I Know I Belong When...

Everyday Bias, revisited: A father, a son, and the work of honoring humanity with Howard Ross

What if belonging is not a program or slogan, but the daily discipline of honoring humanity even when the cultural winds shift against it? In this episode of I Know I Belong When, Christopher sits down with Howard J. Ross, writer, facilitator, meditation teacher, musician, and one of the most influential voices on unconscious bias and belonging alive today. Howard is the author of Everyday Bias and Our Search for Belonging, and he is co-writing the second edition of Everyday Bias with his son, Jake Ross, who joins the show next week in part two of this father-and-son series. Howard reflects on the regressive moment the field is facing, the places belonging work has missed the mark, and the patience required to sustain authentic leadership over decades. He shares the story of his grandfather Samuel Bulmash, who escaped the pogroms of Ukraine and helped found the Baltimore NAACP. He revisits the Nancy Neal moment that first taught him what a sense of belonging at work feels like, the day in Jackson, Mississippi, that reshaped how he shows up as a white practitioner, and the father-to-colleague shift with Jake that transformed both their work and relationship. If you have been searching for language for belonging, this episode is a masterclass. Must-hear insights and key moments * Why progress in inclusive culture often moves three steps forward and two steps back * What Howard learned from his grandfather about responsibility, legacy, and honoring humanity * The Nancy Neil moment that first showed Howard what workplace belonging looks like in practice * The day in Jackson, Mississippi, that changed how Howard approaches belonging work * Why the next edition of Everyday Bias had to address artificial intelligence, social media, and algorithms * How the father-to-colleague pivot with Jake shows strategic inclusion beginning at home Howard’s standout quotes * “This is going to be a long haul, and it is always going to be three steps forward, two steps back.” * “Terrible things can happen, and you have a responsibility to do something about it.” * “When we can see the humanity in each other, the difference becomes additive.” * “I am not going to relate to you in this project as my son. I am going to relate to you as my colleague.” * “Everybody needs a tribe. We have to create that bigger tent if we expect to see the change we are working on.” * “I know I belong when I can be fully myself, when I can show up without having to worry that being me is going to exclude me or make my voice not matter.” Why this episode matters Belonging is the outcome of the disciplined work of honoring humanity. In a moment when inclusive culture work faces increasing backlash, Howard offers perspective grounded in history, cognitive science, and more than fifty years of practice. Whether you are rethinking people experience strategy, navigating belonging in remote teams, or wrestling with belonging versus inclusion, this episode offers language, clarity, and direction. Who should listen This episode is for HR and people leaders, DEI practitioners, executives, founders, managers of remote and hybrid teams, educators, and storytellers committed to creating belonging at work through authentic leadership and strategic inclusion. If you have ever wondered what it takes to sustain belonging across a lifetime of practice, Howard Ross offers one of the clearest answers you will hear. An Innovation Unbiased Production https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show [https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show]

Silence is not neutral: Moral courage and inclusive leadership with Mike Davis

What does it really take to create belonging in the workplace when pressure rises, resistance shows up, and silence feels safer than speaking up? In this episode of I Know I Belong When…, host Christopher Bylone sits down with Mike Davis, a global diversity and inclusion executive with nearly three decades of experience navigating the hardest conversations organizations avoid. This is not a surface-level conversation about inclusion. It is an honest exploration of moral courage, authentic leadership, and what it means to build inclusive culture when the stakes are real. Mike brings storytelling, lived experience, and deep credibility to a topic leaders are struggling to name. Through personal reflection and professional insight, this episode gives listeners language for belonging and clarity on why silence in leadership is never neutral. From white male allyship to accountability without shame, from psychological safety to trust repair, this conversation reframes workplace belonging as the outcome of strategic inclusion, not a feel-good initiative. If you are searching for another word for belong, questioning how love and belonging needs show up at work, or wondering how to create a sense of belonging at work in uncertain times, this episode offers both language and direction. Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments * Why silence in leadership reinforces existing power structures * What white male allyship requires beyond private support * How inclusive cultures fail when moral courage disappears * The difference between performative inclusion and strategic inclusion * Why trust is the real currency of workplace belonging * How leaders can hold people accountable without public harm * What psychological safety actually looks like in practice Mike’s Standout Quotes * “Silence is not neutrality. Silence supports the system that already exists.” * “Belonging starts with feeling safe to be who you are and safe to make a mistake.” * “If leaders hesitate publicly, they lose the trust of the people who need them most.” * “This work is about culture change, not slogans or posters.” * “You cannot build trust if people believe leadership will disappear when pressure shows up.” * “Accountability without learning is punishment, not leadership.” * “Belonging is sustained through engagement, not intention.” Why This Episode Matters Organizations are searching for how to build belonging at work while navigating backlash, fatigue, and fear. This episode reframes workplace belonging as a people experience rooted in trust, courage, and consistency. Mike Davis challenges leaders to move beyond hesitation and shows why inclusive culture requires visible commitment, not quiet agreement. It offers language, clarity, and responsibility at a moment when many organizations are retreating. Who Should Listen This episode is for HR leaders, DEI practitioners, executives, people managers, and team leaders responsible for creating belonging in the workplace. It is especially relevant for those rebuilding trust after organizational harm, sustaining inclusion under pressure, or navigating belonging in remote teams. If you are looking for practical insight on authentic leadership, creating belonging at work, and building a true sense of belonging beyond policies and programs, this conversation will challenge and equip you. An Innovation Unbiased Production https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show [https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show]

Care, share, embrace: Lead with values when the world hands you a tie with Simona Scarpaleggia

What happens when a leader walks onto a stage to accept an award and walks off holding a tie because no one imagined a woman could be leading the company? In this episode of I Know I Belong When…, host Christopher Bylone sits down with Simona Scarpaleggia, former CEO of IKEA Switzerland, United Nations co-chair, author, and a leader whose career has redefined authentic leadership when the room was not built with you in mind. Through first-person storytelling, Simona shares how her grandmother’s words, “if you want to lead, you need to learn, and anything can be learned,” shaped a career spanning boardrooms, global panels, and social enterprises. She introduces her framework of "care, share, and embrace," showing why standing firm on values during backlash is essential. From transforming IKEA Switzerland into a loved brand to empowering women in rural India, she connects belonging to inclusive culture and human-centered innovation. This conversation reframes belonging vs inclusion, positioning workplace belonging as the outcome of strategic inclusion and intentional IDEA work. It offers clarity and language for leaders seeking to create a true sense of belonging at work. Must-hear insights and key moments * A grandmother’s ring and the phrase that shaped a global leadership career: “anything can be learned.” * Care, share, embrace: a leadership operating system rooted in trust, transparency, and people experience. * The tie story: what happens when bias shows up on stage and how Simona responded. * How a 500-person store opening, a flood, and a team that said “you go, we have got this” became a defining moment of belonging * Transforming a brand from need to loved through values-driven culture, refugee inclusion, and strategic inclusion. * Building belonging through social enterprise: how 52 women embroiderers in India grew to over 2,000 through sustainable partnership. * Why certification is a foundation, not a finish line. Simona’s standout quotes * “If you want to lead, you need to learn, and anything can be learned.” * “Care, share, and embrace are the base of my leadership approach.” * “They did not even think for a second that a woman could have a leadership position in such a big company.” * “I did not have to ask. They told me, you go. We organize everything.” * “Standing behind the values gives us strength.” * “Those 52 women were proud. A completely different personality came out of them.” * “I know I belong whenever I encounter beauty, not only in an aesthetical point of view, but in a meaningful conversation, a spontaneous smile, a little step towards a better world.” Why this episode matters Organizations talk about building belonging, yet struggle to connect values to daily leadership behavior. Simona's story gives leaders practical language and lived examples for creating belonging at work through courage and systems that honor people. It reframes the sense of belonging at work as something leaders build through how they show up, not what they announce. For anyone navigating love and belonging needs in modern organizations, this conversation offers direction rooted in decades of global impact.  Who should listen HR leaders, DEI and IDEA practitioners, executives, and people managers shaping inclusive culture—especially in hybrid or remote environments—and anyone seeking to lead with values and create belonging at work. An Innovation Unbiased Production https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show [https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show]

Beyond performative work: How Hip Hop builds chosen family in inclusive cultures with Manny Faces

What if the clearest blueprint for belonging in the workplace did not come from corporate playbooks, leadership models, or culture decks, but from a global movement rooted in creativity, community, and care? In this episode of I Know I Belong When…, host Christopher Bylone sits down with Manny Faces—award-winning journalist, cultural strategist, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Hip Hop Can Save America! ecosystem—to explore how Hip Hop culture offers leaders practical language for belonging and insight into creating a sense of belonging at work. This conversation reframes belonging vs inclusion, positioning belonging as the outcome of intentional IDEA work rather than a performative gesture. Manny shares how Hip Hop functions as a living framework for inclusive culture, authentic leadership, and human-centered innovation—transcending borders, titles, and institutions. Through first-person storytelling, listeners see how chosen family, psychological safety, and community care show up across spaces—from ciphers and classrooms to workplaces and hospital rooms. This episode is about building belonging, creating people experiences rooted in dignity, and understanding why love and belonging needs are foundational to sustainable culture, especially in remote and hybrid teams. Must-hear insights and key moments * Why Hip Hop is culture, not music—and what that teaches leaders about workplace belonging  * The cipher as a metaphor for psychological safety and belonging at work  * Why belonging is the outcome of strategic inclusion, not another initiative  * How chosen family reshapes accountability and community care  * What tokenism looks like and how leaders can recognize it quickly  * Lessons from global Hip Hop communities on belonging in remote teams  * Why lived experience provides language policies alone cannot  Manny’s standout quotes * “Hip Hop is culture. Culture is how people navigate the world together.” * “When you step into the cipher, where you came from does not matter. You belong in that moment.” * “If your institution only engages culture during heritage months, the work is not real.” * “Belonging feels like family. You know it when you feel it, and you know when you do not.” * “We do not need more performative moments. We need people of the culture in positions of power.” * “Community care is not theoretical. It shows up in what you are willing to give.” * “Belonging crosses borders, languages, and credentials when it is rooted in respect.” Why this episode matters Belonging is not declared; it is experienced through cultures intentionally built on care, trust, and community. This episode provides language for what people feel when they are safe, recognized, and valued, linking workplace belonging to love and belonging needs and showing why symbolic efforts fall short. It reframes belonging as the outcome of inclusive culture and authentic leadership, not performative DEI. Who should listen HR leaders, DEI practitioners, executives, people managers, educators, and anyone seeking to create belonging at work—especially in remote or hybrid environments—and looking for clear, credible language to move from intention to impact. An Innovation Unbiased Production https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show [https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show]

Culture is a system, not a vibe: The accountability leaders cannot skip with Joe Machicote

What if the reason your culture initiatives are stalling has nothing to do with motivation, engagement, or vibes, and everything to do with systems, accountability, and how leaders show up every single day? In this episode of I Know I Belong When…, Christopher Bylone is joined by Joe Machicote, retired CHRO, organizational culture engineer, executive coach, and author of Own Thy Stuff. Joe brings more than three decades of leadership experience into a deeply human conversation about belonging in the workplace, building belonging, and why culture only becomes inclusive when it is designed, practiced, and owned. Through powerful first-person stories, Joe shares what it feels like to be told you do not belong before you even understand the language for exclusion, how mispronouncing a name can quietly erode a sense of belonging at work, and why accountability is not punitive. Accountability is relational, connective, and essential to creating belonging at work. This episode gives leaders, HR professionals, and DEI practitioners the language they have been searching for. It explores belonging vs inclusion, the difference between intent and impact, and how authentic leadership requires the courage to look again at how we show up. Joe reframes workplace belonging as the outcome of strategic inclusion, human-centered innovation, and everyday behaviors that either build trust or dismantle it. If you are searching for another word for belong, or looking to understand the deeper meaning behind love and belonging needs at work, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a blueprint for action. Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments * Why culture fails when leaders treat it as a feeling instead of a system * How accountability creates psychological safety and a stronger people experience * What mispronouncing names teaches us about belonging in the workplace * The difference between intent and impact, and why leaders must own both * How early experiences of exclusion shape confidence, leadership, and voice * What it means to engineer culture through self-mastery, communication, and trust * Why belonging in remote teams still depends on accountability and relationships Joe’s Standout Quotes * “Culture is not a vibe problem. It is a systems problem.” * “We do not know who our authentic selves are without feedback.” * “You cannot control others, however you can always control your own behavior.” * “Accountability is attractive because it builds trust.” * “Respect means to look again.” * “Belonging grows when people are accepted for how they contribute, not how they conform.” * “Leave everything and everyone a little better than you found them.” Why This Episode Matters Organizations talk often about inclusion, engagement, and values. This episode goes deeper by showing how sense of belonging at work is built through accountability, trust, and systems that reinforce human dignity. Joe’s story gives listeners language for belonging, especially those navigating imposter thoughts, exclusion, or leadership pressure. It reframes belonging as the outcome of IDEA work, not just another initiative. Who Should Listen This episode is for HR leaders, DEI practitioners, people managers, executives, and anyone asking how to create a sense of belonging at work. It is especially relevant for leaders shaping inclusive culture, supporting remote or hybrid teams, and seeking practical ways to move from intention to impact. If you care about people experience, strategic inclusion, and human-centered innovation, this conversation belongs in your ears. An Innovation Unbiased Production https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show [https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/about-the-show]