Speakers

Radical Acceptance: Be Better Than Your BS
Empower Authenticity, Confront Bias and Create a Culture of Inclusion through Radical Acceptance

This speech was created to help audiences and individuals to understand Radical Acceptance and how their BiaSphere, Belief Systems, and BS stop them from welcoming and embracing all of humanity, including their own. Our BS shapes how we feel about ourselves, how we perceive the world, and how we interact with others. Radical acceptance teaches that through authenticity we can connect with others on a deeper level, and create a culture of acceptance and belonging. Mental health and psychological safety are more important now than ever before in the workplace, and companies who create an environment where everyone is allowed to be themselves without fear of rejection, are at the cutting edge of what it means to be an innovative and profitable place to work.

Risha’s honest, memorable and practical presentation on Radical Acceptance: Be Better Than Your BiaSphere, Belief Systems, and BS blends together stories from her life experiences as a bisexual black woman, former division one athlete, and small business owner to teach audiences how their diversity can become their superpower! Audiences learn how their own behaviors can be shaped by their own BiaSphere, which includes all of the subconscious beliefs, thoughts, feelings and emotions they have about themselves and the rest of the world around them. Radical Acceptance: Be Better Than Your BS will provide all audience members with the awareness and education to help them become better leaders, employees, colleagues, and people.

Attendees will leave this keynote understanding:

Permission: Granted To Get Rid Of Your BS

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A VIRTUAL EVENT

Whether implicit or conscious, bias is the number one threat to humanity and any company's success. If your company's goal is to create cohesiveness within your organization, increase revenue, be innovative and/or elevate your reputation- the bias in your workforce and community is a roadblock. You know the problem. Permission:Granted is your answer.

Throughout this session, Risha allows attendees to authentically express their biases, while giving them easily applicable tools to get over them, however screwed up they may be. Although diversity can often be an uncomfortable topic, Risha's approach helps attendees to easily understand the concept, without feeling bored or judged.

Risha Grant teaches Diversity & Inclusion through the lens of humanity using terms like BS or Bias Synapse as a way to explain our brain's involvement in the processing and validation of bias.

Attendees will leave this talk with:

• An understanding of Diversity & Inclusion
• A thorough awareness of their biases
• A realization of how their biases originated
• A recognition of the symptoms and results of bias
• Tools to address bias internally and externally
• Tips to navigate the "hot spots" of workplace diversity

Permission: Granted To Build An Inclusive Culture

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A VIRTUAL EVENT

Building an inclusive culture is imperative to business success. Learn the keys to creating a culture that welcomes all employees, boosts retention and productivity. During this talk, Risha shares applicable tips and strategies to take your company's culture to the next level.

Session includes:

• Keys to attract and retain top diverse talent
• Strategies to showcase how an inclusive culture provides a competitive advantage
• Stuff she thinks is important (that you should write down) as you establish your inclusive culture

Permission: Granted To Attract Diverse Markets

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A VIRTUAL EVENT

Companies need to know what to say and how to get diverse customers to buy their products and services. Why? Because business sustainability, competitive advantage, a constantly changing economy and about $14 trillion in buying power. During this session, Risha will share with attendees the keys to effectively engaging various diverse groups and provide them with tips on how to create a diversity communications strategy for their company.

Attendees will leave this session understanding how to:

• Create a successful diversity communications plan of action
• Communicate to diverse audiences
• Market to diverse groups vs. mainstream audiences

Be Better Than Your BS
How Radical Acceptance Empowers Authenticity And Creates A Workplace Culture of Inclusion

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A VIRTUAL EVENT

DEI consultant and corporate speaker, Risha Grant, shares her practice of learning how to welcome and embrace people’s full humanity, without BS, full stop. What’s BS? It’s bullshit for sure, but more specifically it’s the powerful and often invisible belief systems we’ve been steeped in since birth—the judgment and bias we carry with us that impact our own lives and the many others we encounter every day. Risha teaches us about the inner work and the outer work we need to do to dismantle our “biasphere,” and change how we see ourselves and how we interact with others. The more people are willing to acknowledge and address the biases inherent in their belief systems, the more those biases will dissipate and the better our work environments will become.

Readers will learn how to:

• Recognize when your BS manifests as “isms” and phobias that follow you to work
• Cure scarcity mentality, a damaging byproduct of fear
• Validate other people’s experiences
• Become a real ally
• Engage in micro efforts that can effect change on a macro level
• Create an environment that fosters a sense of belonging for everybody; that is, “get in where you fit in”
• Abolish groupthink and create space for diverse ideas
• Design explicit feedback channels
• Generate truly inclusive policies that people can trust
• Spot and stop bullying (it doesn’t always look the way you think it does)
• Understand that equality isn’t equity; the difference leads to everyone getting what they need

"I want to say a HUGE thank you to our bureau team and to Risha Grant. Risha's talk was so impactful and we have received tons of positive feedback from our team. Risha was warm, engaging, and honest with our group. She wasn't afraid to address many of the challenging topics facing our nation's businesses and our social groups when it comes to diversity, equity & inclusion. Risha was genuine and relatable to our fully distributed team across 41 states. I highly recommend booking Risha for a virtual keynote. She truly is such a gift and we are grateful for the opportunity to have her speak with our team."
- Staff Support Specialist, Ad Hoc

“Risha provided an excellent presentation that had record attendance - with some of the highest evaluations ever.
Risha’s presentation teed up a critical conversation for our membership, one that we plan on continuing. Thank you for helping make it a success.”
- CEO, IFEBP

“I just want to take the time to sincerely thank you for everything.

This entire process has been seamless, starting with our bureau agent introducing me to Risha, to Risha's team assisting with the facilitation, to Risha’s incredible presentation. Our employees have already expressed such incredible feedback and appreciation for Risha’s session, and that means so much to us as an organization. Again, THANK YOU all for the part you have played in ensuring we had a successful event.”
- HR Operations Analyst, NICE Systems

“The American Staffing Association was thrilled to have Risha Grant as a break-out presenter at Staffing World 2019 and she knocked it out of the park! Attendees shared that Risha was energetic and her content was thought provoking. Her engaging storytelling talent and expertise in D&I will bring great value to any adult learner forum. She prepared well for our audience and delivered and provoked as promised! It was a pleasure working with Shannyn and Risha.”
- Director of Education, American Staffing Association

“Risha’s presentation was absolutely amazing and insightful. She captivated the audience and challenged us as HR Professionals to look at what diversity and inclusion really means. We truly appreciate her extraordinary and heartfelt impactful message. Keep up the great work!”
- Committee Co-Chairs, Northwest Human Resource Management Association (NHRMA)

“Risha Grant will bring an energetic discussion of diversity that will make your organization think beyond the obvious. Risha’s superb storytelling abilities keep listeners’ attention from beginning to end.”
- Instructional Designer/Professional Development Coordinator, Northern Oklahoma College

“Risha was wonderful today! She received a standing ovation and was the perfect speaker to wrap up our conference!”
- Senior Project Manager, The Bridge Conference - The Direct Marketing Association of Washington

"We recently had Risha Grant at our 2019 NICA Conference in Sun Valley; we brought Risha as part of our DEI initiative. That sounds like "checking a box." Far from it. Risha exceeded our expectations and was remarkable, relevant and thought-provoking in her ability to move our initiative from concept to personal transformation with humor along the way. Risha's warm and real approach touched our audience by connecting her experience, tools, insight, and inspiration into the hearts of our audience for an ultimate change, impact, and influence. Bravo to Risha."
- VP, Programs - National Interscholastic Cycling Association

“Risha did a fabulous job reminding us that everyone needs “to be the change” in understanding diversity and inclusion in order to affect a long-term, organizational cultural change. She reminded us the starting point is for people is to “unpack your boxes” and look at how they deal with bias. She provided us with a great introduction to a very important issue that requires our attention. I highly recommend her to any business or district looking to have someone who genuinely connects with her audience and knows how to read a community.”
- Assistant Superintendent For HR, Minisink Valley Central School District

“We recently had Risha speak at our annual Women’s Leadership Forum and she was phenomenal! She kept attendees engaged, challenging others to confront their own biases while also sharing her own raw and personal experience and biases. She was authentic in every aspect of the word and a true pleasure to work with!”
- Senior Education Manager – International Association of Exhibitions and Events

"She spoke to over 90 attendees for 10 different Samsung Companies across the USA and Canada. She was inspiring, funny and brutally honest. I really appreciated her ability to tell a story, willingness to share her personal experiences and insight. She was professional and personable."
- Senior Manager – Samsung, North America

"We had Risha Grant in for our International event in Belfast and she was phenomenal. Risha absolutely crushed it, she is amazing, and had incredible impact. Thank you so much!!!"
- Chief People Officer - Rapid 7

"Risha Grant is a dynamic and very effective speaker. Her ability to demonstrate the value of Diversity & Inclusion, while providing individuals the opportunity to recognize and examine their own personal beliefs and behaviors, allows her message to truly resonate and live beyond her presentation."
- Global Corporate Relations Manager, Columbia Sportswear Company

"Risha's approach to diversity and expert advice impressed me to say the least. She is articulate, smart and provided a practical approach to improve diversity and easily applicable resources to achieve success."
- Zohar Ziv, COO, Deckers Outdoor Corporation

"Risha Grant is tenacious in her approach to define and explain diversity from her audience's point of view. She is the most engaging and interesting speaker with a style of her own that will provoke audiences into learning without being aware."
- Carolyn Cummings, Director, Employment and Diversity - Boy Scouts of America