This piece originall appeared on Fast Company — Between a global pandemic, economic instability, and ongoing action for justice for historically marginalized people, many are eager to close the door on 2020. Before we do, it’s critical we reflect, learn from our mistakes, and prepare an action plan for how…

There’s a huge industry for diversity awards. It allows companies to hold themselves up as being good for underrepresented people, while spending money on PR firms instead of improving underrepresented employees’ experiences. — Every year, I watch companies proudly announce that they have made one of the many “Best Workplaces for Diversity” lists that populate the internet. They hold these up as proof that they are a business where underrepresented people can thrive.

A few years ago, I decided to fight the corrosive effect of social media on my brain by reading more full books. Entire books (even the ones I wasn’t loving in the middle). I wanted to make sure I was training myself to take in ideas deeply and broadly, and in full. — Over the last couple of years, I’ve found that my reading speed has improved with more intense focus, and set a goal of 110 complete books finished during 2019. I hit 108, which I mostly missed because I began investing in some huge volumes in December. If you’re curious what…

There’s been a lot of discussion of whether writing user manuals is helpful or harmful in building a culture where people feel like they belong. My take? It depends on how it’s written. Here’s mine. — What motivates me I feel that my purpose here is to… make the world a more fair, equitable, and innovative place by re-designing our systems, processes, and interpersonal practices to interrupt bullshit behavior and outcomes.

Yes I do, actually. This might be a good time for you to reflect on why you feel the need to deny my existence instead of opening yourself to dismantling the reductive stereotype you’ve been taught. — A bit over three years ago, I wrote about the relatively constant battle I fight — at least internally — to feel like a legitimate member of the Latinx community on account of my physical appearance and life experience. The feeling of not being quite “Mexican enough” to claim the…

This is perhaps the second most common question I get when people reach out to me for advice. You’ll find that mine is pretty unorthodox, and that I veer towards the practical (rather than philosophically perfect). This post is the second in my series seeking to balance helping more people with protecting my personal and professional time. — You’d basically be hiding under a rock if you weren’t aware of the growth in Diversity & Inclusion functions and roles across almost every industry. Businesses are (far too slowly) recognizing the value of building a properly supported function, and that it’s not just an ethical question, but a financial…

Last year, I set out to read 52 books in 52 weeks (inspired by Nicole Zhu). This year, I dedicated myself to learning more, which meant “reading” more. — This year, I learned that Warren Buffett spends up to 5 hours a day reading. Now, I’m not quite there yet. But I firmly believe that acquiring a huge store of knowledge is what gives us interesting ideas. Our brains are weird, magical things: if we just pack enough facts…

This year’s results show that fatigue has set in and progress has stalled. People are tired of talking about diversity and inclusion, frustrated by talk not turning into impactful action, and overwhelmed by the number of issues. — I’ve been heartened to see the recent conversations and movement toward a more diverse and inclusive tech industry. Reports from my colleagues at eBay, Pinterest, and Spotify represent a shift in the conversation from purely numbers to addressing the human side of these issues. The #foundersforchange pledge is turning the…

Ask any successful person and they’ll tell you about a role model. Somebody they aspired to be like. Somebody who showed them the way. Yet for many girls and young women, these role models are thin on the ground. This means they might never know what they’re capable of achieving…