Theme 77: Inclusive

What makes you different? Think about it, bring it to work, share it with others, celebrate it. Don't suppress it, don't hide it, don't conform.

What's interesting about the LGBTQ+ community is that we out-earn and we out-spend out straight counterparts by more than double. It's massive! So it's pretty important to have the rainbow dollar perspective in the room I'd say!

Diversity is 2-dimensional. There's inherent diversity, which is what you're born with, and then there's acquired diversity. Acquired diversity are the things you pick up throughout your life that shape and shift your perspective on the world.

It's human to make what you know... When you have a rich cross-section of perspectives at play, it results in work we can all be proud of.

The argument for more inclusive cultures in our industry is more than just ethical... there is a business need; a need to relate to our customers and to continue to evolve as an industry. That's not just my theory. The consequences of allowing dominant cultures to exist are playing out right now: 72% of people feel most advertising does not reflect the world around them, 63% claim they don't see themselves represented in most advertising, and 60% say they don't see their community of friends, family and acquaintances accurately represented in the work we are creating for them.

A dominant culture is a cultural practice that is dominant in a particular political, social or economic entity in which multiple cultures are present. What I realised is that I was working in what's called a dominant culture. These exist in all industries. In advertising, the dominant culture happens to historically be white, male, straight, middle to upper class, which meant I was on the outer, but so were a lot of others. It was this realisation that led me to think: "it's not just women facing bias, marginalisation, under-promotion, under-mentoring and under-payment. This is a much wider issue. One that spans race, religion, sexuality, class, ability and neurodiversity." That was my motivator and turning point that helped me co-found the programme Rare.

I found myself in an industry with little-to-no role models that looked like me, talked like me or walked like me. Then the ones I did come across, the amazing female talent I did have the pleasure of working with, they would eventually change industries, drop out, or they wouldn't return after having children. So lonely! I realised that it wasn't that they didn't want to do the job, it wasn't that they didn't want to be creative or come up with ideas. It was because they felt different, they were treated differently and it didn't feel that good.

I don't just do everything for the sick child, I do it for the whole family

Everything we do is to make the children smile, it's to make the parents smile.

we boarded, they took off, we were only circling Edinburgh, they thought we were visiting Santa and we were, but not in Lapland

I can't change their treatment, I can't change the outcome of their treatment, but I can certainly make them smile inbetween.

It was only supposed to be a small support group, and I think there were 8 came the first time, and yet here we are 25 years later.

La inclusión saca lo mejor de un equipo de personas y sacar lo mejor de una persona.

If you're not on the edge of failure right now, you're probably not trying hard enough.

What is the failure that you are most proud of?

It's important to not define universal standards of failure or success in a diverse culture.

The things that don't workout should receive as much celebratory attention as the things that do.

Every time you try to do something, fail at it.

Finally, for me, my entire life makes sense.

I want you to see incarcerated individuals for where they are trying to go. If you see them on their journey, and they need help--help them.

Finally for me, my entire life makes sense. Everything that I've ever been through - every up, every down, every heartbreak, every loss.

I feel incredibly blessed to have been chosen to do this. I definitely feel chosen to do this.

The majority of the people in this room that see me today, have no idea what it's taken to get here.

See people for where they want to go.

It's better to help 10 people get to the finish line, instead of helping 100 people get half-way there.

I've learned on this journey that people also want to make a difference, but they're sort of like me - they just don't quite know how to do it. So when they find someone who's making a difference on the way, they support it.

The people that've told me 'yes' didn't have to tell me 'yes', but they did. Without them telling me yes, I couldn't do any of this work.

It's changed me. I think it's made me a lighter person. I think it's made me more of a believer in community - a believer in people.

With this work, all the dots in my life have connected. Everything makes sense for me. Everything that I've gone through, I've gone through specifically for this.

This work has changed everything about me. It's changed how I see the world.

When you wake up everyday and you're walking in your purpose, the feeling is kind of indescribable

In this work, I found my purpose in life.

I'm just not a person who can accept 'no'... A 'no' to me is like a 'maybe'. I think I've gotten this far because they're all 'maybes'.

I knew that when people pour that much into you; they give that much to you, somehow some way, you're supposed to give that back.

Even through small actions such as self reflection and conversation, we can create ripples that go on to effect change no matter how small they may be.

Question why things are the way that they are and to look deeper in those uncomfortable places. Look after your mental health while you're doing it.

Inclusion and compassion don't belong to any one culture, philosophy, or religion. The universal: when we can see ourselves in other people and other people in ourselves, we recognize our shared humanity and can have greater understanding.

We all have the same universal desire which is freedom from suffering and pain. Our wellbeing depends on rising together and looking after each other.

We have a material dependence on one another.

We need one another to survive, to grow, to learn, to live, to live, and to better ourselves. We can't do this alone.

Institutional discrimination needs to be acknowledged before real inclusive change can happen.

As a wider society, we have a massive blindspot to the beliefs that undermine socially marginalized people and to the privilege that many of us have that continues the lack of understanding of equity.

[Intersectionality] is so important and useful in highlighting where privilege and injustice meet.

Intersectionality has been such a light bulb moment for me.

[Intersectionality] explains the interconnected and compounding effect that belonging to each one of these groups can have to create a unique experience or challenge.

One of the ways in which we can support our community is by sharing our bread with them.

I wanted the principle of 'ubuntu' to be at the core of my business, the way that we treated and looked after each other, our customers, and the way we worked together.

As archbishop Desmond Tutu explains, 'A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for they have a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that they belong in a greater whole and are diminished when others are humiliated, tortured or oppressed.'

Ubuntu fundamentally means: I am because we are.

A few years ago, a friend told me about the concept of Ubuntu which is a Nguni Bantu term from southern Africa.

I wanted to make a place where everyone felt really safe, heard, seen, and respected.

I wanted to create the kind of work environment that I would want to work in.

I wanted delicious inclusion.

Starting The Midnight Baker was the opportunity for me to create something from scratch. I could fold my core values of compassion and responsibility into the fabric of its make up.

I knew that I'd always wanted to do something of my own and that I wanted to work with food. Food brings people together.

The feeling of wanting to do something never ever goes away.

We don't exist alone on an island, as individuals in a vacuum. We're members of family units, friend groups, religious centers, communities, and workplaces. We know and see suffering as a universal human experience.

Inclusive action is a by-product of freedom.

There are all of these different populations of people who are just waiting to be included. And they are just waiting. So I would hope that all of us - me too, and Beyonce - will continue to keep doing what we can to bring more people together and make everybody feel welcome.

When I think about what it means to be inclusive, it means to me, that nobody has to apologize for what they bring into the room. No one is any better than anybody else because of what they bring into the room.

I really had to think about, did I want to replicate the exclusion that I was feeling or did I want to do something different?

La vida tiene altos y bajos.

Baut Beziehungen auf mit den Objekten, mit denen Ihr zu tun habt und redet mit ihnen.

What have you been saying ‘no’ to that it’s just time that you start saying ‘yes’ to?

Allow your walls to break down. Remove what may be there, and see the brilliance inside yourselves and others so that you also can become a brighter, more innovative, more creative changemaker than you already are.

How many times have I walked right past these brilliant experiences and opportunities and blessings just because I did not allow them in?

The way you are represented or misrepresented or not presented at all has tremendous political consequences.

What am I doing that I could change so that it could be accessible to more people?

Being inclusive means you always have to adapt. You have to adapt to the people who are in the room.

What do people need to hear? They need to hear that they’re not being judged.

La lengua materna es el regalo más hermoso que nos han dejado nuestros ancestros. Es el alma y la armadura de las mujeres de nuestros pueblos indígenas.

Yo no quiero que mis hijas repitan la historia que nosotras vivimos ante los tiempos pasados.

If we do want the beloved community…then everyone needs to feel that they belong. Everyone needs to feel that they can thrive.

Self-reflection is one of the biggest smallest things you can do.

Every voice has something to contribute, and every voice matters in our community. Sometimes we have to pause long enough to let those softer voices have their say.

Leadership is a behavior – not a role.

If you have an idea or a thought for something novel, keep pushing until you can get someone to listen to you. What you say matters, and you have to find a way to get it out there.

We need to make sure we’re actually listening to understand, and not listening to argue.

Obituaries are more about life than about death. They're the last opportunity that you have to really talk about somebody's contribution to the world and society.

What could I do to advance this conversation?

Before expecting being included from others, you should start by embracing yourself first.

We think that our decisions come from our mind but no we sense it first before our brain can decide so if you felt its not the right thing. Step back

I need to be included in my way.

.انسانية الاهتمام نحو شمولية الكون

A human care towards an inclusive universe.

Certainly, there are a lot of moments in this exhibition where you will catch your breath or you will want to cry or you will want to curse, or you’ll want to walk away; you’ll want to rage, but there really is a layer of hope embedded in the concepts that course through this exhibition. There’s this idea of celebrating America’s hard-fought successes in the battle for equality while also advocating for the fact that we need continuing reflection, conversation and action to grow as a nation and build a more just society.

It matters for each and every one of us to work toward building an authentic community of curiosity and leadership rooted in optimism, love and understanding for one-another.

Who's missing?

Inclusive practice means having allies from the very start.

A bit of a caveat with active listening as a way to be more inclusive: not everyone is ready to share their story.

There are universal themes in stories that allow us to connect.

Sometimes work is a season; you have to take a break so that you can reconnect with what you love.

We are the best versions of ourselves when we are given the opportunity and ability to ask for help, and knowing that the response we are going to receive is compassion.

We're the best versions of ourselves when we truly accept the uniqueness and backgrounds of one-another's identities.

Diversity means being invited to the dance and inclusion is being asked to dance.

When you do well, we all do well!

A conspirator is someone who is actively trying to help you get to the next level. They're putting risk on themselves, risking their reputation. They're advocating for you on the highest levels.

A sponsor is somebody who's going to champion you and who has decision making capabilities. They champion you behind closed doors. This person takes you to the next level of leadership.

An ally is somebody who's going to put your idea forward, who's going to push you and represent you.

The first level of [allyship] is being an advocate. An advocate is somebody who promote and say it, but there's no risk in it. You're somebody who's just absorbing and understanding what diversity, equity, and inclusion means.

Everybody has some form of privilege and power in position.

How can I help somebody else that I have no experience in their stories?

How do you amplify others?

Inclusion means amplifying voices, even if they are a little different or unfamiliar.

Inclusion means being uncomfortable.

When you're in your company, what can I do to really push diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Inclusion means trying something new and leading with curiosity.

Hiring and retaining diverse talent is imperative, especially when the demographics are changing.

Focus on what is authentic to yourself and what is something that you're able to compromise.

Push the barriers of how you put yourself out there and how can I be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Diversity means being invited to the dance and inclusion is being asked to dance.

We need all of us to be caring about [inclusion].

Not only is diversity, equity, and inclusion the right thing to do — it's a business case.

You have to take an audit at the table and see who's not represented in here?

Inclusion is a daily habit. You have to proactively and intentionally have inclusion in mind.

Stay open to unusual approaches.

If you’re struggling, look at a problem from a different direction.

If you’ve stumbled on a big idea, it’s really important that you show where it could go.