One of the most powerful things about being a business owner is the ability to create a work environment according to your own principles. So many of us have worked within a company or organization and been disappointed by the way things were run, the way team members were treated. So, we wanted to ask some fantastic business owners and operators how they’ve gone about creating a more inclusive workplace.

Jan Jackson

As a black professional woman with experience in education, community engagement, and media I know all too well the importance of creating and working in an inclusive workplace. In roles throughout my career, my impact includes building coalitions across diverse groups of people; providing wraparound support to students and families, creating opportunities for community ambassadorships; establishing strategic partnerships between communities and schools; producing media to promote causes, initiatives, and people; and organizing and planning corporate and community events. Read more>>

Kamaya Tarpley

I believe it’s important to include all stories when we are writing stories. BIPOC, people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, and other minority communities/religions deserve to be represented well. Not only that, but other authors, especially indie authors need to champion each other. There is enough space for all people of all belief systems to thrive and we need more of that. Whether it’s exploring a new author, sharing a post, or creating a story that includes someone who may be albino or in a wheelchair, there is a wide future in diversity. Read more>>

Valerie Herskowitz

For the past 10 years, The Chocolate Spectrum has been offering apprenticeship style training for teens and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. These classes help to train the individual not only in learning to make pastries and chocolate, but opportunities for customer service, packing and shipping, learning organizational strategies for success in the workplace, and business social skills. Read more>>

Justin Blyden

To create a more inclusive workplace, the commitment to inclusion must be intricately tied to the organization’s values and culture; anything less will be ineffective. Once there is a commitment that inclusion is ‘who we are’ and ‘how we work’, the idea of inclusion being centered in the workplace experience is easy to implement and model. Read more>>