How do I even begin? This story hits close to home because someone I know is risking her life everyday while working on the front line in the medical care industry. She is my mother, a CT-tech working in a local hospital located in Chicago. My mother is one of the most selfless people I know. She spent most of her life caring for others and making sure the people around her have what they need. This is why the story of Sylvia Leroy, a labor and delivery nurse who is described as caring and compassionate, resonated with me. Just like my mother, Sylvia is one of the millions of medical workers who are working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while putting their lives at risk.  [ Read on LinkedIn ] ...

Only eight women of color have served as CEOs of a Fortune 500 company in history out of the 85 women in total. In episode 2, of Women of Color in the Workplace® Strategies for Survival Video Series, CEO Julene Allen discusses why key decision-making teams and leadership of our favorite brands should reflect the demographic of its consumers.  ..................  Clarification:  Aside from the four women of color named in this video, there have only been four additional women of color CEOs of a Fortune 500 company out of 85 women in total in history.   ...

Check out the first from our Strategies for Survival video series. In this introductory discussion, CEO, Julene Allen discusses "social identity norms".  When examining intersectionality in the workplace, we need to take a closer look at why some experiences are different than others. One's social identity impacts their experiences at work and the further we are from the social identity norm, the more challenges we may have to overcome at work. For instance, if the social identity norm consists of a cisgender nondisabled white male, then an Asian transgender disabled woman will possibly be subjected to obstacles many of us could not fathom.  ...

As the coronavirus spike in numbers, businesses shut down their day to day activities and encourage employees to work at home. However, working from home is not idealistic for everyone. For medical and health professionals, hospitality and service workers, business resumes as usual. Well, sort of. A close acquaintance who works in radiology at a local hospital explained that she must go to work. The hospital is one place that is booming in business during this time of global constraint. She feels that every time she’s at work, she’s at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus. [ Read on LinkedIn ]...

"Women of color don't support each other." Or, "White women have been those that have supported me in my career." You don't know how many times I have heard this statement. Trust me, I have felt the same pain and burn. But the fact is, there are women of color who do support other women and women of color. I have been on the side of the recipient and giver. It boils down to the motto when you know better you do better. At some point, you start to get it. Basically, when women of color are supported, the script gets flipped for ALL women.  I remember sitting on a panel last year led by the Speak Truth Summit that challenged the crabs in the barrel syndrome. We discussed how women of color are particularly dealing with this. There is some idea that if one woman is winning, the rest of us is losing because we believe that there isn't enough to go around. Or we believe we are not in control of our fate and that someone else is. So, we opt-out of suppo......