What's The Difference?

Juliette Francis joined the Science Museum’s senior leadership team in November 2013. She brings experience in employee relations, workforce planning, compensation and benefit management, and training and development to her position overseeing the museum’s service to both its paid staff and its expansive volunteer corps. Juliette comes to the Science Museum from College Possible, a national nonprofit headquartered in Saint Paul that provides low-income students with an intensive curriculum of coaching and support to help them earn college admission and college degrees. As Director of Human Resources and Operations, Francis oversaw the organization’s HR, new site operations, and technology functions. Her professional experience also includes human resources work at Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys and Fury Motors. Juliette has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She has been actively involved in the Saint Paul Winter Carnival fo

Rosemarie Merrigan has 35+ years of experience working in non-profits and government sectors. Rosemarie has two distinct areas of expertise and experience in her career. One area is direct practice in various therapy and mediation settings. The second is on a macro level, providing diversity and inclusion as well as organizational development consultation, supervision, leadership development, administration, and training. She has been responsible for the development, implementation, and sustainability of a state agency’s Diversity and Inclusion Unified Strategic Work Plan. Rosemarie is also an adjunct at Augsburg University in the Masters of Social Work Multicultural Marco Practice Program. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How Rosemarie got involved in the field of diversity and inclusion work gradually over the course of her career Why the book Ethnicity and Family Therapy, edited by Monica McGoldrick, is a valuable resource for understanding ethnic backgrou

Sara Taylor is the president and founder of deepSEE Consulting. She is a nationally-recognized speaker and consultant specializing in the areas of leadership, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. With over 25-years of experience, Sara balances her real-life anecdotes with research-based theories to deliver for her reader what she delivers for her clients. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why Sara Taylor and her team at DeepSEE Consulting define diversity as “differences that make a difference” How organizations have historically defined diversity using lists of protected-class groups, and why that approach isn’t sufficient anymore Why not all of our differences matter in the workplace, and why including everything under the heading of diversity is counterproductive Sara shares a story that illustrates how religion can be the difference that makes a difference How the tensions between Catholic and Lutheran families caused problems within community interactions when Sara was young How four year

From Blow Pops to Forbes’ Best Small Companies: Rob Dube started selling Blow Pops out of his locker in high school and is now President and co-founder of imageOne, which was ranked on the 2017 list of Forbes Small Giants: America’s Best Small Companies. Throughout Rob’s 27 years of experience, he has developed an unwavering passion for delivering extraordinary experiences that positively impact the lives of his team members, the goals of their customers, and the fabric of the community. This unique approach to business has driven the company to success in its industry and acknowledgment as a top workplace. imageOne is the leading organization in Document Lifecycle Management and is well-known as an exceptional company, receiving local and national recognition for its strong focus on culture. Rob is an avid meditator of 13 years, the author of donothing: the most rewarding leadership challenge you will ever take, and founder/organizer of the donothing Leadership Silent Retreat. In addition to his book, he is

Paul Spiegelman is the co-founder of the Small Giants Community, a peer-group of purpose-driven business leaders. He is the former chief culture officer of Stericycle, the co-founder and former CEO of BerylHealth and the founder and chairman of The Beryl Institute. Paul is a New York Times best-selling author and has been honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Paul is a sought-after speaker and author on leadership, employee engagement, entrepreneurship, culture, and leading a purpose-driven life. He has made many radios and TV appearances and his views have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine and he is currently a columnist for Forbes.com. Paul practiced law for two years prior to starting BerylHealth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern University. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How Paul became aware that culture and engagement were important to a successful organization Why creating a powerful cultur

Yolánda L. Chase, SHRM-SCP, CPM, CM serves as Director, Work(place) Forward – Global Inclusion & Diversity for Arrow Electronics. Chase joined the company in 2015 and is responsible for developing then driving inclusive workplace and employee experience strategies across the enterprise. She is also focused on ensuring that diversity and inclusion is positioned as a key business imperative as Chair of Arrow’s Global Inclusion & Diversity Council. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How Yolanda got involved in diversity and inclusion through her long career in human resources and organizational development Why Yolanda became a consultant and ultimately took a role in diversity and inclusion with Fortune 500 company Arrow Electronics Why Yolanda’s experience in organizational development and her background as a paralegal have been helpful in her current role Why organizational development works hand-in-hand with diversity and inclusion to help make organizations become more effective How support an

Mette McLoughlin is a HR executive who most recently served as the senior vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer at American Public Media Group (APMG). She was with APMG for over 14 years. In the executive role, she led the human resources strategy, planning and implementation including all D, E & I efforts for all the APMG companies—American Public Media, Minnesota Public Radio, and Southern California Public Radio. She was previously responsible for all programs and activities related to organizational culture and employee engagement, including performance communication programs, employee surveys, all compensation programs and learning and development opportunities for APMG staff. Prior to APMG, she worked for the Hazelden Foundation as well as Lutheran Social Service of MN in HR management roles with primary responsibility for compensation & benefits, performance communication, and payroll services. Mette and her family live in South Minneapolis. What you’ll learn about

Lisa Fain is the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence, and founder of Vista Coaching, the coaching division of the Center. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work is fueled by her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results. She has conducted mentoring training programs for corporate, government and educational institutions. Lisa coaches mentors, mentees and program administrators on how to achieve mentoring excellence and create the right environment for the achievement of career and personal goals. She is highly regarded for her special combination of knowledge, expertise, humor and a no-nonsense practical approach. As Senior Director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc. (the parent company to automated retail giants Redbox and Coinstar), Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of its diversity initiative, including launching the company’s first mentoring program for its Women’s Busin

Yvette is an experienced Senior Leader Of Community and Government Relations with a demonstrated history of working in the utilities industry. She is also skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Coaching, Microsoft Word, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Event Management. Strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor of Science focused in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences from the University of Florida. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How Yvette’s career journey brought her into the field of diversity and inclusion work How Gainesville Regional Utilities works to strengthen their diversity and inclusion from the top leadership down How the larger utility industry has traditionally failed to embrace diversity and inclusion, and how that’s changing What challenges Yvette has faced in championing diversity and inclusion, and how she overcame them Why a public agency like a utility should be reflective of the diversity in the community it serves Why GRU wants to be a voice

Aaron brings a great deal of energy and a necessary sense of humor to the discussion around difference. He comes from a background in education, having taught English and Theater to high school students in both inner-city and suburban schools. He has also worked with adults learning English at the Lehmann Center in Minneapolis, as well as in a variety of after-school programs serving academically struggling students. A certified Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Administrator, his training work has centered on issues of diversity, with a special focus on managing across differences. He has authored articles for diversity-centered websites and newsletters, including co-authoring a manager’s toolkit for dealing with religious diversity in the workplace and a half-day workshop on both leading and working across generational difference. He is also a certified Insights™ Discovery Licensed Practitioner. When not at work, Aaron can often be found fighting lightsaber battles with his three boys in the front y