Eighteen months after the world came to a grinding halt, we are still grappling with the profound changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the psychological effects of extended quarantine. In times like these, we search for things in our lives that offer stability and safety: Family, close friends, daily routines and – on a societal level – protections offered by the Constitution...
In October 1991, Anita Hill, an African-American law professor, sat before an all-white and all-male Senate Judiciary Committee and accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. In doing so, she introduced the world to the uncomfortable concept of workplace sexual harassment and set off a chain of events that would profoundly change the world and continue to have...
Lauren Wesley Wilson literally changed the communications industry over lunch. In 2011, Wilson was working at an agency and realized that nobody in executive or senior leadership looked like her. She gathered 34 women of color for a networking lunch she called ColorComm. They listened to speakers, shared media contacts, and talked job opportunities. Everybody left wanting to do it again....
I’ve long been a fan of the weekly “Lunch with the FT” column. It is a Saturday ritual to sit down with a cup of coffee and gain insight into that week’s interview subject. Earlier this year, I was fascinated by the interview with Hannah Fry,1 an accomplished mathematician whose achievements are numerous. Not only is Fry the author of several books, the host of a TED Talk on “The Mathematics...
After observing the low numbers of women on corporate boards for decades, Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire jotted herself a note on a napkin during a coffee conversation about the phenomenon. Ever the optimist, Berkhemer-Credaire’s note focused on a potential solution: “Why can’t there be a law in California, like in Europe, requiring women on boards?”
Several European countries had already...
It’s hard to offer predictions in a world still navigating a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. But, if I were to bet on one thing it would be the USC Annenberg Class of 2022. With all their passion, purpose and mission-critical communication skills, I believe they will command our attention in the next year and beyond.
As Melissa Waggener Zorkin, global CEO and founder of WE Communications...
The pandemic gave birth to a new form of creativity — restricted by quarantine, born of loneliness, and inspired by fear. We saw it in ourselves, our friends and our artists.
No one captured the zeitgeist of our year-long isolation better than Bo Burnham with his Netflix special, “Inside.” For a millennial who has been open about his mental health problems, the pandemic provided the...
With the social upheaval in 2020, the importance of brand purpose has never been greater. Purpose is a powerful tool that helps companies build deep consumer connections.
In a study conducted by Accenture, 62 percent of consumers stated their purchasing decisions are driven by a company's authenticity. Consumers have access to reliable information on how companies operate, produce...