In this episode, Host Julia Streets is joined by Stacy Lentz, LGBTQ+ activist, speaker, and co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and Eve Ellis, wealth adviser at William Blair. Together they chart the path of LGBTQ+ activism from the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement to obstacles to change in our current social and political climate. They discuss PRIDE, privilege, marginalisation, creating change through authenticity and the future of LGBTQ+ activism through policy change, accountability and corporate involvement.

In this episode we discuss transitioning two very different perspectives. Host Julia Streets is joined by Josephine Hughes, a BACP Accredited Counsellor, business mentor and parent of transgender children and Liam Paschall, a transgender man committed to promoting understanding, inclusion, and allyship. They share their personal stories about the journey of transitioning and discuss policies and practices around gender identity and equality to create a trans-inclusive workplace. They explain the importance of focusing on the uniqueness of the individual, balancing inclusion with intersectionality. Together they examine the current social and political climate regarding transgender people and share their thoughts, insights and practical advice for gender creative parenting.

Recorded live at the Women in Payments ASEAN Symposium, in Singapore on 25 October 2023, with senior leaders, rising stars and industry experts from across the ASEAN region in attendance. Our host Julia Streets is joined by Danielle Sharpe, Chief of Staff to the Global Head of Transaction Banking for Standard Chartered Bank, Sanjeev Chatrath, Partner, Financial Services & Asia Pacific Payments Leader at EY and Kristy Duncan, Founder and CEO of Women in Payments. The panel discussion explores trends and developments across the ASEAN region, gender dynamics, the power and potential of intersectionality, and the importance and influence of male allyship.

As we continue our international conversations, in this episode we look toGhana. Host Julia Streets is joined by Darryl Koku Mawutor Abraham, the Growth Director in Africa of Taptap Send and Kingsley Abrokwah, Chief Enabler and Chief Executive Officer of Kudigo. Together they discuss how tech is providing payment solutions across the continent by a generation of early adopters. They share their thoughts and insights on different aspects of diversity across the Diaspora, how tech is being immersed in the education system, and how this could develop talent to fulfil the talent pipeline outside of Africa.

In our first episode of Series 16, we begin with a special extended episode focusing on antisemitism, the ‘oldest form of hatred in the world’. Host Julia Streets is joined by Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism and national newspaper Journalist, Nicole Lampert. Together they chart the rise of antisemitism and the exclusion of Jewish people in the diversity discussion. They discuss how to provide both practical support and demonstrate inclusion for Jewish people within the workplace, and the power and importance of networks and allies.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Sophie Creese, Founder of MotherBoard, and Eleanor Mills, Editor in Chief of noon.org.uk. They explore the current landscape of women at work; the ages and stages of women in the workforce: from mothers to ‘Queenagers’, which now includes five generations. They discuss opportunities for women in midlife, the wasted economic and skills potential, the (not so) ‘great break up’ and the reality of gendered ageism. They discuss policies and best practice around reproductive health for employees, particularly during pregnancy, the requirements for returning mothers and recognises the midlife pinch facing women before they emerge into the ‘sunny uplands’ post-menopause.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Billie Simmons, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Daylight, a queer-owned and queer-run members-only neobank and Geffrye Parsons, Founder and CEO (‘Chief Empathy Officer’) of The Inclusion Imperative, a best-practice Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) consultancy. They explore how financial services can create a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ people. They look at the importance of focusing on the intersectionality of the LGBTQ+ community. With the changes in the social and political climate, they discuss the compelling need for psychological safety, with a sharp focus on the mental health and the wellbeing of the community. They discuss how this includes employees working within the industry globally, as well extending this consideration beyond to its customers.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell, CEO of 10,000 Black Interns Foundation and the 10,000 Able Interns Foundation, and Philiip Olagunju, Head of corporate finance at PEM, the oldest and largest independent accountancy practice in Cambridge, UK. They discuss advocating for the unrepresented through both structured internships and organic connections. Together they explore regional differences outside the capital and beyond regional cities, the differing degrees of acceptance across the country, call out the barriers to change and consider how best to drive better inclusion for all.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Ed Warner, founder of the inclusive design business Motionspot and Ross Hovey, Accessibility Guru, Accessibility Consultant and Lloyds Banking Group Disability Role Model. They explore the importance of inclusive design to serve talent across all protected characteristics, with a particular focus on intersectionality, neurodiversity and different stages of life. The discussion leads to why there we need broader EDI strategies that incorporate an inclusive design mindset. Together they discuss the value of more diverse and all embracing workspaces, designed for wellbeing and belonging, so individuals can thrive, free from potential barriers and obstacles.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Dorien Nuñez, Speaker, Author, Researcher, Consultant and Principal and Co-Founder of The OMNIResearch Group and Paris Prince, Director - Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for The Intentional Endowments Network. Both from the United States, Dorien shares his experience of five decades on Wall Street and together they chart the changes through diversity, equity and inclusion. They explore furthering the ESG debate within financial services and make fascinating comparisons between the US and the UK. Paris takes the diversity discussion to new bounds with his views on JEDI and both offer listeners practical suggestions to drive real change.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by David Goldenkranz, Educator, DEI Facilitator, Coach and Consultant and Simeon Greaves, Wealth Manager at Coutts. Together they talk about leadership and where the power lies. In parallel, they discuss intersectionality through the lens of race and sexual orientation; self-identification and ways to create safe spaces within the workplace. They address the role of men and the future of work, the direction we are heading without male allies, a greater gender balance and a more inclusive workforce.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Toby Mildon, Diversity & Inclusion Architect and founder of Mildon, a consultancy and advisory business, and Johnny Timpson OBE, principal of Johnny Timpson Consulting and Non-Executive Chair of specialist military insurance brokerage Absolute Military. Together they discuss ways to improve access to financial products, resources and services and discuss the financial health of many people living with disabilities. They address how inclusivity on boards, changes in culture and inclusive language can bring about wide-reaching transformation. Lastly, they focus on the value of embracing intersectionality to enhance the diversity discussion and ultimately drive greater inclusion.

We kick start Series 15 with a special Youth takeover episode. Host Julia Streets is joined by Chloe, Sirad, Megan and Harrison all of whom work as Young Consultants with the organisation Participation People. They share their perceptions of financial services and what we need to do as an industry to attract and portray financial services in an attractive light. They also highlight the value and importance of representation and inclusion as we market our products and services and the group talks about career opportunities and the barriers young people from different backgrounds believe they may face. It's a really insightful discussion and they offer lots of ideas to inspire the industry, one of which is a clear call for financial education. Finally, the young people turn the tables and ask Julia some questions!

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Dr Rajiv Prabhakar, Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance at the Open University and Sian Williams, previously Director of Policy and Innovation at Toynbee Hall, now the new CEO of Switchback. Together they look at the financial inclusion going mainstream, and the persistent problems those on low incomes face, particularly, access to wealth. They discuss the importance of financial education and why for some, cash is the safest budgeting tool. Together they navigate the path to inclusion which incorporates a customer duty from the financial services industry, to create financially inclusive products, resources and services.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Danny Harmer, Chief People Officer for Aviva Plc. As an ally, Danny shares her views about the privilege of allies, how allyship can drive meaningful change and the ways in which advocates and active bystanders can support and amplify the diversity and inclusion agenda. Together they explore the generational range within the financial services industry, the impact and effects of office attendance and hybrid working models, and leaves us with a compelling analogy from Star Trek to boot!

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Bukola Adisa, Founder/CEO of Career Masterclass and Joseph Williams, Founder and CEO of Clu. Together they look at some of the barriers to entry into the workforce for ethnic minorities, refugees, and people with disabilities, and how social mobility could sustain the pipeline of the current skills gap. They discuss perception bias and the impact of microaggressions within the workplace, and the positive and negative effects of call-out culture, and offer practical tips using a 4D framework to address this. They summarise with thoughtful and measured suggestions for change and community empowerment, to create a workplace culture that will enhance the appeal of working within financial services.

In honour of World Menopause Month, host Julia Streets is joined by Sam Simister, co-founder of GenM and Rachel Lankester, founder of Magnificent Midlife. Together they focus on redressing the balance and creating a more positive discussion about the menopause, while also focusing their attention on some key areas of concern, for example gendered ageism and the negative narrative in general. They offer lots of best practice inspiration and practical insights to improve corporate behaviour in order to change the narrative around menopause. This positive conversation seeks to reframe this stage of life as being less of a taboo concern and more of a transition where women can ultimately flourish.

In this second conversation, which forms part of a two-part special episode celebrating and understanding neurodiversity, host Julia Streets is joined by Dan Harris, CEO of Neurodiversity in Business. Dan shares how it is important to welcome, maintain and retain neurodivergent talent. They discuss the realities of self-disclosure through the recruitment process and the role of Human Resources and employee networks. Dan explains how practical changes can be made within the workplace and how awareness is not the end goal, instead it’s about creating a culture of acceptance.

In this first conversation, which forms part of a two-part special episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Lou Anderson, Senior Sales Development Representative at Connectr to discuss neurodiversity. Lou shares her personal journey, of living and working with Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), talking about the language of neurodiversity, and the effects of late diagnoses in women. The discussion dispels many of the myths and misconceptions around neurodiverse people and expounds on the compelling reasons for hiring neurodiverse talent; these superheroes can have a hugely positive impact on workforce teams by bringing unique skill sets and offering fresh ways of thinking.

To kick off Series 14, we are joined by two titans of tech, Russ Shaw, Founding Partner of London Tech Week and London Tech Ambassador for the Mayor of London and an advisory member for Founders4Schools, and Dr Sue Black, technology evangelist, digital skills expert and Professor of Computer at Durham University. In this two-part interview, we discuss the importance of allyship, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and the fantastic story of the campaign to save Bletchley Park! We also learn about where each guest is specifically focusing their time to drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion in the technology industry, and explore how to fill the current skills gaps being faced by the industry.