Advancing inclusion and diversity in today’s workplace is a social imperative — and a business essential. So how do you foster diversity? The IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity podcast features candid, informative conversations with business and thought leaders about actionable steps companies in the licensing industry and beyond can take to attract, support, promote and retain the best and brightest from all backgrounds.
Episode 1 – The Business Case for Diversity is the Business
Brands today, and the companies behind them, must pivot to become more inclusive. On this premiere episode of IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity, Licensing International president Maura Regan welcomes ViacomCBS Consumer Products president Pam Kaufman and Marva Smalls, executive vice president, global head of inclusion & executive vice president of public affairs, kids and family entertainment brands at ViacomCBS, to discuss the social and business imperatives for diversity, as well as the challenges, strategies, and tactics in designing and implementing D&I programs.
Episode 2 – Intention into Action
You’re committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within your business and to reaching a multicultural audience with your brand — but how do you go about it? In this episode of IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity — the second in a series hosted by Licensing International president Maura Regan — Richelle Parham, managing director at the venture capital firm West River Group; Payne Brown, president of the National Basketball Players Association’s Think450 licensing arm; and Steven Wolfe Pereira, CEO of Encantos Media Studios, discuss specific steps businesses in the licensing industry and beyond can take to overcome barriers toward greater diversity, avoid pitfalls and put intention into action.
Episode 3 – A Five-Point Plan to Elevate D&I
Brands can learn a lot from the successes of others. In this episode of IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity, hosted by Licensing International president Maura Regan, Sabrina Wiewel, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Hallmark Cards, Inc., offers an illuminating and inspiring corporate case study, taking us through Hallmark’s plan to elevate diversity and inclusion across its organization, brands and partnerships.
Stay tuned for future episodes of this podcast series, sponsored by the National Basketball Players Association, where LI continues the conversation with industry leaders about what companies can and should be doing now. For more information about our podcast series sponsor, go to nbpa.com/think450.
Episode 4 – Addressing Diversity in Corporate Culture
What are key strategies for integrating diversity and inclusion into company culture, content and creativity? In this episode of Licensing International’s IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity, Encantos CEO and Co-Founder Steven Wolfe Pereira moderates a lively discussion about best practices in corporate D&I with a panel featuring Kristen Harris, vice president of diversity and inclusion and employee experience at Hallmark Cards; Kim Rompilla, executive vice president of global product marketing, development and activation at Crayola; Warren Schorr, vice president of business development and global licensing at Crayola; and Orville Trout, Crayola’s senior vice president of human resources.
Stay tuned for future episodes of this podcast series, sponsored by the National Basketball Players Association, where LI continues the conversation with industry leaders about what companies can and should be doing now. For more information about our podcast series sponsor, go to nbpa.com/think450.
Episode 5 – Measuring a Year of Progress
What gets measured gets done: We often remind ourselves of this as we work toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion. In this episode of Licensing International’s IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity, Madeline Di Nonno, president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, fills us in on the measurable progress toward systemic change the licensing industry has made, despite unprecedented challenges, in the year since Licensing International began its partnership with the institute.
Stay tuned for future episodes of this podcast series, sponsored by the National Basketball Players Association, where LI continues the conversation with industry leaders about what companies can and should be doing now. For more information about our podcast series sponsor, go to nbpa.com/think450.
Episode 6 – The Work Ahead
Looking toward the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in and beyond the licensing industry, one has reason for optimism. In this episode of Licensing International’s IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity, Sony Pictures Entertainment Executive Vice President Jamie Stevens, OneTeam Partners Senior Vice President of Licensing Malaika Underwood, and Encantos CEO & Co-Founder Steven Wolfe Pereira discuss the goals, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead — and why embracing change is imperative to survival.
Stay tuned for future episodes of this podcast series, sponsored by the National Basketball Players Association, where LI continues the conversation with industry leaders about what companies can and should be doing now. For more information about our podcast series sponsor, go to nbpa.com/think450.
Episode 7 – A New Playbook
How do we make sure the products we market to children offer diverse, inclusive role models? In this episode of Licensing International’s IDEA: Advancing Inclusion & Diversity, Madeline Di Nonno, president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Shreyasi Jha, senior gender advisor for UNICEF, discuss the issues addressed in a new playbook for businesses developed by UNICEF and the LEGO Group.
Stay tuned for future episodes of this podcast series, sponsored by the National Basketball Players Association, where LI continues the conversation with industry leaders about what companies can and should be doing now. For more information about our podcast series sponsor, go to nbpa.com/think450.
Episode 8 – Meet the Accelerator Entrepreneurs
In 2021, seeking to make the entrepreneur licensing ecosystem more inclusive, Licensing International launched its Diversity & Inclusion Accelerator Program. In this episode, Accelerator Entrepreneurs Arvin Annia of LIBREX; Alfredo Hurtado of Holy Joe; Shawn Karawaju of Bedrock Collectibles; and Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez of Somos Arte discuss with Encantos CEO Steven Wolfe Pereira the challenges and rewards of their work, what keeps them up at night, and what the Accelerator Program has meant to them.
Stay tuned for future episodes of this podcast series, sponsored by the National Basketball Players Association, where LI continues the conversation with industry leaders about what companies can and should be doing now. For more information about our podcast series sponsor, go to nbpa.com/think450.