PODCAST · society
Diversity Straight Up
by Corridor Media Group
“Diversity Straight Up” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington dig into the topics of equity, diversity, inclusion and engagement (EDI&E) through authentic and challenging conversations with C-suite leaders. Expect frank questions and honest answers, and real-life lessons on how to leverage diversity as an asset, rather than see it as a liability.This Corridor Media Group podcast is sponsored by ACT, Alliant Energy, and Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.
Episodes
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Lisha Coffey: Redefining Modern Leadership
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Lisha Coffey, President of Travero, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy that is providing freight solutions to keep customers moving. Anthony and Sarika talk with Lisha about pride month and the issues that the State of Iowa is grappling with therein, about…
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Okpara Rice: Navigating Mental Health Post-Pandemic
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Okpara Rice, Chief Executive Officer of Tanager Place, the nonprofit providing services to children and families that inspire, empower, and heal. Anthony and Sarika talk with Okpara about how they're approaching gun violence in the world today, how our...
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Katie Castillo-Wilson: Celebrating Your Minority Status
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Katie Castillo-Wilson, Founder and CEO of Tap On It, a mobile database development company based in Davenport, Iowa. Anthony and Sarika talk with Katie about the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, her unique personal journey in discovering and claiming her...
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Tina Gridiron: Whatever You Do, Keep Moving Forward
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Tina Gridiron, Vice President of the ACT Center for Equity in Learning. Anthony and Sarika talk with Tina about the education of black history in schools, what it’s like to be the woman who advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in every job she’s...
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Maurice Nelson: From Values to Action
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Maurice Nelson, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Sacred Heart University. Anthony and Sarika talk with Maurice about the unique work of serving as an advocate for social justice and DEI in a religious institution, how his "non-negotiable values"...
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Joe Enriquez Henry: Building Coalitions for Equality
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Joe Enriquez Henry of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Forward Latino. Anthony and Sarika talk with Joe about how he and LULAC have navigated crisis, his experiences and accomplishments as a leader in the social justice space, and...
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Janessa Calderon: Holding Space and Creating Impact
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Janessa Calderon, Executive Director of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Anthony and Sarika talk with Janessa about her work with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, what it has meant for her to be the youngest person to ever hold the...
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Beth Malicki: Bringing Equity to the Media
Today’s guest on Diversity Straight Up is Beth Malicki, News Anchor and Managing Editor for KCRG-TV9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since 2005. Anthony and Sarika talk with Beth about her personal experiences with inclusivity and adversity, her thoughts on how the media can grow in diversity and equity…
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Courtney Reyes: Prioritizing Inclusivity
In this episode, our hosts chat remotely with Courtney Reyes, Executive Director of One Iowa, a statewide LGBTQ equality organization. Anthony and Sarika talk with Courtney about One Iowa’s mission, how her background brought her to this line of work, and what executives can do to be more…
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Rajesh Anandan: Reimagining Social Entrepreneurship [Live from EntreFEST 2022]
Anthony and Sarika are Keepin' It Real at EntreFEST 2022! This episode was recorded live in front of an audience at EntreFEST in Iowa City on Thursday, June 9th, 2022. In this episode, our hosts chat with Rajesh Anandan, Co-Founder and CEO of Ultranauts, Inc. Rajesh shares how Ultranauts is...
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Stacy Cline: Accessibility Through Diversity
On this episode of Diversity Straight Up, hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk to Stacy Cline, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at GoDaddy. Stacy shares her thoughts on how GoDaddy has implemented changes to address previous inclusivity concerns, how...
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James Klein: Striving Toward Inclusion
On this episode of Diversity Straight Up, hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington, talk to James Klein, President of Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust. Mr. Klein recently became one of the the first leaders in the state of Iowa to earn their Certified Diversity Professional credential within the…
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Diversity Straight Up: Season 2 Finale
In this final episode for 2021 of Diversity Straight Up, hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk about pitfalls to avoid, best practices, and trends in 2022. Diversity Straight Up is sponsored by Alliant Energy. Additional support is provided by Collins Aerospace and the city of Cedar Rapids.
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Mark Nook: Equal opportunity for success
On the latest episode of Diversity Straight Up, hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington, talk to Mark Nook, president of the University of Northern Iowa. Mark discusses the work required to make sure all groups have equal opportunity for success on a university campus, how his previous...
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Dr. Nika White: Battling 'diversity fatigue'
In the latest episode of Diversity Straight Up, hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk to national authority on diversity Dr. Nika White about strategies for battling “diversity fatigue.” Also, legendary broadcaster Tavis Smiley talks about overcoming mistakes and defending yourself…
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Cedric Ellis: Equity and accessibility
In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Cedric Ellis, executive vice president and chief enterprise services officer at CUNA Mutual Group, about his family background and work ethic. Diversity Straight Up is brought to you...
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Ray Brown: Living your values
In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Ray Brown, CEO of ESCO, about his purpose and passion and being mindful of the big picture. Diversity Straight Up is brought to you by GreenState Credit Union and sponsored by…
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Marcus Bullock: From incarceration to innovator
In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Marcus Bullock, co-founder and CEO of Flikshop, an app and website to keep families connected with loved ones in prison, about being your authentic self, resiliency and justice…
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Hugh Ekberg: Diversity in the trucking industry
In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Hugh Ekberg, CEO and president of CRST, about diversity in the trucking industry. Diversity Straight Up is brought to you by GreenState Credit Union and sponsored by Alliant Energy....
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Rafael Espinal: The voice of the freelancer
In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Rafael Espinal, the executive director of Freelancers Union, about freelancers in today's workplace ... who they are, why their ranks are growing and why their diversity matters....
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Janet Godwin: Equality in standardized testing
In the latest episode of "Diversity Straight Up," hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Janet Godwin, CEO of ACT, about diversity, inclusion, equity and engagement in an industry best known for getting elite students into elite colleges. Diversity Straight Up is brought to you by...
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Jennifer Bennett: A Trailblazer in the Engineering Field
In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Jennifer Bennett, president of Shive-Hattery, about her leadership role in the engineering field and the benefits of having a mentor. Diversity Straight Up is brought to you by...
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Alanna Arrington: From Iowa to the global stage
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Alanna Arrington, Anthony's daughter, about about her life as a global supermodel and diversity and equity issues in the world of high fashion.
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Michele Sullivan: 'Looking Up' and driving change
In the Season 2 debut of "Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with author, inspirational speaker and social impact advisor Michele Sullivan about growing up different, starting tough conversations, and her new book, "Looking Up." (S2, E1)
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Steve Shriver: The ROI of social leadership
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Steve Shriver, co-founder and CEO of Eco Lips, about being an ally in turbulent times, the return on investment when it comes to social and environmental leadership, and the...
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Suzanne McCormick: Leading Through Transformational Times
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Suzanne McCormick, U.S. president of United Way Worldwide, about the recent racial tensions in the country, her own experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand and leading...
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Live from EntreFEST 2020
In the latest episode of "Diversity Straight Up," hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington take the show live for EntreFEST 2020 in Cedar Rapids, with guests Pernell Cezar, Sona Raziabeegum and Jacob Hsu. They talk George Floyd, bias, stepping outside of your comfort zone at life and work, and…
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Suresh Gunasekaran: Caring for Diverse Communities
In the latest (remote) episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO of University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, about caring for diverse communities during a pandemic, leading change at one of Iowa's most visible...
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TaJuan Wilson: The Power of a Seat at the Table
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with TaJuan Wilson, associate vice president of inclusive excellence and chief diversity officer with Georgia Southern University, about equity and equality in academia, affecting...
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Amy Friedrich: Thinking Globally, Leading Locally
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Amy Friedrich, president of U.S. Insurance Solutions with Principal Financial Group about new moves at the company aimed at increasing inclusion, addressing long-standing biases…
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Joel Schmidt: The Art of Authentic Conversation
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Joel Schmidt, vice president of business development with Alliant Energy, about the importance of authentic conversations, lessons from his days of international travel and how...
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Jeff Disterhoft: Bringing Your Whole Self to Work
In the latest episode of the CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Jeff Disterhoft, president and CEO of GreenState Credit Union, about his role in driving diversity at one of Iowa's largest financial institutions, understanding privilege and...
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Marci Chickering: Making All Voices Heard
Hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Marci Chickering, executive VP and chief human resources officer with Wellmark, about gender parity in the C-suite, building diversity in the insurance industry and finding people's innate gifts. Presented by the City of Cedar Rapids, Collins...
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Brad Hart: Leading Diverse Communities
Hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart about the city's efforts to improve equity, diversity and inclusion, new initiatives to attract minority candidates to city posts and the rising "ban the box" movement in the latest CBJ podcast.
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Pilot: Meet the Diversity Straight Up Hosts
Hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Corridor Business Journal Editor Adam Moore about the origins and ideas behind Diversity Straight Up, the four "tools" of talking about diversity, and what's ahead for this new CBJ series.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
“Diversity Straight Up” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington dig into the topics of equity, diversity, inclusion and engagement (EDI&E) through authentic and challenging conversations with C-suite leaders. Expect frank questions and honest answers, and real-life lessons on how to leverage diversity as an asset, rather than see it as a liability.This Corridor Media Group podcast is sponsored by ACT, Alliant Energy, and Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.
HOSTED BY
Corridor Media Group
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Diversity Straight Up have?
Diversity Straight Up currently has 35 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Diversity Straight Up about?
“Diversity Straight Up” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington dig into the topics of equity, diversity, inclusion and engagement (EDI&E) through authentic and challenging conversations with C-suite leaders. Expect frank questions and honest answers, and real-life lessons on how to leverage...
How often does Diversity Straight Up release new episodes?
Diversity Straight Up has 35 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Diversity Straight Up?
You can listen to Diversity Straight Up on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Diversity Straight Up?
Diversity Straight Up is created and hosted by Corridor Media Group.
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