We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ananda Puchta. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ananda below.

Alright, Ananda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?

Creating a More Inclusive Workplace: Tips and Personal Insights

Advice for Creating a More Inclusive Workplace

Hey there! If you’re looking to make your workplace more inclusive, I’ve got some tips that can really make a difference. Let’s dive in:

Active Listening: This is a big one. Make sure everyone feels heard. When people know their voices matter, they’re more likely to share their unique perspectives.

Safe Spaces: Create an environment where folks feel comfortable discussing different points of view. Respect internal policies and foster a culture of learning together.

Intersectional Policies: Develop policies that recognize the different intersectionalities in people’s lives. Everyone’s experience is unique, and your policies should reflect that.

Educational Events: Host events, courses, and lectures on diversity, inclusion, and equity. Knowledge is power, and these can help build a sense of belonging.

Belonging: Ultimately, aim to create an environment where everyone feels like they belong. When people feel included, they’re more engaged and productive.

Personal Journey and Insights

Now, let me share a bit about my journey and how it shaped my views on inclusivity.

Back in 2018, I had the incredible opportunity to be part of a fellowship sponsored by Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. This nonprofit, based in the US, has been working on diversity and inclusion issues for over 25 years. During this fellowship, I realized just how crucial companies are in promoting inclusivity. Sometimes, governments fall short in providing adequate public policies to protect vulnerable groups. That’s where companies can step in, not only by demanding effective actions but also by creating safe spaces where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work.

This experience was a game-changer for me. I shifted my career focus from nonprofit development and human rights to the private sector. At that time, diversity and inclusion were just starting to gain traction in Brazil, and there weren’t many professionals who understood the complexities of these topics. I saw an opportunity to make a real impact.

On the flip side, I’ve also experienced the negative side of an unhealthy workplace. When I was a law intern, the legal environment in Brazil was incredibly prejudiced. If you didn’t fit the expected mold, your career could suffer. I remember feeling like I couldn’t talk about my relationship with a woman or the fact that my family was working class. It was a tough environment that almost made me give up on law school and the career I wanted to build.

These experiences taught me the importance of inclusivity in the workplace. It’s not just about policies and procedures; it’s about creating a culture where everyone feels valued and respected. So, let’s work together to build workplaces where everyone can thrive!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m excited to share a bit about myself and my journey with you all. My name is Ananda Puchta, and I’m a 35-year-old professional hailing from the city of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. I’m the youngest daughter of an incredibly strong black woman who was born in Rio Branco, Acre, up in the north of our country, in the rainforest. Growing up, I was always driven by a deep sense of empathy and a burning desire to fight against social injustices. My mom, being a teacher, instilled in me the importance of education from a young age.
I spent most of my school years in public schools, but I was fortunate enough to earn a scholarship to a high-class private high school. This experience was a game-changer for me. I was the only person of color in the school, and making friends was tough. The racism in my city is complex, and while it’s different from the US experience, the feeling of not belonging was very real. Yet, I knew I had the same capabilities as everyone else there.
Thanks to my mom’s connections and my dedication, I got the chance to participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. At 16, I found myself boarding a plane to spend a year in the Slovak Republic. This experience was transformative. My host mom was a lawyer and following her around sparked my interest in law. It also opened my eyes to different cultures and the universal nature of human emotions. Despite our differences, we all feel the same things, and that’s the beauty of being human.
Upon returning to Brazil, I got into the Federal University of Paraná, the largest public university in my state. I was part of one of the first classes to benefit from racial quotas, with just 8 students of color in a class of 200. During my time there, I came to terms with my identity as a lesbian woman and realized the importance of giving back to society. I started working with an NGO called Grupo Dignidade and eventually led their legal team. From 2016 to 2019, we worked on accelerating legal cases in the Supreme Court that defended LGBTQIA+ rights. We achieved significant victories, including the right for queer folks to donate blood, the ability for transgender people to change their birth certificates without a legal process, and the criminalization of LGBTQphobia (https://youtu.be/2b8v1EwnxBw?si=neZEjNFcgNJYYfAR). Representing my community in court was a turning point in my career and I’m really honored and humble to have been a part of this process.
Since then, I’ve been collaborating with various companies, international NGOs, and public offices as a keynote speaker and consultant on diversity and inclusion. I develop strategic business models focused on social responsibility, culture change, and representation. What sets me apart is my lived experience and my unwavering commitment to making a difference.
I’m most proud of the impact I’ve had on my community and the visibility I’ve gained to drive change. I want potential clients, followers, and fans to know that my work is rooted in empathy, justice, and a deep understanding of the challenges we face.
My purpose is to influence people in the public and private sectors to promote human rights and sustainable economic development, fostering a positive impact on the planet and society. I’m passionate about developing business strategies with impact, so no one is left behind!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Back in 2018, just a month before I was set to fly to San Francisco, CA, for the Out & Equal Fellowship, I faced a major health challenge. It was the middle of winter in Curitiba, around July, and I was attending a meeting at the local BAR Association. We were celebrating the International Day of Black Latin American and Caribbean Women, named after Teresa de Benguela. After a three-hour ceremony, I tried to stand up from my chair but couldn’t. A sharp pain shot through my lower back, and my left leg was paralyzed.

I went straight to an orthopedic clinic, and the initial suspicion was a disc herniation in my lower back. After three days of being unable to walk, taking a lot of painkillers, and undergoing several exams, my doctor confirmed the diagnosis: a herniated disc in my lumbar spine. I couldn’t move my left leg, yet I had to catch a plane in one month to spend six weeks abroad working with amazing people.

Determined not to let this setback stop me, I went to physical therapy every day until the trip. I continued the exercises on my own while I was in the US. This experience was transformative. Since then, I shifted my health habits, struggled to lose more than 12kg to ease the strain on my back, and returned to Pilates, yoga, and the gym to develop core muscles and prevent future crises.

I was incredibly thankful to be able to walk again, and today, I can even run short distances. This experience taught me the importance of resilience and discipline in maintaining my body’s ability to carry me through the day. Exercise became a gateway to also focus on mental health, nutrition, and financial health. Through this process, I continue to learn and understand that doing at least one task everyday focused on our well-being is key to surviving the craziness of today’s society.

This journey was a tough one, but it showed me that with resilience and discipline, we can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

After my incredible experience with Out & Equal in 2018, I felt a strong urge to dive deeper into how diversity and inclusion initiatives were shaping businesses in Brazil. Fast forward to February 2019, I found myself standing in the Supreme Court, defending the criminalization of LGBTQphobia. That moment was a game-changer, giving me the visibility I needed to catch the attention of various companies.

The rest of the year was a whirlwind. I was constantly traveling to São Paulo, delivering lectures, keynotes, and consulting with companies eager to understand the impact of the case I was involved in. They also wanted to learn how to address intersectionality in their diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. Despite this newfound visibility, I didn’t have a solidified career path. I was seen more as an activist than a strategic business professional, and my work in human rights and NGOs didn’t provide a stable budget.

So, I decided to pivot. In March 2020, I took an entry-level position in the private sector at Exxon Mobil’s office in Curitiba. This move opened countless doors for me. People began to see me as a professional with a diverse skill set. I also learned to adapt my communication style from the formal judicial vocabulary to a more business-oriented language.

This career shift taught me the importance of effectively communicating our stories and making our messages accessible to the audience we want to impact. Communication is a journey, and I’m still learning every day from my colleagues and friends. My goal is to spread the message of inclusion to the widest audience possible.

Pivoting can be challenging, but it often leads to unexpected and rewarding opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anandapuchta/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandapuchta/

Image Credits

Pictures were taken by non professional photographers.