Critical Conversations

This panel of DEI practitioners from across the country will discuss:

• What DEI work is and what accountability looks like as it relates to DEI
• What organizations aren’t talking about that they should be
• What they see clients struggle with the most in their DEI initiatives
• How the speakers help clients move forward successfully

REGISTER ON ZOOM

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Moderator
Lynn Carlson (she/her)
CEO
Gemini Corps

​​Lynn is the founder and CEO of Gemini Corps, LLC. She is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP®) and Organizational Development practitioner with a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology. She has 23 years’ corporate experience as an operation’s executive and Agile PMP with a proven track record implementing inclusive leadership, diverse team recruiting and retention, culture of belonging, and equitable policies and practices. Her work is informed by her lived experience in under-resourced communities in the south. She is facilitator for the City of Pasco Inclusivity Diversity and Equity Commission (IDEC) and a member of the Tri-Cities Diversity & Inclusion Council, the Tri-Cities Racial Equity and Social Justice Coalition (RESJ), and MyTri 2030 Inclusion Council. Lynn is an active volunteer in local community groups serving youth and adults including eMerge, Junior Achievement, WA STEM, and SCORE.

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Panelist
Pharoah Bolding (he/him)
Organizational Development Specialist
Portland Community College

Pharoah Bolding is the Organizational Development Representative at Portland Community College, an anti-racism and equity consultant, trainer, and facilitator, and the (self-proclaimed) World's Greatest Comic Drawing HR Professional! He's worked with teams and organizations in everything from the tech sector and local government to nonprofits, higher ed, and even sports and entertainment. Pharoah's work focuses on dismantling white supremacist workplace cultures, building inclusive and equitable work cultures focused on human connection, ethical and empathic recruiting, and teaching equity, inclusion, and anti-racism through discussions and trainings. You can find out more about Pharoah and his work at www.pharoahbolding.com.

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Panelist
Madison Butler (she/her)
Founder
Blue Haired Unicorn

Madison Butler is a native New Englander who has brought her east coast energy to Texas. She is a Black, queer woman, and she is also a survivor. She is the owner/founder of Blue Haired Unicorn, a consulting agency. Her work is focused around designing spaces and creating scalable strategies to achieve psychological safety. She is an outspoken advocate for mental health, removing the stigma around trauma and advocates for being “human at work’. She is passionate about facilitating hard conversations through storytelling, data and tough empathy. 
 
Madison has been featured in major news outlets such as New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Business Insider and Der Spiegel. She has been recognized by Linkedin as a top Black voice to follow. She was also recognized as Austin’s rising star by DivInc in 2021.She is looked upon as an expert in her field and is passionate about using her platform to have the hard conversations.
 
Madison is committed to deconstructing the status quo and rebuilding corporate America, one organization at a time. Her mission is to ensure that no one ever feels like spaces were not made for them because we all deserve to live out loud. She is a start-up enthusiast and is passionate about building inclusive teams from the ground up with early stage companies. Madison is committed to helping change the narrative around what it looks like to be “human at work”, and hopes to reshape the way we look at ourselves at work and in life.

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Panelist
Sacha Thompson (she/her)
​Leadership Coach, DEI Consultant, Speaker

Sacha Thompson is the founder of The Equity Equation, LLC, a diversity coaching and consulting firm based in the Washington, DC area. With nearly 20 years of experience within the education, non-profit, and tech industries, Sacha has seen the challenges faced by executives with good intentions struggling to make decisions around diversity; where executives are motivated to do the ‘right thing’ regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) but may be hindered by their own biases and fears. She’s also seen and experienced the damage endured by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) employees when they feel they are not centered/valued in their company’s DEI efforts.

Sacha’s work is about removing barriers and providing support in order to get to a place of equality. She helps executives and leaders have that meaningful dialogue and coach them to the necessary, long-term changes that develop institutional cultures of DEI.

Sacha is a Certified Professional Diversity Coach and 4 Stages of Psychological Safety Certified Coach. Sacha received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology, concentrating on Cultural Diversity &Ethnicity and a Master’s in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from The College of William and Mary. She has also acquired her Masters of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University, where she focused on management and marketing.

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Panelist
Jared Karol (he/him)
Public Speaker, Author 

Jared Karol is the founder of JaredKarol.com, a consulting firm specializing in guiding White people to confront racism and be unapologetic antiracists. As a trusted advisor, he guides executives, people managers, and dedicated change agents at Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits. A sought-after professional speaker, panel moderator, leadership coach, and facilitator of difficult conversations, Jared’s storytelling approach inspires and influences individuals and groups worldwide. His new book, A White Guy Confronting Racism: An Invitation to Reflect and Act, launches November 15, 2021. An avid reader, accomplished musician, and active meditator, he lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn how you can bring Jared to your organization at JaredKarol.com.

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