Thank you for listening to Identity Unboxed – a space curated to amplify Black voices and foster authenticity through engaging conversations.
Biography:
Leilani Lewis is an accomplished DEI executive and a respected thought leader with a solid background in the arts and culture sector. With her experience working in the nonprofit and public sector, Leilani has successfully developed solidarity, equity, and anti-racism strategies, which she brings to her current role at the University of Washington.
Leilani’s expansive career began in the arts and culture sector, where she established herself as a creative catalyst who worked vigorously to ensure artists and culture-makers were valued, heard, and seen. Her experience enabled her to build strong relationships with the community, and she continues to use these connections to bring positive change in the diversity, equity, and inclusion spaces.
A dynamic leader and strategic planner, Leilani is passionate about her work and brings her unique perspective to ensure that organizations are inclusive and equitable. She thrives on setting up the infrastructure to create departments and programs from scratch or bring existing systems to the next level using data, deep analysis, and strategy. She believes organizations can thrive only by embracing diversity and inclusion at every level.
Leilani Lewis’s unwavering commitment to promoting equity and inclusivity has made her one of the field’s most respected and influential leaders. With her talent, she has helped organizations initiate change to meet the needs of the people they serve and employ. She continues to be instrumental in shaping the company and organizational futures.
Advice From Leilani:
Take care of your future self by learning how to regulate your own emotions and reactions. We need fear to survive, but we must let it go when we are not in true danger. I started to thrive in my career when I started to practice letting go of day-to-day fear. I was more creative, more connected, and able to learn so much more when I stopped being fearful of people, situations, or my own mistakes. Fear is the reason we don’t take risks, tell the truth, address issues, create something new, or be our full selves. When you take control of your fears and other difficult emotions that come with a career and working with others, you can be unstoppable.