Belonging, Identity, and Better Hiring,

In this episode of Le Podcast, I’m joined by Ally Kouao, Developer Advocate and Solution Architect at Red Hat, to explore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through a practical lens.We talk about what allyship really means beyond labels, how unconscious bias shows up in everyday interactions, and why small “innocent” questions can land as exclusion. We also dig into hiring and representation, why increasing diversity is not compromising on quality, and what concrete practices can help teams create fairer outcomes.In the conversation we cover:what allyship means in practicehow curiosity can override someone’s feelingslearning recent history through diverse perspectivesthe lived reality of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation immigrantsunconscious bias and how it shapes decisionshiring practices that reduce bias without lowering standardswhy representation needs to be visible and celebratedthe question “Where are you from?” and what is really happeninga simple test for hiring managers: would you hire yourself today for your first role?Recommended reading from Ally:Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoAlso mentioned:The Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley), especially the audiobook narrated by Laurence FishburneFind the references and more in the companion blog post.