Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leila Ellis-Nelson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Leila, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

In 2015 Leila was asked by Dr. Chukwuemeka Ikegwuonu to visit his student group on the campus of Arizona State University specifically focused on improving Black male outcomes in post-secondary institutions. We had the opportunity to really process the intersection of racism, college outcomes, how to ask for help and support, and unpack the barriers associated with Black men as they reach out to identified sources of care. Conversations like this happen often, but typically in a vacuum and not consistently enough to truly address the issues that have the biggest adverse impact. In part, it’s because these young men are rarely if ever, invited into the decision-making spaces where policies, procedures, and macro-level strategies are developed and implemented. They’re the beneficiaries of an ineffective system that was never designed to see them, care about them, or support them. As I continued speaking with Dr. Ikegwuonu further about some of these concerns, we realized how pivotal it was to open up the conversation to the various people harmed most by these systems; giving them a voice to be active participants in the decision-making process. From here, we created a podcast called Just A Thought, which had the dual purpose of finding Black people from across various communities and backgrounds to share their stories about how they found their way into their respective careers, their hobbies, and their lives. To be an honest and authentic representation of the beauty and diversity of Blackness; so that listeners could see the possibilities that await them. So that they could see their future. So they could find their community. So that they could find themselves. So many dynamic dialogues led us to look into grant opportunities that would allow us to take our experiences as Black higher education professionals and contribute to the research about barriers to education equity, while also taking up space in the rooms where the decisions are made. That’s where Changing Perspectives was born, It was in our minds and hearts this whole time, it just needed a tangible place to exist, We knew this would work because we saw the fire in the eyes of those young men on the ASU campus, and the vulnerability and eagerness of our podcast guests proved it was necessary, While we worked to solve problems that have existed for centuries, we knew that our unique perspectives (pun intended) would help to further push the mission forward. Now, Changing Perspectives takes a Human-Centered Design approach to consulting. The focus is on empathically solving problems through a process of uncovering issues related to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusivity faced by those who’ve been historically excluded (e.g., people who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latin/x/e, AAPI, and low-income) and continually dealing with markers of oppression; specifically, with primary education schools, post-secondary institutions, mental health institutions, and any businesses looking to improve outcomes and relations. We’re in the business of generating ideas and creating tangible solutions to problems that have a positive long-term impact on the historically excluded.

Leila, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Changing Perspectives is a multi-disciplinary practice focused on the provision of consultation services with an emphasis on justice, diversity, equity, & inclusion run by Dr. Leila Ellis-Nelson & Dr. Chukwuemeka Ikegwuonu. Our goal is to ensure that our clients have the resources and skills necessary to truly support their employees, community partners and consumers, in a way that allows them to feel seen, heard, & honored. We work through the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) model as it relates to understanding the unique experiences of persons from historically excluded and minoritized communities. At its core, it recognizes the challenges faced by individuals belonging to historically excluded communities, and works actively to dismantle barriers faced by minoritized groups. Our work is systemic, and honors the reality faced by those living with the challenges that those with privilege do not.

As a unit, Drs. Ellis-Nelson and Ikegwuonu developed the report, Inequities in Higher Ed: A Review of Key Issues & Equity-Centered Strategies, for partners IFS, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Catalyst Education, which turned into a 6-episode podcast mini-series; Drs. Ellis-Nelson & Ikegwuonu also sit on the Student Voice Committee for Tides. In addition to their partnership with One Million Degrees (supporting 2-year institutions in the greater Chicago area), they’ve recently partnered with the APLU on a 4-part nationwide equity roundtable series facilitating dialogues between administrators, faculty members, staff, and students which led to final report outlining best practices for creating a campus culture of belongingness, inclusivity, equity, diversity, and community buy-in. They recently won the 2022 Catalyst Award in the Training & Professional Development category from educational partners, Blackboard and Anthology in partnership with Augusta Technical College. Through their work, they’ve served as key stakeholders in various projects, all of which they would love to co-develop and implement in partnership in the post-secondary education, corporate, tech and mental health space.

Leila Ellis-Nelson [She|Her] earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP). She is co-owner of Changing Perspectives, a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity (JEDI) consulting firm in the Chicagoland area that works explicitly to develop tool kits, strategies, policies, podcasts, and other deliverables for organizations and institutions. This work happens through a comprehensive institutional assessment, executive coaching, data review, group dialogues, and community collaboration. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor within the Department of Psychology at Roosevelt University. Her knowledge of the inner workings of the human condition as a mental health professional and how it relates to short- and long-term goal achievement provide her with a unique lens in the development of belongingness- and JEDI initiatives.

Chukwu(emeka) Eh-meh-ka (Ikegwuonu) [He|Him] is a quantitative researcher that investigates internal and external influences on institutions of higher education and the implications on student behavior. Professor Emeka’s current research focuses on higher education institutions and their impact on retention and affordability. Drawing upon quantitative analytic strategies and other interdisciplinary frameworks, he examines how internal and external factors impact institutional policies that affect students and personnel daily. When he is not fulfilling his teaching or research responsibilities, he can be found enjoying the outdoors with his family.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

When Leila moved on campus to start her first days at the University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) she took part in the African American Student Enrichment Initiatives Office Freshman Leadership Program. In doing so, she was able to move on campus 2 weeks earlier than the rest of the new and returning students along with a small cohort of Black students who were also first starting their undergraduate careers. One of the many perks of the program was being connected to upperclassmen mentors. These mentors had the goal of helping you acclimate to life on campus, connecting you to on- and off-campus resources, and really working to instill a sense of inclusion and belonging in a space that was completely new, away from the places we called home, around a bunch of new faces. One of the upperclassmen mentors was Emeka (Dr. Chukwuemeka Ikegwuonu). He was one of the first people to greet me when I stepped foot on campus, was always sure to check in with my cohort, not out of obligation, but genuine care, and was always a never ending well of information. He literally knew everything! To this day whenever I have a question about something I turn to him before I turn to Alexa or Siri.

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

Our first consulting opportunity required us to develop a report on the inequities in higher education. We compiled a team of researchers who were experts in higher education to generate
this report. We created a structure that outlined the sections and subtopics of interest that
addressed a historical perspective concerning inequities in higher education and strategies
institutional administrators can utilize to solve these issues. We started the project without
concerns; however, halfway through the grant, several contributors had not completed their
sections or provided an outline of what they would cover. In one instance, an individual did not
attend one bi-weekly meeting. As the project continued, we found significant concerns with the
submitted strategies, and one of the sections was not completed at all. This required us to write
an entire section, with multiple strategies, within 24 hours while completing the other sections
that needed review. We completed the project within the designated time frame outlined in the
statement of work; however, we completed a significant portion of the work even though we
subcontracted out for help. We learned the importance of oversight in completing projects, and it
is essential to provide deadlines for outcomes. In addition, if individuals are not completing their
assigned duties, have developmental plans in place to help ensure they understand their role and
how it is pivotal to the completion of the project. Most importantly, if they fail to maintain the
standards, a separation between you and the subcontractor is the best course of action. We
learned this lesson the hard way, which required us to work additional hours without pay to
complete the report.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.changing-perspectives.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changing.perspectives/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041169942173
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/79600898/admin/feed/posts/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChiPerspective
• Other: Podcast https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-a-thought-el

Image Credits
Photo 1: APLU student, faculty, and staff convening participants Photo 2: Emeka & Leila Photo 3: L to R – Averyanna, Lamar, Emeka, Leila, Kaari, and Brandon