The Black Lives Matter movement is relevant for Aotearoa New Zealand, and if you consider yourself an ally and live in Aotearoa, it’s time to act. This post provides some tips for allies who want to do more but aren’t sure where to start.

In light of the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and conversations with Kiwis wondering how they can take action as an ally here, we’ve put together the following resource list for anti-racism work in Aotearoa.

Maybe you’ve done one of our workshops, or maybe you’ve been doing a bit of reading and you’re thinking, where do I even get started on all this!

Want to build a world-leading product or service? Team culture is a critical part of success.

Last month, I spoke at the Canterbury Tech Summit about why culture matters for better performance and innovation on our teams. Read on for some of my highlights from attending the Summit as well as more information about my talk.

Have you ever felt like an imposter at work? Do you want to learn strategies to help yourself and others feel less inadequate?

This is the second of two articles about imposter syndrome. Part one covered what imposter syndrome is and why we need to look at it within the context of the system around us. This article, part two, discusses where our systems come from and how to overcome imposter syndrome. (If you haven’t read part one yet, scroll down to check that one out first.)

Have you ever felt inadequate at work? Have you ever heard the advice to simply “be more confident” or “try harder”?

Imposter syndrome is when an individual doubts their accomplishments and feels like a fraud—not a place that any of us want to stay in for long. Most of the advice for addressing this imposter complex tells individuals what they should do better, but individuals don’t act in a vacuum. Often the real issue is the system around us and how it causes people to doubt themselves. There was a lot of content in the talk, so I’ve split this recap into two parts. Read on for part one.

Are you an everyday hero? What is an ally, and how do you become one?

Being an everyday hero is not about donning a cape and swooping in to save the day. It’s about recognising that no matter who you are, how you grew up, what you look like, you can sometimes be the hero and sometimes you need a hero.

What does pay equity really mean? And how can companies get closer to achieving it?

In honour of 125 years of suffrage in Aotearoa New Zealand, Alison Mau led a series of conversations with Kiwi leaders about where the struggle for gender equity is today and what we can do to advance further. I was honoured to speak on a pay equity panel with Golriz Ghahraman, Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie, and Lizzie Marvelly.

Ally Skills NZ is proud to announce that our founder and CEO, Lauren Peate, was among 12 women founders highlighted by Women 2.0 as people to watch in New Zealand. Women 2.0 is a global brand for women in tech, working to create a society where gender parity, diversity and inclusion are the norm.

How can diversity and inclusion help your organisation improve its ability to attract, engage, and retain great people?

The 2018 NZ Hi-Tech Awards focused on spotlighting diversity within the tech sector. This annual awards event celebrates New Zealand’s most successful high-tech companies and highest-achieving individuals.

As part of their focus on diversity, the NZ Hi-Tech Awards team invited me to speak at their annual alumni event.