responds better to light skin tones.

Dr. Dédé Tetsubayashi is a product equity, inclusion and tech ethicist who has spent her career develo...

“What are we in service to?” Guidewire's Chief People Officer Sinéad Condon reflects on this question at least 20 or 30 times a day. We spend much more time “doing” over “being” in the workplace because we don’t want to suck at our jobs. But in the midst of the hustle, we lose sight of what's at the foundation of truly great work: relationships.

Designing ecosystems that prioritize connection and allow people to make purpos...

Home is where the heart is... but it isn’t the only place. Carin Taylor, chief diversity officer at Workday, the human resource management software used by more than 10,000 organizations across the world, says love is an important ingredient to a thriving work environment. She’s on a mission to cure heartbreak in the workplace and restore love and belonging to cultures often riddled with angst and exclusivity. 

In this epi...