Reconstructing Inclusion S1E2: Love and Power in DEI

Reconstructing Inclusion Podcast

In this episode of Reconstructing Inclusion, Amri chats with Doug Harris, CEO of The Kaleidoscope Group with over three decades worth of experience in diversity, equity & inclusion consulting. During this inspiring conversation, they discuss how DEI work is about making people better than when you found them - doing it all with love! Discover how powerful individuals can create meaningful change for a more equitable society from two experts in the field!

Key highlights

• The death of George Floyd and the global pandemic have caused an inflection point in DEI work since 2020
• Doug Harris has been doing DEI work since 89 and has been involved ever since. It can be draining on the spirit but his motto is ‘to leave people better than he found them, and do it with love’
• If you don't believe in the change process for everybody, you may become a selective DEI consultant who only wants to hang out at Starbucks with people who think like you
• The focus today is really on value. As practitioners, how can you make organizations better?
• Powerful people make a difference but you have to believe you're powerful to make the difference

About the Guest

Doug Harris is the CEO of The Kaleidoscope Group with over 30 years of experience in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting. As the leader of The Kaleidoscope Group, Doug’s knowledge, and expertise guides organizations through the creation of customized strategies that address the specific needs of the business. A few of Doug’s clients over the years include Blue Cross Blue Shield, Federal Reserve Banks, McDonald's Corporation, New York City Fire Department.

Doug’s extensive experience in managing cultural differences extends into the global arena. He has designed and delivered global strategic consulting solutions and cultural education workshops for Caterpillar, Dana Corporation, and Northrop Grumman. His engaging style and unique ability to give diversity meaning at all levels of the organization have made him a sought-after and renowned DEI expert, speaker, and facilitator.

About the Host

As CEO/Founder of Inclusion Wins, Amri B. Johnson and a virtual collective of partners converge organizational purpose to create global impact with a lens of inclusion.

His theory of change is focused on building ‘Inclusion Systems.’ Inclusion systems provide direction and momentum in the complexity of organizations that allow them to be antifragile—leaning into and engaging with resistance, stressors, disruptions, and disequilibrium and being stronger as a result of such engagement.

His book, Reconstructing Inclusion: Making DEI Accessible, Actionable, and Sustainable outlines how organizations can create inclusion-normative cultures and build approaches to DEI that are designed for and with everyone, unambiguously prioritized, and purpose aligned.

Born in Topeka, Kansas (USA), Amri has worked and lived in the U.S., Brazil, and currently lives in Basel, Switzerland, with his wife Martina and their three kids.

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