66 - Intersectionality: the next frontier for inclusive workplaces
Blended
Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re talking about intersectionality. This is something that comes up a lot as part of our conversations here on Blended. But often it’s when we’re really exploring personal identities and sharing our experiences. And, the more we dive into the workplace, the more the nuance of intersectionality tends to disappear. There’s an ERG for this type of person, a policy for that type – but what if you’re both? When it comes to understanding the complexity of human identity, corporate is still lagging behind. But, in a climate where DEI is being...
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65 – Fighting Stigma: Overcoming Stereotypes in the Workplace
Blended
Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re taking on a big topic – stigma and stereotypes. As laws and recommendations continue to evolve at both federal and state levels, employers face an increasingly complex landscape. According to reports, some of the top challenges for employers in 2026 range from navigating compliance and whistleblowing, to dealing with issues around immigration and mental health and wellbeing. But, below all of this complexity, many employees find themselves dealing with versions of the same old problems. Stereotypes, stigma, and bias are still felt deeply by...
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64 - Diverse Voices on Industry Stages
Blended
Seek, create, mentor, partner – the four steps to getting diverse voices onto industry stages Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re talking about the ethos behind this podcast – highlighting diverse voices. The Blended podcast was founded to give people from all walks of life a platform and, as an extension of that, the Blended Pledge was established to get those people onto industry stages. Because we’ve all been at conferences and events and seen the same type of person represented time and again. We’ve heard that diverse voices...
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63 - Politics, Publicity, People: What Does the Future of DEI Really Look Like?
Blended
Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re going full circle with the show. We’re going back to our roots – because we’re talking about DEI. When Sarah founded Blended back in 2020, we were in the trenches of the pandemic. Everything was changing – within businesses, people’s personal lives, within society as a whole. And it felt more important than ever to talk about people. To share stories and get to know each other better, to learn and to really think about what we wanted things to look like for ourselves when the pandemic was over. And the root of all of that was...
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62 – Self-Worth: The Most Important Journey You’ll Ever Take
Blended
Episode 62 – Self-worth: the most important journey you’ll ever take Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re talking about something that is incredibly close to my heart – and that’s self-worth. Personally I’ve been on a self-worth journey for a while, but 2025 has been the year that I really committed much more to it. I’ve researched what self-worth really means, I’ve experimented with different ways of nurturing it, but – most importantly – I’ve started talking about it. And that is...
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61 - From authenticity to accountability – what does ethical AI really mean?
Blended
Episode 61 – From authenticity to accountability – what does ethical AI really mean? Welcome back to Blended! Today we’re talking about AI who isn’t?! But we’re not talking about efficiency or data-driven decision-making – we’re talking about ethics. Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, has said that “In no other field is the ethical compass more relevant than in artificial intelligence. AI technology brings major benefits in many areas, but without the ethical...
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60 - One billion women: Why we’re finally talking about menopause
Blended
Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re talking about menopause. Women’s health issues, from menstruation to menopause, have long been overlooked in workplaces, schools, even families. But, increasingly, those issues are coming to the fore. Women are finding their voices and speaking up about the things that impact them every single day. And finally people are paying attention. Menopause has been hitting the headlines. Many organizations are starting to look more closely at the impact of menopause in the workplace, and what it really looks like to be a more...
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59 - Privilege
Blended
Let’s make something beautiful – flipping the script on privilege Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re taking on a topic that’s been a part of many of our conversations here on Blended, from immigration to education – privilege. According to a March 2025 report, conventionally attractive employees earned $20,000 more than co-workers due to an apparent ‘pretty privilege.’ Meanwhile, another report revealed that white people as a group have better employment outcomes than their black peers. There’s even tall privilege – taller men earn more and are more...
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58 - Is A Re-Brand The Answer? The Face of ERGS in 2025
Blended
Is a re-brand the answer? The face of ERGs in 2025 Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re re-visiting a popular topic from a previous show – ERGs. We took a closer look at ERGs towards the end of 2024, and covered a lot of the basics – how they work, the challenges and opportunities, and the different responsibilities of leadership and teams in establishing, executing, and supporting ERGs. But, since that episode, a lot has changed. The US has a new administration, and one that has made bold moves in the DEI space. Now ERGs, like many...
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57 - The Different Faces of Identity: Navigating Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression
Blended
The different faces of identity: Navigating sexual orientation and gender expression Welcome back to Blended! Today, we’re talking about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. Discussions around these issues have been hitting the headlines more and more in recent months. And it’s fair to say that many recent rulings and debates have felt like a step backward for a lot of different communities – they just want the freedom to be themselves. But there’s a fundamental lack of understanding. A lot of people just don’t understand what it means to have a...
info_outlineThe panel discusses cancel culture; how and why it's changed; the role of social media; & what organizations can do to tackle it and create thriving workplaces.