Core Message - The core message emphasizes shifting societal mindset towards inclusivity, moving beyond short-term help to genuine understanding and leadership by individuals with disabilities [4] - The speech introduces the "vowels of inclusion" (A, E, I, O, U) as a framework for fostering inclusivity [5] Vowels of Inclusion Framework - **Awareness and Acceptance:** Highlights the importance of recognizing and accepting diverse backgrounds, abilities, and disabilities without labeling individuals as "special" or "separate" [5][6] - **Empathy:** Stresses the need for creating safe spaces, active listening, and understanding individuals' unique stories beyond assumptions and biases [8][10] - **Integration:** Focuses on bringing people with diverse backgrounds together, ensuring access to wider communities and breaking down stereotypes, while constantly introspecting for true accessibility and fairness [10][11][12] - **Openness:** Underscores the importance of being open to adapting and learning different ways of interacting with people with disabilities, citing sign language interpretation as an example [12][13] - **Unleashing Diversity:** Highlights the power of diversity in unlocking new ways of understanding and appreciating the world, encouraging a shift in focus beyond visuals [14][15][16] Organizational Impact and Sustainability - The organization practices the "vowels of inclusion" to include the community in every decision, emphasizing purpose and perseverance over huge resources [16][17] - Letting the community lead can make the model truly sustainable, with the ultimate goal of achieving normalization [17]

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests and fellow TED enthusiasts. In a world where assimilation, the process in which individuals completely adopt another group's cultural traits, has taken it by storm, I stand before you today as a living testament of the wonders of a culturation instead. Now, before we dive into this journey of cultural fusion and self-discovery, let me take you back to where it all began.My name is Aminata Anadialo. And if you're wondering why my parents named me after my wonderful aunt, ...

Challenges in the Engineering Industry - The engineering industry faces a growing skills gap and a mental health emergency [11] - Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK, with those in construction, engineering, and manufacturing being over three times more likely to die by suicide than the national average [12] - Research indicates that 81% of engineers report some form of emotional or mental health concern, yet less than half are comfortable discussing it with their employer [13] - An estimated shortfall of over 173,000 engineers is costing the UK economy around 15 billion pounds annually [14] - In a 12-month period, over 38,000 women left engineering roles in the UK, decreasing the proportion of women in engineering and technical roles [15] - Nearly 72% of queer individuals in engineering and automation have experienced or witnessed discrimination in the workplace [16] The Need for Engineered Inclusion - Inclusion should be engineered, not just emphasized, drawing from automation principles to build better systems [9][31] - The industry should apply the same engineering logic used for machines to the workplace, monitoring the people behind them [10][11] - Traditional employee engagement surveys are like scheduled maintenance, disruptive and inefficient; the industry needs condition monitoring for inclusion [21][22] - Condition monitoring for inclusion involves tracking psychological safety, workload, career progression, and cultural kindness as a continuous feedback loop [23] - Predictive systems for inclusion should build in early warning, redundancy, and resilience, tracking who gets promoted and who gets stuck mid-career [25][26] - Inclusion should be designed from the ground up, based on data, and treated with the same rigor as quality control [27][28]

Policy & Legal - The Trump administration is cautioning schools against using application essays, geography, and other "unlawful proxies" for race in pursuit of diverse student bodies [1]

Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) - The literary world has historically lacked diversity [1] - The "solution" to the lack of diversity has led to controversies, cancellations, and strict sensitivity readers [1]

Core Viewpoint - Cracker Barrel is undergoing a strategic transformation to revitalize its brand, which includes a new logo and updates to its visual elements, restaurant spaces, and offerings [1][2]. Brand Refresh - The new logo eliminates the image of a man leaning against a barrel and removes the phrase "old country store," leaving only the words "Cracker Barrel" on a yellow background [2]. - The brand refresh aims to maintain the company's "rich history of country hospitality" and "authentic charm" that has made it a beloved destination for families [3]. Market Reaction - Following the unveiling of the new logo, shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store dropped approximately 10% [2]. - The company has a market capitalization of about $1.2 billion, which is relatively small compared to other restaurant chains [5]. Social Media Backlash - The logo change has faced criticism on social media, particularly from conservative circles, with claims that it is an attempt to erase traditional American branding in favor of diversity and inclusion [4]. - Conservative activist Robby Starbuck commented on the backlash, suggesting that the company would learn that "wokeness really doesn't pay" [5].

Core Insights - Target announced a CEO change, with Brian Cornell retiring and COO Michael Fiddelke taking over, which was met with disappointment from Wall Street due to the lack of an outsider candidate [2][3] - The company reported another weak quarter, confirming a continued loss of relative market share, with shares dropping over 6% following the announcement [3][5] Financial Performance - Under Cornell's leadership, Target's revenues grew from approximately $60 billion to over $100 billion, with significant contributions from digital sales and private brands [4] - However, since mid-2021, Target's stock has declined over 60%, while competitors have seen substantial gains [5] - Target has experienced flat to negative same-store sales over the past three years, contrasting with Walmart's average growth of around 6% [6] Market Position and Strategy - Target's merchandise mix is more discretionary, making it vulnerable in a challenging economic environment where consumers are more selective [7] - The company's focus on online fulfillment has detracted from customer service and visual merchandising, leading to frequent product out-of-stocks [8] - Target has struggled with its brand positioning, often competing on price rather than leveraging its unique market identity [9] Leadership and Future Direction - The promotion of Fiddelke has drawn criticism, as he was previously overseeing areas where Target has faced execution issues [11][12] - The board's decision to retain Cornell as executive chairman suggests a reluctance to implement significant changes [12] - Fiddelke's initial priorities include reestablishing merchandising authority, enhancing customer experience, and leveraging technology for efficiency, but these strategies need to be executed effectively to differentiate Target in the market [14][15][16]

टू दोज़ हु बिलीव इन द ब्यूटी ऑफ़ देयर रूल्स। लेडीज एंड जेंटलमैन, नाउ इट्स टाइम टू इम्बार्क ऑन अ जर्नी ऑफ़ एनलाइटनमेंट विथ आवर फर्स्ट एडिक्ट स्पीकर सेशन। आवर इनक्रेडिबल लाइन अप ऑफ़ स्पीकर्स विल इग्नाइट आवर इमेजिनेशंस एंड चैलेंज आवर पर्सपेक्टिव्स ऑन द फ्यूचर। आवर फर्स्ट स्पीकर इज़ डॉ. इतिशा नागर। डॉ. इतिशा नागर इज अ फेमिनिस्ट एजुकेटर एंड साइकोलॉजिस्ट नोन फॉर हर वर्क इन साइकोलॉजी एंड एडवोकेसी फॉर वुममेंस राइट्स। अ प्रोफेसर एट द यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ दिल्ली फॉर अ डेकेड एंड टेडिक स्पीकर शी इज़ डेडिकेटेड टू मेकिंग साइकोलॉजिकल ...

Core Insights - Procter & Gamble plans to cut up to 6% of its global workforce, approximately 7,000 jobs, in response to consumer uncertainty and tariff-related costs [2] - Target's recent earnings report shows a decline in sales and profit, with sales falling just under 1% to $25.2 billion and profit dropping 19% year-over-year to $1.3 billion [3] - Target's stock price has decreased by 31% since the announcement of changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, resulting in a market cap loss of over $13 billion [5] Company Challenges - Target's new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, will face significant challenges following the departure of Brian Cornell, particularly regarding the backlash from the company's DEI program changes [4] - Financial pressures are compounded by tariff uncertainties and a slowdown in consumer spending, which are expected to persist [5][11] - The company has seen a decline in foot traffic, with a 9% drop in website traffic coinciding with a social media movement calling for a boycott [8][10] Tariff Impact - Target is facing new challenges from tariffs, which could lead to higher import costs and further price increases, alienating price-sensitive consumers [11] - The timing of these tariffs is problematic as Target struggles to regain its footing amidst declining sales [11][13] Business and Political Intersection - Target's situation highlights the importance of consistency in business practices, particularly regarding DEI programs, as inconsistency can erode consumer trust and loyalty [14] - Maintaining customer loyalty is crucial for business resilience and growth, as loyal customers drive repeat purchases and provide valuable feedback [15] - Companies must stand by their principles during volatile times to maintain and earn customer trust and loyalty [16]

Diversity in Venture Capital - More diverse leaders are reaching the partner level in venture capital [1] - Mega-funds still have significant progress to make in terms of diversity [1] Industry Trends - All Raise CEO discusses the drivers of change and future steps in venture capital diversity on the EquityPod [1]