Creating a Multicultural Business Community with ColorComm

Almost ten years ago, Lauren Wesley Wilson was aiming to climb the ad agency corporate ladder. But she was deterred; she didn’t see anyone who looked like her. No African American, LatinX or Asian men or women in leadership roles.  So, she began a series of luncheons in her town of Washington, DC, “to bring together people of color in our industry because so many of us in the space were feeling isolated and alone...and we didn't have a community to call on as it relates to new business or getting promoted or how to navigate corporate America.

Those series of luncheons became ColorComm, Inc., a national platform to advance women of color in business, now nine years and nine cities strong, with thousands of members. And, participants include names like Gayle King, Gloria Steinem,  Bozoma Saint John, and  Shelley Zalis. Some of the leading brands in media and marketing are  sponsors -- from MWW and Edelman PR agencies, to Coke, Nike, ViacomCBS, Comcast and Publicis Groupe.

In this conversation with media journalist and podcast host, E.B. Moss, Wilson talked about the strides made, the ongoing challenges for people of color, and the business imperative for the industry to include them. 

Highlights:

On Data: "There's so much data out there, but it's about action and execution. Where I see companies fail are those companies that don't line-item a budget around changing this landscape. They spent all their money to get the data, but they haven't allocated money for change."

On Action Items:  "People of color in the agency, marketing and advertising space is such a small percent. So, if a company  looks at its numbers and sees just a handful of people there, they need to set them up for advancement. But it’s two-fold: the individual working in the company oftentimes doesn't have the skills to know what to do. And that's why organizations like ColorComm exist, to train you, to give you the tools and resources and professional development and skills to understand your role within your company."

Get all her thoughts and recommendations on thriving through diversity and inclusion, and how ColorComm is helping everyone step up by listening to the full episode.