Dear friends,

At this stage of my career, I’ve embraced and harnessed my unique power as a first-generation flavorful professional, but it wasn’t an easy or direct road to get here. 

Since November is National Career Development Month, DAIP asked me to talk a little about how we can all improve at supporting professional development—for ourselves and others. My career path emerged organically from my strengths, but it took a while for me to fully see the direction my skills were taking me.

Some of my earliest memories involve acting as a translator for my family and serving as a navigator for other newly arrived Spanish-speaking families. I learned the power of community, activating as a connector and using my voice to assist others. Early on in my career, supervisors didn’t appreciate and acknowledge my unique skill set. I excelled at my roles & responsibilities, and was always the first one in the office and the last one out. I was dedicated and educated, but since my parents were both factory workers, no one had decoded the world of work for me. While my peers from different socioeconomic backgrounds had had the dinner table conversations about applying to college, networking advice, and what one must do to get promoted, no one had ever helped me decode the soft skills.

Like my supervisors and some of my peers, I didn’t yet recognize the power of my cultural fluency and the fact that I was a cultural broker. I had the ability to code-switch and straddle both worlds—the swag of the urban community (the cultural nuances, slang, and references) that I could decode and translate into the business environment. I was able to easily navigate from one experience to the other, and translate for both. From a business and HR perspective, companies need insights like these for outreach and recruitment efforts to effectively reach their target audiences. 

My career stalled for five to seven years because I didn’t know how to activate my strengths, and couldn’t figure out what I didn’t know. I was offered talent and development training, but it was framed through the lens of a level playing field. It wasn’t culturally contextualized in a  way that spoke to me, taking into consideration the cultural nuances, knowledge, and norms that I brought with me into the workplace. 

Then I had some realizations that allowed me to reclaim my strengths—learning to leverage my formative experiences on a larger scale to support greater societal impact and access. Anchored in the belief that one’s wholeness, multiple identities, and uniqueness are gifts, I’ve dedicated my DEIB career to confronting the inherent privileges, power, and oppressive systems to support the achievement of equity and social justice. I no longer have to fit a mold—I just have to find a place where my unique strengths can shine.

I held leadership roles in banking and education institutions, and in 2019 I joined Verizon as their community engagement director. I currently oversee the Verizon Foundation and social impact programming efforts, co-chair Verizon’s DEIB Council, and am the Global Committee Lead for SOMOS, a company-wide Employee Resource Group (ERG) giving voice to Verizon’s 4k+ Hispanic/Latinx employees. I love these roles, and am grateful to use my knowledge to reach and connect with Verizon’s vibrant communities. My reinventions throughout my 25-year career have allowed me to pivot and grow, while still being anchored in the business of people.

As a seasoned professional, I’m determined to share this message with folks across industries, whenever I have a chance to speak publicly. Here are a few reminders that I hope workplace leaders take to heart when considering workforce development.

• One size–one way of doing things, one method, one perspective–no longer fits all. We must honor all talent in the workplace, and recognize the different socioeconomic communities that we represent and how that translates back into the workplace. Needs assessments can help us bring together cohorts and communicate in ways that are customized to encourage alignment. 
• We must identify the individuals and organizations that are cultural brokers and then amplify and lift them up. They’re the human safety nets that ensure that talent is seen and activated, and that no one gets lost or floats under the radar.
• Take stock of what I like to call your flavorful professionals, and support them. Assess what percentage of your workforce brings different experiences and perspectives to the workplace, and consider conducting surveys, workshops, and training to ensure they have the support and knowledge to navigate workplace dynamics.

If you’re looking for advice for your own career, just remember that it will be what you make of it. So sign up for that class. Ask for that promotion, and sell your strengths. Cultivate mentor relationships. Give yourself permission to explore other paths forward, and imagine what YOU version 2.0 would look like—you might surprise yourself! 

I often collaborate as a thought partner with organizations who are looking to provide career development support to team members and organizational leaders. This year, my collaborations included organizations such as Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Women of Color in Pharma, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. I welcome the opportunity to come in as a thought partner for leadership development experiences on bespoke topics such as: Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace; Next Level Networking—Building Your Social Capital; The Intersection of Community + Business Development (sales); Unlocking your Inner Intrapreneur; Overcoming Your Inner Critics; etc. I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn to learn more about my journey and explore collaborative opportunities. 

As DEIB and HR professionals, many of us are stretched thin right now, and feel like we’re doing the work of multiple people. As we approach our 2024 planning, let’s collectively shift our mindset to positivity. Let’s create space to ideate together and think about possibilities. This is what I love about the DAIP community—creating safe spaces to be vulnerable and deepen our skills with like-minded professionals.  

I hope you feel contentment as you assess where your career path took you in 2023. You’re doing great!

Here is a roundup of events hosted by DAIP, our partners, or like-minded organizations.

(In person) Tuesday, November 28th, from 5 - 8 p.m. Join RI SHRM at Layali Restaurant Bar in Providence for the Volunteer Leader Winter Social. Network and celebrate a successful year with current and future volunteers, members, and sponsors. Free for members, $25 for other guests. Register here.

(In person) Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 7 - 8:30 p.m. This installment of the University of Rhode Island’s 2023 Honors Colloquium, entitled "Black Ambition, Reduced Inequalities, and Economic Growth," will be a discussion led by I. Lanre Ajakaiye (real estate developer, and social entrepreneur. Free to attend at the Edwards Auditorium at URI’s main campus. RSVP here.

(In person or virtual) Wednesday, November 29th from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Professor Ethan Katz (University of California, Berkeley, Department of History) will give a talk entitled “Is Anti-Zionism Antisemitic? New Perspectives on a Controversial Issue” in the Joukowsky Forum at the Watson Institute at Brown University. Attend in person or watch live on YouTube. Free to attend. Learn more and register here. 

(In person) Saturday, December 2nd from noon - 4 p.m. Celebrate Nikommo with the Tomaquag Museum team at the Jonnycake Center in Peacedale, RI. Support Indigenous artists while doing your holiday shopping. Free admission coupon with a donation of a gift to benefit the Peacedale Jonnycake Center for Hope. Please note that parking is limited. Register here. 

(Virtual) Tuesday, December 5th, 9 - 10 a.m. Join DAIP for a powerful Unfiltered Coffee Chat to finish off 2023. Vanessa Vigil (belonging & equity coordinator at Lifespan), Greg Brunson (diversity outreach coordinator at Butler Hospital), and Daphney Afolabi (licensed clinical social worker) will lead attendees in conversation around stressors facing professionals at the end of the year—such as holiday fatigue, performance reviews, and the need for radical self-care. Register here.

(In person) Thursday, December 7th, 9 - 11:30 a.m. Attend Providence Business News’s 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards and Summit at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. Honor this year’s awardees, enjoy a buffet breakfast, and listen to a panel of DEI thought leaders discuss timely industry topics. Learn more and purchase tickets here. 

(In person) Thursday, December 7th, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Join The Big Give: 100+ Women Who Care in Rhode Island for their December meeting. Each quarter, the group comes together to democratically choose a local nonprofit to support financially. Members, guests, and potential new members are welcome to share in the spirit of giving and community building. Last quarter’s recipient will be in attendance to report on how the group’s donation is supporting their work. Free to attend. RSVP here.

(In person) Monday, December 11th, from 4 - 6 p.m. Join the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island for a Holiday Open House for volunteers, donors, vendors, and partners at their new office. Free to attend. RSVP here. 

(In person) Thursday, December 14th, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Join Rhode Island Latina Arts for Lejos de Tu Tierra en Las Navidades (Far from Home during the Holidays), part of their series of monthly gatherings for conversation and reflection. Free to attend. For more information, visit RILA’s website, and register here. 

Interested in featuring your organization, event, or opportunity in DAIP’s Community Updates & Events? Reach out to information@daip.us to learn more.

Thank you to all who contributed their time & expertise to this issue: Adriana Dawson, Jenny Bautista-Ravreby, Megan Begin, Osmary Rodriguez Barker, and Katie Neves.