Take The Lead is sharing your Power To Change Stories here, in our weekly newsletter, and in an upcoming ebook collection. Each week we highlight true, personal stories from around the world of how you are using your power to activate change. Together we can support each other in the mission to reach gender and racial parity in leadership across all sectors. Submit your stories here.
By Kim Hunt. Though the ACA came too late for Rhonda, her story gives me the power to change the narrative for those who face similar challenges and ensure access to quality affordable health care. Her story inspires my advocacy for the current HB4430/SB3209 legislation, which increases access to two highly effective methods of HIV preventative healthcare, and my efforts to support marginalized and underrepresented individuals.
Read MoreBy Danielle Dao. My passion to work outside the box has strongly driven the last few decades of my career in cannabis. As this industry continues to evolve and adapt to increasing regulation, we’re seeing exciting steps forward, but we’re also seeing areas where we can still improve.
Read MoreBy Jasmine Beverley. The start of a year is a new beginning. My baby would be due in a few weeks, and I could not continue to cry and suffer in silence. I had to make the decision to be happy, to choose life and happiness. I wrote this book, The Unseen Veil, to help women who have never had a voice, women who have been silent, and those who have stayed silent.
Read MoreBy Samantha Smith. My philosophy on hiring is straightforward: hire the best. But upon reflection, did I have access to the best? Was I spending enough time looking at candidates who didn't use keywords that would appear on candidate searches? Did I widen my scope enough to attract a diverse candidate pool for my team?
Read MoreBy Asha Dahya. I focus on reproductive rights, gender equality, and the representation of women in media. I am passionate about empowering women, girls and femmes to take up space, raise their voice and share their story with the world.
Read MoreBy Mahja Sulemanjee Bortocek. I'm the CEO and Founder of High Haven Cannabis, a minority-owned, woman-led cannabis multi-state company. At High Haven, we admire the cannabis plant and want to bring universal acceptance of its consumption and use. Normalizing cannabis has always been my guiding light.
Read MoreBy Brittany Ristucci Warner. I chose to take that "too positive" energy to create my own opportunities, which included completing an accelerated MBA program while working full-time, starting a private consulting firm, partnering with a well-known scientist to create a biologics company, completing an Ironman Triathlon, opening a private surgery center, being selected to the Board of Directors for The Volunteer Center of NE Chicago, serving as assistant Mission Director for Face the Future Foundation and even more.
Read MoreBy Aiysha Johnson. I decided to combine my expertise connecting others to resources with my desire to help other women and founders of color. As a result, I founded the Global Brand Expansion (GBE) Lab, a tech-enabled educational and financial startup, to close opportunity gaps for women and founders of color through training, resources, and access to capital.
Read MoreBy Jessica Shaw. In recent years, we have witnessed a tremendous shift in the way we view mental health and wellness as a society. However, an area that is often left out of this discussion are the physical spaces in which we inhabit. The places in which we live our lives are strong factors in how we feel. One-third of our time is spent at work and 90% of our time is spent indoors. So, whether you work in a traditional office setting or from home, the design of these spaces is definitely something to consider.
Read MoreBy Jeannette Ceja. I vividly remember moments from my childhood spent sitting in front of the television after school, learning and absorbing everything I possibly could. I would ask myself: “How come the hosts who were showing me a diverse world of destinations, cultures, and languages, were not diverse themselves?” The absence of representation on television and in travel media left a lifelong impact. It’s why I pursued a degree in broadcast journalism. I wanted to make a change that I did not see in the states.
Read MoreBy Allié McGuire. I was introduced to Mehr Mursal Amiri, a 24-year-old female Afghan reporter, with a phone call, while she was hiding from the Taliban in Kabul. My name is Allié McGuire. I'm the Editor-in-Chief of AwareNow Magazine. A journalist made this introduction along with the suggestion for an interview, as she thought I could help Mehr have her story seen and heard. In that first conversation, we connected in a way and on a level that neither of us could have expected.
Read MoreBy Fatima Henson. This technology gap is a national crisis for U.S. students who face a myriad of difficulties accessing education during the COVID-19 pandemic. My school district has spearheaded an effort to close the
technology divide by implementing the “Digital Dreamers” program and providing students with personal computers to create a one-to-one technology learning environment.
By Gloria Lau. I moved from Hong Kong to the U.S. when I was 18. New life chapters unfolded, including becoming a mother. It wasn’t until I was navigating care for my youngest child that I learned about the difficulties within the U.S. healthcare system. The more I talked with other moms, colleagues and friends, the clearer it became that women almost exclusively shoulder the burden in the healthcare world. I wanted to rebuild the healthcare system for women. Alpha Medical was formed with the goal of providing access to quality medical care — regardless of whether you have insurance, or are close to a doctor or pharmacy
Read MoreBy Alexis La’Shay Smith. I was born with cerebral palsy, a physical disability that is a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth. As a result, all four of my limbs are affected. I am a student volunteer for an organization called Hey U.G.L.Y.(Unique Gifted Lovable You) where I monthly post videos on my YouTube channel called Advisable Alexis in effort to prevent suicide, which is caused by bullying.
Read MoreBy Eya Labidi. As a young teenage girl, I was passionate about personal development and positivity since childhood. I decided to devote my free time and energy to developing myself and working on my goals. Being a dynamic, dedicated, persevering, and determined person, my mission is to help others achieve their dreams, believe in themselves, believe in their capacities, find motivation, courage, and inspiration. Aiming to also help them find their true self, discover their strengths and talents.
Read MoreBy Geetika Singh. I often wonder how I would have survived without the power of a safety bubble that my
parents taught me to create around me wherever I went. When struck with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 17, I was almost devastated. I was not even a graduate then and had a whole life ahead of me. Type 1 diabetes meant taking multiple insulin injections daily, pricking self to check and monitor blood glucose level, eating the restrictive diet and exercising regularly.That is when my parents along with other family members taught me two simple yet powerful aspects to implement at all stages in life.
By Janet Phan. I am where I am today because of my mentors who created access and opportunities. When I came to this realization, it hit me hard. I needed to be the person that helped pave the way for others so their path to success can be easier than mine. When I thought about how I got to where I am, I couldn’t help but give the credit to my mentors who believed in me and took a chance on me. As a result, Thriving Elements was born.
Read MoreI’m expanding my research and consulting to take an account of the effects of systemic inequity on organizational efforts. The external context for diversity and inclusion in the United States has become more complicated in recent years, with a shift from subtle to overt expressions of bias and a rise in white populism. The January 6th insurrection at the Capitol is one example.
Read MoreBy Lisa Padilla. Last spring, my family and I used an old desk, painted it, made a sign that says, “Take what you need, leave what you can” secured it to our white picket fence in front of our home and added non-perishable food. The next morning The Melba Blessing Box was overflowing with donations of food and toiletries. It has continued to grow since that day funded by monetary and in-kind donations, we have partnered with local organizations to continue to supply basic needs and resources.
Read MoreBy Katara McCarty. From out of the realities of abandonment by my biological mother, being bi-racial and growing up in a Black home, I realized early in life that the color of my skin mattered. I became a single mother at 19 and found the courage to leave an abusive relationship. Today, I am a sought-after coach, author, and podcast host dedicated to cultivating brave spaces of belonging for Black, Indigenous, Women of Color (BIWOC). As a Black woman, I am committed to amplifying the richness of BIWOC and their stories, while also advocating for and providing emotional well-being resources for BIWOC, through my app EXHALE.
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