An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Actively listen: It’s one thing to say you’re trying to be inclusive, it’s another to show it through engaging with the community. Provide a space where users can voice their concerns and ideas, knowing that these will be properly noted and considered.
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 Imali.
Imali Chislett is Co-Founder of Inkfire (www.inkfire.co.uk) , a Disabled-led Agency. Widely recognized for her creativity and entrepreneurship, she brings a wide skillset to her work. Imali navigates life as an ambulatory wheelchair user, facing multiple medical conditions including Ulcerative Colitis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She is dedicated to raising awareness about disabilities and actively advocates for the community, aiming to foster understanding and support.
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?
Thanks for having me! Of course. I’ve always been a very creative person and this led me to pursue a graphic design qualification at college, while also working freelance as a virtual assistant. As soon as I left college, I knew I wanted to gain as much industry experience as possible, so I undertook a job at a corporate office. This provided me with great experience of what working in the busy world of IT, Design and Marketing was like and a hunger for wanted to do more. I quickly progressed to working as a Marketing Director and from there got to work with a variety of fantastic clients. While I adored my job, I quickly saw first-hand the inaccessibilities of the corporate world and was unfortunately discriminated against on more than one occasion across the roles I worked. When the COVID pandemic hit, I needed to work from home to protect my immune system and yet again, was challenged when I requested this. It was around this time I realised that something needed to change, these hurdles and barriers to working as a disabled person needed to be removed and flexibility needed to be forefront over rigidity. That’s where Inkfire was born — and where the last few years of my working life have been invested!
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?
About 10 years ago, I was put in touch with one of my now best friends, through a penpal program. I had no idea how much this would impact my life at the time. My friend is a truly remarkable individual, whose daily reality at that time was a contrast to my own. Unfortunately, she spent a lot of her time completely bedbound, navigating the world from her bedroom due to Chronic Illness, which affected most of her teenage years.
Through her letters, she introduced me to her world, teaching me so much, but particularly the power of resilience and creativity in adapting to your circumstances. She’s been a massive inspiration to me in building Inkfire and remembering those, who maybe can’t be out in the physical world in the same way others can.
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?
Transparency — In order to work with anyone, it’s vital to have a foundation of honesty. I pride myself upon transparency between my team and my clients. Nobodies perfect, we all have bad days and its good to share that and support each other. I believe in regular check-ins with my team and asking them how they are — not just on a superficial level, but really asking. We flourish when we support each other.
Resilience — Life has this habit of not going to plan, so being resilient has been my backbone through challenging times. Starting a business comes with its challenges, and growing Inkfire has definitely not been easy, especially during the COVID pandemic. However, sticking with it, putting in the work and being prepared to flex when things haven’t gone to plan has helped us get where we are today.
Empathy — Through my own experience with disabilities, I feel that I have a heightened sense of empathy which helps me to connect with those I work with on a deeper level. I’m all about creating a culture where everyone feels valued and supported.
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?
I have recently decided to learn British Sign Language, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It wasn’t until l started engaging with the hearing-impaired community that I learnt how different communication is. You tend to think that in language there’s a word for everything, but in Sign Language it’s a lot more simplified and certain concepts aren’t widely understood.
For example, certain words in English we may use to ‘soften’ a message, simply don’t exist in BSL, so upon translation, it would be easy to assume that the person addressing you was being quite blunt, when in reality that’s not the case. This highlighted to me how easy it is for people to misunderstand each other and highlighted the need for cultural sensitivity.
How do you approach and manage the challenges that arise when working towards creating more inclusive communities?
The topic of inclusivity is a massive one, and it’s ever-evolving. For me, I believe that continuous learning is integral- promoting an environment open to feedback and being willing to adjust strategies as needed. You can’t be afraid of critique and when challenges arise, you have to view them as learning opportunities. For instance, in the past I tried to launch an initiative which didn’t take off as I’d intended, so I gathered feedback from a focus group within the target audience to see why and how it could be improved. I learnt that some of the language I’d used wasn’t up-to-date and reflective of how the group preferred to be referred to and used this information to update our marketing on the subject. We took time to understand each of the groups concerns and used this to refine our approach. The result? Much better outcomes and a more engaged community!
This also ties in closely to my next point, you have to lead by example. If you’re not making inclusive decisions, how can you expect your community to do so? It really does start with you!
What innovative strategies or initiatives have you implemented or observed that effectively promote the importance of diversity and inclusivity?
Many workplaces are making DEI training a part of its core values for the entire team which brilliant. Education and awareness around topics that people are unfamiliar with removes the ‘taboo’ and helps people to be more accepting. Unconscious bias is something that anyone might run into, but by between DEI training and proper data sharing we can help to avoid that.
I think it’s also important to foster diverse thinking — not just diversity in the workplace, but diversity of thought. It’s important to consider each individuals different background and lived experiences as this makes up your team and your community.
In your opinion, what are the key elements that make a community truly inclusive, and how can these be fostered on a larger scale?
In my view, the creation of an inclusive community hinges on several key elements:
Firstly, diverse leadership is essential. Decision-makers must reflect a variety of groups and bring a multitude of perspectives to the table. This ensures that a broad spectrum of voices is heard and considered in the governance and direction of the community.
Accessibility is another crucial component. This pertains not only to ensuring that both digital and physical spaces are reachable by all members of the community but also to guaranteeing financial accessibility. Achieving equitable access means removing barriers that might prevent full participation due to limitations in education, healthcare, or economic means.
Continuous learning and dialogue are the bedrocks of an evolving community. This involves keeping conversations about inclusivity active, being open to new ideas, and being willing to implement changes based on what is learned through these discussions.
Clarity in opposing discrimination is also paramount. Discrimination has no place in an inclusive society, thus clear policies and educational programs that convey the importance of diversity and the harms of prejudice are indispensable.
Finally, the principle of good design should be employed to ensure that spaces and services are accessible to everyone, irrespective of their abilities, age, or other distinguishing factors.
Embracing these elements on a grander scale can lead us toward a future where inclusivity is not merely aspirational but a tangible and experienced reality for all.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways We Can Build Inclusive Communities”?
1 . Promote representation and accessibility: At the forefront of any community should be the question ‘how can we make sure as many people as possible have access to this?’. Thinking about ways to make the space not only a safe one, but one where people can truly be their most authentic self is the epitome of inclusivity.
2 . Actively listen: It’s one thing to say you’re trying to be inclusive, it’s another to show it through engaging with the community. Provide a space where users can voice their concerns and ideas, knowing that these will be properly noted and considered.
3 . Promote awareness: People often avoid what they don’t understand and this can create unnecessary walls in relationships. Encourage awareness, conversations and building each other up. When asked in the right way, respectfully, questions are a great way to learn — so don’t discourage people from talking. Having representative ambassadors from each group can be a good way of encouraging this.
4 . Foster partnerships: There’s no ‘I’ in team! Get to know your community and work together to achieve your goals. Many hands make light work, and together you can have a far greater impact.
5 . Celebrate: Often community members may be unaware of the differences within their midst. This is an opportunity to educate and celebrate diversity, take it.
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. 🙂
I would start a movement to promote accessibility and inclusion in employment. This would aim to bridge the gap between individuals with disabilities and the workforce, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities to thrive. We would run public awareness campaigns and encourage individuals to ‘#FindTheirPlace’ in the workforce.
How can our readers further follow you online?
If you’d like to follow me personally, my Linkedin is a good place to start @imalichislett or Instagram @mali.and.m.e.
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: Imali Chislett Of Inkfire 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.