KENI THACKER LLC SERVICES
Since I was a little boy, I have had the mindset of a builder. When I first entered the diversity and inclusion arena in 2011, I used to sign every email with the statement, "I build experiences that are catalysts for social change and understanding." This mentality has been evident in my first project, the Innovators of Changes documentary/award series, and my latest creation, the nonprofit 100 Roses From Concrete, a network for people of color in advertising, marketing media, and public relations.
The intersectionality of diversity, equity, culture, and inclusion is crucial to addressing the diversity dilemma that affects industries across the board. While many advocates are working hard to drive change, the response from those in power has been slow, primarily focused on protecting their own interests rather than the direction of the industry. I am here to give this well-deserved push to this important part of business needs.
I understand that change is difficult for anyone, especially when significant financial interests are at stake. Industries have profited from an old, non-inclusive model, so why change it? The real question should be, why not change it? According to McKinsey, agencies with diverse teams perform 33% better than those without. Our industries constantly evolve, but when we examine the inner workings of institutions, old and new, there is often a predictable lack of diversity.
Our world is changing, and people's expectations for their work environment are also changing. People want to work alongside others they can relate to directly and those they can learn from. The pace of information flow and processing is 30 times faster than 30 years ago. Technology has made us more efficient at work but has also hindered social interaction, leading to the rise of introverts and over-sharers. We need to find the right balance for the future of our current industries and those of the future.
DIVERSITY, CULTURE, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION ASSESSMENT
There is no better place than to start at the beginning. Through a top-down DECI Assessment, I perform a deep dive into the organization's past, present, and future DECI efforts and advise on building upon what is working and discarding what is not. I also interview leaders and employees to get a first-hand perspective of where the red flags may be and relay that to management.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, CULTURE AND INCLUSION INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
To build sustainable, realistic, and evolutionary DECI movements, all programming must be assessed internally to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Once defined in collaboration with the HR Team and ERGs or DECI leads, I will provide suggestions to build more robust programming.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PARTNERSHIP AUDIT
Partnerships are key to building all DECI efforts internally and externally. I will work with the current HR and Talent Team and DECI Leads or committee to determine the effectiveness of current partnerships and make suggestions once more in line with the agency's DECI direction.
DIVERSITY LEADER MENTORSHIP
Less than a year ago, roughly 30 to 40 percent of organizations had diversity and Inclusion. Sadly, after the murders of Breaonna Taylor and George Floyd, industries have begun to create these first-time roles to address racial disparities across all levels. Some organizations hire from the outside, while others transition internal employees to the role. For those transitioning, I provide counsel on developing, engaging, inspiring, and executing strong DECI efforts for those new to the field/role with weekly consultation sessions and check-ins. Think of me as a D&I coach or "Yoda".
CULTURAL MEDIA DISCUSSIONS
Cultivating a culture of inclusiveness and understanding is using media such as music, articles, podcasts, and movies/TV shows to help us learn and grow together as an agency. CMDs usually last an hour and involve much interaction with the attendees so co-workers can gain perspective from people who may view things differently in a safe and respectable environment.
LEADING WITH INTENT / INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP TRAINING
This is a three-part session with the agency leaders and staff. The Leading with Intent / Inclusive Leadership workshop will help reintroduce ways to be an intentional and inclusive leader, including communicating as a leader and cultural sensitivity. Leaders and staff will be able to self-reflect on their leadership styles, self-correct, and create goals to extend for the year's second half.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, CULTURE, AND INCLUSION PLAYBOOK
Is your organization just beginning its journey into diversity, equity, culture, and inclusion? A DECI playbook is a great way to get your company up to speed on how to be intentional about your place and evolving journey in this space. We will work with company leaders and employees to co-create a bespoke diversity, equity, culture, and inclusion guide.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, CULTURE, AND INCLUSION PLANNING SESSION
DECI Planning is a great live group activity for organizations new to the diversity, culture, and inclusion space. Participants can investigate and discuss their organization's diversity, culture, and inclusion issues. The group will split into three groups, each assigned to diagnose the issue with each pillar, brainstorm ways to strengthen each pillar and come up with a plan for executing their new plan.
THE PRIVILEGE LINE EXERCISE
The privilege line exercise is an in-person group activity that measures one's privilege. The activity begins with everyone standing in the same line, shoulder to shoulder. Then, the activity leader will ask a series of questions in which participants can either take a step forward, stay in the same place, or take a step back. By the end of the questioning, participants will see whether they are compared to colleagues and internalize and recognize their privilege after the activity leader initiates a conversation around the participant's feelings about realizing their privilege.
FISHBOWL
We’re all in this together! Fishbowl is an in-person exercise where participants can unpack their biases. The participants will be in a circle to create a fishbowl effect.
The Fishbowl exercise is an hour-long training that will help its participants realize their biases toward themselves and those who are different. Through verbal and nonverbal activities, participants will share and hear from their co-workers about their biases toward certain genders, races, sexual orientations, and abilities.
WE OUT HERE TALENT DATABASE
Still having a hard time finding diverse talent? The WE OUT HERE networks reached out to 5,000 candidates globally, which might be the right one for you. Qualified candidates will be emailed directly to you. For pricing for social media posts per role, email growth@100rosesfromconcrete.com with a job description and a point of contact for all applicants or a link to your job board.
APPEARANCES: PANELIST & KEYNOTE SPEAKER
One of the most rewarding things about this work is sharing it with people in person and virtually. I have been truly honored to have had the opportunity at many conferences and agencies such as The Brand Lab's Fearless Conference, ADOBE Max, SXSW, Where Are All The Black People, Advertising Week, The 3% Conference, GROW, SS+K, The Jacht Agency, Work In Progress, Where Are All The Black People, The One Club for Creativity Colorado, AAF Tampa, AAF Buffalo, 212NYC New York's Digital Advertising Club, Portland State University, New York College of Technology, City College of New York, Temple University, Black Marketer Coalition, Quirk, Registered Graphic Designers, and Where Are The Black Designers.