Interrupting Microaggressions For LGBTQIA+ Colleagues

In Episode 107, Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Empovia, shares a short talk based on her Out & Equal Workplace Summit session with our friends at Qualcomm on “Interrupting Microaggressions: Workplace Interventions for Calling People In.” In this workshop, Melinda shares how we can call each other in to interrupt microaggressions experienced by LGBTQIA+ folks in the workplace. She guides us through microintervention processes and scripts we can use to address common verbal, nonverbal, and environmental microaggressions. She also shares how managers and team members can take action to create a call-in culture together.


About Melinda Briana Epler (she/her)

Melinda Briana Epler has more than 25 years of experience elevating brands and developing business innovation strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and global NGOs.

As CEO of Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), Melinda is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists around the world. As part of her changemaking work, she is an inclusive leadership coach, trains executive and management teams, and builds learning and development solutions for clients.

Melinda is the author of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill) and the host of the popular "Leading With Empathy & Allyship" podcast. She is also a TED speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former marketing and culture executive. She speaks, mentors, and writes about diversity and inclusion, empathy, and entrepreneurship.


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For more about Empovia, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With  Melinda Briana Epler On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindaepler
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindabrianaepler
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbrianaepler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changecatalysts

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
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Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and a photo of host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and a black shirt; beside her is the orange book cover of How to Be an Ally (McGraw-Hill).]

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