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.
Sydney Dumler
As an Asian woman, I’ve seen and experienced a lack of representation in the fitness and fashion industries. I want Forza to be a good example of inclusivity and am proud of our diverse team and clientele. We host monthly Plus Size Pilates classes, pre and post natal sessions for pregnant women with our private instructors, and have hosted several Bring-Your-Own-Baby (BYOB) classes for new moms to work out with their newborns. We want all women to feel welcome, accepted, and strong in our space! Read more>>
C. Pop
Creating a more inclusive workplace starts with building a strong community within your team. When you’re working toward a goal, having a supportive network behind you makes all the difference. It’s important to invest and nurture your key players- people who not only bring value but also uplift and strengthen the collective vision. Read more>>
Ying Han
An inclusive workplace is crucial for graphic designers, especially in today’s hybrid and remote work culture. As creatives, our environment—both physical and digital—directly impacts our ability to focus, experiment, and produce meaningful work. From my experience, an inclusive creative workspace should support different working styles while also providing structure and accessibility to help designers stay organized and inspired. Read more>>
Jennifer Hendricks-fogg
As a special needs parent and professional, I’ve had a front-row seat to both the good and the bad when it comes to workplace inclusion. The reality is, inclusion isn’t just about meeting ADA requirements or offering accommodations—it’s about creating an environment where people actually feel supported. Read more>>
Dr. Sherone Smith-sanchez
When thinking about inclusivity, we must make room for those who think, act, and live differently than we do, while considering how our many paths and behaviors intersect with one another. Leaders often try to consider inclusivity by surface behaviors, such as potluck dinners. However, to be included one must be understood. An example of this may be found in how each ethnicity views hair. I have had many instances of colleagues attempting to touch my hair and referring to my locs as ‘dreads’. Authentic interaction with me might help them to understand that the touching of one’s hair is a very personal matter where I am from; and that the term ‘dreads’ evolved from a time when colonizers referred to our hair as dreadful locks. Read more>>
Sarah Wells
Building a more inclusive workplace means acknowledging the invisible pressures people carry, especially parents. As the founder of Sarah Wells Brand and the author of Go Ask Your Mothers, I’ve seen how cultural expectations around parenting and work collide, making it difficult to truly thrive in either space.
As a working mom—especially a new mom—I felt the immense pressure to be everything to everyone: an exceptional employee, a high-achieving professional, and a “perfect” parent, all without asking for help. Like so many mothers, I internalized the idea that I had to prove I could do it all on my own. Read more>>
Kevin Black
The closest person I have is Seth Rogen, and I only relate to him because of our connection with chubbiness and maybe our curly hair, but that’s it. There’s no real representation of main characters played by people that look like me on TV in America besides Maui and Jason Momoa, who are both fictional characters.
Since I rarely see people who look like me on TV, I make it a priority to ensure others don’t feel the same exclusion. One of my short films that I created was a story where the main killer is a female cannibal—something I don’t often see represented in the media. Bringing that vision to life was an exciting experience. Read more>>