Ep202: What Kind of Person is Your Corporation? – The Case for Equity Diversity & Inclusion – Ali Interviews Rosie

Changing Lenses: Diversify Your Perspectives

What do you think is the business case for equity, diversity and inclusion? In business, or even not for profit, should morality or humanitarian reasons play a role? Or should it strictly be about profit and shareholder value?

I have some opinions on this, which I apply in my work as an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategist. But as a podcaster, I've tried to keep the focus on my guests' perspectives, until one of my guests asked to switch places with me. Ali Ahmed, whom you heard in the previous episode, wanted to hear my experiences as a recruiter, HR director and not-for-profit executive.

So in this episode, Ali will host me. And I give some pretty blunt opinions about many business systems that we've taken for granted, which are structurally set up to discriminate and exclude. And it's not because they're racist or misogynist or anything related specifically to people. The sad thing is, systemic discrimination is also rooted in capitalism. If you're wondering how that happens, tune in to this episode. We'll explain how this plays out in recruiting, succession planning, even charity and corporate social responsibility.

Contact Rosie and find JEDI resources at: https://www.changinglenses.ca/

In this episode, we talk about:

[03:06] A story explaining inclusivity and diversity.
[09:00] The need to decolonize and de-patronize philanthropy.
[14:29] That the donors who hold money, hold power.
[18:06] Diversity at the C-suite and Board levels.
[21:03] Discrimination in recruiting immigrants and racialized people.
[27:11] How do we make recruitment more equitable?
[33:50] A corporation is a person. What kind of person is it?
[38:47] Focus on positive change in the future, not mistakes of the past.

Full transcript available here.
Guest Bio and References/Links

About Rosie Yeung:

Rosie is a Speaker, Coach, Strategist, and Podcaster for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), specializing in intersectional diversity and Asian-Canadian identity. Her life goal is to reduce social inequity and discrimination, especially in wealth, race, and gender. Rosie loves mentoring Asian and racialized women to succeed in business as their true selves.

As a Chinese-Canadian, immigrant, cis-straight female with invisible disabilities, Rosie’s intersectional identities help her empathize with diverse communities and bring compassion and kindness to her work. With over 20 years of professional and lived experiences, she holds certificates in inclusion, consulting, Indigenous history, human rights, and more.

Based in Toronto, Canada, Rosie enjoys travel (except during global pandemics) and has served communities in Guatemala, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. To de-stress, she watches movies and eats popcorn and ice cream – sometimes simultaneously!

Find Rosie on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosieyeung_jedi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosieyeung/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/changinglensesca

References and resources in this episode:

Book “Decolonizing Wealth” referenced in the episode: https://www.edgarvillanueva.net/the-book-1