Elizabeth Leiba’s Post

📣 Is LinkedIn Working for Black Professionals? Let’s Talk About It. Black professionals face unique challenges on LinkedIn—from navigating the algorithm to finding meaningful opportunities and building connections that truly matter. But are these challenges fixable? Or do we need a space that works for us? Join me this Wednesday for a LinkedIn Live where we’ll dive into: ✔️ What 70% of Black professionals said about wanting a LinkedIn alternative. ✔️ Why nearly 40% feel rarely or never valued on this platform. ✔️ How the Crown & Quill Collective is reimagining networking for Black excellence. This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a movement to co-create a future where visibility, collaboration, and success are built by us, for us. 💡 What You’ll Learn: ✅ Strategies to amplify your voice and brand on LinkedIn. ✅ Why the Collective is the space Black professionals deserve. ✅ How YOU can help shape this vision as a Founding Member. Details: 📅 When: Wednesday, December 4 at 12 pm EST 📍 Where: Right here on LinkedIn Live ➡️ RSVP now to reserve your spot using the link below 👇🏽 and be part of this transformative conversation. Let’s build something extraordinary—together.

It's not just about building structures, it's about building legacies. Together, we're rewriting history. #CommunityFirst #BlackOwned #Atlanta #RealImpact

Black History Month seems to have slipped into the abyss for some companies. 🟢 A few have kept up their efforts to show up and show out for Black History Month. This could be because the ethnic minorities internally won’t let them forget (good job you guys!), or they do genuinely care about the community and our contributions to British culture. 🔴 Others seem to have completely forgotten. I’m curious whether it’s because they were never too fussed in the first place or because of yearly budget constraints it was the easiest thing to deprioritise and cut altogether. Did these companies do something ‘big’ last year so felt that this was enough for the time being and they could just reflect on the efforts of their past? Did it get to October and creators checked in to see if they had any plans and now these companies feel pressure to execute something last minute? ⚫️ To me, it seems likely many simply didn’t care in the first place and after posting black squares one year, and some pressure in the following years, companies all went back to regular programming. 🟡 Regardless of which of these areas a company falls into, it’s not enough to just show up sporadically when they feel pressure or when there’s ’extra’ budget. The black community exist all year round, however we have one dedicated month where we can share the history and importance of our contributions to this country. I implore companies to remember us all year round but to truly celebrate us each October, when it’s our time to shine. ✨

This month, we recognize and celebrate Black History Month! As we close out February, we thought we’d share some of the great content our team has discovered and explored this month: content celebrating Black history and shining a light on Black creators and innovators. 🎉 This stellar blog from Manifest, 7 Black Pioneers Making Marketing History: https://ow.ly/ky9V50QIosJ 📚 This great compilation from the American Writers Museum, 28 Days of Black writers: https://ow.ly/f3uw50QIosE 🚀 This highlight of Black tech innovators on the 2024 Forbes 30 under 30 list, including aerospace engineers, AI innovators and Nialah Wilson-Small, an industry assistant professor who’s innovating the use of touch for human-robot interactions that would advance robots’ use in life-saving scenarios like search and rescue and emergency evacuations 🤯: https://ow.ly/nXWC50QIosI 🔧 This exploration of Black leaders’ historical impact on the supply chain industry (an industry close to our hearts!): https://ow.ly/wsFK50QIosz 🔎 This 29-day tribute to Black innovators and scientists, including some of those who influenced the supply chain – and many more, including Kimberly Bryant, an electrical engineer who founded Black Girls Code; Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who played a critical role in U.S. crewed spaceflights; and Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, who we have to thank for the blessed caller ID 🙏: https://ow.ly/Enmc50QIosC 🖊️ This HuffPost article covering the why behind capitalizing the word ‘Black’: https://ow.ly/8Z9q50QIosG ❓ Any great resources to add? Share with us in the comments!

Black Connect is a national nonprofit business and entrepreneur center that is dedicated to eliminating the racial wealth gap facing Black Americans. Examining the economic condition of Black people in America, and throughout the world, the one constant is that Black people do not control economic resources at the level they should.Black Americans face systemic barriers to wealth building due to discrimination, poverty, the loss of solidarity, and a shortage of social connections (including role models and mentors in their communities). These factors have helped maintain a persistent - and widening - wealth gap.https://https://lnkd.in/eAkkS3dA.

To those who attempt to define the roles or capabilities of Black professionals, I would like to offer some perspective. As an educated and empowered Black woman, I stand as a testament to the vast potential and diverse contributions that Black professionals bring to every field. From educators and doctors to computer technicians and professors, Black individuals excel in a myriad of professions, not because of any predetermined societal roles, but because of our dedication, expertise, and passion. It's essential to recognize that talent, ambition, and intelligence are not bound by race or ethnicity. Limiting beliefs about what Black professionals can achieve are outdated and rooted in stereotypes that have no place in our modern, diverse world. I choose to surround myself with positivity and empowerment, and I encourage all Black professionals to embrace their unique talents and pursue their goals with confidence. Let us continue to break barriers, redefine expectations, and inspire future generations to dream without limits. Our success is not just a personal victory but a collective stride toward a more inclusive and equitable society.

This event was about collective wisdom and great talent coming together causing new levels of Community, Connectedness and Compassion in our business. Our Theme: #Fearless #Focus #Forward!! J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is right on point!!

To those who attempt to define the roles or capabilities of Black professionals, I would like to offer some perspective. As an educated and empowered Black woman, I stand as a testament to the vast potential and diverse contributions that Black professionals bring to every field. From educators and doctors to computer technicians and professors, Black individuals excel in a myriad of professions, not because of any predetermined societal roles, but because of our dedication, expertise, and passion. It's essential to recognize that talent, ambition, and intelligence are not bound by race or ethnicity. Limiting beliefs about what Black professionals can achieve are outdated and rooted in stereotypes that have no place in our modern, diverse world. I choose to surround myself with positivity and empowerment, and I encourage all Black professionals to embrace their unique talents and pursue their goals with confidence. Let us continue to break barriers, redefine expectations, and inspire future generations to dream without limits. Our success is not just a personal victory but a collective stride toward a more inclusive and equitable society.

𝙲̲𝚎̲𝚕̲𝚎̲𝚋̲𝚛̲𝚊̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚗̲𝚐̲ ̲𝙱̲𝚕̲𝚊̲𝚌̲𝚔̲ ̲𝙷̲𝚒̲𝚜̲𝚝̲𝚘̲𝚛̲𝚢̲ ̲𝙼̲𝚘̲𝚗̲𝚝̲𝚑̲ ̲𝟸̲𝟶̲𝟸̲𝟺̲ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 (𝗕𝗛𝗠) 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁? Black History Month celebrates the tapestry of Black cultures, past and present. Outside of the devastating slave trade and progression of civil rights - what do you know about Black History? For me, there’s a lot more I want to know. This year’s theme - ‘Reclaiming the Narrative’ - addresses that gap, setting right misrepresentations and telling the often untold stories of Black people and communities worldwide. Learning about these stories is personally enriching and encourages cultural understanding - the first step to making positive change within and for Black communities. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘉𝘏𝘔? 𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 📕 There are many online and physical, free and paid, fiction and non-fiction resources on Black history and culture that we can access. Have you got Netflix, Disney+ or one of (many) other streaming platforms? Take a look at relevant documentaries, shows and films there. If not, there are YouTube videos to watch, podcasts to hear and articles to read - most of these free of charge. 𝟮. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 🤝 See what’s happening in your local community - is there anything that interests you? What about your place of work or education? Many organisations and universities hold internal and external events; celebrating successes, starting discussions, supporting charities and more - find out how you can join in! 𝟯. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🗣 Conversations on race, culture and ethnicity aren’t always easy but they’re valuable (when approached respectfully). People will appreciate a genuine interest and open mind to learn more about their culture. Let go of assumptions and find out more about the people around you. Of course, educating on, engaging with and discussing history are things we can - and should - do all year round for all the cultures and groups around us, but Black History Month is a time to specifically highlight the fullness of Black culture and contributions. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗛𝗠?

As Black History Month closes, I have a lot on my mind about what I am doing (or not doing) as a leader to support Black talent and how our industry is using our platforms to help the Black Community thrive. A few things are top of mind. The first was inspired by messaging at this year's ADCOLOR: Recommit, Reaffirm, and Reignite. Of course, I believe our dedication to diversity and inclusion should be as activated and potent as ever, but I also think it needs to evolve. Representation and inclusion will continue to be the bedrock, but as our agencies become more diverse we have new areas to work on: advancement and mentorship, meaningful feedback and constructive performance management, and work that more explicitly reflects the diversity of our teams. The second is something that has stuck with me for awhile. Van Jones was the opening keynote speaker for Where Are All The Black People in 2020 and he challenged our industry in a way that moved me. He made the point that all the gains in civil rights were not lead by policy, rather that policy followed shifts in public opinion, opinions that were largely influenced by the arts - TV, Movies, Books, Music....but not necessarily advertising. Brands have big platforms, the stories we tell and the experiences we make have influence - what are we doing with that privilege, that obligation? Do we too easily give ourselves a pass because it is the client's call or because we are here just to sell stuff? I believe that it is imperative that we use the work we create to not just reflect society as it is, but to shape it as we dream it to be. The third is informed by an NPR interview I recently heard with 'American Fiction' writer-director, Cord Jefferson, who talked about the tendency for the mainstream to only celebrate stories of underrepresented groups' trauma. Those stories are important, but the singularity of them in the mainstream leaves us without the nuanced, dimensional view of these groups. Is our industry perpetrating this as well, are we using stories of trauma dressed as purpose work as award show bait? Perhaps the most poignant thing on my mind is feedback from a Black employee that warned of agencies being all empathy, little action. We all know better now, so we must DO better.