An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Collaborate with local businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations to bring together community-wide events celebrating cultural diversity, fostering stronger bonds and a sense of belonging among residents.
In a world where diversity is often acknowledged but not always celebrated, we are taking a step forward to highlight the importance of inclusivity in building strong, vibrant communities. This series aims to explore the various facets of diversity — be it racial, cultural, gender-based, or within the differently-abled community — and understand how embracing these differences strengthens our social fabric. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Candace Nortey.
Candace Nortey, the Managing Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Slone Partners, an executive search firm for life sciences and healthcare companies and non-profit organizations. In her role, Nortey manages Slone Partners’ extensive line of DEI services and programs, including diversity recruiting, strategic planning, education and training, and leadership coaching to help companies build and sustain impactful DEI policies and practices. She also provides operational support for the company’s ENVISION mentorship program, connecting students from underrepresented communities with accomplished professionals in the life sciences industry.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about celebrating diversity, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
Like many, my career journey has been anything but linear. It began in the classroom, where I honed my skills as a teacher and instructional coach. From there, I transitioned into educational administration, serving in roles such as Principal and Director of Elementary Education. Throughout each step, my focus remained steadfast: to make a meaningful impact on individuals from marginalized communities. As an educator and administrator, I dedicated myself to advancing equity and inclusion for those from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds.
What drew me to Slone Partners was the opportunity to broaden my horizons and collaborate with organizations across the nation striving to elevate their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, particularly in the life sciences and healthcare sectors. Witnessing the profound positive impact of prioritizing workplace inclusion in small and medium-sized enterprises, I was inspired to redirect my trajectory and embrace the role of Managing Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Slone Partners. It’s a journey fueled by the belief that fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s also the key to unlocking the full potential of organizations and driving collective success.
Can you share an interesting or hopeful story where spending time with someone who did not look like you or who was different from you taught you something that has been useful to you?
My husband and I have been enriched by our involvement with the teachers, staff, and fellow parents at a Jewish synagogue where our daughter attends preschool. While we are not Jewish, we chose this school because it offers a nice mix of programming for our daughter. This experience has been truly enlightening, providing us with insights into Jewish culture and a deeper understanding of Jewish parents’ unique challenges in raising children in a society where Christianity has been the most prevalent and influential religion. Imagine my surprise when, while having breakfast with a Jewish parent, she voiced many of the same concerns, questions, anxieties, and insecurities about sending her child off to kindergarten next year as I have, although mine were centered more around race and hers more on religion. Both are rooted in the same experience of feeling different from everyone else in the room. This experience has reinforced the powerful notion that, despite our differences, we share many commonalities, fostering a sense of unity and connection within our greater community.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
As a successful leader, three character traits that have been instrumental to my success are humility, courage, and determination.
Humility allows me to recognize the strengths and contributions of others, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. One example of how humility has contributed to my success is when I acknowledged my limitations and sought guidance from team members who possessed more experience and expertise in areas where I lacked proficiency. By humbly admitting that I didn’t have all the answers, I could leverage my team’s collective knowledge and skills to overcome challenges and achieve our goals more effectively.
Courage fuels my ability to take decisive actions, embrace transformation, and confront uncertainties with unwavering resolve. A defining moment in my leadership journey exemplifying this courage was when I steadfastly advocated for inclusivity in a meeting where one participant was consistently talked over, ensuring that all voices were heard and respected.
Determination fuels my perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges, enabling me to overcome adversity and stay focused on long-term goals. One illustrative example of determination driving my success is when I was repeatedly told I would not be successful as a newly appointed school leader where I faced numerous obstacles. Despite encountering setbacks and doubters, I remained determined to create a workplace not only with an outstanding culture but also one where students, teachers, and community members would thrive at the highest level. We accomplished this by rallying the team and harnessing our collective determination to overcome the obstacles and achieve success against the odds.
Humility, courage, and determination have been fundamental to my leadership success. These traits have enabled me to foster collaboration, navigate challenges with resilience, and stay focused on achieving long-term goals, ultimately contributing to positive outcomes for me, my team, and the organizations I lead.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal story that highlights the impact of diversity and inclusivity in your life or career?
When I transitioned to a new school district in 2014 to embark on my first Principal role, I found myself initially feeling like an outsider. As a young Black woman stepping into a leadership position in a predominantly white staff, I faced the challenge of integrating into a community where many of my colleagues had longstanding ties. It was a real challenge for me to try to fit in. To add to that, I faced microaggressions and a lack of psychological safety from my supervisor, which led to a toxic leadership environment. It was exhausting, and I felt defeated many times. Despite this initial hurdle, I made fostering an inclusive environment a top priority as an administrator. Our approach involved intentional recruiting efforts to diversify our staff based on experience, age, race, and more, and deliberate efforts to engage with students, parents, teachers, and staff members, with the overarching goal of creating a ‘big tent’ culture where everyone felt valued and embraced. Through our concerted efforts, we successfully transformed the culture, making it markedly more inclusive and welcoming. This transformative experience has fundamentally shaped my leadership ethos and continues to influence my approach and strategies. It still impacts my leadership style and the strategies I share with leaders and organizations we work with that wish to create healthy, inclusive company cultures where everyone feels valued, welcomed, and can thrive as a contributing member.
How do you approach and manage the challenges that arise when working towards creating more inclusive communities?
In my experience, I advocate for deploying a range of strategies when collaborating with our client partners dedicated to cultivating inclusive workplaces. First, I emphasize the importance of demonstrating cultural competency and humility. I seek to foster an environment where colleagues cultivate understanding and empathy toward those who may differ from themselves. Through ongoing self-reflection, we actively identify and address our blind spots and unconscious biases, taking proactive steps to rectify them.
Second, by prioritizing active listening and continuous learning, individuals can broaden their perspectives and enrich their understanding of diverse experiences and viewpoints.
Finally, championing the concept of intersectionality is crucial in fostering inclusive communities. Recognizing and celebrating the interconnected nature of our lives and experiences provides an avenue for more connection, inclusion, and collaboration, which can lead to more effective teams where innovation can thrive.
Through deliberate efforts to bridge our divides and foster connections, we cultivate communities that embrace and celebrate differences, recognizing them as strengths that contribute to a more cohesive and resilient whole. By leveraging these strategies alongside others, organizations can make tangible progress toward establishing and maintaining inclusive workplaces.
What innovative strategies or initiatives have you implemented or observed that effectively promote the importance of diversity and inclusivity?
Several innovative strategies and initiatives have been implemented to promote the importance of diversity and inclusivity in organizations. These initiatives encompass various aspects of organizational practices and culture. For instance, inclusive recruitment practices involve implementing blind recruitment processes or artificial intelligence to remove bias from hiring decisions. Additionally, organizations can broaden their applicant pool and promote inclusivity in hiring by partnering with organizations specializing in building diverse talent pools. Furthermore, establishing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) designed to bring together employees from diverse backgrounds provides platforms for employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for inclusion and equity within the organization.
Leadership development programs that incorporate diversity and inclusivity training can equip leaders with the skills and knowledge to foster inclusive team environments. Providing ongoing support and coaching to leaders reinforces inclusive leadership behaviors crucial for driving organizational culture change. Alongside leadership development, conducting interactive training sessions on unconscious bias raises awareness and mitigates the impact of bias in decision-making processes. This training enables employees to recognize and address biases in themselves and others, fostering a more inclusive workplace environment.
Utilizing data analytics tools to track diversity metrics and measure the impact of D&I initiatives provides valuable insights for informed decision-making. Data-driven insights inform organizational objectives, drive accountability, and ensure alignment with diversity goals. Additionally, collaborating with external organizations, community groups, and advocacy organizations amplifies the impact of diversity and inclusion efforts beyond the workplace. Participating in community events, supporting diversity-focused initiatives, and fostering partnerships with like-minded organizations contribute to broader societal change.
Overall, innovative strategies prioritizing diversity and inclusivity are essential for creating inclusive cultures, attracting and retaining diverse talent, and driving organizational success in today’s globalized world. Collectively, these initiatives foster a workplace environment where all individuals feel valued, respected, and included.
In your opinion, what are the key elements that make a community truly inclusive, and how can these be fostered on a larger scale?
I believe that we can make our neighborhood communities more inclusive in similar ways that we make our workplaces more inclusive. It begins with intentionality and a commitment to creating an environment in which everyone feels valued and has a voice. At its core, a genuinely inclusive community embraces diversity, promotes equity, and fosters a sense of belonging for all its members. Key elements include:
- Creating spaces where diverse perspectives are valued and respected,
- Actively dismantling systemic barriers to participation; and
- Ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities.
Systemic change is essential to foster inclusivity on a larger scale. This involves implementing inclusive policies and practices at organizational and governance levels, investing in education and awareness programs, and amplifying marginalized voices in decision-making processes. Additionally, fostering empathy and understanding among community members through dialogue and collaboration can help cultivate a culture of inclusivity that extends beyond individual interactions to shape the broader social landscape.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways We Can Build Inclusive Communities”?
- Create Safe Spaces
Establish designated support groups within the community for diverse individuals to share experiences and find solidarity in a safe and accepting environment.
2. Encourage Open Dialogue
Host regular discussions where community members can openly talk about sensitive topics, with facilitators ensuring respectful and constructive conversation.
3. Commit to Education
Organize workshops and seminars on cultural competency and humility, age discrimination, and unconscious bias for community members to enhance their understanding and promote empathy towards diverse perspectives.
4. Prioritize Representation
Actively recruit and appoint individuals from underrepresented groups to leadership positions in community organizations, ensuring diverse voices are heard and valued in decision-making processes.
5. Build Community Engagement and Partnerships
Collaborate with local businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations to bring together community-wide events celebrating cultural diversity, fostering stronger bonds and a sense of belonging among residents.
How do you measure the impact and success of diversity and inclusion efforts, and what changes have you seen as a result of these initiatives?
This is a terrific question because some organizations will stop at the diversity piece and neglect to push for equity and inclusion, so it is absolutely essential that organizations develop a more holistic set of strategies and initiatives and think hard about the key performance indicators that accurately measure the success of those strategies and initiatives.
Yes, it is important to track the number of diverse people who are recruited and hired, but you must go much deeper than that by including employee promotion and retention metrics. Also, you need to supplement the quantitative data with qualitative data through the use of pulse surveys, focus group sessions, and other methods of gathering inputs from internal stakeholders regarding the strengths and weaknesses of your diversity and inclusion efforts as well as the state of your organizational culture. Here is one example of that — the CEO of a small pharmaceutical company who we have worked with challenges his leaders to schedule regular check-in meetings with people at all levels of the organization to seek their in-person feedback about their employee experience. That feedback is then shared with leadership and members of the cultural team to help shape further improvements. Demonstrable change will only happen through long-term commitment and the involvement of all stakeholders in the organization. And that change should be constantly monitored and measured to help ensure that progress is maintained.
The changes that I’ve seen as a result of successful DEI efforts are truly inspiring. Organizations that had been very insular and static are now diverse, dynamic, and healthy. Their people are now more engaged. Teams are more effective, and the culture is much more vibrant and welcoming. These are powerful systemic changes that can positively impact the company’s brand and its ability to recruit talent for years to come.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could start a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, it would be a global initiative that promotes empathy and compassion. In today’s world, where divisions and conflicts often overshadow our shared humanity, fostering empathy can bridge divides, reduce prejudice, and cultivate understanding.
The movement would center around teaching empathy early on, integrating it into educational curricula, workplace environments, and community programs. It would encourage individuals to actively listen, talk, and seek to understand other’s perspectives and act with kindness and compassion.
Through storytelling, educational campaigns, mandatory talk circles, and community engagement, the movement would highlight the interconnectedness of all people and inspire individuals to recognize and respect the dignity and worth of every human being, regardless of differences.
By fostering empathy on a global scale, we can create a more inclusive, compassionate, and harmonious world where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported. This movement has the potential to spark positive change in how we relate to one another, ultimately leading to a more peaceful and equitable society for generations to come.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Candace’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-nortey-ms-ed-s-05ba7262/
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is an entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. She is best known as the founder of Enseo which she and her team grew into one of the largest out-of-home media and connected networks in the world, serving more than 100,000,000 people annually. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion resulted in amazing partnerships and customer relationships. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Dish Networks to bring innovative solutions to the hospitality industry. Enseo has also held an exclusive contract to provide movies to the entire U.S. armed forces for almost 15 years. Vanessa and her team’s relentless innovation resulted in120+ U.S. Patents. Her favorite product is the MadeSafe solution for hotel workers as well as students and children in their K-12 classrooms. Accolades include: #15 on FAST 100, 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned 2018–2020, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies 2018–2020, not to mention the Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year. Vanessa now spends her time enjoying her children, sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles and speaking engagements. entrepreneurs-to-be with her articles including her LinkedIN newsletter Unplugged. In her spare time she writes music with her husband Paul as the band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, and trains dogs.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack.
Celebrating Diversity: Candace Nortey Of Slone Partners On How To Build Inclusive Communities was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.