The cookie cutter office modules of the past must be updated in order for a business to thrive in today’s ever-changing world. Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice are key ingredients for successful business modules. In the 50’s there was a call for woman to get hired by companies to do jobs that were previously only given to men. Fast forward to today there is a call for women to get equal pay for doing the same job as men. Within each generation, there is someone who steps forward to fix the various issues and propel diverse work cultures forward. In the 90’s Constance Smith a 32-year-old factory worker, landed a job an Indiana steel mill. Constance was not allowed to work the heavy machinery positions; which paid more money. When she noticed that women were not given the opportunity to work certain positions, she took action, and contacted her union representative and had things changed. Before long, women were in high performance heavy labor positions and afforded the opportunity to make as much as their male counterparts.
CommunityBuild Ventures is an organization that is bringing about change in this era making sure that people are not being excluded due to race, gender or disability. By promoting Racial Equity, and Justice in work environments, CommunityBuild Ventures also generates healthy communities. EnrichHER had the opportunity to speak in depth with Natasha A. Harrison, Founder and CEO of CommunityBuild Ventures, to clearly define how they are serving communities.
EnrichHER: Why did you start your company and why are you passionate about companies having a diverse workforce?
CommunityBuild Ventures: As a native of Atlanta, I have personally witnessed how lack of diversity creates hostile work environments, workplace bullying, and other forms of mental abuse. As we examined the idea that over a lifetime most people spend roughly 70% of their time at work, you find that individuals work environment impacts people emotionally as well as financially. This ignited my passion because no one should have to suffer from depression and other anxieties due to ignorance, blatant racism, sexism and other discriminatory issues found in work environment. We have made it our mission to mitigate risk and promote healthy workforce engagement by helping our organizations answer 3 crucial questions:
- How do we embody Racial Equity and Justice?
- How do We Partner or Collaborate with others through a Racial Equity and Justice Lens?
- How do we Build, Share, and Wield Power with the Community We Serve?
If a company is not able to answer these questions they are at risk of lawsuits and losing money due to lack of innovation as it relates to keeping top talent engaged.
EnrichHER: How were you able to flip this passion into a real business with employees?
CommunityBuild Ventures: Living life with a purpose, helping people heal from bad work environments and provide solutions to companies to improve communities became my focus. Having overcome a wide range of obstacles with regards to my experience as a working professional in DC Government sector, I’ve dealt with public policy. I began to formulate the question, if the government is having issues with diversity and inclusion, what is happening in Corporate America. As a consultant, I was able to create networks that included mentoring as well as coaching. Since launching in 2012 we have worked with top brands and specialize in in cultural transformation, collaborate transformation and power which are the key reasons top companies thrive!
EnrichHER: What is your unique perspective on being a business owner what 3 lessons where you faced with and had to overcome to be able to thrive in your industry?
CommunityBuild Ventures: I attribute my success to my willingness to update my plan as I approached the market. Diversity and workplace justice can be a touch subject in certain demographics thus I must be flexible in tailoring to my audience. Second, I find having courage to close the gap on racial disparity in the workplace; which involved building relationships with the right people to drive change. Lastly, I resolved to hire smart people who want to reinvest their talents and efforts into the business.
Links for More Information:
- https://www.thiswayglobal.com/blog/top-diversity-issues-in-the-workplace/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2019/02/04/diversity-without-inclusion-is-useless/#3d19ea455685
Do not wait until tomorrow to start working toward your dream. Whether you want to contribute to making a social impact by investing in the future of women-led companies, or if you have an exciting business growth strategy for your company, EnrichHER is here to help. Join our community of founders today.
We are…
The world’s first and only, women entrepreneur-focused, debt-based funding platform.
A groundbreaking movement to unite founders and funders who share a vision for sustainable women-led ventures.
AS SEEN IN
What we do?
We help women get up to $2 million to grow their business
Our Mission
We believe in inclusive economic growth and disrupting traditional and predatory access to small business financing. To create opportunities for women-led businesses, we focus on social change, empowerment and creative uses of monetary value. Through EnrichHER Funding, EnrichHER Society, and EnrichHER Spark, we are an ecosystem of entrepreneurs and capital providers who have pledged to support 10,000 women grow incredible ventures.
How you can participate in the EnrichHER Community?
Apply for funding here.
Join our online community here.
Follow & Engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Youtube.