CultureLynx Is Born

CultureLynx Is Born

Sorry to break it to you, kid, but there is no way anyone will take you seriously in the field of Diversity and Inclusion. Your résumé screams ‘privileged white girl.’

I remember those words as if it were yesterday. Bouncing around and echoing in my head as my bruised ego, still recovering from my recent layoff, struggled to stand tall.

The truth is, this wasn’t the first time I had been told I wasn’t what the world wanted, that I did not fit in, that I didn’t have a place, that I had no voice. Yet, never had I been told that I exuded privilege. I was either too white or too blonde, too American or too German, too pretty or too ugly, too thick or too thin, too bubbly or too quiet, too passive or too assertive … too different.  

It was in that moment that I decided ‘enough is enough.’ I felt a fire burning inside of me - one I hadn’t felt in quite some time. It was more than just anger. It was a sense of injustice that I simply could not accept.

As a child, I often struggled with being bicultural, this feeling of being stuck between two very different worlds, not knowing where to belong. Throughout my teenage years, my loneliness manifested itself in a rebellion - against my parents, against my peers, against anyone whom I felt did not understand me - and it was only once I left for college in the United States that I began to come into my own.

My childhood dreams of establishing a colony in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean - where people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures could live in unity without fear of being discriminated, ostracized or bullied - drew me to the field of international relations. Where else to make a bigger impact than in public policy? I had found my calling: as Ambassador to the United Nations - or so I thought.

The economic downturn in 2007 forced me to change course and, after nearly 2 years of babysitting, temping, a short-term gig in market research, and a summer internship with the European Union, I landed a job in New York State Government. Eager to finally start my career and hungry for the opportunity to make a difference, I was shocked when I experienced my first incident of sexual harassment. I had heard about gender inequality and discrimination in the workforce for some time, but I didn’t want to believe it - until I finally witnessed it with my own eyes.

When I entered the private sector a few years later, I was disappointed to find that the world outside of government was not much different. Big egos, power dynamics, and questionable work cultures created environments that often undermined women in favor of men - sometimes only subtly, other times very blatantly. To be fair, I have met some wonderful men over the course of the years - colleagues and friends without whom I  would not be where I am today. “It takes a village to raise a child,” and I am forever grateful for the guidance, inspiration, mentorship and support I have received from the many male - and female - figures who have made a difference in my life.

However, I realized then - as I do now - that the good and the bad are intertwined in so many ways, it is impossible to see the world for anything than what it is: a rainbow of colors, complexities, challenges, and opportunities that are here to help us grow. In order to not just survive but flourish, we have to be cognizant of the many tools in our tool box and how best to deploy them in a thoughtful and strategic manner. Emotional intelligence, social awareness, and communication are key to maneuvering the personal dynamics that have the power to impact and transform our lives every day.

As I reflected on the concept of “white privilege” and the idea that no one would hire a blonde white girl to serve as Chief Diversity Officer for their organization, I was struck by a whirlwind of emotions: disbelief that, in the field of Diversity and Inclusion, anyone would be excluded based on their gender or the color of their skin; anger that anyone would pass judgement on me - or anyone else, for that matter - without even a smidge of curiosity about their thoughts, their beliefs, or the experiences that have shaped them into the person they are today; and frustration that this heinous concept of “white privilege” was real - a tangible, invisible force that still affected minority populations to this day, placing them at a significant disadvantage compared to their white peers.

It was at that moment that a spark inside of me was ignited and that I decided to take matters into my own hands. My life may not have led me to the Foreign Service to forge peace agreements among nations, but I realized I could leverage my experiences, background, and skillset along with my passion for unity in a different manner. I had passion, I had creativity, and I had fire, and I would find a way to make my voice heard and contribute to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world.

On April 4, 2019, the same day that I received my last severance pay, I hit the “submit” button on the New York State LLC website to make it official: CultureLynx was born.

Thank you for reading!

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