I am oh-so proud of Colorful Connections and the work we’re doing. More than I can probably express. But I’ll admit, I never intended to start a company.
Colorful Connections was the result of curiosity, passion, and frustration. Or put another way, therapy-in-action.
As a woman of color working in PR, I see the lack of diversity and inclusion first hand. I see and understand what it is like to be one of few diverse professionals working on the client-side at creative agencies.
I also understand how that plays into decision-making and project work. So, I welcome healthy conversations and causes to advance workplace diversity.
Over time I've participated in a range of conferences, organizations and initiatives. All productive. All constructive. But I grew frustrated that progress was less visible. And slow.
Now, yes. There’s a lot of lip service. And some hope diversity is a buzzword that will soon pass. There are others, however, who are truly committed to creating a diverse workforce that’s representative of the modern consumer market.
People have to be given the opportunity to rise to the occasion, otherwise, we’re contributing to the problem. So, I thought to myself, if there is, in fact, a genuine desire to address this problem, there has to be a solution.
I’m used to creating pie-in-the-sky ideas for clients, so I challenged myself: if this were a client problem, how would I go about solving it?
As a person who respects data and research, my passion project started there.
Over time I designed Colorful Connections based on input from diverse professionals, mentors at staffing firms, and HR & talent acquisition directors at leading agencies (such as Leo Burnett, Flowers Communications, Burrell Communications, and Ketchum, to name a few).
Fast forward to today, Colorful Connections does just that -- we connect!
Whether we’re connecting talent with employers or helping teams work better together by embracing differences, we foster connections. And at a time when society is more diverse yet divisive than ever, it is critical to look beyond our blinders to move ahead.