In honor of National Women’s History Month, we spoke with a Black woman who is making history with her recent creation, an educational platform called Lenoir-Rhyne Equity and Diversity Institute, or LREDI. Aisha Adams is a bonafide businesswoman whose sole purpose is to help companies and other businesswomen learn how to integrate and cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusivity into their workplaces. We got to pick her brain on ways executives can increase and extend leadership roles to women, and why it’s so important to see more Black women and women of color in top leadership roles.
What do you think companies are missing when it comes to diversifying and making their staff more inclusive?
I think that a lot of companies are excited about creating change, but fail to change policies, procedures, and practices permanently. They set up DEl teams or a task force, but fail to invest in training for those professionals, and often they don’t even pay these employees to take on this extra role.
What makes your platform so important, and why should more businesses hire women of color?
Hiring diverse vendors is an excellent diversity strategy for any organization. This includes hiring Black women-owned businesses to bring their unique value, style, and experience to your organization. I believe my work is valuable because while we work with organizations to help them strategize around being more diverse and inclusive, we also help new diverse businesses accelerate and become successful vendors and partners.
What issues have you faced in the workplace as being a Black woman, and did that play a part in you becoming an entrepreneur?
As a young Black woman, I often felt I was unrecognized, unheard, and underpaid. However, I was raised celebrating Kwanzaa principles. So, I suppose having an understanding of the principles like self-determination, cooperative economics, collective work and responsibility and purpose influenced me greatly.
Why is it important for more Black women or women of color to be in leadership roles in the workplace?
Oh, that’s simple math; it is good for business. According to the Institute of Leadership, when women are in leadership roles in companies, they are more profitable. A lot of people want our diversity and inclusion issue to be a moral issue, but it’s actually just good business. According to Forbes, “Women may make up half of the U.S. population, but they dominate consumer purchasing decisions.” This is just another example of how valuable a woman’s perspective can be.
What are some ways executives can increase and extend leadership roles to women?
Organizations are in a unique position to grow talent from within and boost morale. This can be done by creating more mentorship programs, setting clear pathways to leadership opportunities, and by offering opportunities for valuable and relevant training.
How are you helping to provide women with more opportunities?
Our Entrepreneurial Accelerator is a free opportunity for all women. This is a chance for women to test the validity of their business ideas and accelerate towards their dreams. At the same time, while consulting organizations we are challenging the policies, practices, and procedures that have made it almost impossible for women to advance to leadership.
Any advice you want to share with executives on how they can make the workplace more diverse and inclusive?
Start with an equity audit. It is a great way to find the blind spots and biases affecting not only women but all diverse employees in an organization. An audit is a process by which an outside consultant assesses several parts of your organization. Let the results guide the work!
