Blog | Page 15 of 20 | Vernā Myers

04 Apr 2017

A Heartfelt “Thank You” To Former Starbucks CEO

I was at my local Starbucks on E. Fort Avenue in the Federal Hill area of Baltimore when I heard that Howard Schultz was leaving his position as CEO. I thought, Schultz would be proud of this place. While not all the stores are like this one, I have to say, “my” Starbucks is the real deal — a welcoming, eclectic community, run by a diverse group of kind, positive, and competent barista...

04 Feb 2017

Diversity Doesn’t Stick Without Inclusion

Harvard Business Review. Laura Sherbin & Ripa Rashid. Leaders have long recognized that a diverse workforce of women, people of color, and LGBT individuals confers a competitive edge in terms of selling products or services to diverse end users. Yet a stark gap persists between recognizing the leadership behaviors that unlock this capability and actually practicing them. Part o...

16 Jan 2017

Celebrating MLK- Reflections from my 8-Year Old Self

Even though Dr. Martin Luther King would have been 88 this year and I am deeply into my golden decade, when I reflect on what he means to me, I still think of him through the eyes of an eight year old who found her Prince just as he was taken. April 4, 1968, the night before my eighth birthday, King was assassinated. The world shook, my household wept, the black community raged, the fire...

02 Jan 2017

San Diego leaders make 2017 New Year’s resolutions

The San Diego Union Tribune. The start of a new year is the traditional time to take stock of our lives and resolve to better ourselves. We asked some local leaders to suggest resolutions for our community. Here are their responses. … Dwayne Crenshaw, CEO and co-founder of RISE San Diego “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” —Vernā Myers,...

05 Dec 2016

Overlooked and Unaddressed: Students Recount Fighting Ableism on Campus

By Rachel Whalen Photo Courtesy of Nicole Agaronnik ’19. She walked into the classroom, prepared to take her exam, when she noticed the chair behind her desk was not conducive to her scoliosis. Sitting in a chair for long periods of time hurts her back, so she requested a different one. She kept her head down to avoid any unwanted attention, but her classmates began to comment.“I don...

29 Nov 2016

How Do You Go Forward After A Bruising Election? #pledgeparity

Author Dixie Gloria Feldt, Huffington Post. “Victory is not final. Defeat is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.” This quote is misattributed to Winston Churchill. But whoever said it was right. Having been through many wins and losses, I can vouch for that. I offer it as balm if you are pained by the election results and as caution if you’re pleased with the outcome....

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