Diversity Be Like

In this season 2 finale episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston chats with Brett Dismuke, film producer and General Manager of AllBlk & WEtv at AMC Networks. Brett shares stories from his 20+ years of marketing, production, sales and branding while dropping gems about how he was able to build his own table and create his own opportunities. 

In this week's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston chats with three powerhouse guests in media and entertainment, Tammi Mac of The Tammi Mac Late Show, Kelvin Washington of Spectrum News One and Jason Douglas Lewis of the LA Standard Newspaper. The four discuss the differences in community news vs. mainstream media, the power and importance of telling our own stories and the impact social media has had on news reporting.

In this week's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston chats with Shawn Francis and Brian Altounian, the dynamic duo of the Just Two Dads podcast. The trio discuss the importance of preparing children with special needs for a successful future, what organizations can do to support their teammates raising children with special needs, the significance of the language we use to describe those with different abilities - and why all of us will be considered “special needs” at some point. Connect with Just Two Dads: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_two_dads Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-two-dads/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justtwodads Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearejusttwodads YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-GN4T9fkHEVR5R_16w_7bw

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston chats with Dr. Adrienne Madison. Dr. Madison is the Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention and Protection team chief at US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory in Fort Rucker, Alabama. In her current role, she oversees the injury biomechanics research and ensures that the helmets that soldiers wear in military environments do not contribute to decreased mission performance or risk their neck and back. The two discuss the importance of stem education and training, the impact of the arts on this career path, as well as her current work with launching a stem mentorship program. Parents, if you want to know what you can do to get your kids started in a career in stem, this episode is for you!

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston chats with special guest Donica Beckett, an award-winning strategist, speaker, and founder of Complete Package Publishing and Communications LLC. Ms. Beckett is a seasoned public health professional, researcher, epidemiologist, and educator of all ages who is passionate about building healthier, wealthier legacies through wellness and power. The two discuss COVID-19, what the term "epidemiologist," means and explore reasons why medical hesitancy is so prevalent in Communities of Color.

In this episode, Sequoia Houston talks to Dr. Bernadette P. Smith, licensed therapist and owner of Aspen Counseling & Wellness in Houston, Tx. Sometimes you need Jesus AND therapy - and this conversation touches on how to navigate that experience. Tune in to hear the two explore the mental health stigma in the Black community and what Dr. Smith and her team are doing to help change the narrative and make mental health accessible - and acceptable - for all. 

On this episode of Diversity Be Like host Sequoia Houston talks to Rob Smith, founder and CEO of The Phluid Project, a gender-free clothing and apparel brand that also serves as an educational hub for all things in service of the LGBT community. They discuss the importance of gender neutrality and ensuring that people have safe spaces to be their authentic selves.

In this episode, Sequoia Houston talks to guests Jessica and Rae from Brave Trails, a leadership summer camp for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer youth. Jessica, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is a co-founder and director of the camp. Rae is a camper who is in the Counselor in Training program. In this insightful conversation, Rae shares what it's like being a transgender teen and what he wishes people knew about the experience while Jessica shares what it's like supporting young people as they find their voices.

In today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Brian Blackmore, the CEO of BK Credit Consultants. Credit can be a tricky thing for anyone to navigate. Adding to that, bias in lending has led many in BIPOC communities to have an adversarial relationship with it. Brian helps demystify the process by sharing battle-tested tips and best practices for how to make credit work for you.

In today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston speaks to Robin Haynes. Robin is a seasoned professional in the financial industry with over 20 years of experience. She is a business and financial strategist, a speaker, and an author. Robin shares tips and best practices for making money work for you so that you can thrive instead of simply exist.

In today's episode, Sequoia Houston talks to the CEO of Lendistry, Everett Sands. Lendistry, an organization that provides responsible financing for small business owners and unreserved communities, ranks second nationwide in SBA community advantage lending. The discuss small business entrepreneurship, what lenders are looking for and creating a legacy that outlives you.

On this episode of Diversity Be Like Sequoia Houston talks to Farrah Wilder- the chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for the California Association of Realtors (CAR). They discuss fair housing, the importance of homeownership and how it is a wealth building tool, the impact of bias on underrepresented communities and what CAR is doing to support fair housing and diversity.

In today's episode, Sequoia Houston talks to Edgar Villanueva about the wealth gap for BIPOCs, why healing is important to not only underrepresented communities but for us all and the erasure of Native stories, both historical and modern. Edgar is a globally recognized author, activist, and expert on social justice and philanthropy. He is also the author of the bestselling book decolonizing wealth and is the founder and principal of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and liberated capital. 

In this episode, Sequoia Houston talks to guest Danyahel Norris, intellectual property attorney and board trustee for the Harris County Department of Education. They discuss education from a systemic point of view and also talk about ways we can all participate in helping close the achievement gap and set our children and our communities up for success.

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Senator Cory McCray. Senator McCray was elected to office in 2018 and serves as a member of the Maryland Senate for Maryland's 45th district, located in northeast Baltimore City. He shares important details about his life and the work he is doing to make his community a better place for all. He details his experiences of being a young person growing up in Baltimore, the apprenticeship program that changed his life, his work as an entrepreneur, and his journey as a Senator.

In this intro to Season 2 of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston gives listeners an idea of what to expect from the podcast when the new season launches on February 24, 2022.  Episode Highlights:  Sequoia thanks listeners and supporters of the podcastSequoia briefly introduces herself and the podcast to new listeners. In 2017, she started mochastock.com due to a lack of stock photos featuring people of color. She hopes that people will understand different ways they can foster diversity, equity, and inclusion from listening to the podcast. Resources:  Facebook | Twitter | InstagramMocha Stockdiversitybelike.com

In this season finale episode, Sequoia Houston talks to Paul C. Brunson – A mentor, entrepreneur, TV host, globally recognized matchmaker, and a certified life coach. They discuss the importance of interpersonal relationships and their impact on success, how to prioritize and what marriage looks like past, present and future. We hope you've enjoyed Season 1 of Diversity Be Like!

In this episode, Sequoia Houston talks to Jay Kim,President and CEO of AAAZA, Inc, a multicultural marketing agency based in Los Angeles, CA. They discuss their joint passion for multicultural marketing and its importance, the origins of the Model Minority Myth and how Black and Asian communities can work together to overcome bias.

On this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Phil aka The Blerd Explorer, avid traveler and author of The Black Traveler's Guide to Daegu, South Korea. Phil has been an expat since 2016 and shares his experiences being Black abroad.

In this episode, Sequoia Houston talks to Doctor Alaina Davis. She is a communication sciences and disorders expert, a medical speech-language pathologist, and a Howard University professor. She is also an alumnus from Sequoia's dear old alma mater, the University of Houston. #GoCoogs

On this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Amber Cabral. She is a global inclusion strategist, certified coach, and author of an international best-selling book - Author of Allies and Advocates.

On this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Cherena Fox and Keionna Baker, Cofounders of The Elephant in the Room, an organization that specializes in DEI training and helps employers recognize bias in the workplace!

In this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Dr. Jessica Isom, a racial health equity champion and clinical psychiatrist at the University of Yale. Dr. Isom uses her position as a black physician to impact change in the healthcare industry and do away with racial biases!

On this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Dr. Alexandria White, DEI Strategist, about women in the workplace and how companies can be more inclusive of mothers!

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Stacey A. Gordon, founder and CEO of Rework Work, a company that specializes in helping employers dismantle hiring bias and level up their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. 

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Dr. Aparajita (AJ) Jeedigunta about her experiences as an immigrant to the US, her framework for cultural competence, and how to step into and own your own space as a marginalized person.

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Jay Veal, the founder of INC Education and Black Tutors of Social Media, about inequities in education, the systems in place that widen the achievement gap for Black and brown students, how he began his career as an educator, and much more. 

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to Tristen Norman of Getty Images about what authentic representation actually means, what it's like to live at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, and why we should all ask ourselves the tough questions about how we see and stereotype others.

On today's episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to writer-producer Kim Williams about being “given a seat at the table,” why she decided to create her own work, and her fight for representation as a Generation X Black woman in Hollywood.

On this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston talks to actress, writer, and producer Nicole J. Butler about her new online series Sister President, what it's like being a Black woman in Hollywood, and how her career has evolved since she moved to LA in 2015.

On this episode of Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston speaks to TaKiyah Wallace, the founder of international non-profit Brown Girls Do Ballet, about how the program got started, the work she's been doing with young dancers for the past 8 years, and her vision for the organization in 2021.

In this intro to Diversity Be Like, host Sequoia Houston gives listeners an idea of what to expect from the podcast when it launches on February 4, 2021.  Episode Highlights:  Sequoia briefly introduces herself and the podcast. In 2017, she started mochastock.com due to a lack of stock photos featuring Black people. She hopes that people will understand different ways they can foster diversity, equity, and inclusion from listening to the podcast.Not every guest's views will align with her own. Her goal is to share her guests' views without judgment.  Tweetable Quotes:  “Inclusion is far more than just throwing a person of color at it.” - Sequoia Houston Resources Mentioned:  Sequoia Houston | Twitter | InstagramMocha Stockdiversitybelike.com