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A fearless career leap, a devastating family loss, and a mission to change how brands listen—Dawn V. Carr brings all of it to the table with clarity and heart. We welcome the founder and CEO of Mahogany Insights to explore why so many products miss the mark for Black consumers and how better research—not louder marketing—solves the real problem. Dawn breaks down the difference between counting people and understanding people, showing how qualitative research, cultural immersion, and culturally fluent moderation turn stories into strategy.

We dig into the structural reasons behind dissatisfaction: Black Americans make up a far smaller slice of most research panels than we are of the population, and that gap cascades into misread insights, misguided campaigns, and products that feel like they weren’t built for us. Dawn’s solution is Mahogany Minds, a national panel designed to bring more Black voices into studies at scale with fair compensation and thoughtful recruitment. She explains how intersectionality matters in practice—Black and immigrant, Black and parent, Black and high income each carry distinct needs—and why the generic “multicultural” label erases meaningful differences across ethnicity, region, and culture.

Along the way, Dawn shares the human story behind her method: caregiving for her mother, rebuilding as a single mom, and choosing entrepreneurship as a form of activism. We talk about trust and betrayal in brand relationships, why context makes data honest, and how 10x thinking can change not just a company’s goals but the infrastructure built to reach them. If you care about DEI, consumer insight, brand strategy, or simply want products that truly reflect your life, this conversation offers a playbook for doing the work with rigor and respect.

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Check out Dawn's top 5 books to read for your New Year's Book List!

Tune in to find out why she considers them great reads!

A Happy Pocket full of Money
Mastering Fear
We Should All Be Millionaires
10x is better than 2x
Profit First

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to our podcast on your favorite platform and leaving a rating or review. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing insightful conversations about DEI.

To stay up to date with the latest news and updates from Top 5 DEI, be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our email list here. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line at top5deipodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next time on Top 5 DEI!

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We hope you enjoy today's podcast and feel free to send us a text

Word of the day: "fair-chance hiring" and "person"

Resource of the day: Young, Nicole & Powell, Gary. (2015). Hiring ex-offenders: A theoretical model. Human Resource Management Review. 25. 298-312. 10.1016/j.hrmr.2014.11.001.

In a powerful conversation with Dr. Nicole C Jones-Young, we explore the complex challenges facing individuals with criminal histories as they seek to rebuild their lives through meaningful work.

Dr. Jones-Young's path to becoming a leading researcher on criminal justice and employment began unexpectedly. While volunteering with organizations serving unhoused populations, she noticed a pattern of employment gaps linked to incarceration. This observation sparked a passion that eventually led her from human resources to academia, where she now conducts groundbreaking research on fair chance hiring practices as an Associate Professor at Franklin and Marshall College.

The language we use matters profoundly in this space. Dr. Jones-Young emphasizes the importance of person-first terminology, reminding us that a criminal record represents something someone did, not who they fundamentally are. This shift in language reflects a deeper philosophical stance: people deserve to define themselves rather than having identities imposed upon them by society.

We explore the promising landscape of fair chance hiring, highlighting organizations like JP Morgan Chase, Dave's Killer Bread, and The Body Shop that have successfully implemented initiatives to employ people with criminal histories. These companies demonstrate that inclusive hiring practices aren't just socially responsible—they're good business. Yet frustratingly, many companies only lower barriers to entry during labor shortages, revealing that exclusionary policies often stem from convenience rather than necessity.

The conversation takes a sobering turn when discussing the industrial prison complex and its troubling connections to modern-day slavery. Many incarcerated individuals develop skills and earn certifications while serving time, yet these accomplishments are rarely valued by employers upon release—even by the very companies profiting from prison labor.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Jones-Young remains committed to creating change. She shares her self-care strategies, including setting firm boundaries around work communications and finding joy through physical activity. The episode concludes with a lighthearted discussion of her top five films, revealing how movies like The Godfather and Malcolm X have shaped her worldview and even informed her teaching philosophy.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to our podcast on your favorite platform and leaving a rating or review. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing insightful conversations about DEI.

To stay up to date with the latest news and updates from Top 5 DEI, be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our email list here. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line at top5deipodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next time on Top 5 DEI!

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Produced By White Hot
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Music By @freebeats.io
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Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot

Music Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By: White Hot.

We hope you enjoy today's podcast and feel free to send us a text

*Word of the Day: "Healthcare Deserts"

*Link to Nurse Ty's Research, "The Effect of Ethical Leadership on Nurse Bullying, Burnout, and Turnover Intentions" published in the Journal of Nursing Management.

When Thanayi "Nurse Ty" Lambert moved from Chicago's North Side to its South Side at 16, she discovered more than a new neighborhood—she found her calling. The stark disparities in educational resources and healthcare access weren't just statistics; they were lived realities that would eventually shape her path from science teacher to maternal health advocate and nursing educator.

"I spent a lot of time connecting pregnant teens to resources, getting things they needed," Nurse Ty explains, describing her early teaching career. "I was supposed to be going over science and math, but how can you go over subjects when someone's worried about their baby not having what they need?" This profound observation led her to pursue nursing, specifically in maternal and obstetric care, where she could address these inequities head-on.

Now a clinical assistant professor at UT Arlington with over 17 years of experience, Nurse Ty's approach to nursing education reveals critical blind spots in healthcare training. One powerful example she shares: teaching students to find veins on melanated skin. "On people with darker skin, it makes it challenging to see," she explains, describing how many nursing students are taught to rely on visual cues that simply don't work for all patients. This seemingly small detail has life-or-death implications for patient care.

The conversation takes on heightened urgency as Nurse Ty addresses the resurgence of preventable diseases like measles and the growing phenomenon of "healthcare deserts"—communities with severely limited access to quality care. Her passionate defense of science-based medicine comes with practical advice for navigating today's complex healthcare landscape: find trusted sources, maintain critical thinking skills, and recognize how microaggressions in healthcare settings directly impact patient outcomes.

Whether discussing her strategies for countering workplace bias or sharing her eclectic playlist (from Donna Summer to Miriam Makeba), Nurse Ty embodies the vital connection between diversity in medical education and equitable healthcare delivery. Listen and discover why understanding cultural differences in healthcare isn't just about inclusivity—it's about survival.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to our podcast on your favorite platform and leaving a rating or review. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing insightful conversations about DEI.

To stay up to date with the latest news and updates from Top 5 DEI, be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our email list here. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line at top5deipodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next time on Top 5 DEI!

Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
---
Music By @freebeats.io
---
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot

Music Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By: White Hot.