Some exciting things are going on over here in Charlotte, NC, in addition to being voted the 20th Best Place to Live in the US! This will be Global Grassroots Consulting's FIRST monthly newsletter!!
~ I'll cheers to that! ~
A lot has happened since we were first established back in March of 2021. Boy, have we been busy.
Jump right in to learn what's new!
Our First Two Clients!
Who are these organizations? What do they do? I'm glad you asked!
We are excited to introduce the organizations Primed OD and Humanity thru Equity as our first two Social Impact partners!
Between the months of June to August, Global Grassroots Consulting secured our first TWO clients! A lot of hard work went into this on both sides, and now that we are a couple of months into our engagements, it is safe to say that things are going well.
Primed OD
Primed OD is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Consulting organization, led by the amazing, Dr. Kiera Penpeci!
Dr. Penpeci has her doctorate in Organizational Leadership Psychology and has years of professional experience in the Human Resources (HR) sphere. She is well trained and has much experience reviewing organizations. She is able to identify gaps/problems at all levels of an organization -- from day to day, desk level employee work, to high level, C-Suite members -- and provides strategy and support to implement positive changes within.
As a black, queer woman, Kiera has an understandable affinity for DEI. During our first time meeting in person, Kiera described to me circumstances in which her voice was not heard as a high level employee. She explained that in many instances, leaders and coworkers undervalued her work, her voice and her suggestions, simply because of her identity.
And that is why Kiera built her organization, Primed OD! Through her company, Kiera partners with organizations interested in improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity within. She assesses their current setup, identifies gaps/problems and makes suggestions to help implement positive change within.
Dr. Penpeci is a DEI Champion in her own right. She is devoted to improving organizational employee wellness so that EVERYONE can go to work feeling that they may be their most authentic self, regardless of their identity(ies).
Fun Fact: Kiera is also a Certified Yoga Instructor! We both agree that life is all about #balance. You can catch her leading classes at The Studio in South End, Boston, Massachusetts.
~ Use this moment to pause your reading, take a DEEP breath in, and when you exhale, let out a beautiful, "oooommmmm". ~
Namastay, Kiera. You and your work are much appreciated. 🙏
Humanity thru Equity
Humanity thru Equity is also a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) organization, led by two wonderful women: Chiavone Mobley and Sydni Makemo.
Chiavone is a bright, black professional who received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and has since completed much of her work as a project manager. Given her talent as a project manager, Ms. Mobley is able to view organizations and their problems at a macro level. This helps her to identify solutions and plan accordingly.
Fun Fact: Chiavone is a fan of 'good trouble', since "well behaved women seldom make history". She believes that DEI is a form of 'good trouble'. Let's hope that you get into some 'good trouble' with Huamnity thru Equity, Chiavone!
Sydni is an activist, an ally and an all around amazing woman! Ms. Makemo received her Bachelor's Degree in Applied Sociology from Dixie University. Since her time at school, Sydni has utilized her Sociology degree to evaluate organizations as if they are whole societies (because they are). She is skilled in identifying which parts in the organization work, which don't and which need improvement. In addition to her major, Sydni also minored in Social Justice and Nonprofit Management. As I said, she's an activist. What else would you expect?
Fun Fact: Sydni lives in one of my favorite parts of this country: Utah. Sydni, don't be alarmed if I show up to your house one day with a car packed full of camping supplies. 😁
The way that Chiavone and Sydni met is something out of a fairytale. Chiavone wanted out of the corporate environment to make an impact on the World through the DEI lens. Sydni was already doing DEI work with ACLU of Utah, but needed to find a way to work sustainably. They met through a mutual friend, realized that they both had the same ambitions in mind, and the rest is history!
Hats off to you two lovely ladies! Let's continue our work to make a lasting impact!
Head to our site to learn more about our work with these amazing organizations!
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: What does it mean to us?
The idea of DEI is that everyone deserves a seat at the table and to feel included, regardless of racial, gender, sexual, religious or cultural identity. You cannot have one aspect of DEI, without the other. A company can have a diverse workforce, but if employees from underrepresented communities do not feel that they have equitable promotion opportunities, for example, then there is a problem.
Companies such as Primed OD and Humanity thru Equity help organizations develop practices that hold true to all three components of DEI. They do this so that employees feel they are able to bring their true, authentic selves into work each and every day.
Kiera, Chiavone and Sydni, any chance we can clone you? The World needs more DEI!
For more information on DEI Social Impact Consulting, check out GGC's blog post!
Social Impact Spotlight!
Using our platform to promote 'good', we will include a "Social Impact Spotlight" in each of our monthly newsletters.
This month, we highlight an amazing company, Project Canopy! Led by the incredible, Misha Lepetic, Project Canopy is a nonprofit organization "that works with conservation actors in the Congo Basin" in West-Central Africa. Misha and his team provide up-to-date, accurate data on 'forestry wellness' to help agencies and governments combat against the causes and effects of deforestation.
As their website suggests, Project Canopy's data driven work "allows environmental actors to save more forest cover, threatened species, and carbon stores per resource spent. In turn, funding will increase for this crucial and under-resourced ecosystem."
I met with Misha over a Zoom video call -- thank you COVID for introducing a new way for us all to work and meet -- and loved his mission! He is an amazing guy, doing his part to create a better, more holistic world for tomorrow!
A New Look and a New Website!
A BIG Global Grassroots Consulting thank you to my good friend, Brock Eveleth, for designing our amazing logo! Brock is a talented, young artist who hopes to venture out on his own one day to create his own brand.
As an Entrepreneur, I will use my platform to encourage dreamers to venture out on their own.
~ Get out there Brock! Be bold. We believe in you! ~
A new LinkedIn account helps with a company's appearance, right? Recently, I created a LinkedIn profile for Global Grassroots Consulting to share company updates, insights and information. Give us a follow to join in our journey!
A new website you say??
You heard that right! Through August, I worked to create a professional and creative website to effectively represent our brand.
Click on the link to visit our Global Grassroots Consulting website! Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.
Didn't I say that we've been busy?? I wouldn't lead you astray.
Ian's Insights
I have been using my social media channels and online presence to share my insights. Hence the term, "Ian's Insights".
My goal for Global Grassroots Consulting is to create a community of supportive Entrepreneurs who are committed to creating a better, more holistic World for tomorrow.
Ian's Insights will help me to find others with similar goals in mind. If you think yourself to be that type of person, comment with a "🌎"!
In one of my more recent videos, I urge others to be their authentic selves, in order to achieve success.
What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment with your input, or comment on the YouTube video!
I think we finally made it through all of our updates...phew!
I appreciate you following along and I hope that you found value in reading this. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns or feedback that you may have.
After all, a community is nothing without effective communication.