BROADCASTS.com

b'

What does it take to change corporate culture? \\xa0 It's a question countless corporations are asking as diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging take center stage.

This week, my guest and I explore this topic from multiple perspectives.

Allie Danziger is a whip smart, young entrepreneur whose insight is gleaned from her experience in the world of internships -- and the C-Suite.

Allie had eight internships under her belt by the time she graduated from UT-Austin in 2007.\\xa0 She started her first business at age 24. \\xa0

Integrate was one of the first agencies in Texas that specialized in this new thing called social media.

After growing that business, Danziger sold it and started a new one.\\xa0 During the pandemic.

Enter Ampersand Professionals.\\xa0 The company is on a mission to democratize access to that first, hard-to-get internship.\\xa0 Often an important stepping stone to a successful career.

And because the company concentrates on eliminating barriers to include those often left behind, Ampersand is also building diversity in corporations of all sizes.

Embracing "The Other"

Danziger and her team have a front row seat to current changes in corporate culture. \\xa0

However slow it might be, Danziger says smart companies are embracing change.

Because they realize if they don't, employees will walk out the door.

"Culture no longer means a ping pong table and beer at 4 o'clock on Fridays, right?," says Danziger. "Culture now means a place where I can show up and be myself and be respected no matter what "other" I'm coming from."

Changing Corporate Mindset

That changing corporate mindset now extends to the recruitment of entry level talent and the desire for more diversity. \\xa0 And that is Ampersand's sweet spot.

\\xa0A new crop of graduates is about to enter the workforce. \\xa0

\\xa0If you're in that category, Allie offers some valuable perspective as you embark upon your new life as a young professional.

Wherever the journey takes you, it will help to remember this.\\xa0 The stepping stones on your path to success are part of a changing corporate culture that is also seeking to find its way.

www.ourvoicesmatterpodcast.com
www.lorellemedia.com


This podcast is devoted to empowering us all to better understand each other's differences...one story at a time.\\xa0 Emmy Award-winning journalist, Linda Lorelle, guides guests through insightful, unexpected conversations that reveal our common humanity.\\xa0 This show is not about politics per se; it is about finding a way to reclaim civility in the context of the contentious times in which we live, by sharing our personal and professional stories, in hopes that others might find a glimpse of themselves.