Join us each week for a deep, real, and actionable discussion about how to be a better ally and advocate, and lead with empathy. Topics we’ve discussed include advancing racial equity, intergenerational racial trauma, xenophobia and anti-Asian racism, mental health, anti-Muslim discrimination and Muslim identity, Indigenous power and leadership, amplifying Latinx experiences, advocating for people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ leadership, being an ally for trans and gender nonconforming colleagues, collectively healing from trauma, and more. This is for beginners and activists alike - we are all on a journey with more to learn!

Leading With Empathy & Allyship Podcast

What exactly is political intelligence? And why is it important to have in the workplace?

In Episode 130, Cari Guittard, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at ChangeX & purposewerx and Leadership Professor at Hult International Business School, joins Melinda in a conversation around the constructive approach to addressing politics within the workplace. Drawing from her multiple experiences in the DEI, ESG, and political fields, Cari delves into practical tools to develop our political intelligence. She discusses why this skill set can be necessary for advancing our careers and positioning ourselves as purpose-driven leaders, the importance of curiosity in political conversations, and how it can enhance our situational awareness to adapt effectively to moments of transition or crisis. She also taps into how organizations can respond to anti-wokeness in a way that opens the door for creativity and creates positive change at work. 

About Cari Guittard (she/her)

Strategic purpose design, global thought leadership and high velocity social impact. Entrepreneurial within organizations galvanizing and building initiatives from scratch and externally, bringing unique opportunities, partners and resources together for purpose driven cross sector engagement.

The Un-Guided Missile. A nickname given to me by one of my former bosses and mentors for my relentless approach to connection, collaboration, and driving impact. From corporate diplomacy, political intelligence, foresight and futures strategy, women's leadership/gender intelligent design, ESG, DE&I, and next gen efforts. My brain is most on fire when I am engaged with clients building, branding and leveraging unique multi-discipline tri-sector partnerships (between government agencies, NGOs, companies and private citizens) to develop solutions to complex and urgent problems. And in doing so we make the world a better place. Together.

Award-Winning Professor. Keynote Speaker & Facilitator. Ghost Writer. Brand & Thought Leadership

An endless collector and distiller of wisdom and knowledge wherever I find it. Am most known for my external communications work -- as a speaker, facilitator, and writer -- even though I am also at home as a strategist, data analyst and researcher. Deeply passionate about applying branding principles, deep imagination and creative processes to every approach. I learned branding and the creative discipline directly from working with legends, seasoned leaders, and boards in the Advertising, Marketing and the Global PR space. Keith Reinhard, Charlotte Beers, Alan Siegel, Allen Rosenshine, John McNeel, Harris Diamond and Rich Edelman.

Purposeful, Practical, Global

In 2018, 2020, and 2021 Hult San Francisco awarded me The Most Inspirational Faculty and Faculty of the Year. It is an honor to be affiliated with and teach at Hult IBS and support the development of next gen global leaders. I develop and teach graduate leadership courses as well as electives in Political Intelligence for Work, Strategic Influence & Persuasion, Gender Intelligence, Crisis Management & International Negotiations.


For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Cari

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cariguittard/

Connect With Us

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Cari Guittard, a White, cis gender female photographed in black and white with long blonde hair and dark button up shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

Navigating Politics In The Workplace With Cari Guittard

What is holistic resistance? How can we practice it to break historical narratives and challenge oppression in the workplace?

In Episode 131, Aaron Johnson, Professional Speaker at The CUT, joins Melinda in an honest conversation on the power of touch and the Black brute narrative in the workplace. They explore holistic resistance as a response to the profound impact of the Black brute narrative on African heritage men. They discuss ways this narrative shows up in the workplace, including through a lack of safe space where Black men can be vulnerable, set boundaries, and protect themselves when those boundaries are violated. They also discuss the relationship between White women and Black men and how each of us can advocate for anti-racism in the fight against oppression.


About Aaron Johnson (he/him)

My name is Aaron, and what lights me up right now is cultivating environments that allow black-bodied people to show up as their full tender selves. One of my goals is for black folks to be in spaces where connection to each other and the earth is accessible. One of the ways I am currently cultivating healing is my Chronically UnderTouched Project, where I support black men who have not had mindful, thoughtful platonic touch in creating their own holistic touch practices and care plan.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, visit empovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Aaron Johnson On Social

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cut.project

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Aaron Johnson, an African Heritage man with short black afro hair, black goatee and beard, tan turtleneck, and glasses, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

The Power Of Touch & The Black Brute Narrative In The Workplace With Aaron Johnson

How does generative AI impact teams? And what can we do to mitigate the impact of biased AI?

In Episode 132, Kieran Snyder, Co-Founder and CEO at Textio, joins Melinda in an insightful discussion about the impact of AI on workplace biases and inequities. They explore the potential harm and social biases perpetuated by generative AI, and look closely at how this applies to performance reviews. They also discuss the key factors business leaders should consider when adopting AI solutions in their teams, establish accountability systems that support DEI efforts, and safeguard confidential employee information.


About Kieran Snyder (she/her)

Kieran is co-founder and CEO of Textio, the platform for inclusive and equitable communications. After earning her PhD in linguistics at Penn, Kieran spent a decade creating the world’s most impactful language products at Microsoft and Amazon. In addition to developing linguistic capabilities like spelling and grammar-checking for more than 100 languages, she led the large-scale effort to integrate the Bing search engine into Microsoft Windows. Kieran is a world-renowned expert on language and bias at work, and her writing has appeared in Fortune, The New York Times, Slate, and the Washington Post.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, visitempovia.co. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Kieran Snyder On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-snyder-60572987/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KieranSnyder

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Kieran Snyder, a White woman with long brown hair, drop earrings, and black top; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

How AI Impacts Biases & Inequities In The Workplace With Kieran Snyder

Empovia creates empowered learning and development solutions that drive inclusive and sustainable change.