Marlin Williams

A great group of black women LEADERS stood up for an open dialogue and the inclusion of black women this week in Detroit. Recognizing that here in #Detroit it is the power of strong black women that is the undercurrent that drives business, politics, and society. Instead of the moderators and the planners of this long-awaited debate accommodating the loud cries for inclusion of showing this on live TV, and including a black female qualified journalist in a predominantly black city of Detroit, where black women AND our votes AND our engagement is critical because statistically EVERY ELECTION WE ARE THE DECIDING FACTOR …. They CANCELLED the debate scheduled for tomorrow! 😳🤔 This is the SECOND time this candidate has not debated #HillHarperForSenate And now they blame him for the cancellation of the debate? 🤨 He’s not the problem for trying to be INCLUSIVE in the conversation. Isn’t that what this is all about??? 🤔 Engaging the black and brown in the democratic process, the marginalized, the underrepresented to ensure that we all are participating in our democracy? 🤔 How are we supposed to do that if we’re not being educated by our peers & leaders in our community?🤔 And how are we being politically inclusive if our leaders are not being asked thoughtful questions by an representative group mirroring the Detroit community and in large ACCESSIBLE media formats….like TV 📺 ?🤔 The question I will consider when considering a candidate choice are these things and….WHY DID THEY NOT BOTH STAND UP FOR THE SAME THING⁉️🤔🤨

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🚨 Read the Workplace Section of #ProjectNoirCLE 🚨 From being labeled "DEI hires" to facing performative anti-racism, the challenges are exhausting & costly for Black Women in Cleveland and across Northeast Ohio. We need more than checkbox solutions! Black Women need investment and transparent actions. 💻𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ei7-wuXg #Cleveland #BlackWomen #HumanResources #WomenAtWork

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To those Black owned firms that feel unrepresented and voiceless every cycle, understand that you have a voice with the Black Consultant Group. #minorityownedbusiness #dei #blackowned #elections2024

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I will never grow tired of expressing the importance of giving yourself permission to Just Start & Get Visible. I’m officially wrapping up a week of a media blitz talking all about etiquette and leadership on behalf of Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars and the important work that they do! All of this is possible purely from making one decision to START a business called Scarlet that had an origin focus of teaching etiquette to teen girls in the city of Detroit. Now, more than a decade later with partnerships across multiple industries and a refined focus of helping leaders become better leaders, I’m reminded of what’s possible when you stop waiting and wishing and start taking action! So, here I am again - reminding you to Just Start the things you want to do. … and to be clear… I’m talking to you if you are a corporate employee and you want to start getting more invisible at your job so you can take advantage of career elevation opportunities. I’m talking to you if you have entrepreneurial interest and you wanna explore starting a venture. I’m talking to you if you know you have expertise to share, but you’re hiding… It doesn’t matter if you’re 17 or 77. If you’re looking for a sign or the perfect time to get started, this is it! The world needs what you have to give so, Just Start! Watch this entire news clip here: https://lnkd.in/e7XJMsgj #etiquette #leadership

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Why Black Women Entrepreneurs Must Know Their Numbers In entrepreneurship, understanding your business numbers isn’t just necessary—it’s the driving force behind your success. 📈 Imagine your business as a car. Knowing your numbers is like being the driver, steering your venture with purpose and direction. Without this understanding, it's like being a passenger, merely along for the ride with no real control over where you're headed. When you grasp your numbers, you’re not just keeping track of your income and expenses but distinguishing between a hobby and a scalable business. 📊 Whether you're a sole entrepreneur or leading a team, these numbers reveal if you’re hitting your potential ceiling or if there's room to grow and expand. Being the driver means you set the course and make informed decisions. Without this knowledge, you're navigating blind, missing out on opportunities for growth and improvement. 🌟 Let’s make bookkeeping and financial literacy a priority. It's not just about staying organized—empowering ourselves to steer our businesses towards success. 🚀 #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #BlackWomenInBusiness #FinancialLiteracy #KnowYourNumbers

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As Black women gain recognition in highly visible positions, they are faced with various misconceptions that impact their life. When entering visible positions or running for office, black women have to not only work against racial and gendered misconceptions but also present themselves in a relatable way. The balancing act puts high-levels of stress on black women that do not exist for other candidates. We’ll discuss those misconceptions and ways to fairly evaluate their candidacy. We are ready to Clapback and Get the Facts.    #SistersLead @SistersLead    https://lnkd.in/eMJGY8dj

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Today is #SmallBlackBusinessSaturday! 🛍️ Let’s come together to celebrate and support Black entrepreneurs who play a vital role in our communities and economy. By shopping small, we’re not just making purchases — we’re investing in dreams, families, and futures. 💡 How to support today: • Shop at a local Black-owned business. • Share your favorite businesses with your network. • Post photos and tag them to spread the word. Together, we can make a big impact. Let’s show love to the businesses that make our communities thrive! #NCBWSupportsSmallBusinesses #NCBWSBS24 #SupportBlackBusinesses #ShopLocal #EconomicEmpowerment

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Why the Detroit Digital Empowerment Summit Matters💓 As we prepare for the Detroit Digital Empowerment Summit, I’m reminded of why this event is crucial—not just for Detroit, but for the mission of Black Tech Saturdays and the community we serve. Empowerment Through Technology: In a city where access to technology defines opportunity, this summit is about bridging the digital divide and equipping Detroiters with the tools to succeed. It’s a key step in our mission to build an inclusive tech ecosystem. Driving Economic Growth: Digital empowerment paves the way for economic mobility. By preparing our workforce, we’re positioning Detroit to attract tech companies and investors. For #BlackTechSaturdays, it’s about supporting underrepresented founders and building community wealth. Fostering Belonging: Belonging drives everything we do. This summit breaks down barriers and ensures everyone in Detroit is part of the tech revolution, demonstrating that our city isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving. Showcasing Detroit’s Potential: Detroit is a city of resilience and innovation. This summit is our chance to showcase our strengths and demonstrate the impact we’re making locally and beyond. Creating Lasting Impact: This event is about creating lasting change—empowering Detroiters to take control of their digital and economic futures. It’s a milestone in our journey to building America’s premier Black tech ecosystem. Join Us: The Detroit Digital Empowerment Summit is more than an event—it’s a movement to empower, inspire, and shape Detroit’s future. Sign up for Speakers, Vendors, and Press: 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 [https://lnkd.in/gdCnN5Dh] #DetroitTech #BlackTechSaturdays #DigitalEmpowerment #EconomicMobility #TechForGood #CommunityBuilding #keepgoing #togetherwecan #strongertogether

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Update: I always love to see the weasels who untag themselves and crawl back into their hiding hole. Jeremy Hayden, partner at Taft Law and member of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati's BOD, we see you. 👀 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Shame on the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. How dare you do this to an employee. You have a ytness problem in your organization, and it sounds like its pushing out talented Black folks in droves. Moira Weir - As the President & CEO, what are you doing about this? It's not good for the employees you've harmed, and it certainly can't be good for the organization or its mission. Operating like this is an incredible risk. As someone who was a for-profit CEO and now works with non-profit CEOs and C-suites as an executive coach, I can tell you that this behavior is FAR too common in non-profit spaces. Most are run by toxic yt people who hide behind the veneer of doing good while doubling down on the culture of yt supremacy and harm that got them to the top. You forced a talented manager to resign because of meeting space utilization accusation and tone? What an incredible waste! And to the United Way of Greater Cincinnati Board, what are YOU doing about. this? It sounds like you have a governance problem. Tagging you here so you can engage with your CEO and address it with a formal investigation into Andraya Mays, MPA-SJ resignation and the others she references in her original post. Brian Hodgett (what sort of Board Chair and Procter & Gamble employee doesn't have a proper LinkedIn profile? 🙄 -- says volumes) George Vincent Maureen Bickley Ryan Dunlap Larissa England Leigh Fox Jodi Geiser Emily Frolick Brian D. Griffin Kala Gibson Jeremy Hayden Rob Herman Marianne Lewis Jill Meyer Vedran Miletic Mandy Neeley David Nevers Matthew Randazzo Cory Shaw Cady Short-Thompson K Z Smith Tyran Stallings Barbara Turner Warren Weber Kristen H. Wevers, MBA #work #bod #ceo #culture #humanresources

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As we step into the new week, here’s something to reflect on: Not everyone will agree with your direction, not even yourself sometimes but progress requires moving forward anyway. One day, the critiques will turn into praise. This week, Emily Aneno -Byaruhanga-SHRP and Global HR Partner - East Africa at Alight International, shares practical advice on retaining top talent: 
"Retaining the best talent is every HR manager’s nightmare. Hiring is costly and time-consuming, but once they’re on board, what happens next?" Watch this insightful clip and learn strategies for retaining and nurturing talent in your organization. Drop a comment below with your thoughts! #AHWAM #TalentRetention #HRStrategy #LeadershipInsights #EmployeeDevelopment #WorkplaceGrowth

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Looking for your next podcast? Check out the Black Woman Leading podcast! Tune in as we amplify the needs and experiences of Black women leaders in the workplace with a holistic focus on three core areas — leadership development, mental wellness, and relationship management. Catch up on all seasons now, available on all major platforms. #leadershipdevelopment #blackwomenatwork#womenempowerment

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🌐 Today, I am honored to co-host the “Navigating the Post-Election Landscape” Roundtable beside Anthony P. Howard, with a special focus on Black HR Professionals. In this session, we are addressing the unique challenges that Black HR leaders face as they navigate the next normal in our workplaces and communities. With so much change and opportunity on the horizon, it is essential to explore how we can best support each other and advance strategies that foster inclusive, resilient environments. Our goal is to equip each participant with insights and tools to lead effectively through these transitions. Looking forward to sharing key takeaways from this impactful dialogue. #BlackHRLeaders #PostElection #Roundtable #Diversity #FutureOfWork

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If you're a Black business owner looking for financial support, check out the latest grants and venture capital funds available! From the NAACP's Keep It Local Fund to Google's Black Founders Fund, explore opportunities that are still open for application. Don't miss your chance! 🔗 Read more. >>> https://bit.ly/4fko23l #BlackBusinessOwner #BlackEntrepreneur #FundingOpportunities #BusinessGrants

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Team Exhale surveyed 1005 Black Women nationwide and 36% of them say they have left a job due to feeling unsafe. These unsafe workplace cultures are harming Black Women everyday! We hope Exhale can be a supportive resource for you in your mental and emotional wellbeing journey. Download today to join the largest movement to prioritize Black Women’s wellbeing.✨ link in bio #blackwomen #workculture #workplace #culture #wellbeing #workplaceculture

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It was so great to be on this panel for Black Girls Code last night and engage with and empower other women of color in one space! During this session, I shared my QUEEN acronym to mitigate feelings of imposter syndrome: ❓ Question Doubts: Analyze and question your self-doubts to uncover their root causes. 💪 Understand Your Strengths: Know and leverage your unique strengths and skills. 😍 Enlist Allies: Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you. 🤗 Embrace Your Identity: Recognize and honor the unique perspective and strengths that come from your identity. 🌷 Nurture Growth: Continuously seek opportunities for personal and professional growth. On the individual level, I also discussed the importance of managing stress and trauma as a way to ensure you are embodying the success you desire for yourself and can integrate into spaces that may have historically caused you pain and continue to re-trigger and re-traumatize you. It's not about succumbing to or taking responsibility for harmful systems, but not succumbing to how they were designed to make us feel and respond. On the organizational level, I spoke about organizations continuing to prioritize inclusion, equity, accessibility, and justice to not only attract marginalized talent but retain it so that we can continue to see possibility models and create business cases against bias and stereotypes. Investing in leaders and managers to be trauma-informed is also key to addressing the practices and behaviors that cause barriers to inclusion, psychological safety, and belonging. Emmanuella and Tola touched on amazing topics like handling imposter syndrome with salary negotiations, protecting yourself from gaslighting, and prioritizing self-care as an entrepreneur! #impostersyndrome #blackwomenwellness #blackgirlscode #stressresilience #traumainformed #disruptsystems

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Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs. But the job isn’t easy. Yes, Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, but we still face hurdles. With 17% of Black women starting new businesses compared to 10% of white women, many of us do it alone, self-funding our dreams (61%) despite financial challenges. Venture capital remains elusive, with only 0.27% allocated to Black women between 2018-2019, resulting in smaller seed rounds and a persistent funding gap. For me, entrepreneurship has been a lived journey—a mix of passion, resilience, and hard lessons. I explore these themes in my book, She Disrupts, sharing stories of tech for good and the transformational impact of education in my community. Working across diverse environments, from multimillion-pound institutions to resource-strapped schools, I’ve seen firsthand how quality education shapes lives and futures. Growing up with parents who laid a foundation of resilience and aspiration, I know the strength of a strong start. My journey took an unexpected turn as a young mother, and later, as my daughter’s secondary school computer science teacher. I was Miss Watson by day, Mum by night, and her determination continues to inspire me. To my fellow entrepreneurs, remember: the hustle is real, but take time to pause and reflect. As Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said, “The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.” Let’s keep pushing boundaries. #SheDisrupts #BlackWomenInBusiness #TechForGood #ResilientEntrepreneurs

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Business Bestie Talk for Black Women Part II. Success is no accident—it's the result of intentional planning and consistent accountability. 💼👯‍♀️ Regular check-ins with your business bestie for progress monitoring and brainstorming are more than just support; they're a game-changing strategy. Looking to make sessions with your Bestie effective and impactful? Dive into this week's Sistahbiz blog for expert tips! ✨📈 https://lnkd.in/gFYnse_r #BlackWomenInBusiness #SistahBiz #BusinessBestie #AccountabilityPartners #StrategicGrowth #BusinessPlanning #BlackOwnedBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #LevelUpTogether #BossUp

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Why My Support Faded as a Black CEO Entrepreneur Join us as Speaker 03 shares their powerful journey of overcoming the lack of support faced by Black CEOs. Discover the challenges and triumphs in entrepreneurship, while shedding light on the importance of community and resilience. This candid conversation inspires determination and hope for aspiring entrepreneurs! #BlackCEOs #Entrepreneurship #SupportSystem #Resilience #Community #Inspiration #BusinessChallenges #WomenInBusiness #OvercomingObstacles #MotivationalTalk

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