Minority Report Podcast

In episode 164, Kerel talks with Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder at We Are All Human, a non-profit organization that has a single purpose to remind people that we belong to the same human family. Claudia was born in Mexico City to two parents, both basketball players, she was surrounded by strong females, learned discipline and other successful traits, moved to Europe to work with the UN, and then eventually moved to America. For the first time in her life, she learned what Hispanic was, why people called her that and the ramifications of shame, embarrassment and other negative connotations that came from that. Since starting her career, Claudia has had a massive impact, not only on the Hispanic community, but also other minority communities in helping them uncover and use their authentic power. Claudia claims she is not an activist, but a factivist - a person who fights for societal change based on facts and data. She has discovered that groups historically known as the minority in the United States are transforming into the majority, why companies should pay attention to them and how much buying power they have, and how those in the Hispanic community can be a voice for their community as they move into senior positions at top corporations. Claudia has so many resources to help those in minority groups find their power and make a difference including her foundation, her A LA LATINA podcast, the Hispanic Leadership Summit, the Hispanic Star and more. Timestamps :34: Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder at We Are All Human shares her experience being born and growing up in Mexico to two professional basketball players, finishing college, moving to Europe and how her world changed after hearing she was “Hispanic” for the first time 1:53: How growing up with two parents who played basketball encouraged her to live with specific qualities and traits of successful and disciplined people 4:39: Why Claudia is so dedicated to create social change based on her experiences growing up and seeing the massive societal changes over her lifetime 6:14: Claudia shares where she gets her drive to carry out social change from, how she stays positive about the future where there are a lot of people who see a lot of negatives and get frustrated, and the one thing she stays true to to help her in her journey 9:22: Claudia’s perspective of growing up learning six different languages, how she shifted parts of herself to change how others saw her, and why it’s so important to feel pride to be different, to know multiple languages, and to be Hispanic or any other sort of “minority” 14:01: The purpose of the We Are All Human Foundation, using data to understand trends of hate and how to fight it, recognizing the power of the Hispanic community and how to use it by communicating with each other and staying true to it, and the creation of the Hispanic star symbol 18:04: Claudia talks about her A LA LATINA podcast, a playbook to succeed being your authentic self to help Latinas break the glass ceiling in representation in top corporations, as well as other minority groups 19:46: How Claudia approaches mentoring others, why it’s important to be open to help, mentoring at large through her podcast, and creating the Hispanic Leadership Summit to gather leaders to help inspire, educate, empower and mobilize others in their community 22:44: Where Claudia draws inspiration from, flipping the script for others on using their authenticity and culture in their work, and how to make it work for you 25:44: What advice Claudia would give herself when she was first starting her career 27:37: Claudia’s favorite sport 27:52: The one artist who is in Claudia’s musical rotation who has inspired artists across genres in the past, now, and beyond 28:22: Where to find and connect with Claudia Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 163, Erik and Kerel talk with Doug Melville, a DEI executive and author of ‘Invisible Generals,' a story about America's first two black generals, a father and a son, who helped integrate the military, create and command the Tuskegee Airmen, and beyond. Doug grew up with a majority mixed race family, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, went to Syracuse University, majored in marketing, worked with public figures such as Britney Spears, Quincy Jones, Charlamagne Tha God to name a few and eventually found himself in DEI. Doug shares his family story, why it’s so important to own your own family’s story, becoming a powerful networker and communicator, what it was like to grow up mixed race in different communities, committing to helping people be seen, getting his book published by Simon and Schuster, the current state of the DEI space, advice for global DEI officers, where he draws inspiration, and so much more. “Sometimes the skills that we pick up, negotiation, communication, storytelling, are actually the things that are going to change the way these companies operate, and the outcomes.” Timestamps :34: Doug Melville, a DEI executive and author of ‘Invisible Generals,' shares where he grew up, going to Syracuse University, and his first job riding around in Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobiles and doing PR 2:37: Doug’s perspective on going to and staying in one industry vs. exploring different industries, working with Britney Spears, Quincy Jones, Tommy and Andy Hilfiger, the importance of networking and what defines success or failure 9:15: What it felt like for Doug to grow up mixed race, gaining experience in both rich and primarily black cities, and how that’s helped him in business and his career 11:56: Doug explains his family story, how he got to learn about his family’s history, being pushed to write his book ‘Invisible Generals,’ and making a commitment as chief diversity officer to help ensure companies don’t keep people invisible 16:16: After receiving feedback regarding happy hours at his work, Doug and his CEO at the time, Rob, started a talk show in the lobby bringing celebrities, public figures, and more in order to, rather than serve alcohol, serve education, in addition, having Charlamagne Tha God, who eventually helped Rob get his book published 22:04: Doug’s thoughts on the current state of DEI and executives in the space including how he believes structures have not been set up over the past few years to create the space for diversity programs and initiatives to be effective 28:42: What makes an effective global DEI officer, what they need to know in order to be successful 32:28: What Doug has learned from living in Geneva, Switzerland the past two years as a global DEI officer 35:21: Where Doug draws inspiration from, including many of his mentors, and those who come in pairs, like father and son 37:14: What’s in Doug’s music rotation right now, including a lot of hip hop 38:22: Where to buy Doug’s book ‘Invisible Generals’ and also attend events and booking signings 42:13: Where to connect with Doug on LinkedIn and Instagram Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 162, Erik and Kerel talk with NoorJehan Tourte, Group SVP, Strategic Planner at Area 23, a healthcare advertising agency about growing up in the Mojave Desert with her Indian family and community, moving to LA proper at 15, and being exposed to so many more people and cultures which really influenced how she lives her life and works today. Following in her brother’s footsteps of being on track to go to med school, NoorJehan eventually figured out that going to business school to get her MBA was a much more exciting path. From starting out in advertising in the Pharma space at Pfizer, to eventually getting into marketing at Area 23, NoorJehan has learned quite a bit. She shares a mission of her own about getting women really excited about failure, being a part of the Sports Illustrated Swim Search competition, a story about falling off a couch on her birthday and how she made that a win, the cycles of female friendships, great advice that she’s given and passed along to the listeners, and so much more. Timestamps :37: NoorJehan Tourte, Group SVP, Strategic Planner at Area 23, shares where she’s currently located, where her roots are and where she went to college 2:18: NoorJehan explores the transition at 15 years old from her Indian community in the Mojave Desert to proper LA and being introduced to even more cultures 3:34: What NoorJehan has learned from having a foot and experience in so many different communities and how she has built and evolved her identity because of that 6:34: What Area 23 is, their scope of responsibilities and clients 8:27: The intentional decisions by NoorJehan behind working in Pharma, at Pfizer, and getting into marketing and advertising, where she was initially going, and the internship that made her want to be on the business side of healthcare 14:18: NoorJehan shares her mission about helping women get really excited about failure and learning in a world where so many women pressure themselves to be perfect 17:43: NoorJehan tells a story that illustrates how she has fallen or failed and picked herself back up to make it mean something 20:21: What NoorJehan learned about the other women through the Sports Illustrated Swim Search competition and how it allowed her to be more authentic and create valuable female friendships out of it 23:00: How female friendships evolve through different life phases, why being sensitive isn’t a bad thing at all, how NoorJehan views feedback, and what to remind yourself of when something doesn’t go your way 27:10: Where NoorJehan draws inspiration from, including some great advice she was given from the person who inspired her to get into strategy 28:30: The advice NoorJehan would give her her younger self just starting out in the workforce 29:38: What is in NoorJehan’s music rotation including a nonstop playlist, and what her music reminds her of 30:45: How to stay in touch with NoorJehan Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 161, Erik and Kerel talk with Maria Morukian, CEO at MSM Global Consulting, a company offering a unique approach to organizational culture change by empowering organizations to achieve greater success through embracing equity, diversity and inclusivity. They talk about Maria’s multicultural upbringing, how that has inspired and impacted her work in the DEI space today, lessons and stories from her life and work, the premise of MSM Global Consulting and how they partner and collaborate with clients to do the real work, not the performative DEI work. Maria shares so many powerful stories and examples of the work and challenges that come up in DEI. Stories range from people practicing expansion, companies not understanding the actual work they need to do rather than surface level, pointing at leadership to blame, and how all of us “coming to the table” isn’t the inclusive act many think it is. She also tells us what keeps her up at night, what she’s grateful for right now, and what’s made her laugh lately - questions asked from her idea of Compassionate Leadership. Timestamps :35: Maria Morukian, CEO at MSM Global Consulting shares her family’s past with fleeing, immigrating from Europe to Cuba, her growing up speaking spanish in Detroit, and her experience seeing racial segregation and cultural differences all around her 3:53: How Maria’s past with ties to Cuba, Istanbul, the Caribbean, having a multilingual and eclectic family has influenced her work in DEI today 6:38: One of the biggest lessons learned by Maria and how to find balance in the work of DEI 8:03: How Maria balances differences of opinions, experiences and more within DEI and how she sees whether a company is really there to learn or if it’s a performative stance 9:50: What MSM Global Consulting is based on, how they partner and collaborate with clients, and what work they do in the entire process 12:07: How MSM Global Consulting measures DEI initiatives of items such as belonging and inclusion on a tangible level and how companies can start telling themselves the wrong story 16:29: Maria explains the importance of belonging, how to cultivate culture in organizations for belonging to be felt, and why the data is important 18:39: A topic that was brought up in Maria’s TED Talk, practicing expansion, is explained, how our human nature is to gravitate to others like us and becoming aware of that, and what it means to truly be inclusive 22:13: Maria shares a powerful story about two US veterans having very different opinions on a polarizing topic while still being able to relate on the shared veteran status, an excellent example of practicing expansion 26:40: Where the future of DEI is going, why it’s a fascinating time to be in the work, stay in it and to build a future that has never existed before 29:37: Advice for those who want to make a difference in DEI in their organization but get a lot of pushback, growing our allyship, and expanding out of our networks 30:26: Erik asks Maria a few questions to check-in in regards to being a compassionate leader, an idea by Maria, and for this one, she shares what’s made her laugh recently 33:46: Maria is asked what’s she’s grateful for today and shares what types of friendships are important 34:53: Maria is asked what keeps her up at night, the polarization in our world, and what will happen if we continue on this path 36:30: Maria shares what advice she’d give to herself 20 years ago 37:08: What is in Maria’s music rotation right now including digging into some 90’s hip hop 38:34: Where to find Maria, her podcast “Culture Stew,” see more about MSM Global Consulting, and her book “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Trainers: Fostering DEI in the Workplace” Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 160, Erik and Kerel talk with Lynne D. Johnson, Content Director at AdMonsters, about her childhood - born and raised in New York to her mom and dad. Her dad who was in the military taught her discipline, made her make her bed a certain way, her grandmother made her and her siblings polish silver, and other ways that made Lynne the woman and professional she is today. Lynne shares the importance of community, what she’s looking forward to most in the ad tech industry in 2024, some bold predictions about audio ads, and the current state of diversity in the ad tech industry. Lynne also tells us where she goes to learn about fresh new ideas and topics in the ad tech industry, how she leans on her service to others being her biggest accomplishment, learning to be more of herself, and advice she would give her younger self. “I'm here as a service. [...] And I don't know if I'm a service leader, per se, but when I think of my accomplishments, I think of how I served other people.” Timestamps :35: A big thank you for Kerel and Erik for Lynne D. Johnson’s support of Minority Report Podcast since the beginning 2:08: Lynne D. Johnson, Content Director at AdMonsters, shares her experience growing up in New York with her parents, extended family and grandmother 3:24: A closer look into Lynne’s experience living in an extended and multigenerational family home from having chores to having dinner together every night, to going to church every Sunday 7:28: Why community is so important to Lynne personally and with her work at AdMonsters 8:15: Why building community is so vital and why no one is self-made 10:56: What Lynne is looking forward to most in the ad tech industry for 2024 13:40: Lynne’s perspective on the current state of diversity in the ad tech industry 19:04: What Lynne reads and follows to learn from others and also to help the people who follow and learn from her 22:25: Lynne’s accomplishments that she’s most proud of - it may not be what you think 24:29: Who Lynne has learned from and been mentored by throughout her career 27:07: Advice Lynne today would give Lynne back in the era of Web 1.0 28:36: What is in Lynne’s music rotation right now plus a few bars from her favorite song at the moment that ties into how she lives her life 30:04: Ways to stay in touch with Lynne over Twitter (X), Instagram, and LinkedIn Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 159, Erik and Kerel talk with Shalita Grant, Founder and CEO of Four Naturals Hair, a company designed to care for type 4 hair, about her upbringing, how it made her tough and resilient, eventually taking her to a full ride at Juilliard at 17, going on to Broadway and nominated for a Tony, to becoming a series regular on NCIS: New Orleans. She also shares her on-set experience of her hair becoming more and more dry and abused by ill-equipped hairstylists eventually leading to leaving her TV show, and how that has brought her business Four Naturals Hair to fruition. Shalita shares how she researched, experimented, and saw incredible results from the plant ingredients and practices she gathered from India and North Africa and has made it her mission to help those with type 4 hair. Four Naturals Hair is all about education, being yourself, and improving the lives of Black women, men and children’s lives with their hair. “At the end of the day, if you want a better life, you have to do stuff to get it. And you have to be open to opportunities, and you have to be ready. And it is unfair, because you never know when the opportunity is coming. But that's life, baby, like use what you got.” Timestamps :30: Shalita Grant, Founder and CEO of Four Naturals Hair, shares about her childhood, child of teenage parents, moving around to different towns, locations, and families, and a mention of a Tony nomination for her time on Broadway 2:23: Shalita tells her experience living in multi-generational homes, having teenage parents, how she grew up faster than a lot of kids around her, and getting into Juilliard 5:29: She dives deeper into her experience up to Juilliard, the story about getting kicked out of school and eventually taken to her audition, and her choice between Juillard, NYC, and University of the Arts 10:38: Shalita shares her time at Juilliard, the intensity, how things changed when she was there, and how it prepared her for real life 13:10: Her biggest lesson attending Juillard 15:02: Going from Juilliard to moving to LA, auditioning over 100 times, and joining the television show, NCIS: New Orleans 17:25: Shalita’s reaction to being a Tony nominee 18:52: Her grandmother’s experience with hair growing up, how her hair became a limitation as an actor, and her journey to eventually leaving NCIS because of the issues 25:11: Shalita shares her frustration with quitting NCIS due to her hair limitation, but realizing it was the right decision for her 27:41: Her journey between leaving NCIS, experimenting with her hair, seeing what others were doing, finding plants that helped her hair become undeniably curly and healthy, to starting Four Naturals Hair and stepping into being an entrepreneur 36:22: The type of work-life balance Shalita keeps with herself and her partner 39:19: Similarities and differences between acting and entrepreneurship or owning your own business 40:22: What’s in Shalita’s music rotation right now 43:25: What’s in Kerel’s and Erik’s music rotation right now and Kerel’s classic new vinyls 46:14: How to stay in touch with Shalita and Four Naturals Hair Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 158, Erik and Kerel talk with Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta, for her second time as a guest on MRP, about her new book coming out October 3rd, “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace” and her podcast, “Brown Table Talk” with friend and co-host, Dee C. Marshall. Mita dives into the firsthand experiences she’s had with prejudice in the workplace, being rejected from many agents for her writing before recently being picked up by Wiley and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Mita also shares her intentions for talking to leaders within organizations, what it means to be a leader, and questions leaders need to be asking themselves within the workplace. She gives her perspective as to the lessons we have learned as a society as well as organizations over the pandemic and how we can use those lessons to move forward in a more diverse, inclusive and successful way for all. Mita also gives us the inside scoop on what’s in her music rotation right now and even how that really fits hand in hand with her professional career. Timestamps 1:06: What has changed between now and when Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta, was first on MRP for episode 57 2:09: Mita shares about her upcoming book “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace” 3:29: Mita’s firsthand experiences with the myths she covers in her books including topics of raises, money, women, and more 6:11: Mita’s history with writing five novels previously and getting rejected by many agents 6:58: The lessons Mita has learned from writing so many books and being rejected so many times 8:41: Mita talks about her podcast “Brown Table Talk” with fellow friend Dee C. Marshall, how it came to fruition, how they’ve built a community through that platform, receiving a book deal from the podcast and more 12:36: How Mita and Dee come up with topics for “Brown Table Talk” and receiving messages from the community with topics to incorporate into the show 13:53: Why Mita is intentional in talking to leaders within organizations through her writing, podcast, and content 16:39: Big lessons Mita has learned or observed from companies because of the pandemic including sense of control, work from home or the office, productivity, and more and how the workforce is changing because of it 19:54: What Mita has seen change and improve as far as DEI and leadership over the last couple of years and why companies need to pay attention and authentically understand multicultural consumers 22:12: What music is in Mita’s rotation right now 23:27: Mita’s book and where you can find it Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

Erik and Kerel recap podcast and industry highlights from the first half of 2023. Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 157, Erik and Kerel talk with Karna Crawford, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Marqeta, the world's first modern card issuing platform. Karna was born in DC, raised in Indianapolis, moved to Atlanta, and eventually found herself at Tulane University studying biomedical engineering and switching to marketing. Growing up watching her mom work as a paralegal, a steady, solid, job, she knew she wanted to do anything but that, which is why the fast paced marketing work excited her so much. She has gone on to work for JP Morgan, Coca Cola, Miller, Coors, Ford, Motor Company, Verizon, and more. Karna shares what challenges Marqeta is currently facing, along with the major impact they’re creating in the world, why she chose to work there and why culture was such an important part of her decision. She takes us through her journey of how she figured out what she wanted to do with her life, her mentors who helped so much, helpful advice she has been given and also advice for those who are going into marketing. Karna also talks about what excites her about the future of marketing, where she draws inspiration from, and most importantly - what’s in her music rotation right now. “Be curious and listen and learn everything that you can. Even when you've mastered something, find something else to learn, something else to be curious about, because you never know where that will take you, as well as how well it will position you for influence in whatever situation you may find yourself in.” Timestamps :29: Karna Crawford, shares about her fresh start as Global Chief Marketing Officer at Marqeta, what they do and the unique challenges they face 4:16: Karna talks about why she decided to go to Marqeta, why the culture highly impacted her decision, and how she asks the right questions in her interviews to get a good idea of their culture 7:27: Karna shares about her childhood days, why she changed from majoring in biomedical engineering to marketing, and how she got her first job in marketing 11:56: The importance of having a mentor alongside you for your career path and how her goals have changed over the years 17:17: Two of the best pieces of advice Karna has received 19:16: What excites Karna about the future of marketing including culture, social media, and data 21:23: Where Karna draws inspiration from and how the younger generations help with today’s marketing 23:22 Three pieces of advice for someone who’s starting their career in marketing 28:05: What songs are in Karna’s music rotation right now 30:32: How to find Karna on LinkedIn Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc

In episode 156, Erik and Kerel talk with Ayanna Lott-Pollard, Executive Director at Resilient Coders, whose mission is social justice through economic empowerment through educating black and brown folks from low income communities to become software engineers. Ayanna is West Philadelphia, born and raised, just like her parents, is the oldest of 4 siblings, and graduated from the school of Communications and Theater at Temple University. From there, her career path has been nonlinear to say the least, getting opportunities to work in advertising, healthcare, government, including a stint at the White House, operations and now tech adjacent. Ayanna talks about how her nonlinear career path came from following her heart, how life has directed her to places, organizations, and opportunities in which she deeply cares for, and why she loves learning and where she has developed her growth mindself. She also goes into the current landscape of technology, AI, automation, the importance of skills and diversity at the table, having a vision for yourself, and more. “It's essential that these organizations, these multibillion dollar organizations and some of the smaller ones as well, that they become inclusive. And it's not just because like I said, it's an ethical, it's a moral issue, it's because we're creating technologies, we're creating opportunities, we're reinventing what this world will look like. And in order for that to be equitable, we need everybody. We need more people at the table.” Timestamps 1:24: Ayanna Lott-Pollard, Executive Director at Resilient Coders, shares Resilient Coders’ inception, mission, and more details of what the 20 week bootcamp entails 4:34: Just like Will from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Ayanna shares that she was born and raised in West Philadelphia as well as getting into her family history, path to college and nonlinear career path 6:51: Why Ayanna’s career path has been untraditional and how life has directed her to certain places and organizations based on her life experiences 8:08: What drives Ayanna’s passion for continued learning, growing, and education for herself 9:59: Ayanna explains why skills are the new degree requirement, how automation and AI is impacting both workers and employers, and the future of tech jobs 12:23: The ethical and financial importance of decreasing the risk of discriminatory design in tech by putting diverse people in designer roles and have a seat at the table 18:11: What excites Ayanna about the future of technology and the impact Resilient Coders is creating for entire generations 20:13: The importance of Resilient Coders alumni 22:50: What inspires Ayanna to develop teams and be a transformational leader and what purpose means to her 26:02: The best piece of advice Ayanna has ever received 27:27: Ayanna’s current music rotation, including a Philly playlist, gospel, and a wide range of other music 28:26: Erik, Kerel, and Ayanna chat about and share their love for the TV show Bel Air and why it’s really important and its focus on black excellence 30:20 Where you can connect with Ayanna and find more information about Resilient Coders Follow Us: Newsletter: bitly.com/2QLEY8U Linkedin: bit.ly/2ZZUBxG Twitter: bit.ly/2Qp0SzK Instagram: bit.ly/2QLfEQc