Courageously breaking the barriers, reframing narratives and owning your story with Dara Dillon
Many systems are not designed for women of colour to succeed. So, what needs to be redefined, and what actions can we take?
Join us in this conversation with Dara Dillon, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of The Inclusivity Institute for Better Data (IIBD). Together, we explore the journey of owning your story amid systemic barriers.
The need to reframe narratives and choices and shift mindsets from scarcity to abundance become the new foundations of generational change for each of us to reflect on. As Dara highlights, the call to lead and leave a meaningful legacy by pouring into others becomes bigger than each of us when we center community involvement, mentorship, and mutual success.
Listen to the episode here.
02:45 – Dara shares with us her leadership journey, beginning in corporate and transitioning to the public sector. Following setbacks and reflecting on what skills she gained, she found purpose by turning data and research to advocate for positive social change on critical projects such as discrimination within the housing market in Toronto and negative experiences faced by Black women in the workplace.
15:02 - She highlights the range of skills that women of colour bring to leadership and organizations – from resilience, lived experience, empathy, innovation, and creativity – based on roles and experiences that have come naturally through upbringing or what she defines as the "sauce."
23:07 – Dara highlights the importance for women of colour and communities to mentor, support and uplift each other to collectively challenge systemic barriers and hold doors open for those to come. We discuss the shift from scarcity to abundance based on historical underpinnings and how breaking away from harmful narratives and sharing knowledge allow for meaningful legacies to be left.
42:49 - We end the episode with Dara's advice for women of color to own their story and embrace changing how they live their stories at any stage of their lives.
African Proverb: “Where a woman rules, streams run uphill.”
Who do you need to remind of their strength and unique abilities today?
