Designing Businesses for Margins with Nagela Dales

Join us as Dr. Payal Beri, a design strategist and founder of Open House, shares her powerful journey from Brooklyn to becoming a pioneer in inclusive design and social innovation. This episode explores how decolonizing design, embracing marginalized communities, and redefining success can create truly impactful and sustainable change. In this episode:Dr. Beri's background as a first-generation Caribbean American and growing up in BrooklynThe influence of community, family, and diaspora on her approach to design and impactHow navigating gifted programs as a Black Haitian girl shaped her understanding of races and biasesUnpacking the experiences of internalized racism, respectability politics, and belongingThe transformative power of design as an agent of agency, dignity, and systemic changeHow design can serve marginalized communities, from Indigenous DNA projects to accessibilityThe importance of de-centering capitalism and rethinking economic models for social goodPractical steps for individuals and organizations to incorporate inclusive design and community-centered strategiesThe role of storytelling, language, and intentionality in building equitable systemsTimestamps:00:00 - Behind every impact, there is a human story02:01 - How Brooklyn and Caribbean roots influence perspective04:23 - Growing up as a gifted Black girl in Brooklyn schools06:16 - Navigating identity and internalized racism in education08:17 - Unpacking the pressure to perform and seek approval10:00 - Immigrant experiences shaping perceptions of safety and community12:13 - Haiti's history and its influence on dignity and resilience13:33 - Pairing ADHD with design as a gift for systemic gaps14:37 - Design as a tool for justice and accessibility15:07 - Discovering laboratory design and educational equity17:12 - Challenges of practicing racial equity in mainstream design spaces18:04 - The dangers of racial bias being seen as a "belief" rather than a systemic issue19:04 - Empathy as a strategic resource, not just an emotional response20:30 - Building business models based on dignity, equity, and indigenous economic principles23:23 - The power of designing from margins to benefit everyone26:27 - Reimagining capitalism through cooperative and indigenous models28:37 - How to shift from profit prioritization to profit-making with purpose30:06 - Case study: Indigenous DNA project balancing sovereignty and innovation33:54 - Addressing systemic invisibility in data, history, and healthResources Website: https://www.ouropenhouse.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndales/Connect with Dr. Payal Beri & Reframing Perspectives:Instagram – Dr. Payal: https://www.instagram.com/dr.payalberiSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@payalberi?sub_confirmation=1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/payalberiSpeaking & Media: https://www.drpayalberi.com