46: Moms in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Parents At Work

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are back with their tradition of interviewing moms and dads in specific industries, sectors, or roles. In this series, they will be interviewing moms and dads who are diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals.

Today Lori and Jason are excited to interview two amazing moms, Kamillah Knight and Jaya Saxena!

Kamillah Knight is a change superhero! She strives to change how people interact with their environment, including their physical environment and those around them. Currently, Kamillah is a Senior Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Danaher’s Water Quality Platform. Before that, she worked as the head of diversity and inclusion at Ferrero and at Unilever in diversity and inclusion, sales, and supply chain. Kamillah is also deeply involved in volunteer work with her local community and her alma mater, Cornell University. Her most recent degree from Cornell is an MBA. Kamillah has a ten-year-old daughter.

Jaya Saxena is the mom of two delightful and spirited girls, who are five and nine years old. Jaya is a Diversity and Inclusion Strategist and former practicing attorney with fifteen years of advocacy and professional development experience. Her experience includes working in Legal Services, Law School Administration, and at an Am Law 10 Law firm. She currently works at a global economic consultancy, leading firm-wide DEI efforts. Jaya is an active member of her community, and she serves on multiple non-profit boards.

In this episode of Parents at Work, Kamillah and Jaya talk about the joys and challenges of being working parents in the DEI space. They discuss the importance of honesty, vulnerability, and flexibility in the workplace, and talk about networking, support structures, and inclusivity.

Stay tuned today to hear Kamillah and Jaya’s inspiring working mom stories!

Show highlights:

• When Kamillah entered the workforce, she struggled to understand how she could be successful in her career and the best mom she could be. (3:49)
• Kamillah talks about the things she built into her schedule when she entered the workforce to ensure that she spent enough time with her daughter. (4:56)
• When Jaya had her first daughter, she was older than most first-time moms. (7:47)
• Jaya’s journey is constantly evolving, and she keeps on learning as new challenges present themselves. (8:40)
• Jaya talks about the gifts and hardships she has experienced as a working parent in the DEI space. (10:07)
• Working in the DEI space puts Kamillah at the forefront of understanding different ways of communicating things to her daughter. (12:39)
• Kamillah always tries to be honest with her daughter when talking to her about issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. (14:55)
• Jaya has learned to be okay with not knowing all the answers when her daughters ask her difficult questions. (16:40)
• Flexible working was a game-changer and Kamillah’s number one workplace support when she became a working parent. (18:24)
• Jaya would have liked to have had more support around nursing and breastfeeding after her children were born. (24:38)
• Parenthood has taught Kamillah about empathy, balance, and time management. (31:04)
• Jaya has learned many skills as a parent, including resilience and competence when navigating through challenging situations. (38:35)
• Vulnerability is vital when shaping conversations around working parenthood. (40:01)
• Common biases need to get acknowledged in the workplace. (41:55)

Links and resources:

The Danaher Water Platform

Kamillah Knight on LinkedIn

Jaya Saxena on LinkedIn

If you are the leader of a working parent or caregiver employee resource group at your organization, go to www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn to sign up for the Working Parent Group Network (WPGN).

Books mentioned:

Between the World and Me by Ta-nehisi Coats

Relationships to Infinity by Jason Levin

How to Raise and Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendy

Mentioned in this episode:

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