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Meet Felicia Jadczak, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, She+ Geeks Out. She+ Geeks Out’s mission is to educate, promote and support diverse and inclusive companies and organizations by taking a holistic approach to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ➖How has COVID-19 impacted the way She+ Geeks Out operates? Remote work is not equivalent to virtual work. A lot of us are working remotely, but that doesn't mean it serves as a “normal” work environment. The challenges we’re experiencing are nothing like any of us have ever seen in our lives. The shift online has brought more opportunities for accessible events, programming, content, and communications. What's really been great is that we’re now learning to scale beyond Boston with all the look and feel of She+ Geeks Out programming–we’re reaching a lot more people than we would have a few months ago. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ➖How has DEI work changed during COVID-19? One of the tensions that sits at the heart of DEI work, is doing impactful work while wearing a business hat. Business goals are not always completely in line with DEI goals, and how do you continue to support DEI when you don't have any budget? We’re learning that there is so much value in being there for people. Every email and call is an empathetic opening–even with strangers. As a small business, we’re dealing with a lot of challenges, but feel optimistic about how we are reframing 2020 from an anticipated growth year to a survival year–we’re doubling down on supporting each other. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ➖How are your clients doing? The value of community and bringing people together has always been top of mind, and is at the heart of everything we do. Now we must double down on how we can help people. This extends beyond our community side and includes the corporate training side of our work. A lot of our clients have had to hit pause on programming to make space for more vulnerable conversations. #KendallCollective

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