Helina Blogs

“It’s only when diverse perspectives are included, respected, and valued that we can start to get a full picture of the world, who we serve, what they need, and how to successfully meet people where they are.”  ~ Brene Brown  The reckoning of racial justice protesters from the turbulent summer of 2020 has made many of us question our roles and wonder how effective we have been in combating systemic racism in the United States. Many of us have even been asking ourselves whether we have an unconscious bias towards certain groups of people. Many companies have taken an active role by stepping back and reflecting on systemic racism. Corporations have gone above and beyond to publish statements on the big three: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Many have taken an active role by revisiting their business practices, bylaws, strategic goals, and delivery models to demonstrate their seriousness about DEI. On LinkedIn, there has been a surge of senior level positions advertised with an e

Smoke covering Baghdad, Iraq on April 2nd, 2003. This past Wednesday (January 6 th ) was a day that many Americans will never forget. It was one of those defining moments in time, where years later you recall where you were and how you felt as you watched the events unfolding. However, in my case those events unearthed a range of buried emotions and past trauma, the sort of thoughts one must let out, as they eat away at you if you imprison them within your head. To set the scene, at midday I had decided to take a break from work and do my usual 6-mile afternoon run—a ritual I developed years ago, which acts as my daily ‘therapy’ session with nature and my own body. Unfortunately, on my second mile as I jogged along while enjoying my music, my serenity was interrupted with a stream of blaring police sirens. Now living in DC, I am used to the usual sirens that come with living in the nation’s capital, but the magnitude of these were different, and much louder because of their high nu