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As Color Magazine closes out 2019 we want to take an opportunity to recognize and highlight five leaders who have had an extraordinary impact on our audiences in the last year. These five leaders changed the conversation around diversity and inclusion, empowerment, and professional success. Through their thought leadership, Color Magazine was able to inspire professionals Color across the nation. Take a moment to revisit their stories and impact.
Sweet Joy Hachuela, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of the Medici Group. Photograph courtesy of the Medici Group.
Sweet Joy Hachuela
Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of The Medici Group
“Our vision is a world where we use our differences to change it; our mission is to create that world.”
Sweet Joy Hachuela is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of D&I solutions firms The Medici Group. In 2019, she blazed the stage as the keynote speaker of our second ever Women of Color Leadership and Empowerment Conference in New Jersey (WOCNJ). At The TJX Companies Fourth Annual Employee Resource Group Summit she presented best-in-class tools for D&I innovation during the round table discussions. With over 20+ years of experience in diversity and inclusion, innovation, and culture transformation, Sweet Joy has successfully delivered organizational change and growth for a wide range of organizations such as government entities and NGOs, as well as Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Merck, Mastercard, and The Walt Disney Company.
As Co-Founder of The Medici Group, she has built a premier organization that successfully integrates innovation and strategy with diversity and inclusion. Under her leadership, Medici has grown into a global organization that has worked with more than 30% of the Fortune 100 and with over 4,000 teams worldwide.
What do you want your legacy to be?
“I’d like for people everywhere, including my two young daughters, to experience a world where they feel comfortable and empowered for being who they are; and that through connecting with diverse perspectives they are able to achieve their goals and dreams. I believe that the work The Medici Group is doing is helping create that world.”
Sweet Joy Hachuela
Kamil Ali-Jackson, Esq.
Co-Founder of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc.
“The battles I have engaged in and endured have only empowered me and made me stronger and more committed to helping the historically and currently disadvantaged.”
Co-Founder of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. and WOC Boston keynote speaker Kamil Ali-Jackson, Esq. is a fearless leader working to empower disadvantaged people. As a result of her decision to leave a “safe” position with a large pharmaceutical company, Kamil bravely stepped into the unknown and evolved from an employee to a successful entrepreneur. When asked to reflect on the meaning of success and her thirty-four-year career in the legal sector and pharmaceutical industry, Kamil said that her success should be measured by those she has empowered.
Kamil Ali-Jackson, Esq. co-founded Aclaris Therapeutics and has served as Chief Legal Officer since its inception in 2012. Kamil received her Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and Bachelor of Arts in politics from Princeton University.
What are two lessons you learned along the way?
“Lesson #1 is to stretch. Always be willing to take on more. Never assume that your “learning” days are behind you. There is always something new that you can learn about the industry and the company’s business, people, products, and services. Lesson #2 is to jump. Take the job you didn’t want, handle the project that is not glamorous or important, take the “less safe” path to professional success.”
Kamil Ali-Jackson, Esq.
Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett Keynotes the 11th Annual All-Inclusive Awards Ceremony. Photography by Christopher Huang
Maurice A. Stinnett
Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Culture at BSE Global
“We are in this together.”
Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett is an energetic presenter who is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion. In his role as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at BSE Global, he creates innovative programming tailored for inclusion and cultural competence and provides leadership and support across BSE’s brands.
Dr. Stinnett’s prior experience includes roles in higher education and nonprofit leadership. He most recently served as Vice President of Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Cleveland State University, where he successfully led the institution’s response to a university crisis that received national attention and ignited debates regarding the distinction between free speech and hate speech. He holds a Master of Education and Doctor of Education and Organizational Leadership from Columbia University.
What separates an effective leader from the rest?
I think the ability to keep one’s head about them, when as the quote says: “all else around you are losing theirs.” A leader has to be able to remain calm and think clearly amidst the storm. In my practice especially, an effective leader must never forget that people are involved and because people are involved there is a particular way one must handle the crises. Ensuring those whom you are responsible for feel safe and secure before anything else is paramount.
Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett
Goldie Chan takes to the stage for an executive session on personal branding and digital storytelling at the 2019 Women of Color Leadership and Empowerment Conference. Photograph by Bobby Guliani
Goldie Chan
Founder, Head of Content and Creative of Warm Robots
“When I think about the legacy I want to leave, I want it to be one of mentorship, kindness, education, and love.”
Goldie Chan electrified the executive sessions at #WOCBOS this year, hosted by State Street. The founder of LA-Based social media strategy agency Warm Robots was described as “a breath of fresh air” in the conversation on personal branding in the digital age. Goldie is a top LinkedIn Video creator, global keynote speaker, and digital strategist. Her video channel won LinkedIn Top Voice and is the longest running daily show on the LinkedIn platform with over 4 million views and counting. She’s known as the “Oprah of LinkedIn” by Huffington Post.
In the digital age, what does being an influencer of Color mean to you?
“So often, I’m the only person of color in the room, and I am representing not only Asian Americans but also all people of color. It’s a heavy weight, but also a responsibility that I have fully taken on. I try to spotlight as many people of color as I can online and through Warm Robots, to uplift their voices.”
Goldie Chan
Dr. Ginny Baro presents her tools to becoming a fearless leader at the 2019 Women of Color Leadership and Empowerment Conference – New Jersey. Photograph by NJBIZ
Dr. Ginny Baro
Founder and CEO of ExecutiveBound™
“To become a fearless leader in business and life, get clear on what you fear most and do something about it starting today.”
Dr. Ginny Baro is a certified international executive coach, speaker, and #1 bestselling author of Fearless Women at Work. Today, she serves as the CEO and founder of ExecutiveBound™ and Fearless Women @Work™. Dr. Baro holds over 26 years of experience working in competitive corporate environments in financial services and technology in the New York City area.She is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and facilitator for teams and leaders. She has facilitated leadership training and coaching programs successfully for global companies with over 65,000 employees and delivered keynotes impacting international audiences larger than 7,000 people.
Dr. Baro holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Information Systems and an M.S. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She is also the creator of the innovative and proven method C.A.R.E.S. Leadership Success System™ and the groundbreaking virtual coaching program, the Fearless Leadership Mastermind™.
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