MENTORS & INFLUENCERS
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSIVITY
Some of the best, hardest work we’ve done since launching Wholehearted Business nearly a decade ago has been showing up consistently for the work to help us awaken to our inherent biases, internalized racism, and the oppressive systems we’ve been a part of and contributing to for a very long time. Initially, as a predominantly white, cis-gender team, we had our work cut out for us. Over time, our commitment to consistent attention, education, training, exposure, and how we like to say, being willing to get it wrong, to finally get it right, we’ve grown the diversity on our team.
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And now we’re stepping up and expanding our work and the role we have as business owners, business strategists, and creative professionals who don’t shy away from social justice activism. This work has become essential to how we develop a business development strategy, build a brand, and create an online presence for Wholehearted and for clients that we’ve recently added not one but two women to our team to help guide us in our anti-racism, equity, and inclusivity training and personal exploration.
We recognize that there is so much to learn, unlearn, heal, make amends for, and ways to advocate for real change. We are committed to this work and eager to share what we’re learning with our clients and guide them in their own work to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive businesses.
Desiree Adaway
Consultant, Trainer, & Speaker | The Adaway Group
We have Desiree Adaway and the other members and collaborators with the Adaway Group to thank and acknowledge for guiding us on our path as we were just starting out in our DEI discovery and education work. Through participating in programs and events like ‘Diversity is an Asset,’ ‘Tending the Threshold,’ and ‘Praxis of Liberation’ and following Desiree’s posts online, we began to understand what it means when Desiree says, ‘we’re not free until we’re all free,’ and that ‘our impact is not just measured by who’s thriving, but who we leave behind.’ It’s been our connection to and relationship with Desiree that has led to many other opportunities and relationships to do this essential work.
“If folks praise you when you speak of love and light, but are silent when you speak of revolution, they are not your people. Find folks that will support your work for equity and justice.”
– Desiree Adaway
“Race conscious leaders adopt liberatory values and behaviors so that diverse people can flourish in their wake. Your behaviors what and who you value more than your words ever will.”
– Bethany Wilkinson
Bethaney Wilkinson
Facilitator, Coach, & Author | The Diversity Gap
Once we were on the path and committed to unraveling the narratives and biases we held, we were eager to learn what it meant to work toward being anti-racists and allies for marginalized communities, groups, and people. We were determined to find resources that aligned with our mission, vision, and values. When we came across Bethaney Wilkinson’s book and podcast, it felt like home to us. Her philosophy of ‘contributing to racial healing, instead of causing racial harm’ and learning how to ‘advocate for change from a place of capacity and strength’ has provided many opportunities for us to advance our awareness, understanding, and capacity to work on our own transformation and how we can transform our work together as a team and with our clients.
Bethaney Wilkinson
The Diversity Gap
Once we were on the path and committed to unraveling the narratives and biases we held, we were eager to learn what it meant to work toward being anti-racists and allies for marginalized communities, groups, and people. We were determined to find resources that aligned with our mission, vision, and values. When we came across Bethaney Wilkinson’s book and podcast, it felt like home to us. Her philosophy of ‘contributing to racial healing, instead of causing racial harm’ and learning how to ‘advocate for change from a place of capacity and strength’ has provided many opportunities for us to advance our awareness, understanding, and capacity to work on our own transformation and how we can transform our work together as a team and with our clients.
“Race conscious leaders adopt liberatory values and behaviors so that diverse people can flourish in their wake. Your behaviors what and who you value more than your words ever will.”
– Bethany Wilkinson
Jenna Britton & Jewell N. Fears
Wholehearted Business DEI Consultants
As a heart-centered business development agency, we provide services exclusively for values-based and purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Much like our own business, our clients are committed to their responsibility as business owners to build diverse, inclusive, and equitable companies. When we came across the work of Jenna and Jewell, we knew immediately that they were the perfect partners to support Wholehearted — and our clients — in advising on DEI-related programming, training, internal structures & procedures, inclusive storytelling strategy, and content consultation to ensure that we’re highlighting diverse perspectives and being inclusive of all experiences in the stories and messages our businesses share.
Through Jenna and Jewell’s guidance, we are highlighting our clients’ commitments to DEI in authentic, inclusive ways and creating safe and connected spaces through the stories of the brands we develop and represent
Explore our other mentors and influencers
who have helped shaped our work and
doing business the wholehearted way.
HUMAN-
CENTERED
BUSINESS
VALUES-ALIGNED BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP, & ACTIVISM
STAGES OF BUSINESS &
LEGAL
MONEY &
FINANCE
THE
CREATIVE
PROCESS
STORYTELLING BRANDING
DESIGN,
COLOR, & TYPOGRAPHY
HUMAN-
CENTERED
BUSINESS
VALUES-ALIGNED BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP, & ACTIVISM
STAGES OF BUSINESS &
LEGAL
MONEY &
FINANCE
THE
CREATIVE
PROCESS
STORYTELLING BRANDING
DESIGN,
COLOR, & TYPOGRAPHY
HUMAN-
CENTERED
BUSINESS
VALUES-ALIGNED BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP, & ACTIVISM
STAGES OF BUSINESS &
LEGAL
MONEY &
FINANCE
THE
CREATIVE
PROCESS
STORYTELLING BRANDING
DESIGN,
COLOR, & TYPOGRAPHY