March 2022: Diversity Season is NOT Over

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It’s the last day of Women’s History Month.

The period I’ve come to refer to as the “popular diversity season” is wrapping up. I feel a certain sense of mourning, especially this year, as the Women 40 over 40 International initiative I had the honor to contribute to wraps up.

Diversity season is NOT over.

There are many occasions to celebrate diversity throughout the year.

April is Celebrate Diversity Month, including World Autism and Earth Day + many religious celebrations throughout. May is Mental Health Awareness and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. June is for Pride. In September and October: National Hispanic Heritage Month + Global Diversity Awareness Month + National Disability Employment Awareness Month + World Mental Health Day. November is for Native American Heritage + Movember. And December has World AIDS Day and International Day of Persons with Disabilities + International Human Rights Day. And of course, February for Black History and March, well, you know. And those are just the “popular” ones.

Here is a novel concept – what if we celebrated Diversity everyday?

To me, diversity is about bringing variety together, about exploring cultures, about giving space and air to alternative points-of-view, about looking for different solutions to thorny and even gnarly problems, about valuing different backgrounds and experiences, about creating a collection of different interests, capabilities, and lifestyles.

It’s a muscle we must exercise and develop, everyday. There are no days off. No finish lines. No seasons.

At the end of my favorite month, I find myself in my favorite city, Munich, optimistic. Buzzing from a week of research, discussions, ideation and inspiration, I feel ready to take action. I feel loved, exactly for who I am.

I am formalizing a role for myself in the diversity arena, with my new consulting endeavor, pageight. ‘Tis the season for my experiences, my my capabilities and my voice to be part of the change we desperately need. To help redesign corporate cultures, to agitate the status quo, to light the fire of urgency, and to GSD. Count on me to purposefully shape creativity, strategy and digital transformation initiatives with clients though the lens of diversity and sustainability. More to come.

Meanwhile, let us not stop celebrating and elevating women, past, present and future.