Liberated AF: The Workplace Revolution
by Sangita Kumar
Liberated AF: The Workplace Revolutionwith Sangita Kumar & Fong MarcolongoWelcome to Liberated AF: The Workplace Revolution—the podcast that isn’t here to play nice with toxic norms. Hosted by organizational equity badasses Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo, this show unpacks the hard truths, messy growth, and radical imagination it takes to build workplaces where everyone actually thrives.Learn more about Be The Change Consulting here: https://www.bethechangeconsulting.com/
Episodes
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Training Doesn’t Change Behavior - Leaders Do
We’re back—and diving into the realities leaders are facing this fall. With funding getting tighter and teams doing more with less, how do we decide where to invest limited professional development dollars? In this episode, we unpack how to make professional development more strategic—whether…
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What comes first: liberation or reparation?
We’re back! After a summer break, Liberated AF: A Workplace Revolution is officially back—and we’re kicking things off with a big question. What comes first: liberation or reparation? In this episode, we sit with this big question and explore what it means to practice liberation and repair within...
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Why Conflict Avoidance Is Breaking Workplace Culture
Conflict isn't what breaks workplace culture—avoiding it is. In this episode of Liberated AF: A Workplace Revolution, Sangeeta Kumar and Fong Marcolongo explore a growing challenge they're seeing across organizations of every size: employees who disengage instead of addressing conflict. Whether...
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Identity triggers vs. performance feedback
Why do some feedback conversations lead to growth, while others leave people feeling hurt, misunderstood, or defensive? In this episode, we explore the delicate intersection between identity and performance feedback. Through real workplace examples, they unpack how even well-intentioned feedback...
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Human Centered Transitions
Letting someone go is one of the hardest responsibilities a leader can face. But what would it look like to approach transitions with transparency, dignity, and care instead of confusion, secrecy, and fear? In this episode, we unpack the real challenges of hiring, onboarding, performance...
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Beyond One Size Fits All
What happens when an equity strategy designed to create inclusion… doesn’t work for everyone in the room? In this episode, we unpack a powerful facilitation moment that challenged assumptions about inclusion, safety, and allyship in real time. During an equity training, a participant openly…
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Geeking Out On Group Dynamics
Ever wonder why some groups just click—while others feel tense, quiet, or stuck? In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo geek out on the often-invisible forces that shape how groups function. From who speaks and who stays silent, to how decisions get made (or avoided), they break down...
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What It Really Takes to Create a Culture of Giving and Receiving Feedback
In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo unpack what it truly takes to create feedback cultures rooted in trust, clarity, and growth, not fear, avoidance, or defensiveness. They explore how feedback is deeply shaped by identity, power dynamics, and past experiences, and why good...
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Conflict in an Organization: How Can We Vizibilize the Labor All Around?
Conflict is inevitable in organizations, but the labor it takes to navigate that conflict is often invisible, uneven, and undervalued. In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo explore what really happens beneath the surface when teams experience tension. From emotional labor to…
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Flexing Your Facilitative Power
What’s your role as a leader in equity work—are you here to disrupt the system, protect it, or somehow do both? In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo unpack the real tension leaders face when trying to shift culture while managing budgets, relationships, timelines, and organizational...
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Why Affinity Group Work Is a Leadership Competency
Affinity groups are often misunderstood as divisive, emotional, or “extra.” But what if they’re actually one of the most powerful leadership tools we have? In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo unpack why affinity group work isn’t just an equity strategy; it’s a core leadership...
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I’m Afraid to Give Feedback, What If I’m Called Racist?
What happens when a supervisor genuinely wants to give feedback—but fear gets in the way? In this honest and practical episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo unpack a listener’s comment: “I’m afraid to give my employee feedback because I don’t want to be called racist.” Through real examples...
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Is it racism or cultural difference?
When tension arises across lines of race, culture, and identity, how do we know what we’re really seeing? And does the distinction even matter? In this new episode, we unpack how power, history, and communication styles shape our interpretations of harm and difference in multicultural workplaces....
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Equity Wears a New Face
What happens when equity work falls out of fashion—but injustice remains? In this episode, we unpack the shifting climate for equity, inclusion, and justice inside organizations. From federal rollbacks to corporate retreats, they explore what it means for leaders and teams when DEI budgets shrink...
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How Much Safety Do You Need When You Are Facilitating
In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo explore what it really takes for facilitators to feel grounded, safe, and effective while holding space for others. They dig into the hidden fears many facilitators face, like being asked a question you can’t answer, running out of time, or…
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I Caught a Case of Dominant Culture
Even the most equity-minded leaders can slip into old patterns. In this episode, Sangita Kumar shares a vulnerable story about catching herself replicating dominant culture behaviors like urgency, perfectionism, and unilateral decision-making, while facilitating a client session. Fong and Sangita...
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Dealing with Change
Change is constant—but that doesn’t make it easy. In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo get real about how organizations navigate change, and the messy, human emotions that come with it. From strategic pivots to leadership transitions to cultural shifts, they unpack the tension…
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Holding Emotional Boundaries While Leading
How do you lead with heart, without losing yourself? In this vulnerable and powerful episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo explore what it means to hold emotional boundaries while leading in turbulent times. As political, social, and organizational tensions rise, leaders are often pulled…
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What Happens When You Invest in Equity Training But Still See Problematic Behavior?
You’ve invested in the training. You’ve named the values. And yet… problematic behavior persists. Now what? In this timely and candid episode, Sanita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo tackle a tough and common question in the DEI world: Why doesn’t equity training automatically lead to equity-aligned...
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Why Is Inclusion Such a Threat?
In this uncensored and deeply curious episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo ask a provocative question: why does inclusion feel so threatening to many teams and organizations? They dive into how “inclusion” runs up against the norms and unspoken rules of dominant culture—the system that...
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How We Worked On Our Sense of Urgency Over Time
We’ve all felt it—the push to act fast, fix it now, move ahead. But what happens when that urgency undermines the very culture we’re trying to build? In this reflective and revealing episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo explore how “sense of urgency”—a hallmark of dominant culture—can...
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Navigating Power Dynamics
Power is always present, but rarely talked about honestly. In this episode, Sangeeta Kumar and co-hosts dive into the invisible forces shaping our workplaces: power dynamics. They explore how identity, privilege, and positional authority intersect to determine whose voice is heard, whose ideas…
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How Much Diversity Can a Place Hold?
In this episode, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo dive deep into a bold and timely question: How much diversity can a space actually hold? They explore the tension between wanting inclusive spaces and building the actual infrastructure needed to support them. Through stories from their equity...
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Are You Running a False Democracy? How to be honest as you dismantle power hoarding
In this episode of Liberated AF, Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo unpack the subtle ways power hoarding shows up in leadership—even when we have the best intentions. From setting agendas solo to making “caring” decisions on behalf of others, they explore how false democracy can show up in our...
About this show
Liberated AF: The Workplace Revolutionwith Sangita Kumar & Fong MarcolongoWelcome to Liberated AF: The Workplace Revolution—the podcast that isn’t here to play nice with toxic norms. Hosted by organizational equity badasses Sangita Kumar and Fong Marcolongo, this show unpacks the hard truths, messy growth, and radical imagination it takes to build workplaces where everyone actually thrives.Learn more about Be The Change Consulting here: https://www.bethechangeconsulting.com/
Hosted by
Sangita Kumar