Shows
Branding Room Only with Paula T. EdgarConnecting, Championing, and Making ChangeConway Ekpo is a former Wall Street lawyer who now thrives in the fintech industry as the Director and Associate General Counsel of Product for fintech startup Brex. He is also an advisor and investor in several minority-owned fintech startups. Conway is the founder of the Black Big Law Pipeline and several other initiatives focused on empowering Black lawyers in the legal profession. His professional experience includes Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and other firms. For show notes and more information, visit paulaedgar.com/podcast. In this episode… Many professionals are sol...2023-09-1953 min
Dimensions of DiversityBrace for a Recession: How Lawyers of Color Can Prepare for Difficult Economic TimesOn the second part of this two-part series of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by returning guest Conway Ekpo, a lawyer who has spent half his career in Big Law and shifted to a role in-house at a major corporation. Ekpo is an adjunct law professor and a frequent speaker/writer on diversity in the legal profession. The conversation shifts for this episode as the pair discuss the looming recession and its impact on the legal industry. Lloyd and Ekpo reflect on the 2008 recession, which saw a decrease in the racial and ethnic diversity in...2023-02-0829 min
Dimensions of DiversityDirect Conversations: What is Needed from Legal Departments and Law Firms to Advance Diversity & InclusionOn the front-end of this two-part series of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by returning guest Conway Ekpo, a lawyer who has spent half his career in Big Law and shifted to a role in-house at a major corporation. Ekpo is an adjunct law professor and a frequent speaker/writer on diversity in the legal profession. The pair discuss who is doing the best work actively supporting DEI in the profession. Ekpo describes some best practices for in-house lawyers to create more DEI opportunities within the profession and questions to ask to ensure there is...2023-01-2630 min
Dimensions of DiversityDiversity Mandates in the Legal FieldOn this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, podcast host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Conway Ekpo, a lawyer who has spent half his career in Big Law and shifted to a role in-house at a major corporation. Ekpo is an adjunct law professor and a frequent speaker/writer on diversity in the legal profession.
Freeman and Ekpo discuss whether diversity mandates in the legal field are doing enough to actually improve diversity and inclusion, or if many companies are too quick to celebrate stagnant progress. Specifically, Ekpo discusses Coca-Cola GC Bradley Gayton's recent letter calling out this...2021-04-2124 min
Curious Minds at WorkCM 163: Frances Frei on LeadershipWhat if leaders spent less time building themselves up and more time building up others?
When leaders face challenges, they're often encouraged to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Frances Frei, co-author with Anne Morriss of the book, Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You, agrees that leaders need to take responsibility. But she thinks they should replace the mirror with a window.
To do that, leaders must shift away from looking at themselves and, instead, empower their teams. She explains what this looks like: "If I walk into a room, and I'm thinking about...2020-06-0855 min
ClarityBlack BigLaw Pipeline: How One Group of Black Attorneys are Advancing DiversityIn this podcast, Conway Ekpo, an in-house lawyer at a Wall Street bank, and Erika Stallings, an entertainment lawyer, discuss how they and 20 other seasoned black lawyers — consisting of partners, mid-level and senior associates, and in-house attorneys — realized they needed to use their knowledge and expertise to address the dearth of black lawyers in the legal industry. To address this gap, Ekpo and Stallings and a few others founded the Black BigLaw Pipeline (BBP) to provide younger attorneys with the skills and training needed to navigate Big Law and develop meaningful relationships that will benefit them in the l...2019-12-0525 minClarityBlack BigLaw Pipeline: How One Group of Black Attorneys are Advancing DiversityIn this podcast, Conway Ekpo, an in-house lawyer at a Wall Street bank, and Erika Stallings, an entertainment lawyer, discuss how they and 20 other seasoned black lawyers — consisting of partners, mid-level and senior associates, and in-house attorneys — realized they needed to use their knowledge and expertise to address the dearth of black lawyers in the legal industry. To address this gap, Ekpo and Stallings and a few others founded the Black BigLaw Pipeline (BBP) to provide younger attorneys with the skills and training needed to navigate Big Law and develop meaningful relationships that will benefit them in the l...2019-12-0525 min