Leading with Inclusivity and Intersectionality with Blue Acorn iCi’s Erica Rooney

Andre Bastos is a business-building senior-level executive and entrepreneur with a strong finance, strategy, operations, sales, and general management background in startups and large corporations.Andre has created a technology-based business from scratch, while orchestrating and closing investment funding from major firms such as Goldman Sachs, 3G Capital, IFC, and Franklin Templeton. He is adept at leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data to achieve a cutting-edge B2C financial service offering.Andre develops an agile culture across the enterprise that delivers significant productivity improvement. He is a strong negotiator with vendors and coordinated sales partnerships with 15 Fortune 500 companies. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:What Open Co does and how they help people lower their rate of credit. How Andre found a gap in the market and created this solution for it. The merger Andre’s company went through and how they kept their employee's interests at the forefront during this. How to reduce employees’ anxiety during mergers. The importance of being transparent. The strategy of bringing two different companies’ cultures together during a merger. The cultural pillars at Open Co and how the organisation supports these. How HR leaders can navigate difficult mergers. Resources:Open CoConnect with Andre Bastos:LinkedInConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

15 Feb 202230min

Evan Sohn has over 25 years of experience in eCommerce at Fortune 500 and start-up environments with a history of rapidly growing businesses and capturing market share. He is now CEO at recruiter.com with a strong emphasis on sales, market development, corporate and product strategy, marketing, and business development. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:How Recruiter.com has capitalized and leveraged the gig economy.The importance of branding towards specific niches.The golden age of recruiting and talent acquisition that we have entered.What caused ‘The Great Resignation’ and how this affects recruitment.The ways Evan uses data to inform his recruiting strategy.The importance of work-life balance and how companies can support this.What to prioritize when recruiting within your company.The shift in perspective there’s been for people who’ve stayed in the same job for a long period.How to create a culture that retains talent.Resources:Recruiter.comConnect with Evan Sohn:LinkedInTwitterConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

7 Feb 202234min

Donielle Williams has over 20 years of experience in HR and is an innovative Human Resource Director with expertise in both strategic development and tactical management of all Human Resource functions. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:How HR can effectively communicate and engage with their employees.The value of ‘healthy venting’ and how to shift away from a toxic work culture.How to convince leadership that engaging in change will pay off.How leadership development can help a company.How to work with people who are experts in their fields but aren’t natural leaders.Why staff retention is so important.Different growth opportunities business leaders can offer their employees.How to respond to the inevitable pushback you get when trying to implement change.What workers want from their careers and how this has changed over time.Resources:XYZSlackWho the Hell Wants to Work for YouConnect with Donielle Williams:LinkedInConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

10 Jan 202229min

Katie MacDonald worked in high-level management positions for almost 20 years before she had to leave the corporate world due to chronic migraines she suffered from. Now she is the Director of Operations for Miles For Migraine where she hopes to help others suffering from this condition. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:How Miles For Migraine was formed and the type of work they do.How chronic migraines have affected Katie’s life and career.What migraines are and how they differ from headaches.How HR leaders can help employees that are living with migraines.The challenges Katie faced at work due to chronic migraines.The importance of knowing what you can and can’t do.The value of flexibility and HR utilizing remote and hybrid structures.How open you should be with your employer about migraines.Resources:Miles For MigraineADAAlliance for Headache AdvocacyMigraine at WorkConnect with Katie MacDonald:LinkedInConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

20 Dec 202126min

Peter Chhum is a multi-media producer with experience in news, entertainment journalism, and social media.Currently, he is the Manager of social strategy at Nickelodeon Animation Studios where he overlooks all the social media content for top hit shows including SpongeBob SquarePants. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:What social strategy means and how it works.What it’s like running SpongeBob’s social media accounts.The importance of work culture and feeling like you have a purpose at work.Why it’s better to focus on solutions rather than looking at someone to blame.How understanding the origin content plays into a workplace’s overall culture.How admiring your peer’s work can change a workplace environment.The challenges of collaborating with others in such a big organization.How what a company produces affects its culture.Valuable leadership qualities there are in Nickelodeon.Connect with Peter Chhum:LinkedInInstagramConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

13 Dec 202123min

Sheri Munsell the Founding President of Hope Gain Network and has worked with multiple Nonprofit Organizations over the last 10 years.The Hope Gain Network embodies her mission to help those that are suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses find legitimate remote career opportunities. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:What Hope Gain Network does and why they exist.The benefits of working from home for people living with mental health challenges.Common difficulties people with mental health challenges face in structured workplaces.How attitudes towards working from home have changed since Covid.Opportunities Hope Gain Network has for people with mental health needs.What HR Managers can do to support their employee’s mental health.The cost of not addressing the mental health needs of your employees.Characteristics of a toxic work environment compared to those in a supportive work environment.How working from home can help domestic violence victims.How the conversation around mental health is changing.Resources:Hope Gain NetworkConnect with Sheri Munsell:LinkedInConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

29 Nov 202134min

Linda White is an Executive level Human Resources Professional with expertise in developing human resource departments, including Benefits, Employee Relations, Compensation, Recruiting, Compliance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Training and Development, and Performance Management.Linda specializes in creating and managing ethical and compliant HR Departments to guide organizations to grow and become an employer of choice. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:What Linda’s learned in her 25-year experience working in HR.What the future of HR looks like.What employees look for in an organization.The power of culture and how employees wants have changed.The importance of working in an organization that has similar values to yours.How people respond to being given autonomy in meetings.Simple ways managers can recognize their employees and make them feel special.How to build trust with your employees.Hopeful new trends emerging in HR.Connect with Linda White:LinkedInEmailConnect with the host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedInLindsay Patton by Email

22 Nov 202124min

Kaela Blanks is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist at Wawa and is passionate about empowering people to thrive through their DE&I strategic initiatives.Kaela specializes in helping organizations meet their strategic DE&I goals and create meaningful internal and external partnerships. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of Peoples Analytics:Why Kaela decided to specialize in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Analytics.The importance of culture and how companies can create a holistic environment.How data is incorporated into setting up a company’s DEI structure and goals.The importance of using a tailored approach towards your DEI.The difference between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.Common biases people face in hiring and the systems we can use to mitigate them.The benefits of diversifying within your organization and the doors it can open up.Why psychological safety is so important and how we can tell if our organization has it.How to recognize and become aware of unconscious bias and microaggressions. Resources:WawaConnecting with Kaela Blanks:LinkedInTwitterInstagramConnecting with the hosts:Lindsey Patton - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypatton

15 Nov 202133min