Category Archives: Intentional Communities

On February 13, 2021, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields posted a job listing searching for a new director. While their goal was to find potential applicants for hire, what resulted was another glimpse of marginalization within the hiring process. What made this job description so volatile was their search for an individual who would help maintain "the Museum's traditional, core, white audience." I first learned of this news while scrolling through my Twitter feed and seeing a tweet made by long-time Archinector and Archinect Sessions podcast co-host Donna Sink.

Donna provided a screenshot of the listing and followed up with an updated image of the job post with "corrections" made by the museum a few hours after her tweet was posted. Sure, edits were made, but the damage was already done. Seeing a job description like this was disappointing and stomach-turning, to say the least, but does it shock me? Not entirely.

While the level of awareness and intentionality to dismantle white supremacist views and racist acts towards Black, Indigenous, and People of Color has grown, it doesn't erase the reality marginalized communities continue to face. The truth of living and working in spaces where one's own culture and overall existence are diminished, appropriated, and erased is all too common.

I'm a woman of color, and after reading a job description presented in that way I was taken aback. Yet, I was quickly reminded that alleviating centuries of structural and institutionalized racism, especially within spaces like museums, will take a lot more than finding the "right person" to spearhead change and increase diversity. Social media's architecture community continued to expand on Sink's post as they shared their thoughts on the matter.

LA-based designer, educator, and LA Forum Architecture and Design Co-PresidentNina Briggs poignantlyshared in a tweet, "believing that attracting a diverse audience and maintaining a white audience are mutually exclusive, they broadcast both their disbelief it can be done and the palatable unicorn candidate they seek." Transdisciplinary designer, urbanist, and design advocate Justin Garrett Moore added additional context to Newsfield's "core, white art audience." In his tweet, he included a map illustrating the museum's site and its location within an area of Indianapolis with a large Black population.

On February 17, Newfields' president Charles L. Venable announced he is stepping down from his position. While his decision may have also been influenced by the2,000+ calls and direct responses insisting on his removal, the museum released an open letter expressing their apologies and failures.Venable's interview with the New York Timesadded context to his decision and use of the word "white" in the job description.

"The decision to use 'white' in the employment listing had been intentional and explained that it was meant to indicate that the museum would not abandon its existing audience as it moved toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion,"he shared with Sarah Bahr of the Times. Adding, "I deeply regret that the choice of language clearly has not worked out to mirror our overall intention of building our core art audience by welcoming more people in the door. We were trying to be transparent about the fact that anybody who is going to apply for this job really needs to be committed to (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) D.E.I. efforts in all parts of the museum." However, at this point Venable makes me shake my head in dismay. "This is a six-page job description, not a single bullet point, he shared with the Times. We talk a lot about our commitment to diversity in all kinds of ways, from the collections to programming to hiring. I can certainly say that if we were writing this again, with all the feedback weve gotten, we wouldnt write it that way.

His response made me think of architecture and its own employment trends. How does this example of "what not to do" reflect firms who are seeking to hire their "ideal applicant"? Besides finding highly skilled architects and designers, do employers secretly try to hit their D.E.I. checkboxes or do they present a level of transparency to potential applicants?

I gather, like most social blunders that have faced public ridicule, Newfields will continue to make amends. Yet, in the end, their efforts are examples of a community whose obtuse awareness towards providing jobs and spaces that reflect more than a colonizer's view of the world is merely a reflection of how deep racism lies within institutions tasked with recording and preserving history and culture.

To read the full letterNewfields Board of Trustees and Board of Governors shared on February 17, 2021click here.

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More Than 'Insensitive': The architecture community responds to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields' job post - Archinect

In mid-January, Oklahoma City announced the hiring of its first diversity and inclusion officer, Shalynne Jackson, to lead the execution of the citys strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion, including providing training, implementing best practices, and providing coaching, guidance and education.

Few official details have been released about the new office, which OKC Mayor David Holt has said he asked City Manager Craig Freeman to create when Freeman was first hired.Freeman toldNews 5 that Jackson will be helping to examine the city government and promote equity internally.

We need to make sure that were looking into our organization, and being honest with ourselves about areas where we may have disadvantages for employees or have an environment where people dont have the same level of opportunity to advance or to seek promotional opportunities, Freeman said.

Jackson, who is from Oklahoma but spent the past couple of years in Arkansas, studied criminology and human relations as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma and went on to earn a masters degree in human relations from OU as well.

She previously worked as an inclusion strategist for Walmart and the natural gas company OneOK. She also runs her own consulting firm, working with companies to increase inclusion in the workplace.

NonDoc caught up with Jackson shortly after she started her new job for a conversation about the new office she is running and her vision for diversity and inclusion within OKCs municipal government.

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and style.

The concept of diversity can be hard to pin down. What does diversity mean to you?

Diversity refers to the characteristics that make us all different. Its hard for me to talk about diversity without inclusion, because focusing on diversity alone wont help us make the difference were seeking to achieve. Inclusion is action. Its about being intentional with our behaviors to ensure that all people feel valued, recognized and respected.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. Where did you grow up, and how did you get into the kind of work youll be doing as OKCs diversity and inclusion officer?

I grew up in Tulsa and was raised by a single mother and my maternal grandparents. My father was incarcerated most of my life. Im a first generation college graduate (Boomer!), and I was diagnosed with Alopecia at age 6. Additionally, I am a wife, mother and a woman of faith.

I name all of these aspects of my diversity dimensions because theyre important to why I do this work. I know what its like to cover and assimilate. I also know what it feels like to overcome obstacles and achieve what society told you was impossible. I do this work because I want everyone to have equitable opportunity to attain success while remaining true to their diversity dimensions. This work is not only my passion but my purpose.

Youre the first person to hold this role in OKC. What can you tell us about how the office will be set up and what the city hopes the office will accomplish? Who are you reporting to, and what kinds of things will you be doing?

I report to City Manager Craig Freeman. While I will work with all departments, I will work closely with human resources to promote employee development and engagement. Ultimately, our goal is to create an environment that promotes authenticity, access and advancement. Well take leaders on an inclusive leadership journey to equip them with tools to equitably lead their teams and empower employees to bring their best selves to the workplace. As for the community, our goal is to ensure OKC is a safe place of residence for all to live, work and play.

How do you go about starting this office from scratch? What are the first steps and what will your first projects be?

You do lots of listening and relationship building. Its important to me and city leadership that our efforts meet the specific needs of our employees and residents. In the beginning, I will spend my time connecting with employees throughout the organization, at all levels, in all departments and of all backgrounds. From there, I will work with leadership to determine our priorities and what success will look like. The same approach goes for residents. To ensure OKC is the most inclusive city for all people, its important to hear from all communities. While building relationships, I will be working with HR to explore policies and procedures we can update to ensure inclusivity. Well also begin to educate employees about diversity and inclusion fundamentals and create a common language for everyone to understand.

Your work so far has been in the private sector. Do you anticipate any challenges as youmove to working in city government?

I anticipate the same challenges as the private sector individuals may resist because they dont understand diversity and inclusion is for everyone. And thats OK, because were all in different places on our diversity and inclusion journey. Its important to me that we meet people where they are, extending grace and patience.

To overcome this challenge, we will spend time educating individuals on what diversity and inclusion truly means and how we all benefit from inclusion. What Im most encouraged about is that city leadership and everyone Ive met thus far are excited and ready to lean into the work.

Whats your favorite guilty pleasure?

I am a foodie and will try anything at least once, with the exception of peanut butter. I am not a fan of anything that contains peanut butter. I also love true crime podcasts and TV shows, and my favorite hobby is biking.

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Meet Shalynne Jackson: 'Diversity and inclusion is for everyone' - NonDoc

RIDGEFIELD Ridgefield High School is working on becoming one of the states first No Place for Hate high schools, joining more than 1,600 schools nationwide.

No Place for Hate is a program under the Anti-Defamation League. It provides schools with an organizing framework for students, administrators, teachers and family members to develop long-term solutions to create and maintain an inclusive and equitable climate, according to the high school.

The student councils executive board signed on to the program in the fall. Since its arrival, many students and high school community members have signed the NPFH pledge.

Assistant Principal Jennifer Phostole, who serves as the programs coordinator in Ridgefield, said the initiative is gaining momentum, largely due to the students.

Theyre the student ambassadors, theyre the ones sharing with their peers and organizing the events, she said. I am supporting them, but Im taking their lead. They really are doing such a great job.

The students determine the activities, selecting ones that were important to them, Phostole said.

The student body executive board is the student group who really spearheaded the pledge signing at the beginning of the year, she said. They made a video, they made stickers, they got students, family and faculty to sign the pledge.

Those who sign the pledge look to understand people who are different than themselves, speak out against prejudice, help foster a prejudice-free school and acknowledge that one person can make a difference.

No Place for Hate schools receive their designation by building inclusive and safe communities. The goal is to foster respect and equity and create a school where all students can thrive. It also looks to empower students, faculty, the administration and family members to take a stand against bias and bullying by incorporating new and existing programs under one powerful message. It sends a clear, unified message that all students have a place where they belong.

Trumbull High School is also working to become a No Place for Hate school and Amity Regional School district has participated in some of the campaigns.

The RHSs Social and Emotional Learning Committee has combined with No Place for Hate into one committee with teacher Eileen Stewart as the chair.

About 60 student ambassadors from all grade levels have created programs and acted as role models. The programs include 2021 Acts of Intentional Respect, a speaker series and the Humans of Ridgefield initiative, which gathers and posts written submissions about the six parts of the pledge.

Senior ambassador Riley Courtney initiated a conversation about the pitfalls of social media, inspired by the movie, The Social Dilemma.

If every member of my generation sits back and does nothing to combat the issues we face, no positive change will occur, he said. We all must choose to act.

Lauren Kim, another student, is working on a podcast about microaggressions and Kaylie Perhamus is working with the Unity Club on the 2021 Intentional Acts of Respect, Phostole said.

The Anti-Defamation League Names Day program will happen in March for 10th graders.

Visit the high schools No Place for Hate website to find out more.

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Ridgefield joins hundreds of U.S. high schools saying 'no' to hate - The Ridgefield Press

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Beat the Streets (Providence) and Boston Youth Wrestling today announced a merger to form Beat the Streets New England (BTSNE), a coalition making history as the nations first regional youth wrestling organization. By expanding its reach to the greater New England region, BTSNE will establish new community based regional training centers, collaborate with more schools, engage additional stakeholders and partners, host regional fundraising campaigns, and empower more communities by serving the needs of a broader population of youth wrestlers.

Beat the Streets delivers youth wrestling programs to underserved communities, helping students develop a goal-oriented mindset through on the mat training that translates into off the mat life skills. Its programs are designed to encourage a desire for excellence, respect, teamwork, leadership, integrity, and perseverance through the instruction of quality wrestling programs. Coupled with off the mat resources to develop students full academic potential, these programs open doors to prestigious universities for a diverse group of young women and men.

Wrestling creates leaders. These kids become leaders and thats transformative. Having someone who believes in you at the right point of your life is transformative, which is where our mentors come in, said Billy Watterson, Founder of Beat the Streets Providence and Co-founder of BTSNE. Realizing our goal is to grow the community together with more mentors and leaders, the question we had to answer was, how do we best create a community that supports each other? Thats how BTSNE was born.

As part of the merger, BTSNE has announced its appointment of Bior Guigni as Chief Executive Officer. A Connecticut native with strong roots in the New England wrestling community, Guigni serves as the USA Wrestling Chairperson for the State of Massachusetts and the President of the Massachusetts Wrestling Association. She previously served as Executive Director of Boston Youth Wrestling and interim Executive Director of Beat the Streets Providence. In this new role, Guigni will be the first female wrestler and woman of color to take the helm of this sports-based youth development regional organization.

Nationally, the nine existing Beat the Streets organizations have served communities individually nationwide, impacting over 7,366 youth and 208 teams through wrestling based youth development, said Guigni. BTSNE is the flagship regional model for Beat the Streets National that will serve several new cities within New England. By merging the founding programs in Boston and Providence, we hope to grow opportunities throughout New England for wrestling-based youth development with intentional programming and mentoring. Together we are uniting wrestling in our region and building a sustainable foundation for our youth to grow all over New England - from Boston and Providence to Hartford, Worcester, Springfield, and more.

Wrestling continues to be the fastest growing sport nationally for girls both at the high school and collegiate level. According to Transition Wrestling, there are a total of 86 womens collegiate programs across 30 states and Canada amongst NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA institutions as of June 2020. Spanning 27 sites, BTS Providence and Boston Youth Wrestling completed 500,000 hours of youth engagement and 200,000 hours of trainer development last season. Since the start of Covid, BTSNE has distributed 25,000 meals amongst participating youth families. BTSNE is looking to raise $750,000 for its programs in 2021 and expects to raise $3.5 million over the next four years.

For all the sports popularity, wrestling has remained a tight-knit community, said Jos Valenzuela, Founder of Boston Youth Wrestling and Co-founder of BTSNE. I met Billy early on, when he started the BTS program in Providence. We realized our wrestlers could compete even while our coaching staff groups could work together. We would come together on the mat. What Im most excited about is the potential of BTSNE when you think about the future. I truly believe bringing the BTSNE model to other New England cities will have the potential to help create a lot of good and assist in providing more opportunities to kids than our organizations had separately.

As BTSNE launches, it is also expanding its Board of Directors, headed by Chair Craig Powell, a former Brown University wrestler and current CEO of mobile workforce management company Motus. Additional board members include Co-Founders Jose Valenzuela of Boston Youth Wrestling and Billy Watterson of Beat the Streets Providence. The remainder of the board is made up of founding Boston and Providence board members: Kevin McCarthy, treasurer; Vince Domestico, secretary; and Joe Mocco and Nic Miragliuolo both board members at large.

Ive seen the powerful impact that sports and wrestling in particular can have on someones life and personal confidence. And not just on the mat the lessons learned by betting on oneself bring perspective to an individuals confidence, grit and determination to achieve success in life, said Powell. This merger will enable BTSNE to bring those valuable teachings and the organizations proven impact to at-risk youth across a much broader footprint of the Northeast; starting with Boston and Providence. At this time, these critical lessons have never been more important, so we could not be more excited to see this extended reach manifest itself in several incredible ways as these young wrestlers, girls and boys, learn and grow.

For more information or to donate to Beat the Streets New England, please visit btsne.org

About Beat the Streets New England

Beat the Streets New England (BTSNE) utilizes the sport of wrestling to provide opportunities for our youth to discover their full potential by building relationships with themselves, their team, and their community. The organization is uniting wrestling and building a sustainable foundation for youth to grow all over New England - from Boston and Providence to Hartford, Worcester, Springfield, and beyond. Learn more at https://www.btsne.org.

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Launch of Beat the Streets New England Extends Youth Wrestling Engagement to New Communities - Business Wire

With the backing of civil rights organizations, labor unions, and economic experts, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on Thursday morning unveiled a jobs guarantee resolution demanding that "meaningful, dignified work" at a livable wage be made an enforceable legal right in the United States.

Presenting her resolution as an effort to build on the work of generations of civil rights leaders who have connected the cause of racial justice with the fight for full employment, Pressley said in a statement Thursday that "it's long past time to pursue bold, intentional policies that affirm equity and recognize the dignity and humanity of all people"an objective that requires sweeping legislative action, not mere tinkering by the Federal Reserve.

"A federal job guarantee is an important investment in the American people, our communities, and an equitable economy that works for all. It affirms the right to meaningful, dignified work and a living wage." Rep. Ayanna Pressley

"It's time to establish a legal right to a job for all people in America," said the Massachusetts Democrat. "A federal job guarantee is an important investment in the American people, our communities, and an equitable economy that works for all. It affirms the right to meaningful, dignified work and a living wage."

The 16-page resolution (pdf), introduced amid widespread economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, invokes as inspiration the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which placed the right to employment and decent pay at the heart of the civil rights struggle.

"What is the value of winning access to public accommodations for those who lack money to use them?" Bayard Rustin, the principal organizer of the march, asked in 1965. "The minute the movement faced this question, it was compelled to expand its vision beyond race relations to economic relations."

Pressley's resolution goes on to cite the legacy of Coretta Scott Kingthe wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.who "led a grassroots movement to enact a job guarantee," as well as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1944 Economic Bill of Rights, which included "the right to a useful and remunerative job" among its slate of demands.

"These leaders all built on and advanced the work of earlier pioneers like Sadie T.M. Alexander, the nation's first Black economist, who advocated a job guarantee to address racial discrimination against Black workers, while improving labor market conditions for all workers in the 1940s; and... throughout the past 100 years, activists and intellectuals like Ella Baker and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party have all seen a federal job guarantee as a key element of racial justice," the resolution states.

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In a statement endorsing Pressley's proposal, Sunrise Movement executive director Varshini Prakash called the resolution "a step towards a brighter future for young people, working people, and for people of color" and "a vital leap towards what's needed for a Green New Deal."

"Congresswoman Pressley's resolution is an opportunity for our country to step up and invest in its people, rather than big corporations and fossil fuel CEOs," Prakash added.

According to a summary (pdf) released by Pressley's office, the resolution calls for a permanent jobs program that would be administered by the Department of Labor in partnership with the Treasury Secretary.

"The Secretary of Labor would direct Treasury funds to local Employment Offices to manage job guarantee projects and match job seekers to projects, as well as cover any related capital and administrative costs," the summary states.

Jobs created under the new federal program, according to Pressley's office, would be geared toward:

"At a time when 28 percent of full-time workers earn less than $15 per hour,a job guarantee would set a new standard for quality jobs, pressuring low-wage employers to increase wages and benefits," the summary reads.

"By hiring workers in the midst of a downturn," the document continues, "a permanent job guarantee would operate as an automatic stabilizer, maintaining consumer spending and protecting us from prolonged recessions and jobless recoveriesmaking the economy more resilient as well as more inclusive."

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Demanding 'Dignified Work and a Living Wage' as Legal Rights, Ayanna Pressley Unveils Jobs Guarantee Resolution - Common Dreams

ByLaura Anderson

Creating inclusive prosperity should be a critical concentration for financial institutions. And that starts with bankers, who are the backbone to strengthening relationships between their institutions and underserved consumers.

As the world has moved forward with fast-developing technology, discrimination, bias and poverty continue to affect minorities in the country, particularly those in low-income areas.

In many of these struggling communities, payday lenders, pawnshops, vehicle title lenders, or check-cashing companies exist on nearly every corner. While some of these businesses can serve a purpose, their products and services can also be dangerous for low-income workers or those who are unemployed, credit-challenged, or less educated.

There are numerous instances where a company has essentially trapped someone in a cycle of debt, charging excessive fees on transactions or high interest rates on loans or engaging in asset-based lending or equity stripping that may meet an immediate need but is unhealthy for someone trying to build sustainable wealth.

People within banks can lead the way in creating solutions for minorities to establish an enduring financial legacy. Bankers can develop and promote free, high-quality financial education programs and advocate for low-cost checking and savings accounts that are backed by easy-to-understand consumer protections. And the mainstream banking system is a prime place to develop more products and services aimed at the financial wellbeing of minorities because banks already comply with more consumer protections. So, bankers should have a better understanding of what protected classes need.

Volunteering to teach financial education, working with nonprofits and government agencies, and engaging young students are investments made by people in the banking system that benefit consumers and financial institutions.

And it is important to remember that low-income does not equal uneducated. There are populations in underserved communities who have degrees or certificates from colleges, universities, and trade or vocational schools. They are all striving to mold their income into wealth while competing in the job market. In turn, banks must be intentional with their hiring goals, offering a wide range of job opportunities, competitive salaries, healthcare options, retirement savings plans and employee financial education programs to attract a diverse workforce.

Recruiters, interviewers and hiring managers must also agree and understand that: Biases and hurdles exist for diverse candidates; bank associates must be educated about discrimination, prejudices and racism; and consistent and strategic initiatives are necessary to eliminate barriers to employment.

As a Black girl who grew up in a low-income area, I saw families around me struggle. No matter the amount of income they acquired, translating their income into wealth was challenging.

My mother retired from a financial institution after 22 years and never owned a home. That is changing. Proudly, each of her three daughters is a homeowner.

But for many who come from similar backgrounds, that is not always the case. Thats where an intentional strategy from people within the nations banks can make a clear difference. If bankers make inclusive prosperity their goal, theyll empower more minorities to financially thrive.

Throughout American history, there have been policies, practices and events that made financial inclusion and wealth especially challenging for Blacks and other minorities. TheSocial Security Act of 1935provided unemployment insurance, old-age insurance and means-tested welfare programs, but excluded agricultural and domestic workers who were mostly minorities.

The Federal Housing Administrationestablished policies that caused wealth disparitiesthat still exist today. And redlining refusing a loan to someone because they live in an area deemed financially risky excluded many aspiring Black homeowners from mortgage lending. These practices and policies further suppressed the underserved, making it harder to lift themselves out of poverty.

This is where bankers themselves have a role to play by helping bridge the gap between economic opportunity and more equal outcomes for all. Inclusion involves communication between bank leaders and those being served listening, valuing input and providing action. Wealth must be a part of these conversations because it is essential for long-term security. It provides funds to create businesses, save for retirement, invest in education and own homes.

Thats why institutions need to begin with the people within a bank to create mass inclusion and wealth for the underserved. People are the dynamic that can cultivate inclusive prosperity, which makes racial wealth gaps smaller and stimulates generational wealth in minority communities.

Laura Anderson, a Birmingham-based model validation analyst for Regions. This article originally appeared inAmerican Bankermagazine.

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Regions' Analyst on Closing the Racial Wealth Disparity Gap - Birmingham Times

Activism is all around us. As witnessed by the entire world this past summer, even the smallest of intentional actions can have ripple effects that reach far beyond individual communities.

A young entrepreneur from Calgary, Alberta is using tea to effect positive change in the city and beyond. Alexandra Daignault is the founder and owner of Sarjesa Inc., a socially focused tea company dedicated to supporting violence prevention programming and aiding marginalized women in Canada. Guided by an unwavering commitment to equality and Indigenous recognition, Sarjesa is a manifestation of Daignaults own core values, as well as her lived experience as a woman of Indo-Caribbean descent.

Sarjesa was founded in December 2017, during Alexandras 3rd year at Mount Royal University, while she pursued a degree in English with a double minor in Indigenous Studies and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The name Sarjesa is Alexandras own invention, inspired, in part, by her post-colonial theory books and conversations with her grandmother.

Sarjesa is about bringing activism into everyday experience, says Alexandra, Doing things on purpose. If we want to make long standing change, we need to be intentional. The Sarjesa website and email signature feature a land acknowledgement adapted from Dr. Renae Watchman, an individual whose activism Alexandra cites as inspiration for her own work.

We are a Non-Indigenous brand and company. We blend our tea on Treaty 7 territory, located on the homelands of the Niitsitapi (the Siksika, Piikani, Kainai), the yrhe Nakoda, and Tsuutina Nations, as well as Mtis Nation Region 3. As an organization, run by an Indo Caribbean Settler woman, we acknowledge the treaty relations that have not been honoured and work daily to restore good relations. We try to respect all people and the planet through the creation of highly intentional products.

Land Acknowledgment featured on Sarjesa website & email signature

From ingredient sourcing, to hiring practices, to charitable donations, every aspect of Sarjesa has been carefully articulated to have an intentional, positive social impact. To exist in harmony with the land and the communities upon it, all teas are composed of both locally sourced and certified fair trade ingredients. Each box features information on Canadian Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and 20% of profits from each box of Sarjesa tea sold are donated to the Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society, an Indigenous-led womens shelter based out of Calgary.According to Alexandra, her decision to establish a charitable partnership with Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society was inspired by her admiration of their practices, their ability to create a healing space for women and children in need, and the vast knowledge and expertise of their team.

As a young entrepreneur immersed in the fast-paced culture of the start-up industry, Alexandra remains committed to serving the community and focusing on what matters most. Theres no rush to make it a huge tea corporation, she says, Its important we continue to learn, grow organically, and do the work in a good way. Beyond the scope of Sarjesa tea, Alexandra encourages everyone to live an intentional life. Whether it is the food you eat, the products you buy, the way you interact with the environment there are countless small ways to effect positive change. Be gentle with yourself, she says, Recognize that while maybe you cant make all the good decisions you want all at once, you can be very intentional about the decisions you do make, and why.

For more information on Sarjesa Tea, visit https://sarjesa.com.

For more stories, visit Todayville Calgary.

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Intentional Living, Everyday Activism and Tea Sarjesa Inc. - Todayville.com

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--seedership announced today that Infoshred LLC, a provider of secure document destruction, records storage and electronics recycling, has selected seederships community storytelling platform to track and visualize all their charitable contributions. Having one aggregated view of all the time, things and money they donate as well as the organizations and causes they support will help make their giving more intentional and highlight their positive impact for clients to see.

Weve really never told our community story externally. Its something weve always done quietly, said Stacey Lombardo, Infoshred president and founder. The events of 2020 have shifted our perspective. People want to support businesses doing good in their communities, and we have realized that through our business we can encourage awareness of, and participation in, the causes that Infoshred is most passionate about. But it starts by leading through example, and making our good visible.

seederships platform is helping Infoshred and other small businesses improve upon two key areas of their community giving: measurement and sharing. Its act tracking system provides small businesses greater clarity of their total investment back into the community. The kindness profile serves as a centralized location for all their charitable giving and social impact content, with one-click sharing across social platforms, email and anywhere else they connect with clients digitally.

The platform was specifically built for small, nimble businesses seeking to expand their online visibility and stand out in an authentic way. Understanding that small business owners and entrepreneurs wear many hats, and that time and resources are valued commodities, seedership places simplicity, value and affordability at the center of its design principles. The easy-to-use tools allow the creation of professionally designed digital profiles and content without the need for graphics or coding skills.

Infoshred has given back to the community since it was founded 23 years ago. Their giving has evolved from simply writing checks to establishing The Giving Tree Fund, a donor-advised fund which provides grants to local nonprofits. It has also branched out to partner with clients in sponsoring shredding fundraisers and providing opportunities for employees to participate in giving.

Its not uncommon for a small business to be humble about their giving as its often done out of a sense of duty or simply because its the right thing to do. Their giving is genuine, personal and heartfelt, said Jennifer Smithberger, seedership cofounder. Todays customers want their purchasing dollars to also make a difference and are seeking to support businesses that help them achieve that. Small businesses have an immense opportunity to deepen relationships by sharing the good they do and celebrating its impact with their customers. After all, its the customers support of the business that puts it in a position to be able to give back.

Stacey and her team are doing great work in their community, and we are honored to be a part of their journey, inspiring even more kindness and generosity, Jennifer added.

To learn more about Infoshreds entrepreneurial roots and how its giving has evolved, click here.

About seedership:

seedership is the simplest platform for a small business to create and share their authentic community story. We make it easy for them to bring together everything they give back, so they can connect with and attract customers who also care about their communities. seedership keeps the good small businesses do top of mind and easy to find, so it can help their business achieve more visibility, growth and community impact. To learn more about seedership, visit seedership.com.

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Infoshred Takes Its Community Giving to the Next Level for Greater Visibility and Impact - Business Wire

Herman Miller (NASDAQ: MLHR), along with leading architects from MASS Design Group, SmithGroup, Corgan, and Kimley-Horn, and teams from KDC, Rogers-O'Brien Construction, Cross Engineering Consultants, and L.A. Fuess Partners, were tasked with this challenge as they worked with the North Texas Family Health Foundation to build the community of McKinney, Texas a facility that exuded respect, quality, and a commitment to serving every individual equally.

The North Texas Family Health Foundation was founded with a goal of ensuring that every member of the community has access to essential primary healthcare and a medical home. The Foundation's first project, Family Health Center on Virginia, has created a new model that fundamentally reimagines how to provide primary care resources for the underserved. By raising local funds to build the new facility and cover start-up costs, the Foundation and their partners are supporting the creation of a sustainable community resource.

"We wanted to make primary care available to everyone in the community, regardless of their ability to pay. Health and wellness bolster educational achievement, positively impact employment opportunities, and support a stronger, healthier community," said Kate Perry, DrPH, MS, AICP, and Senior Vice President and Senior Director for Healthy Communities for Independent Financial, catalyst and lead donor for the project. "Beyond this, we also wanted to create a community-oriented space where everyone would feel welcome, cared for, and loved."

"The success of this project wasn't creating an efficient, safe and state of the art facilitymeeting those checkpoints was the starting point," says Michelle Ossmann, PhD, MSN, and Director of Healthcare Knowledge and Insights at Herman Miller. "True success meant that, whether in the lobby, a clinical room, or exiting the building, every visitor recognizes the design of this space was centered on them."

"Our goal was to design a medical home for the community with cues both large and small that signal the space is human-centered. It should make people feel welcome and give them a sense of dignity," said David Saladik, Senior Principal with MASS Design Group and the architect of record on the project.

In the wake of the unveiling of this brand new facility, named the Family Health Center on Virginia, Herman Miller has released a case study detailing four of the key ways the experience of care was elevated to serve the community of McKinney. With over 50 years of research in healthcare environments, Herman Miller was able to help create exam spaces that encouraged comfortable, engaging interactions, and gave insight into how the design of clinical spaces can build trust between patients and clinicians.

"Details matter. Even changing something seemingly small, like expanding the size of exam rooms to accommodate visitors with companions and/or children in order to assure that families visiting the clinic of all sizes feel comfortable and able to move around, add up to make a huge difference," says Ossmann. "True medical care isn't just about solving the problemit's about fostering trust, honesty, and confidence, and having patients leave feeling heard and at peace."

To help create a people-centric healthcare experience, Herman Miller worked with interior design firms SmithGroup and Corgan. The Herman Miller furnishings selected from the company's healthcare line offer provides comfort and support as people wait for appointments or family members. All furnishings are easy to rearrange, allowing for different types of gatherings or to support physical distancing when needed. The Corgan design team also selected an intentional mix of vibrant and neutral colors to soothe and uplift.

Patients aren't the only people who deserve a healthcare space that feels like home. The staff lounge was designed to provide clinicians and other team members with a sense of respite. Staff can store personal items or gather for a bite to eat. Easy-to-move stools provide a place to perch and eat lunch or catch up with colleagues.

Modularity also played a big role in the design. Every space was outfitted with furniture that either clinicians or patients and their family members can easily rearrange, depending on the type of interaction they want to have. In the community spaces in the Family Health Center, furnishings include mobile tables and durable, comfortable chairs and lounge seating that allow people to circle up or spread out. In exam rooms and the dental lab, the team leveraged Mora, a casework solution that's purposefully designed to change. If the function of a space needs to shift, Mora is simple to modify, meaning the staff will avoid the need to shut down the entire building for an extensive overhaul.

Save for a few exceptions, Herman Miller was the sole casework and furniture partner for the Family Health Center. The design team created diverse settings across the facilityincluding clinical rooms, workspaces, and common areasall with a consistent aesthetic and experience, and from one supplier, which eliminates unwanted variables, delays, and complexity while making replacements, redesigns, and repairs an easy phone call.

"By working with Herman Miller and WRG (A Herman Miller dealer partner), we had a streamlined, single point of contact that made all the moving parts come together more efficiently and that saved significant time and energy overall," said Perry. "A single source for communication, planning, and execution helped us more effectively meet our milestones and fully support the clinic team's successful transition to the new building."

About Herman Miller

Herman Miller is a globally recognized leader in design. Since its inception in 1905, the company's innovative, problem-solving designs and furnishings have inspired the best in people wherever they live, work, learn, heal, and play. In 2018, Herman Miller created Herman Miller Group, a purposefully selected, complementary family of brands that includes Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Design Within Reach, Geiger, HAY, Maars Living Walls, Maharam, naughtone, and Nemschoff. Guided by a shared purposedesign for the good of humankindHerman Miller Group shapes places that matter for customers while contributing to a more equitable and sustainable future for all. For more information visit http://www.hermanmiller.com/about-us.

About the North Texas Family Health Foundation

The North Texas Family Health Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that works to build stronger, healthier communities through strategic public-private partnerships focused on sustainable solutions. The Foundation is led by a Board of Trustees that handles strategic and fiduciary oversight to advance its mission and meet its goals of combining efforts, shared knowledge and financial resources across sectors (public, private and non-profit), governments (state and local) and individual donors in an effort to increase access to healthcare.

SOURCE Herman Miller, Inc.

http://www.hermanmiller.com

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Herman Miller Partners with Leading Architects to Tackle Healthcare Inequality - PRNewswire

The impact of AI on people who identify as queer is an underexplored area that ethicists and researchers need to consider, along with including more queer voices in their work. Thats according to a recent study from Googles DeepMind that looked at the positive and negative effects of AI on people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or asexual. Coauthors of a paper on the study include DeepMind senior staff scientist Shakir Mohamed, whose work last year encouraged reforming the AI industry with anticolonialism in mind and queering machine learning as a way to bring about more equitable forms of AI.

The DeepMind paper published earlier this month strikes a similar tone. Given the historical oppression and contemporary challenges faced by queer communities, there is a substantial risk that artificial intelligence (AI) systems will be designed and deployed unfairly for queer individuals, the paper reads.

Data on queer identity is collected less routinely than data around other characteristics. Due to this lack of data, coauthors of the paper refer to unfairness for these individuals as unmeasurable. In health care settings, people may be unwilling to share their sexual orientation due to fear of stigmatization or discrimination. That lack of data, coauthors said, presents unique challenges and could increase risks for people who are undertaking medical gender transitions.

The researchers note that failure to collect relevant data from people who identify as queer may have important downstream consequences for AI system development in health care. It can become impossible to assess fairness and model performance across the omitted dimensions, the paper reads. The coupled risk of a decrease in performance and an inability to measure it could drastically limit the benefits from AI in health care for the queer community, relative to cisgendered heterosexual patients. To prevent the amplification of existing inequities, there is a critical need for targeted fairness research examining the impacts of AI systems in health care for queer people.

The paper considers a number of ways AI can be used to target queer people or impact them negatively in areas like free speech, privacy, and online abuse. Another recent study found shortcomings for people who identify as nonbinary when it comes to AI for fitness tech like the Withings smart scale.

On social media platforms, automated content moderation systems can be used to censor content classified as queer, while automated online abuse detection systems are often not trained to protect transgender people from intentional instances of misgendering or deadnaming.

On the privacy front, the paper states that AI for queer people is also an issue of data management practices, particularly in countries where revealing a persons sexual or gender orientation can be dangerous. You cant recognize a persons sexual orientation from their face as a 2017 Stanford University study claimed, but coauthors of that paper cautioned that AI could be developed to try to classify sexual orientation or gender identity from online behavioral data. AI that claims it can detect people who identify as queer can be used to carry out technology-driven malicious outing campaigns, a particular threat in certain parts of the world.

The ethical implications of developing such systems for queer communities are far-reaching, with the potential of causing serious harms to affected individuals. Prediction algorithms could be deployed at scale by malicious actors, particularly in nations where homosexuality and gender non-conformity are punishable offenses, the DeepMind paper reads. In order to ensure queer algorithmic fairness, it will be important to develop methods that can improve fairness for marginalized groups without having direct access to group membership information.

The paper recommends applying machine learning that uses differential privacy or other privacy-preserving techniques to protect people who identify as queer in online environments. The coauthors also suggest exploration of technical approaches or frameworks that take an intersectional approach to fairness for evaluating AI models. The researchers examine the challenge of mitigating the harm AI inflicts on people who identify as queer, but also on other groups of people with identities or characteristics that cannot be simply observed. Solving algorithmic fairness issues for people who identify as queer, the paper argues, can produce insights that are transferrable to other unobservable characteristics, like class, disability, race, or religion.

The paper also cites studies on the performance of AI for queer communities that have been published in the last few years.

The DeepMind paper is Googles most recent work on the importance of ensuring algorithmic fairness for specific groups of people. Last month, Google researchers concluded in a paper that algorithm fairness approaches developed in the U.S. or other parts of the Western world dont always transfer to India or other non-Western nations.

But these papers examine how to ethically deploy AI at a time when Googles own AI ethics operations are associated with some pretty unethical behavior. Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that DeepMind cofounder and ethics lead Mustafa Suleyman had most of his management duties stripped before he left the company in 2019, following complaints of abuse and harassment from coworkers. An investigation was subsequently carried out by a private law firm. Months later, Suleyman took a job at Google advising the company on AI policy and regulation, and according to a company spokesperson, Suleyman no longer manages teams.

Google AI ethics lead Margaret Mitchell still appears to be under internal investigation, which her employer took the unusual step of sharing in a public statement. Mitchell recently shared an email she said she sent to Google before the investigation started. In that email, she characterized Googles choice to fire Ethical AI team colead Timnit Gebru weeks earlier as forever after a really, really, really terrible decision.

Gebru was fired while she was working on a research paper about the dangers of large language models. Weeks later, Google released a trillion-parameter model, the largest known language model of its kind. A recently published analysis of GPT-3, a 175-billion parameter language model, concluded that companies like Google and OpenAI have only a matter of months to set standards for addressing the societal consequences of large language models including bias, disinformation, and the potential to replace human jobs. Following the Gebru incident and meetings with leaders of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), earlier this week Google pledged to fund digital skills training for 100,000 Black women. Prior to accusations of retaliation from former Black female employees like Gebru and diversity recruiter April Curley, Google was accused of mistreatment and retaliation by multiple employees who identify as queer.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Google is restructuring its AI ethics research efforts under Google VP of engineering Marian Croak, who is a Black woman. According to Bloomberg, Croak will oversee the Ethical AI team and report directly to Google AI chief Jeff Dean.

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DeepMind researchers say AI poses a threat to people who identify as queer - VentureBeat