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Companies That Care

Companies That Care

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin

The Companies That Care podcast highlights business leaders who are making a difference in the world. Hosted by Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder of Fertile Ground Communications and host of the Finding Fertile Ground podcast. I have a passion for companies that care and give back to their communities. The first three episodes of Companies That Care, launched on Earth Day 2021, focus on sustainable fashion, food, and corporate philanthropy.
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Top 10 Companies That Care Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Companies That Care episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Companies That Care for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Companies That Care episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Claire Randall is CEO of Grand Central Bakery, a B-Corp certified artisan bakery in Oregon and Washington with a community-centered mission and sustainable business practices. Claire’s been working at Grand Central for 29 years.

“My friend Piper Davis and her brother were opening the Portland branch...There was really nothing like it in Portland at the time. So I hounded Ben and his mom, Gwen Bassetti, the founder...to hire me.”

“I love to call Gwen a food pioneer. She was creating beautiful food from local ingredients, way before a lot of people even thought that was a possibility.”

Women-owned and women-led from the beginning, they made delicious food from scratch, using local ingredients.

Grand Central’s mission is to serve delicious, authentic food made from high-quality, local, and sustainable ingredients while growing a healthy values-driven business. Grand Central is also the Pacific Northwest's first B Corp certified bakery.

The bakery supports several nonprofits, including Lift Up Portland, CAUSA, and the Blueprint Foundation. Supporting local food systems and using local ingredients is a strong value, similar to Salt & Straw Ice Cream.

“Through the way we source our food locally from local ranchers and farmers, not just our ingredients, but any purchases we can, we strive to constantly improve how much we're buying locally. That has kept us strong and resilient through the entire pandemic...the fact we're still in business has helped so many of our local vendors. I love that it's a mutually supportive relationship.”

Grand Central also pays a lot of attention to what they put out into the waste stream.

“Our goal is a 100% waste diverted from the waste stream. And the last couple years we've hit 87%, which is pretty great. We have a lot of fired up employees who care a lot about the waste stream. We recycle and compost anything we can and have very little garbage left over.”

After surviving the worst of the pandemic, now the bakery is navigating more challenges.

“Operating our business the way we do is not the cheapest way. We buy the best ingredients. We pay our employees well. We have great benefits. We have beautiful spaces... we're in a situation where our profit is declining...we're experiencing skyrocketing ingredient costs...combined with this staffing shortage. Our goal right now is to become more efficient without sacrificing any of the deliciousness or the artistry of our products.”

I asked Claire for her advice for others who want to create companies that care. Grand Central is unique as it’s an open book company.

“My first piece of advice is to focus on the finances as much as your mission. So many businesses spend a lot of time thinking about what their mission is, what they want to offer...but they neglect the nuts and bolts of what it really takes to be a profitable business. And if you're not profitable, you can't live your mission...So few companies are open book companies...I think it's so important to educate your employees about your numbers and do your work to build that trust and use that transparency to improve your performance.”

Claire was excited to share that this summer, Grand Central is transitioning their ownership into a perpetual purpose trust.

Now I need to go get one of those yummy cinnamon rolls!!

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com.

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“We work predominantly on community-based projects where we're much more interested in some ways in what a building does...rather than how the building looks...how can this building help this organization deliver better services? How can it bring people together? How can it free up space? How can a space enable teachers to teach in a different way?”
--Elisa Engel, cofounder of Citizen Architects based in London, UK

Elisa and her partner Richard Hadley believe that architecture has an important part to play in improving communities and creating a more equitable, sustainable and beautiful world. Inquisitiveness, professionalism, and joy are at the core of everything they do.

Born in Germany, Elisa has lived in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland), South Africa, Botswana, and the UK.

Citizen Architects delivers community interest projects in London and sub-Saharan Africa, involving communities in the design process. She is a trustee at Architecture for Humanity London and teaches architecture at universities in the UK and abroad.

Elisa has a strong track record of delivering education buildings and community architecture with a particular focus on participatory design processes.

We talked about her work in Africa, sustainability, ethics, and the challenges of being a woman in the male-dominated field of architecture.

“...Africa sticks to your feet. And once you cross the ocean, you're always on the wrong side. I went when I was really quite young, 17, a very formative time in my life. It did create a very strong bond with that part of the world...It has allowed me to become a little bit of an ambassador between Europe and Africa.”

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

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Imagine how much better the world would be with just 1% more love. That’s what the co-founders of Our.Love envision for the world. More and better love, delivered in a FUN way! Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that opportunity?

The Companies that Care podcast highlights business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Tal Zlotnitsky and Tonya Coppin-Fox, co-founders of Our.Love Company. Our.Love is a love and relationship wellness technology company dedicated to helping couples find, maintain, and nurture their best love. Our.Love just launched a brand new app on Valentine’s Day!

Tal is a master at starting up and investing in new companies. He immigrated to the United States at age 12 from Israel and is a passionate activist.

“I become very interested in the topic of love because of my own failings in this space...love is perhaps the last thing that is indivisible. Everyone wants to be loved more and better.”

Tonya is a passionate, purpose-driven entrepreneur and business coach who is committed to empowering ALL people to live fulfilling lives. An immigrant from Barbados, she is an advocate for strong relationships and families, living their lives courageously, kindly, and purposefully.

Tonya knew to pay attention to Tal because he’s a visionary.

“We were in the midst of COVID, just had the insurrection...this is an opportunity for us to make a difference. If we do it right, we can impact generations to come all across the world. So I jumped on early.”

I joined the Our.Love team as a writer and strategic communications consultant, because I believe in Tonya and Tal’s incredible team and mission. I’ve been married 32 years this June, and I know we can all benefit from learning how to love better. The app’s features, based by science, are designed for people in relationships who want to make their relationship even better.

One of the things that attracted me to Our.Love was its firm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“As immigrants, Tonya and I share a strong passion for people...We have a greater appreciation for what makes America great...In my experience, it's the goodness of its people, the goodness of its purpose. And that's best represented by a very diverse group,” said Tal. “So if you look at our organization top down it's incredibly diverse...It's more than 50% people of color, more than 50% women, and our senior leadership and board are more than 50% women and people of color. And I take enormous pride in that.”

Part of what got Tonya excited about Our.Love is that Black and brown folks are less likely to seek out therapy to improve their relationships.

“In the black and brown community...we're not knocking on a therapist’s door saying, ‘Hey, I need help in our relationship.’ So that was one of the key factors why I decided to go into this journey: to bring a product to the public that my community could actually benefit from and could help a lot of the relationships in our community.”

When you download the app, you’ll find yourself in the CoupleverseTM, a virtual home with fun, brief, and instructive videos, podcasts, articles, quizzes, and games. The app is guided by Our.Love’s seven Love SkillsTM and five Love Journeys.TM

Watch my interview with Tonya and Tal on YouTube or listen to the podcast to hear more about Our.Love and find out how to download it here.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Gresh Harkless Jr., founder of CBNation and Blue 16 Media. He’ll talk about his experience as a Black man in the corporate world and how he built on obstacles like getting laid off multiple times to build a successful media company.

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The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Kim Sundy, senior director of sustainability at the Kellogg Company.

Driven by the legacy of its founder, W.K. Kellogg, the Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal and snacks.

But did you know Kellogg’s vision is a good and just world, where people are not just fed but fulfilled? This cereal and snack company is serious about living out its mission and has set some ambitious goals. These are just a few examples:

  • Providing Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030 through:
  1. Nourishing 1 billion people by delivering nutrition foods that address common shortfall nutrients and addressing hidden hunger
  2. Feeding 375 million people in need
  3. Supporting 1 million farmers and workers while conserving natural resources
  4. Engaging 1.5 billion people in the issue of global food security
  • Aspiring to achieve gender equity of 50/50 by the end of 2025
  • Working toward 100 percent reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by the end of 2025
  • Honoring Black history every month as a call for food justice in Black communities
  • Committing to source 100% cage-free eggs by 2025, even though most of their products do not contain eggs
  • Supporting equity for women by identifying parts of their supply chain with the highest prevalence of women and assessing the risks and opportunities they face
  • Aiming to achieve over 50% renewable energy by the end of 2022
  • Supporting historically excluded employees through highly active employee networks, mentoring programs, and a Black Chef in Residency program
  • Expanding paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers to 12 weeks; increasing fertility benefits to $30K for assisted reproductive procedures; and increasing adoption benefits to $10K per eligible adoption.

Kim and I talked about having careers in sustainability and the importance of communications. She also shared her perspective as a Black woman executive and how Kellogg does a better job than many companies at nurturing equity & inclusion among its workforce.

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. Find out more on my website and social media.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. If you like what you hear or read, wander through my website to find out more about my work.

Can you use some help with your writing, editing, communications, or marketing? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation.

With 30 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry, I am passionate about sustainability and corporate citizenship, equity & inclusion, businesses that use their power for good, and doing everything I can to create a kinder, more sustainable, and just world. We help organizations and people discover what makes them special and help them share that with the world.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. This is a continuation of the systemic racism pervasive in our country since its inception and we are committed to standing against racism in all its forms.

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The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Jon Roesser, general manager of Weavers Way Cooperative Association.

Founded in the early 1970s, Weavers Way is a consumer-owned food co-op in Philadelphia with three stores, two farms, a non-profit, and community newspaper. They have more than 10,500 member households representing over 25,000 individual member-owners.

Weavers Way is a critical link in the Philadelphia food shed, connecting local food growers and producers with values-driven consumers. Working with more than 300 vendors in the Philadelphia area, the co-op emphasizes the need to strengthen local food systems.

In addition to implementing sustainable measures throughout their business, Weavers Way is also taking steps to diversify the racial makeup of its vendors. The co-op also has a partnership with WB Saul Agricultural High School, with a farm on the site of the school where students can use the farmland as their classroom.

Do you remember after Trump was elected and many people said they were going to move to Canada? Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mahlena-Rae Johnson, a Black woman and mom who really did it: she moved her family to Canada to pursue better opportunities there.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

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The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Veronica Arreola, a professional feminist, mom, and writer who has been working to diversify the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field for over 20 years. She has a particular passion for working with Latinx/Latina youth.

Veronica is director of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives for the University of Illinois-Chicago and most recently was program director for their Hispanic Serving Institution STEM grant, Latin@s Gaining Access to Networks for Advancement in Science. She ensures a supportive campus environment for Latinx students studying science. She also writes and speaks regularly about empowering women, including women of color.

We talked about how to encourage young women and girls to pursue STEM fields, especially Latinx/Latina/Hispanic students. She shared her thoughts on how companies can do a better job with diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how to create companies that care, especially for people of color.

And we also talked about music and entertainment...namely Dar Williams and other folk music and TV shows that have positive representation of Latinas.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mike Ganino, a highly acclaimed public speaker and coach. Mike and his husband had a baby through a surrogate, and their baby Viviana was born prematurely in Mexico, during the pandemic. What a ride!

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

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The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Ross Ching, founder of Mama & Hapa’s Zero Waste Shop in Portland, Oregon.

Ross moved to Portland with his family in 2019 after working as a TV commercial director. He was inspired to start a zero waste shop after watching the news and hearing terrible things about climate change.

“In the past three or four or five years, there's been more and more reporting about how recycling isn't what we all thought it would be. Recycling back in the ‘90s was supposed to be our savior, and we can use as much plastic as we want. We can throw any sort of plastic in the bin and it'll get turned into a park bench. Fast forward 20 years and we have come to the realization that wasn't the case. We need to stop plastic usage at the root of it, and that's at the cash register.”

Ross explained how the zero waste movement has been gaining steam. He wanted to develop a shop that made the zero waste movement easier for everyday people to join.

“There's a large segment of the population who really want to help the environment, but they also don't want to be inconvenienced. That’s what we are trying to aim as a target market.”

Mama & Hapa’s is touch free, using an RFID smart card for payment. Ross is determined to create a business that allows people to reduce their waste at a low price point.

Zero waste goes beyond saving plastic. It makes people conscious of all the steps that go into a product from cradle to grave.

“If you think about your laundry detergent, you take it home and then forget about it, right? But there was a bunch of oil that had to be drilled and then they had to take that to a factory and refine it. And then they took that to a factory to make pellets of plastic. And then they had to mold the plastic. And then they had to fill it with the stuff that goes inside of it. And the stuff that goes inside it came from somewhere. Then it has to get driven to Target and then you have to drive to Target and then you get the bottle, drive back home, and it's this huge process that encompasses the entire globe.”

Mama & Hapa’s has 41 dispensers of household products. Ross’ hope is to have a zero waste shop in every neighborhood so people do not have to drive to get there. He’d also like their prices to continue to fall so people will realize they can live a zero waste lifestyle without spending more money.

Check out Mama & Hapa’s website, and if you’re in Portland, pay them a visit!

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview I interview Paula Dunn, who was born with a cleft lip and palate like me.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

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The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Mallorie Dunn, founder of Smart Glamour in New York City. Mallorie has been interested in clothing her whole life. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Pratt Institute.

She found that corporate fashion was not her cup of tea. Mallorie also began noticing how badly women and femme people feel about themselves in their bodies...and how difficult it can be for people to find clothes that fit them well and are made well.

She started Smart Glamour in 2014, a customizable, ethical fashion brand based on the idea that everyone deserves clothing that is not exploitative of the people that make it. Smart Glamour’s size chart goes from XS to 15X and beyond. All of the clothing is customizable to sizes above and below that chart.

During the pandemic, she sewed masks and offered them for pay what you will. She started a podcast interviewing her models and other makers. She also shares videos of her making things or giving sewing tips. She’s also a part-time professor at The New School and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Mallorie feels strongly about providing all types of clothing for plus-size people, customized to fit as needed. “The majority of people are plus size in this country, yet they are vastly underserved. Once you get above 3X and especially once you get above 6X, people do not have options."

To make her business processes sustainable, Mallorie makes everything to order. She purchases most of her fabrics from local family-owned discount fabric stores. Most of it is overstock. She uses every scrap of her fabric, holding leftovers for what she calls Smart Glamour surprises.

Mallorie also is committed to producing affordable, ethically made clothing.

On Smart Glamour’s website, you can shop by model... from models who are of all sizes, heights, ages, and abilities.

Mallorie has integrated social impact into her business by creating products that benefit nonprofits.

Check out Mallorie’s website and her podcast, and pass it on! Everyone deserves to feel beautiful and included in fashion!

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. If you like what you hear or read, wander through my website to find out more about my work.

Can you use some help with your writing, editing, communications, or marketing? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation. With 30 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry, I am passionate about sustainability and corporate citizenship, equity & inclusion, businesses that use their power for good, and doing everything I can to create a kinder, more sustainable, and just world. We help organizations and people discover what makes them special and help them share that with the world.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

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The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Dr. Erica Gamble, known as the Wig Dr.

The Wig Doctor, headquartered in Marietta, GA, specializes in high-quality wigs and hair pieces for people suffering from hair loss because of chemotherapy, alopecia, and other auto-immune disorders.

It all started when Erica wore her mom’s wig to her private high school one day. The nuns were not pleased, because they associated wigs with prostitution.

“I thought wow, how could this be so wrong when it feels so right? All I had to do is get up, pop it on out the door...it was just magical...this cannot be that bad.”

Erica continued to wear wigs through her life for fun. She worked in corporate America for 20 years and felt the pressure to always look good, which could be hard at times when she was traveling. Wigs continued to be an easy solution.

When they built their home they ran out of space because Erica had so many wigs...so she decided to open a wig boutique. And the Wig Dr. was born!

The Wig Dr. has attracted some big name attention. Erica was featured on the Drew Barrymore show with Gabrielle Union, and this summer Master Card chose her as a Black-woman-owned business to spotlight. She appeared in a commercial hosted by Jennifer Hudson and got to walk the red carpet at a big event.

Most of Erica’s clients have never worn wigs before. They come to her because they are losing their hair through illness or alopecia. She loves being able to help them look and feel their best.

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. Find out more on my website and social media.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. If you like what you hear or read, wander through my website to find out more about my work.

Can you use some help with your writing, editing, communications, or marketing? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation.

With 30 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry, I am passionate about sustainability and corporate citizenship, equity & inclusion, businesses that use their power for good, and doing everything I can to create a kinder, more sustainable, and just world. We help organizations and people discover what makes them special and help them share that with the world.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. This is a continuation of the systemic racism pervasive in our country since its inception and we are committed to standing against racism in all its forms.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

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Issam Kaisse is a first-generation immigrant to the United States from Morocco, and he speaks five languages. Since he’d grown up living all over the world, he thought he would adapt to life here easily.
“I quickly realized when I came to the U.S. that it was different being an Arab immigrant. It was difficult to adapt at first...I could not relate to any ethnic group.”

His first shock in college was being asked to fill out his ethnicity on a form. He didn’t fit into any of the categories. He also discovered that many Americans knew very little about Morocco.

When he started at Nielsen seven years ago, he joined several affinity groups, which Nielsen calls “business resource groups." Unfortunately, none of them was the right fit.
He approached Nielsen’s DEI team and proposed a new group for employees of Arab descent called Marhaba (Arabic for “hello”).
At the first meeting, Issam talked about Ramadan and how Muslim people celebrate this month-long period. He was careful to note that just because you’re Arab doesn’t necessarily mean you’re Muslim. Issam explained that at least 400 million people of Arab descent live in 22 countries.

Issam is grateful to be working for Nielsen because it’s a diverse company that encourages employees to express their opinions and suggest ideas. However, he notes the lack of Arab representation on the management team, as with most companies.
Issam emphasizes that we don’t just need companies that value diversity; we also need employees willing to play their part.
“If you want to be part of a cycle and want to be part of the change, you have to speak up. And that's why I reached out to the diversity and inclusion team and said, ‘let's make this happen.’”
Marhaba consists of employees of Arab descent, but also others who are not. Issam enjoys educating people about Arab countries and culture, so that’s a big part of the BRG.
After sharing about the purpose and rituals of Ramadan on his kickoff call, Issam noticed a change.
“People started asking me, ‘how's Ramadan going?’ or ‘Are you getting ready for Eid?’ And that was for me the happiest moment, because it made me realize I made an impact within the organization...and that's the purpose. The end goal is educate and share knowledge and provide the real meaning of being Arab.”
He also discovered other employees in the company who are also of Arab descent and even from Morocco.
Very few other companies have affinity groups for people of Arab descent. I asked him what advice he has for other companies who want to set up similar groups.
“Build the idea. Challenge it. Make sure you can answer questions...propose the idea to family and friends who aren’t from the same cultural group...”
He advises that company leaders listen to their employees, give them a way to express their thoughts and ideas, and look for ways to help them thrive and grow.
I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform.
I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Companies That Care have?

Companies That Care currently has 29 episodes available.

What topics does Companies That Care cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts and Business.

What is the most popular episode on Companies That Care?

The episode title 'Claire Randall, Grand Central Bakery: Bakers serious about making an impact' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Companies That Care?

The average episode length on Companies That Care is 42 minutes.

How often are episodes of Companies That Care released?

Episodes of Companies That Care are typically released every 14 days, 5 hours.

When was the first episode of Companies That Care?

The first episode of Companies That Care was released on Apr 18, 2021.

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