Meet Nichole Pitts

Published in Canvas Rebel Magazine

(Excerpt)

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It was never my desire to be an entrepreneur. My focus was to become a C-suite executive with all the money and all of the things. As I was climbing the corporate ladder, I realized it wasn’t really about talent — it was about politics.

After becoming an executive, it was less fulfilling than I thought. In fact, it was more stressful, and I didn’t find the work personally rewarding. I had no work/life balance and ended up burned out. In those dark moments, I had the idea to start my own company. So, after talking it over with my therapist and identifying effective coping mechanisms for the reality of not having that direct deposit hit my bank account every two weeks, I tendered my resignation.

As I started my business, I quickly learned that being a subject matter expert was only part of what was needed to succeed. I had no idea how to run a business on my own. This created a feeling of inadequacy and imposter syndrome that I had to work through while figuring out all of the administrative aspects of the business (i.e., strategy, accounting, business filings, visas, marketing, etc.).

I began networking with other entrepreneurs at various stages in their businesses. This helped me to understand what to expect as seasoned entrepreneurs would share lessons learned. And it also helped me develop a tribe of entrepreneurs at the start of their journey where we would work together to figure it out.

Over the years, I’ve realized that entrepreneurship is full of peaks and valleys. I’ve had to learn to be more flexible and comfortable in a constant state of learning. Your “to-do” list is never done, but finding new things to enhance your business is exciting!

 

Click here to read the full article.

Black Women Leaders to Watch During Black History Month and Beyond

Published on Nasdaq

(Excerpt)

Nichole Pitts

Founder and CEO of Ethintegrity LLC, a consulting firm empowering forward-thinking organizations and professionals to solve complex ethics and compliance and DEI problems.

My advice: Take time to get to know who you are. Corporations and society like to tell us who we should be, and sometimes we conform for so long that we don’t know who we are anymore. Take a step back and figure out what makes you happy—when do you feel authentically you? Then embrace that as a superpower. Use your uniqueness to connect with, embrace, and disrupt spaces to create equitable and inclusive services and products.

Click here to read the full article.

Female Disruptors: How Nichole Pitts of Ethintegrity is Shaking Up Workplace Cultures

Published in Authority Magazine on Medium

(Excerpt)

Click here to read the full article.

Episode 109: The Impact of Inclusion in the Film Industry with Jeanell English

S1, Ep 109: The Impact of Inclusion in the Film Industry with Jeanell English

Thank you for joining me for Episode 9. In this supersized episode, my guest and I discuss how diversity, equity & inclusion impacts, empowers, and affects the world of film.

My guest today is the outstanding Jeanell English. In this episode, Jeanell talks with us about:

  1. Viewing DEI from a global perspective based on her experience living in Europe and Asia;
  2. How #OscarsSoWhite impacted DEI at The Academy of Motion Arts & Pictures (The Academy);
  3. Current DEI initiatives at The Academy;
  4. How Hollywood and the film industry are working to be more inclusive & less exclusive; and
  5. Tips for DEI practitioners

If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, share it with us on social media using the hashtag #ethintegritypodcast

Jeanell English bio:
Jeanell English is the Executive Vice President, Impact and Inclusion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In this role, she leads the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry and to discover, empower, and advance the work of emerging and diverse film artists. As part of this portfolio, Jeanell oversees the Academy’s talent development programs, known as Academy Gold.

Jeanell has made it her mission to learn and grow through global cultural immersion. She has lived, worked, and traveled the world, spending more than seven years in Europe and Asia. She is also the founder of Elizabeth, an independent publisher established to amplify the voices and stories of women and marginalized communities.

Website: www.oscars.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanell-english/
Instagram: @jeatothenell @theacademy

Episode 108: The Perfect Harmony: Music & DEI with Shani Gonzales

S1, Ep 8: The Perfect Harmony: Music & DEI with Shani Gonzales

Thank you for joining me for Episode 8. In this supersized episode, my guest and I discuss how diversity, equity & inclusion infuses, affects, relates to the world of music. My guest today is the phenomenal Shani Gonzales.

In this episode, Shani talks with us about:

  1. Growing up first generation American and navigating 3 cultures (Jamaican, Trinidadian, and American);
  2. Her career journey in A&R and as the new MD of Warner Chappell;
  3. The differences in music culture between the US, the UK, and Europe;
  4. Key DEI challenges in the music industry; and
  5. Current trends (i.e., AI, the impact of streaming, etc.)

If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, share it with us on social media using the hashtag #ethintegritypodcast

Shani Gonzales’s bio.
Shani is the Managing Director of Warner Chappell UK & Head of International A&R. She got her start in the industry at BMI, a leading music rights management company.  Shani then joined Warner Chappell’s A&R team in 2004, going on to work for Epic Records and Def Jam, before becoming Co-Head of A&R for the UK and U.S. at BMG.  She returned to Warner Chappell in 2019 to take on the new role of Head of International, EVP of U.S., A&R, and was promoted to MD of the UK company in 2020.

A seasoned music executive, Shani has spent her career signing and developing many of today’s leading artists, songwriters, and producers, including Bibi Bourelly (Camilla Cabello, Rihanna, Selena Gomez) Claude Kelly (Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars), DJ Khaled, JUICEWORLD, Travis Scott, Justin Bieber & Labrinth.

Website: https://warnerchappell.com
Instagram: @Shani927 @warnerchappelluk

Episode 107: Key Lessons for Ethics & DEI in the Insurance Industry with Michael Blackshear

Thank you for joining me for Episode 7 where my guest and I discuss the world of ethics & compliance as well as diversity, equity & inclusion as it relates to the insurance industry.

My guest today is Michael Blackshear. In this episode, Michael talks with us about:

  1. His career journey from broker to Chief Compliance Officer
  2. DEI initiatives to create a pipeline into the insurance industry for youth of color at HBCUs and partnering with the Rise Foundation;
  3. Key DEI challenges in the insurance industry; and
  4. Key lessons learned for ethics & compliance in the insurance industry

If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, share it with us on social media using the hashtag #ethintegritypodcast

Michael Blackshear’s bio.
Michael serves as senior vice president, chief compliance and privacy officer for Ryan Specialty with responsibilities for maintaining and growing an effective compliance and regulatory risk framework. He recently assumed additional responsibilities in leading a newly created Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion function with the strategic mission to promote DEI at the firm, along with building strong alliances within the insurance industry and communities in which Ryan Specialty colleagues live and work.

Website: https://ryanspecialty.com
LinkedIn: Michael Blackshear

Nichole Pitts of Ethintegrity: 5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society

photo of Nichole Pitts
photo of Nichole Pitts
Published in Authority Magazine and Medium Magazine

(Excerpt)

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. You are an influential business leader. Can you please share your “5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society”? Kindly share a story or example for each.

  1. Allow Unfiltered Education. The quote, “history is written by the victors,” comes to mind. What we learn in school is highly curated. And the current focus on banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) from schools because it will make students “uncomfortable” sends the wrong message. How can we move forward and understand how historical trauma has shaped the lived experience of certain marginalized groups if there is no open discussion on it? These lessons aren’t about placing blame; it’s about informing children of how historical actions have created inequity in our society. We can’t achieve equity without understanding why it’s needed in the first place.
  2. Address the Stereotypes & Inequality in Entertainment and Marketing. For thousands of years, products and services have been marketed to get people to want to be or look a certain way, feel a certain way, and ultimately be included. A lot of this marketing has been based on stereotypes. It’s in cartoons (Pepe Le Pew, The Simpsons, Speedy Gonzales, etc.), retail stores (Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret, etc.), and many more. The media and entertainment drive the standard of beauty and what is “cool.”

I found it interesting how the British media would constantly compare Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, with one being “perfectly imperfect” and the other being “too perfectly Hollywood.” By addressing our own biases and stereotypes that we have been raised on and inadvertently perpetuated, we can create a more inclusive standard of beauty, acceptance, and belonging.

3. Ask Your Community for Feedback. You aren’t going to know all of the answers. That is why it’s critical to survey your society (be it your workforce or the community in which you live). Ensure you include all demographics and look for trends and outliers. Where are people feeling included? Do more of that. Where are people feeling invisible or excluded? Figure out how to create a solution-based plan with their input to address it. One example is how certain touchless faucets & dryers don’t recognize darker pigmentation so it’s harder for people of color to get the sinks and hand dryers to turn on. This is where the artificial intelligence used in the products needs to be updated in a more inclusive way.

4. Be Innovative & Inclusive. There are so many creative ways to communicate, and due to the diverse nature of our society, we need various methods to communicate across all demographics. Tap into various communities to garner great ideas on how to ensure your messaging resonates with that particular demographic (i.e., those that are neurodivergent). Do you have messaging for those that are hearing or visually impaired? What about those who can’t read or don’t know the local language? Being innovative and inclusive also sparks conversation at a soul level where the discussion becomes more authentic and open.

5. Hold Space. Sitting in silence and listening to someone else is the greatest gift you can give. People want to know they are heard. And by holding space for others to share their stories with us, it expands our understanding, compassion, and knowledge so that we can act in a more informed manner in the future.

To read the full article, click here.

 

Episode 106: Using Inclusive Design to Create a More Equitable Society with Sandra Camacho

Thank you for joining me for Episode 6 where I continue my conversation with my guest from episode 5 where we discuss how to use inclusive design to create a more equitable and inclusive society.

Inclusive design is an approach/mindset/practice that ensures everyone, regardless of their identity or background, can fully access and benefit from the products, services, or environments that are built.

In this episode, Sandra talks with us about:

  1. Understanding what inclusive design is
  2. The benefits to us as a society and personally
  3. Examples of barriers to access and how to make your product or service more inclusive
  4. The challenges that companies face when it comes to inclusive design & DEI

If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, share it with us on social media using the hashtag #ethintegritypodcast

Sandra Camacho bio:

Sandra Camacho (She/Her) is a multicultural Inclusive Design strategist, educator, and advisor based in Paris, France. She’s also the founder and lead of the Inclusive Design Jam, a global learning community committed to making the use and access of products, services, and environments equal to all. She started her career at Google, where she spent 8 years working in product, innovation, and learning & development in the U.S. and Europe. She left in 2018 to pursue her dreams of designing for social impact under the alias Sandra By Design. Today, she helps product and design teams around the world build thriving work cultures and socially impactful solutions with the power of inclusive design.

Websites: Sandra by Design and Inclusive Design Jam

Instagram: @Sandra.bydesign

Twitter:  @sandrabydesign

LinkedIn: Sandra Camacho

YouTube: Sandra by Design Channel

Episode 105: The Expat Experience and DEI in France with Sandra Camacho

Thank you for joining me for Episode 5 where my guest and I discuss our expat experience as two Americans living in Paris as well as how DEI is perceived and practiced in France.

In this episode, Sandra talks with us about:

  1. Her journey as a “double expat” moving from Colombia to the US as a child then from the US to France as an adult
  2. The difference in how she feels DEI is perceived, understood, and practiced in France versus in the US
  3. The importance of cultural humility
  4. The fascinating national discussion on whether French should be modified to become a gender-neutral language.

This is part 1 of a 2-part series. During our conversation, Sandra graciously shares her lived experience in a very open and transparent manner and provides insight into the world of DEI outside of the US but through a US lens.

If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, share it with us on social media using the hashtag #ethintegritypodcast.

Sandra Camacho bio:

Sandra Camacho (She/Her) is a multicultural Inclusive Design strategist, educator, and advisor based in Paris, France. She’s also the founder and lead of the Inclusive Design Jam, a global learning community committed to making the use and access of products, services, and environments equal to all. She started her career at Google, where she spent 8 years working in product, innovation, and learning & development in the U.S. and Europe. She left in 2018 to pursue her dreams of designing for social impact under the alias Sandra By Design. Today, she helps product and design teams around the world build thriving work cultures and socially impactful solutions with the power of inclusive design.

Websites: Sandra by Design and Inclusive Design Jam

Instagram: @Sandra.bydesign

Twitter:  @sandrabydesign

LinkedIn: Sandra Camacho

YouTube: Sandra by Design Channel