To celebrate International Women’s Day, we invited three brilliant women at Blis to answer some questions and help us all #InspireInclusion this week.

Our second interview is with Kelly Jacobson Collins, our VP, Governance, Ethics & DPO. Check it out!

1. What were the one or two most important career moves you’ve made to feel more included, and why?
   
   The point of inclusion is for the company or the group to make the person who isn’t included feel included rather than an individual adapting to fit in. For decades, women have adapted their behaviour to feel more included, rather than the workplace losing its white masculine traits. Even as recently as 2011, Stamford University released research describing how women would be even more successful than men if they just turned on or off their masculine traits.’ Tropes like this drive me to be part of Rise and ensure that Blis is an inclusive workplace.
   
   
2. What is the most important challenge we still need to tackle to become a more inclusive industry?
   
   The findings from the All In Census shed light on ongoing challenges within the industry regarding gender equality and inclusion. The fact that nearly a third of women feel their gender hinders their careers highlights systemic issues that need to be addressed.  Moreover, the higher percentage of women from ethnic minorities feeling this way underscores intersectional challenges faced by individuals who belong to multiple marginalised groups.
   
   
   

   I never imagined I’d be quoting Elvis Presley lyrics, but we need “A little less conversation, a little more action”. LinkedIn posts, company policies and conversations are wonderful, but we need consistent action year-round to ensure that women, especially marginalised women, feel safe and happy in their roles and that they can succeed at work.

    

3. What does #InspireInclusion mean to you?
   
   It has two parts: education and being a role model. Education comes from blogs like this, Blis’  Let’s Talk About sessions and public resources like podcasts, articles and events. We need to hear from more women about how they feel when they’re excluded. What does it feel like to be left out? What does it feel like when your voice is never listened to? What does it feel like when you can’t join your colleagues at a social event because – e.g. you don’t drink/you have to pick your kids up/you haven’t been invited? Focusing on how it feels to be excluded (we all have been at some point in our lives) helps us feel the fire in our bellies and want to make change. 
   
   Being a role model means serving as an example, mentor, or inspiration to others. I do this by inspiring others at Blis to get involved with Rise, our employee DEI initiative, and inspiring them to get involved. I have mentored both men and women through different groups, including Bloom, Digilearning and Brixton Finishing School. And I set an example as a woman by showing that you can have a fulfilling career and caring responsibilities and drive change in the industry by advocating for yourself and others and speaking up for those who can’t speak up for themselves.
4. What can people and companies do to help #InspireInclusion?
   
   Last week on LinkedIn, a conference organiser shared an image of the panellists speaking on its panel. The headshots showed 5 white men and 1 non-white man; there was not much inclusion there! What can you do to help?

• If you’re invited to speak on a panel, regardless of your race, sexual orientation, gender, age, physical ability, or neurodivergence – ask the organiser who else is speaking and help to build a diverse panel. If everyone else is the same as you, suggest someone else.

   

• If you are sponsoring an event like this, nominate diverse speakers, send different people than usual, and give an opportunity to all (equity).
  
  
  
• If you’re organising an event, curate content and panels carefully. Think about how panels look and sound: balance commercial objectives with diversity goals.
  
  
  
• When I attend events in our industry, I am surrounded by white men because these are the people for whom companies will pay for tickets. Not because they are white men (I hope) but because we have so far to go in our industry in terms of DEI, and it is mostly men at the top. Offer free tickets to groups like MEFA, Bloom, and The Women in Programmatic Network. Brixton Finishing School and Digilearning.