How do you change a system that’s designed to stay the same?

This question haunted us long before Seeding Disruption was born. The realization that well-meaning efforts are constantly bumping up against structural barriers is disheartening, to say the least. And it’s a feeling that many leaders have faced, including us.

The recent presidential election has left us grappling with a daunting question: How do we continue the work of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion when the odds feel so stacked against us?

The election may be over, but for REDI leaders, the real work is just beginning.

No matter who wins or how the results unfold, one thing is clear: the fight for issues of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion doesn’t stop. In a highly polarized environment, REDI leaders stay ready.

With the stakes sky high, and the future of democracy on the line, a powerful grassroots movement is taking place that’s influencing the 2024 Election—one led by affinity groups. 

We’ve all heard about DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—but have you ever stopped to ask why race isn’t taking center stage in these conversations? 

At The Equity Lab, we have, and that’s why we shifted our focus to Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI).

Today, we are thrilled to announce 18 leaders who will make up the fourth cohort of the selective Nexus Fellowship. The newest Nexus Fellows represent 12 organizations and join a growing national coalition of over 50 non-profit, philanthropic, corporate, and civic leaders united by a shared goal of eradicating the inequities that keep all youth from thriving.

As he took on the Executive Director role at CuriOdyssey, a science museum and zoo in San Mateo, Nexus alum Aragon Burlingham took stock of his new organization’s approach to racial equity. However, since CurioOdyssey didn’t have much data on who they were reaching with their programming, he realized that it was difficult to assess.

When Delicia Jones participated in the second cohort of the Nexus Fellowship, she didn’t anticipate changing jobs. However, the discussions at Nexus started to spark questions for Delicia about what she really wanted in her career and her potential for greater leadership. Delicia credits a variety of experiences within Nexus, including the inquiry-based coaching, for preparing her to take a leap in her career.

We’ve always wanted The Equity Lab to be more than just an organization; our dream has been to create a network of action and support that touches every corner of this country and branches out across the world.

In the Nexus Fellowship, each city we visit as a cohort is purposefully chosen as both the backdrop for our workshops, as well as places where we could work with organizers, visionaries, and educators on the ground to learn from their work and deepen our collective practices around equity. Each city holds stories about resilience, reimagination, and creativity that have allowed their people not just to survive, but thrive.

Alcine Mumby knew she wanted to be a teacher at 5 years old.
By then, she was already a reader; her older cousin (when trying to practice her own alphabet and words out on her baby cousin) had inadvertently become one of Alcine’s earliest instructors. Even at that age, Alcine says knowledge felt powerful.

The Equity Lab’s Nexus Fellowship helps leaders across the country create long-term change around race and equity. Sign up for an information session and apply today!

We’ve always said that community is at the core of our work. The communities we build around us are what power our progress toward a more equitable future — one steeped in action that seeks out and eradicates oppressive systems, creating a more humane and just society. YOU are an essential part of our community.

Libertad Montoya is an absolutely fascinating person. In one conversation, not only is it clear that she’s lived a thousand lives, but it’s more than evident that she’s nowhere near done: in her work, in her personal growth, or in her fight for equitable care in her chosen field. Talk with Libertad for 30 minutes—maybe even less—and you will be ready to quit your job and jump into a career in health care.

When we initially sat down to write this piece, we were contemplating how to explore just what has been lost in the post-#MeToo years. We discussed the force and fury of the male backlash to the #MeToo movement, the actions that powerful men took to insulate themselves against accusation and professional harm. We talked about the ways that the legislature has been used as the arm of those powerful men to double down on control and compliance from women’s bodies. And then, we started talking about a law that made its way through the North Carolina state legislature.

The Equity Lab today released the findings of an unprecedented research project that gives voice to the challenges and opportunities of leaders of color — in their own words — as they navigate the funding world.

We hear it all the time: “Children are the future.” But how often do we really let kids lead the way in building a more equitable, just future?

Last year, the Equity Lab launched the inaugural cohort of Seeding Disruption Remix (SDX), a Washington, DC-based youth organizing fellowship. Over the course of the school year, we bring together high school students from across the DC area to encourage them in their interests as they become life-long disruptors for racial and social justice.

The Equity Lab is excited to announce the leaders who will make up the 2022-23 cohort of the transformative Nexus Fellowship. The 2022-23 Nexus Fellows represent 8 organizations from across the United States. They join a growing national network of non-profit, philanthropic, corporate, and civic leaders looking to address race and equity issues in their communities.