Diversity Straight Up

Jun 19 2023 1
Diversity Straight Up Podcast artwork

“Diversity Straight Up” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington dig into the topics of equity, diversity, inclusion and engagement (EDI&E) through authentic and challenging conversations with C-suite leaders. Expect frank questions and honest answers, and real-life lessons on how to leverage diversity as an asset, rather than see it as a liability. This Corridor Media Group podcast is sponsored by ACT, Alliant Energy, and Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.

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Lisha Coffey: Redefining Modern Leadership

Jun 19 2023 64 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Lisha Coffey, President of Travero, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy that is providing freight solutions to keep customers moving.Anthony and Sarika talk with Lisha about pride month and the issues that the State of Iowa is grappling with therein, about the nuances of "tokenism" and the differences between being identified as a female leade

Okpara Rice: Navigating Mental Health Post-Pandemic

May 22 2023 62 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Okpara Rice, Chief Executive Officer of Tanager Place, the nonprofit providing services to children and families that inspire, empower, and heal.Anthony and Sarika talk with Okpara about how they're approaching gun violence in the world today, how our collective approach to mental health has changed since the pandemic, how Okpara's backgr

Katie Castillo-Wilson: Celebrating Your Minority Status

Mar 27 2023 57 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Katie Castillo-Wilson, Founder and CEO of Tap On It, a mobile database development company based in Davenport, Iowa.Anthony and Sarika talk with Katie about the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, her unique personal journey in discovering and claiming her cultural background, what it means for a business founder to "claim the race", how she

Tina Gridiron: Whatever You Do, Keep Moving Forward

Feb 27 2023 58 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Tina Gridiron, Vice President of the ACT Center for Equity in Learning.Anthony and Sarika talk with Tina about the education of black history in schools, what it’s like to be the woman who advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in every job she’s had, and the role that standardized testing plays in access to higher education i

Maurice Nelson: From Values to Action

Jan 30 2023 64 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Maurice Nelson, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Sacred Heart University. Anthony and Sarika talk with Maurice about the unique work of serving as an advocate for social justice and DEI in a religious institution, how his "non-negotiable values" informed his position to take on the job, how they're dramatically increased enrollm

Joe Enriquez Henry: Building Coalitions for Equality

Nov 07 2022 48 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Joe Enriquez Henry of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Forward Latino. Anthony and Sarika talk with Joe about how he and LULAC have navigated crisis, his experiences and accomplishments as a leader in the social justice space, and the group explores the current state of Puerto Rico's journey to become the 51st stat

Janessa Calderon: Holding Space and Creating Impact

Oct 24 2022 42 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Janessa Calderon, Executive Director of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Anthony and Sarika talk with Janessa about her work with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, what it has meant for her to be the youngest person to ever hold the position, how she manages to create impact as a one-person team, Janessa shares some i

Beth Malicki: Bringing Equity to the Media

Sep 12 2022 53 mins  
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Beth Malicki, News Anchor and Managing Editor for KCRG-TV9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since 2005.Anthony and Sarika talk with Beth about her personal experiences with inclusivity and adversity, her thoughts on how the media can grow in diversity and equity, how her work as a founding director of the Zach Johnson Foundation has influenced her v

Courtney Reyes: Prioritizing Inclusivity

Jul 18 2022 40 mins  
In this episode, our hosts chat remotely with Courtney Reyes, Executive Director of One Iowa, a statewide LGBTQ equality organization. Anthony and Sarika talk with Courtney about One Iowa’s mission, how her background brought her to this line of work, and what executives can do to be more inclusive of their employees and teams. The group also explores their thoughts on recent sho

Rajesh Anandan: Reimagining Social Entrepreneurship [Live from EntreFEST 2022]

Jun 20 2022 52 mins  
Anthony and Sarika are Keepin' It Real at EntreFEST 2022! This episode was recorded live in front of an audience at EntreFEST in Iowa City on Thursday, June 9th, 2022.In this episode, our hosts chat with Rajesh Anandan, Co-Founder and CEO of Ultranauts, Inc. Rajesh shares how Ultranauts is reimagining how a company hires talent, most notable in the fact that over 75% of their emplo