How To Use Intrapreneurship To Champion Diversity & Inclusion Within Organizations

The New Mainstream Podcast

Organizations often launch diversity and inclusion initiatives as strategic imperatives to create more equitable and inclusive work environments. While it's the right thing to do, it’s often assumed that there’s immediate buy-in across the board. That’s not always the case, however. Within the company, there are ways to be an intrapreneur and make an impact. By empowering individuals within organizations to drive authentic diversity and inclusion efforts that advocate for a broad range of differences helps internal teams understand the ethics of D&I while making the business case for it. For change agents to succeed, they need sponsors, internal influencers who advocate for them and advisors, trusted resources they can turn to for feedback and guidance. Whether through employee resource groups (ERGs) or forming new departments, products, and services, tuning the lens for diversity and inclusion, and providing a space and resources to incubate ideas, will benefit the brand and bottom line. From a consumer perspective, organizations looking to focus on multicultural audiences must speak the language of their consumer, literally and figuratively. There is a way to do right by a consumer that aligns with business goals, and one of the best ways to do that is through market research. Connecting the dots in an impactful way enables companies to understand their consumer better and create relevant and meaningful experiences. Culture is a metaphor for race and ethnicity, and inclusive marketing considers nuances and various behavioral drivers. These drivers may vary by subculture, and research helps reveal those nuances so messaging and approach can be adjusted accordingly. That attention to detail could impact customer lifetime value and loyalty. Data tells the story that needs to be told, and culture provides context and support. However, the first step to creating more culturally inclusive marketing is to build a diverse and inclusive team. Without it, the rest will be meaningless. In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Eliana Murillo, founder and CEO of Eliment & Company and co-founder of Alquimia Tequila, discusses how employees can create the change they want to see within their organizations and how data helps brands tell the stories that need to be told.