Break the Bias

Our justice system is broken: The U.S. incarcerates more people than any country in the world, in part because other countries do not use prison as a one-size-fits-all solution to crime. This Black History Month, Breaking the Bias will be highlighting the change agents who are building career paths for the formerly incarcerated, or who are creating alternatives to incarceration, as the U.S. incarcerates Black people at a nearly five times higher rate than white people. In this conversation, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sat down with  entrepreneur and CEO of Flikshop, Marcus Bullock, and his mother, Reverend Dr. Sylvia Bullock. They share how Marcus’ personal story of being incarcerated at just 15 years old in an adult prison reflects larger systemic issues related to our justice system, and how daily letters sent to him by his mother paved the way for him to launch Flikshop, an app that connects family members to their incarcerated loved ones. *You can donate to the Flikshop Angels program here: https://www.flikshop.com/flikshop-angels --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

As we kick off 2023, many of us may be reflecting on the past year and thinking ahead about how we want to show up and who we want to connect with in the new year. This topic may be especially important, given that research shows that loneliness increased for Americans during the pandemic. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased,  spoke to Susan McPherson, author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships, to find out how we can use technology for good to reverse the growing trend of disconnection, build more meaningful relationships and authentically diversify our networks and overcome similarity bias. Relationship building takes time, but Susan shares practical advice for how we can focus on making connections and expand our networks without feeling overwhelmed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

As we head into 2023 and economists are saying we’re on the verge of a recession, the impact this will have on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives remains to be seen. Yet companies can’t afford to let DEI fall to the bottom of their priority list if they want to remain relevant and survive during an economic downturn and beyond. In today’s conversation, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Christopher Bylone Van Sandwyk, who was named one of this year’s top 15 Diversity Champions by Diversity Global magazine. They cover everything from the privilege Christopher has when he steps into the room as a white man and how he talks to other white men about DEI; why DEI leaders have to be more comfortable with data, and the DEI conversations leaders really need to be having in 2023. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

We are almost to 2023, and we’re still having conversations about how to make gender equity happen. In the U.S., women represent 48% of the entry-level workforce; but only 24% of C-suite executives. Men are promoted at a rate of 21% more than women. We still have a gender and racial pay gap and a motherhood penalty. Yet closing the gender gap is not only the right thing to do; it’s good for the economy and would increase the U.S. GDP by $3.1 trillion. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Katica Roy, a gender economist and founder of Pipeline, a company that uses analytics to quantify unconscious bias within an organization. Katica also has an extraordinary story as the daughter of a refugee and immigrant on why she is so passionate about advancing equity. They cover everything from the difference between equality and equity, how gender equity helps men too, and whether salary transparency policies are truly effective. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

For the first time ever, we have five generations together in the workplace. When we talk about DEI, it’s important to also talk about ageism and generational diversity. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Chip Conley, founder & CEO of Modern Elder Academy. Just a little about Chip: At age 26, Chip grew a successful boutique hotel company and later became a best-selling author. Then, at 52, he joined AirBnB as the Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, where most of the employees were half his age. Today he is promoting the idea of a “Modern Elder,” with his latest book, Wisdom at Work. He defines an elder as someone who is as curious as they are wise, and is helping to reframe aging as an opportunity for growth. In this episode, Chip shares how a near-death experience changed the way he lives his life, how his work at AirBnB helped him bridge generational divides, and how to hold on to a beginner mindset in midlife and beyond. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

It’s been five years since #MeToo went viral after actress Alyssa Milano tweeted “me too” and encouraged others who had experienced sexual harassment to do the same, though activist Tarana Burke originally coined the phrase “me too” in 2006. The #MeToo movement sparked a societal reckoning as thousands of women’s voices about the sexual violence they’d experienced at the hands of powerful men put a spotlight on gender inequities and power dynamics. No longer silent, this collective of voices resulted in real-world consequences that spread around the world, with heads of companies being fired and public figures being held accountable. As #MeToo was gaining momentum and the Harvey Weinsten scandal was dominating the news, the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund was launched to offer legal assistance to survivors of harassment and assault.  In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, speaks with Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center and co-founder of Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. This episode covers: How the National Women’s Law Center started the Time’s Up legal Defense Fund as the Harvey Weinstein case broke. Today 6,000 people have gone to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund for help, and they have a network of 400 attorneys. What the #MeToo movement means today, and a growing awareness of Black survivors of sexual violence and other people with marginalized identities, and how they see themselves as part of this movement. What needs to happen next to help keep fighting sexual harassment in the workplace and protect against retaliation for those who report it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Women’s Equality Day falls on August 26th, in honor of the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920 that granted some women the right to vote. It reminds us of the importance of how far we’ve come in the fight for equal rights, and how far we still have to go. One prominent woman from history you may not have heard of is Matilda Josyln Gage, whose story did not get as much attention in history books as other suffragists, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Sally Roesch Wagner, a major historian of the women's suffrage movement, author, and founder of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, shares her extraordinary story. The conversation covers: Who Matilda Joslyn Gage was exactly, what made her so bad ass, and why she was written out of history. In what ways Matilda’s vision of equality for all was shaped by the local Native American culture, where women had an equal voice in political leadership for more than 1000 years. Parallels between the issues women were fighting for more than a century ago, and the issues we’re still working on today. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The Supreme Court of the United States ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and 50 years of precedent federally protecting women’s right to abortion access happened on June 24, 2022. In this special episode of Breaking the Bias, we share two behind-the-scenes interviews with academics who have been leading the research on the impact of abortion access on women, families, and society that were done at the beginning of June, 2022 before the recent SCOTUS ruling, and Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased and Forbes contributor for an article called “How Overturning Roe V. Wade Can Impact The Economy.” In this episode you’ll hear from Caitlin Myers, professor of economics at Middlebury College and who, along with more than 150 other economists, filed an amicus brief to highlight the impacts of abortion legalization in the U.S. and model what would happen if Roe v. Wade was overturned, as well as Diana Greene Foster, PhD, professor at the University of California San Francisco and lead author of the landmark Turnaway Study, which examines the effects of unwanted pregnancies on women’s lives. Here are some ways that the research illustrates how overturning Roe v. Wade could impact the economy, and society at large. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The last time Daisy Auger-Dominguez was a guest on Breaking the Bias, she shared how she took time off for self reflection with what she called her “year of the heart,” and how the power of a pause not only positively impacts our own lives, but also benefits our organizations. That time away helped her deepen her purpose, and today she is the Chief People Officer at VICE Media Group, and author of the new book, Inclusion Revolution. “All humans, no matter where they come from, want to feel seen, heard, and valued. That is a human need,” says Daisy. In this episode, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal  (virtually) sits down with Daisy to talk about her personal journey, how to find joy and belonging at work, and ways each and every one of us can use our voice to build inclusion. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Having lived and worked in different countries, Vaishali Shah, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Randstad Sourceright, was exposed to many ways of living.  It was these experiences that led her to realize the need to recognize the strengths that our differences can make within organizations. Her personal experiences inspired her to pursue diversity and inclusion as her full-time job. “I've often seen myself as being a little bit different from the people around me. I've been fortunate to find, to create, and to thrive in the opportunities that enabled me to add value—not in spite of being different, but because of being different in my experiences, my background, the way I think, or the way I solve problems. I realized that this isn't the case for a lot of people, and there's a lot that we can do with our own experiences. I wanted to do something about it.” In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal  (virtually) sits down with Vaishali, to talk about her journey and her passion for diversity and inclusion. They cover: Why diversity should not be only a metric—and how to track the impact that DEI initiatives have on people The benefits of normalizing mental health at work How to better listen to employees during The Great Resignation and beyond, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The ongoing pandemic and social unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd sparked a greater emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training within organizations. As the demand for DEI trainers continues to rise, many lack a clear path for making progress and must learn on their own without clear guidelines. Maria Morukian, President of MSM Global Consulting,  authored the new book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Trainers: Fostering DEI in the Workplace, to create a guide for trainers to develop the skills needed to deliver sustainable change and unpack their own biases. For Maria, DEI is personal and is largely influenced by her upbringing as a first-generation American: Maria’s father, Val Morukian, had a bi-cultural identity. He was an Armenian whose family fled Istanbul during the Armenian diaspora and he was born in Cuba to a single mother of three. Maria opens her book by sharing how her father embodied the old adage, ‘looks can be deceiving.’ “I would say people looked at my dad as this small in stature, older, hard-of-hearing guy with kind of a funny accent who always looked a little disheveled and like he was lost,” says Maria.“But the truth was that he had had this incredible life and so many rich and sometimes hard- to-imagine stories…looking at what was on the surface, if people just saw him or knew this one little bit of the story, they would never know all of the richness that was underneath.” As a young man, her father was enlisted in the U.S. Army, during which he was shot in the line of duty. Val was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for saving members of his battalion. He went to college after the army and became a Detroit public school teacher for nearly 40 years, and at various times was a bartender, a carni, and even a security guard for Jimmy Hoffa.  Maria’s father’s life inspired her to become a diversity trainer and educator. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal (virtually) sits down with Maria, to talk about her journey and the power that DEI training, when done right, can have in the workplace. They cover: Why blame and shame aren’t effective for creating change—and what is How to encourage people to look at the world from others’ perspectives The most essential skills diversity, equity and inclusion trainers should have in order to make a real impact The next frontier of DEI training in the workplace, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Pursuing creativity by doing things you love and sharing them with the world is not optional, but actually critical for your mental health, happiness, and overall productivity. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, VP of Content for Consciously Unbiased, has Eve Rodsky back on the show. Eve is a Harvard-trained lawyer, author of the best-selling book Fair Play and also author of the newly-released book Find Your Unicorn Space. Eve has spent a decade interviewing thousands of people on the gender division of labor in the household, and unpacking the final wave of feminism: gender equality in the home. With her latest book, Find Your Unicorn Space, Eve shares a framework for why making time for creativity is essential for reconnecting with your joy, fighting burnout, and creating more meaning in our lives. This episode is for women, men, nonbinary folks—everyone. Eve’s framework for tapping into your curiosity to find clues about what fuels your happiness can create a ripple effect in our homes, workplaces, and communities. In this conversation, Holly and Eve dive into what unicorn space is exactly—and what it isn’t; how women can reclaim permission to be unavailable from their roles and take uninterrupted time for creative pursuits; and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Due to a series of economic downturns, gender-based social norms and the cracked-yet-not-broken glass ceiling, women of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) are sometimes referred to as the “sandwich generation.” Gen X women are more likely to be working full time and to be a caregiver for children or aging parents—or both. According to the AARP’s Public Policy Institute, by the year 2030, the ratio of people needing care to possible caregivers will be 4-to-1 and by 2050, it will be 3-to-1. This caregiving crisis could have a great effect on both the millennial and Gen Z generation as well. As career and caregiving duties collide for many—especially during the ongoing pandemic—workplaces will need to adapt to better accommodate caregivers. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased Director of Content Holly Corbertt (virtually) sits down with Jackie Ghedine and Mimi Bishop, co-founders of The Resting Mind, a company that coaches high-achieving, 40+ women who want greater success and more money in their career or their business. They dive into how women and professionals of all intersections can better navigate through the corporate world and be their most authentic selves, all while getting paid what they are worth.  The conversation also covers: How to change subconscious beliefs and habits to optimize your outcome. Why working hard does not automatically mean success—and what does. How to recognize what feels right for you intuitively, and what an energy misalignment looks like. How Gen X women can combat ageism, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

It’s no secret that our country, and therefore, our workforce is diversifying. By 2045, our country will have no racial majority according to the 2020 census. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are key for creating workplace cultures that celebrate differences, embrace commonalities and allow all voices to be heard. In order to be successful, DEI shouldn’t focus only on full-time employees, but your entire workforce. The contingent workforce includes contractors and freelancers and currently makes up 40% of today’s total workforce. Yet, the contingent workforce is often treated as second class, or an afterthought in the company’s position-hierarchy. With 62% of enterprises perceiving contingent labor as a vital component to their total workforce, there is no time like the present  to focus DEI efforts on the contingent workforce. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal (virtually) sits down with Brian Hoffmeyer and Elijah Bradshaw, two executives at Beeline, a tech platform that connects businesses to talent in the global extended workforce. They dive into how companies have the power to move the needle on equality, the impact of the pandemic on the gig economy, how companies can create safe spaces for inclusion for all employees—not just some, and why we’re in the middle of a workplace revolution as well as how to adapt. Listen to the full conversation here, --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The Dalai Lama, one of the most respectable Buddhist preachers, stated, “Individual acts of compassion and kindness have the power to spread harmony in the entire world.” Studies support that acts of compassion—such as expressing elements of empathy, love, and care to ease the concerns of others and sharing in their suffering—benefits us in both our professional and personal lives. Positive social interactions among workers are more likely to occur in workplaces that promote compassion. It has been shown that  positive social interactions are good for employee health, for instance, by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, and strengthening the immune system. The research also suggests that compassion is an essential aspect of a productive work environment, since employees experience reduced stress and more job satisfaction. Additionally, workplace compassion encourages more loyalty, dedication, and employee engagement. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal (virtually) sits down with Misty Huckabey, CEO & Founder of Capacity 2 Care and Consciously Unbiased facilitator, for an unplugged conversation about the link between mindfulness and compassion, and the role this link plays in the human brain and the work environment. Misty also shares some mindfulness practices that we can do to cultivate compassion so that we can be there for others, simply by ‘spreading ripples of kindness.’ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message