January 30, 2023
Hugues Sygney Jr.
- Connect with Hugues on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ftkmovement/
- Listen to Hugues’ podcast, Black Man Speak: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Dnvgo1GV2R4pXuTh0wq3J
- Learn more about B Lab US & Canada: https://usca.bcorporation.net/
- Hugues discusses the four pillars of racial equality. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7WGTSJwA3ZA
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
It’s not a sprint, this is a marathon. And it takes time, and it takes a collective, and we can’t do it alone. And so just be conscious of pacing yourself, giving yourself the grace and love that you need to do this work, and you’ll see the change that you seek.
Announcer:
Welcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlov that brings you the stories of changemakers who are actively working to improve our communities. In every episode, we’ll meet with people who are making a lasting impact in the places we call home.
Lyn Wineman:
We have talked to many certified B Corps on this podcast, and it’s always so great to connect with these individuals because you feel like you’re part of a community of like-minded organizations. As you may know, KidGlov is also a certified B Corp, and that’s a status that I am very proud of. It signifies our commitment to better business and to creating a more fair and inclusive economy.
Today we’re going to pull back the curtain a bit and talk to someone at the very organization that is working to create all this change. So, stay tuned as we talk about how B Lab is helping organizations address society’s most critical challenges, how inclusivity and equity play into that process, and why they are so important.
Hey everyone, this is Lyn Wineman, president and chief strategist at KidGlov. Welcome to another episode of the Agency for Change podcast. Today’s guest is Hugues Sygney Jr. He is the director of racial equity at B Lab US and Canada, which is a leader in economic systems change. They create standards, policies, and tools for business, as well as certify companies known as B Corps who are leading the way. Hugues, I am a big fan. Welcome to the podcast.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Thank you so much, Lyn, for having me. How are you?
Lyn Wineman:
I’m good. Thank you for asking. How are you?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
I’m doing wonderful. Just came back from Champions Retreat. Revitalized, restored, energized. I’m feeling all the great feelings.
Lyn Wineman:
I love that. For people who don’t know, the Champions Retreat was a big global virtual and in-person event that a lot of B Corps attended. Any key takeaways from that event that you want to share?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Wow, so many takeaways. I think the biggest one for me is just the level of humanity that showed up at the conference. The willingness, the understanding, the empathy, the love, the grace that everyone came into the conference wanting to learn, unlearn, and really want to galvanize the movement in a way that really brings the system levels change that we’ve been advocating for.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s fantastic. Let me reel that back just a little bit, too. Hugues, could you explain to our listeners a little bit more about B Labs, what B Labs does and who it helps?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely, and that’s a great question to start off with. B Lab is a leader in economic systems change. B Lab Global creates standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behavior, culture and structural underpinnings of capitalism. We mobilize the B Corp community towards collective action to address society’s most critical challenges. Our global community includes over 5,000 B Corps in 77 countries and 153 industries and more. We also have a B impact assessment, which over 100,000 companies have leveraged and use to manage their impact.
B Lab US and Canada is one of six global partners of the global network. We foster and mobilize a growing community of people and businesses working towards a more fair and inclusive economy in the United States and Canada. And within the United States and Canada, we have over 2,000 B Corps that make up the US and Canada community.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow. I’m very proud to say that KidGlov is one of those 5,000 B Corps.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yes.
Lyn Wineman:
I am on record as saying that when we took the B Corp assessment, the impact assessment, it was quite a rigorous assessment. This isn’t one of those assessments where you just pay the money and fill out a form and get it.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
No.
Lyn Wineman:
It was a lot of work, but the great part about that is it really made us think and it made us stretch and grow and get better as an organization, so thank you for that. We’re going to talk a lot more about B Labs, but before we get into that I’d love to just talk a little bit about you. Is there something about you that you’d like to share that maybe we wouldn’t find on your LinkedIn profile?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yes, yes. Well, I am the son of two Haitian immigrants that migrated here to the US back in 1980. I’d love to start with that because the origin story really speaks to the character and who it is that I am as a leader. One thing in the…actually, I should say several things you won’t find on LinkedIn is that I also reside in Brazil.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh, wow.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yes. I’ve been residing in Brazil for the last 10 years, conducting field research on socioeconomic disparities due to racism. In my time in Brazil, I’ve come to learn Portuguese. I also speak five languages fluently.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yes. I love skydiving. I would just pin those three as some of the most unique attributes about myself that you would not find on LinkedIn.
Lyn Wineman:
I would say A plus on all. All very unique and I think that’s fantastic. I’m going to ask you not to answer the rest of the questions in Portuguese because I am not fluent, if that’s all right.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
No worries. I have Italian for you, some Spanish, some French, if you choose to take it in a different direction.
Lyn Wineman:
I’m in trouble in all of those departments, so we better just stick with what we’ve got here.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Of course.
Lyn Wineman:
I also understand you have your own podcast. Can you tell us a bit about your podcast? We’ll make sure to link to it in the show notes of this episode.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
I appreciate that. Yes. I actually started the podcast at the height of the pandemic in 2020. The podcast initially started after the death of Kobe Bryant.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Which I felt like most of us was feeling this overwhelming feeling of sadness.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh yeah.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
And really wanted to speak to that and understand why was it that for folks who never met Kobe Bryant and his daughter who, rest in peace, felt so connected to the stories, felt so connected to the impact it’s had in society and our culture.
Lyn Wineman:
Right.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
I recognized that I wanted to create a space for men of color to be able to feel safe and speak to some of the vulnerabilities and feelings that they were feeling. I also recognized as a Black male that I was going through some feelings that I needed to speak to someone about in order for me to understand the changes that I was going through.
The podcast really focuses on building camaraderie amongst men of color and really creating a platform and providing them with this platform to support each other and uplift each other, and primarily hold each other accountable as we continuously often feel there’s not this level of community. Really wanting to find ways to bridge our men of color together in ways of healing, embracing and supporting each other.
Lyn Wineman:
Hugues, that sounds fantastic. If somebody wanted to find that podcast what is the name? How would we find it?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely. I should have started off with the title, huh?
Lyn Wineman:
That’s why you need marketing people.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Indeed. So, the name of the podcast is Black Man Speaks. You can find it on all major platforms, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all the major platforms. I’m actually in the process of revamping the podcast. I haven’t actually launched an episode since last year, and that was because I wanted to center myself and focus on my wellness, as many people were going through so much. And recently have been feeling tired again as I joined different conferences, made so many different leaders and also have been doing so much shadow work where now I’m in a better place mentally and emotionally where I can get back to recording. So really excited to officially launch our next episode in 2023.
Lyn Wineman:
I’m glad to hear that. One of the things I love about podcasts is you can pick up and get something out of them at any time. I love that they’re recorded and available for people. All right, Hugues, let’s turn back to B Labs. I’m really curious what life or work experiences helped prepare you for your role with B Labs?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yeah. Oh, that’s been a journey. It’s interesting. I was having a conversation with a colleague at B Lab about this conversation, my origin story, if you will. My origin story actually started in climate justice shortly after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. I decided to go to Haiti to support family that was still residing in Haiti that was affected by the earthquake. Folks that I grew up with, though being born and raised here in New York, I had a very unique experience in terms of growing up as a child where I would go back and forth to Haiti and the US. So, I had this understanding of where home from family was. Going to Haiti and supporting the community and providing Haitians with the platform to advocate for themselves as there were so many different nonprofits within the country, but yet none of those resources were getting to the Haitian people.
I decided to partner with an organization, Ayiti se Solèy, which in English means Haiti is the Sun. This amazing leader within the community. It’s about, I want to say, 20 kilometers away from the capital of Port-au-Prince. Had converted his home into a library where youth and leaders, folks within that province, could go into this man’s home, which was a library, and get access to resources that would support them in their workforce development, opportunities outside of the country in terms of study abroad programs. This home was destroyed during the earthquake. We wanted to raise funds to help rebuild this home, this library, so folks could have a place to go to as folks were still trying to figure out what was next for the country. Fast forward, we were able to shoot a documentary in Haiti where we provided again this platform to the Haitian people uplifting their voices. We leveraged that documentary here in New York to raise funds and capital to help rebuild that library. Our community was super generous and supportive where we were able to meet our goal and help rebuild this library.
After this amazing initiative, this call to action, if you will, I was offered an opportunity to begin and spearhead programs in Brazil. Shortly after Haiti, I decided to move to Brazil and started working in Sao Gabriel, which is a small community in Dodge, which is a community in Minas Gerais. The work started really taking shape. It started being led by youth within the community, advocating and supporting other leaders within the community of what it is that the community needed.
You’ll start to see the common theme here in terms of the approach that I took, which is centering the voices of community, learning from community and understanding the solutions they already knew to be true but needed the resources in order for that impact to happen. By going through this experience and journey, if you will, that led me to do some amazing work throughout the Caribbean. That also led to work in Jamaica, in Cuba, throughout Latin America, and recently returning back to the United States and doing some amazing work here in Manhattan, in Brooklyn, but also in Canada. It really shaped the future of where I would end up, which is B Lab.
Lyn Wineman:
What a journey. What a journey. That is truly an around the world trip for you. As director of racial equity at B Lab, for anyone who is maybe unfamiliar, or doesn’t quite have the words to describe the concept of racial equity, how would you explain it?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yeah. This is a really great question to ask. I love to call folks in terms of sharing the true understanding of what is racial equity. I think once we start with that baseline, we get to have a true authentic conversation. Through my lens, racial equity is a just and fear inclusion into a society which all people immaterial of their race or ethnicity can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. In the US and Canada, for example, racial inequity is largely perpetuated by structural racism. And structural racism refers to the historical and ongoing political, cultural, social and economic policies and practices that systematically disadvantaged people of color, especially the Black community, disproportionately.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow, that’s a lot.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s a lot. How do you guide people through the process of crafting racial equity strategy through the lens of B Lab?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
So uniquely enough, when I joined B Lab, the first thing I asked was for some data points, some understandings of what retrospectives have been done, to truly understand where the gaps and the challenges were for folks. I learned that that is the area we needed to continue to keep diving deeper. The process actually was a lengthy one. What I wanted to do was I wanted to start communicating and connecting with the ecosystem to learn what were some of the challenges that people were having when it came to racial equity and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) related work. But most importantly, where were folks really having an interest? Because again, racial equity and JEDI could be so robust and so general where I can really start from that place and then be able to work backwards.
As I started to develop the process and crafting our racial equity strategy, the first thing that I needed to do was do research. To answer your question, the first was research to truly understand the levels of where folks were at in our ecosystem, followed by connecting with community leaders that partnered or partners currently with B Corps are having certain challenges in terms of bringing this level of impact that both parties are committing to. I played somewhat of a convener role, a connector role, where I bridge C-suite leaders with community leaders to truly understand and create a level of dialogue.
That level of engagement is the second phase process where now we’re talking and having dialogue. And then the understanding of what needed to be done was to truly center those voices by truly understanding in order for B Corps and leaders to be able to move the needle forward in terms of impact, centering those voices of those who are impacted, who are within those communities that are considered to be frontline communities, needed to be part of the process. This could not happen post a conversation in a boardroom in four walls within an office and then disseminated within the community in terms of what is needed. That process needed to start authentically from the beginning, from the inception of the idea to the implementation, if you will, of where and what it is that is needing to be done within that community.
I’ve been able to truly craft a robust strategy which comprises of four pillars, the learning journey, starting again on self. So, the learning journey comprises of four tiers. The 101 level focuses on mindset shift, truly doing the shadow work that is needed before diving into community work. The 201 level is supporting organizational shifts, so now truly implementing anti-racist frameworks within your organization. A 301 level, which is now the community level engagement in terms of now you’ve gone through these two tiers, you are confident, you’re courageous, you understand how to engage with community so you’re not inflicting more harm than good. And then your 401 level, which is now societal level change. Now we’re talking about legislation. Now we’re talking about really galvanizing and collective action groups to come together to hold those accountable that’s in power.
So that’s the learning journey followed by storytelling. Storytelling is where I find to be one of the most unique and most beautiful ways of bridging both demographics together, because now you’re centering the voices and hearts of those who are not just living within these communities but are part of the solution. We uplift those voices and leaders by allowing them to tell their story versus reading this data metric or tool from a report. That’s the second pillar.
The third pillar is moving beyond DEI statements. Racial equity and JEDI are more than diversity, equity, inclusion. It’s truly centering justice. How do we really bring equity in a way that allows folks to understand that by diversifying your board, by having a few folks interact with certain philanthropy initiatives, it doesn’t suffice in what’s currently happening in the world in our communities. Being able to move beyond DEI statements is truly to enact this level of change within the organization, but also within community by understanding what it means to fully immerse yourself in that experience.
Moving beyond DEI statements look like, for example, Greyston Bakery’s inclusive hiring policy, where now folks are able to go through the door without even filling out an application or providing a resume and just putting their name on a sign in sheet. And if they get a call, they get the job. Greyston Bakery have seen some of the most amazing turnaround in terms of staff retention, generation of revenue, and the ability to create this culture for staffers and workers in a way that feels like they have a place of belonging. They see where that trajectory could be in terms of the future. That’s moving beyond DEI statements.
And the fourth pillar is redistribution of power to frontline communities and community-based organizations. Now that is really giving those resources; trusting and building those relationships with community leaders and members by giving the support and resources that they need with no strings attached, with no wanting something back in return, allowing for these leaders to bring the true change that they need within their community. Because they’ve been doing the work. They’re a part of those communities. Their racial equity strategy comprises of four pillars. And those four pillars came to be based on the approach that I’ve mentioned in terms of what needed to happen first, which is research, diving into conversations both with C-suite leaders and community leaders, and truly being able to center those voices of the frontline leaders and community members.
Lyn Wineman:
You’ve said so many things here that have intrigued me. I really love the learning journey. I love how it starts internally and then grows, because that is the way authenticity happens. If you just jump to the end, you can’t be authentic about it. I also love how you connected centering the voices, which I’ve heard you say several times. The first time it caught my ear and the second time I feel like I understand it more and more. And then you connected that with storytelling. Being in marketing, I’ve seen all the research about how you can have facts and data, but people don’t remember facts and data necessarily. Their hearts aren’t changed, their minds aren’t changed until they hear the stories.
And then the part you shared about Greyston Bakery just reminds me of something in my personal journey. I know this episode isn’t about me, but I think it’s an example in that there are so many things. Those of us who have been in business for a while have been taught and you hear that Greyston Bakery is hiring people just by calling them because their name was on the list. As a business owner, you think, “What? That’s against everything I was taught. It’s against everything I was mentored. It’s against what I learned in school.”
And then you start to wonder if I did something like that, could it work, or would that just be crazy? Part of I think our journey at KidGlov and part of being a B Corp, is that tension between questioning this is what we used to do, but if we always do what we used to do we will never have a different outcome, right?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
That’s true.
Lyn Wineman:
And having the faith and the belief that trying something different is going to lead to different results. I would have to say we have some experience in trying different things leads to different results. So, thank you for all of that.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely. And if I can just throw in one more point there. Greyston has recently just partnered with IKEA. IKEA will be adopting this model because they’ve recognized the benefit not only from an organizational perspective but also to the community and society. The Body Shop currently adopts this model. This is revolutionary. This is a different way of doing business and that’s what the B Lab the B Corp movement is all about.
Lyn Wineman:
Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. As you think about companies that are going through the impact assessment and the B Corp process, are there things in this area that you see them struggle with the most?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yeah. It depends on the organization. Depending on the organization, you see where there’s some areas of challenges and struggle. Some of the overall and general themes of challenges for B Corps are particularly always around the JEDI component. That means the worker voice and engagement there and living wages, and really being able to understand how to center and implement racial equity within their organization as just calling this in. This is relatively new for many businesses. This is not something traditionally that’s been front and center for companies. So, the struggles vary, but I would say around JEDI and racial equity is where I’m seeing a lot of challenges for companies, hence how and why I joined B Lab to really be able to support B Corps go through this process and journey.
Lyn Wineman:
Right. Absolutely. Now it seems like I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you, are there any high level suggestions for first things for making meaningful progress when it comes to being more diverse and inclusive?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
The first thing is to acknowledge there’s a problem.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Right.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
It’s really just getting back to the basics. First and foremost is acknowledging there’s a problem. Being able to process where the origin of the problem started, so this way we could understand, the organization can understand, what are the resources needed to help them start to understand and dissect that problem? Once that understanding is met, then you move into identifying those key experts that can truly support in this process.
This learning journey, it’s like this saying that we have, it’s an African proverb in saying that, “It takes a village,” in terms of raising a child, but it also takes a village in creating some long-term solutions and having the impact that an organization is seeking to have by holding themselves accountable to identify who those leaders are that can support them, who those experts are that can support them. It takes a village to help solve that problem. Once that is truly the main focus now is creating an action plan that you’re holding your staff, you’re holding your C-suite leaders, you’re holding your board accountable in order for those changes and action plans to truly take effect.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. I want to take this to talking a little bit more about becoming a B Corp, because I’m going to say part of KidGlov’s journey to becoming more aware, more inclusive, a better company, a big part of that is the B Corp impact assessment. If you were going to say to companies who are questioning, should we do it, should we not, what are some of the top reasons a company should go through B Corp certification?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
There’s a million reasons, but the first reason I would say, it’s good for business. It’s reimagining what capitalism looks like. It’s recognizing that we can still make money at the same time taking care of our planet and others and the community. There’s a way of doing that, and there’s a level of love and grace that we can insert into this way of practice, that really allows us to thrive. I mean, take Patagonia for example, right? What other example is there currently that shows what a true leader looks like? Here’s an organization that was thriving, that has some of the best products in the world, and leadership just decided to give it all away. And not away because they’ve recognized the benefit it will have to those nonprofits and those nonprofits the impact they have in the community. So, it’s like a ripple effect, if you will.
This is where and why joining the B Corp movement makes sense because there are leaders, there’s nontraditional practices and ways we can move the needle in the right direction for our children, our grandchildren, for future that we may not see but they are going to still live in. We can really be part of that movement that changes the way business has been conducted.
Lyn Wineman:
That is fantastic. For anybody who has a question of can this work, look at Patagonia, right? Successful company, great products, growth, well-known brand obviously.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely.
Lyn Wineman:
Great example.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
One more thing, Lyn, I would like to say is Patagonia is a prime example, but a lot of people don’t know this. A majority of our B Corps are actually medium, small sized businesses. These are smaller companies that are championing what it truly means to change capitalism, what it truly means to center frontline communities and those impacted the most disproportionately. What it also shows is that this movement is relatively new, but it’s full steam ahead. We have, again, Patagonia, but there’s The Body Shop, there’s Warby Parker, there’s Ben and Jerry’s, there’s KidGlov. You know what I mean?
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
There are so many different amazing organizations that are, again, in so many different levels and sizes, but really embody what it is to be a role model in this work.
Lyn Wineman:
Right. Right. I’m going to have to say, I don’t on a day-to-day basis have interaction with the leaders of Ben and Jerry’s or Patagonia or The Body Shop, but I do have interaction with a lot of leaders in the mid-sized B Corps and really enjoy that. We’ve interviewed a number of them on this podcast. There’s just a certain like mindedness, a certain comradery that you have in people who want to do business. They all want to have successful businesses, but they want to do it in a way that also takes care of people and communities and the planet. That’s fantastic. When you talk to people, are there any major misconceptions you see about becoming a B Corp that we want to dispel?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yeah. One of the biggest misconceptions is that shifting from shareholder governance to stakeholder governance can negatively impact revenue generation.
Lyn Wineman:
Yes.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
This is just not true. The CEO of BlackRock, for example, put out a statement in saying that is the mindset shift that we’re in now. That is where we’re going towards. That is what the organization is focused on. Again, I think this notion that when you focus on other people, on the community, on the planet it affects your bottom line, it affects revenue generation, and that’s just not true. When you in fact take into account all of these different things you’re more aware and conscious of how is it that you conduct business and the services you provide and the products that you create. When we take into account all of those different things you see more revenue generation now than ever before, before there were B Corps.
This notion that shifting from, again, shareholder governance to stakeholder governance negatively impacts revenue generation, it’s just complete false. I would encourage B Corps, those inspired folks who are interested in becoming B Corp, it’s in the research. You can easily look into some of this research on any of the companies that are current B Corps that are either new into our movement or just recently became certified to see how they are seeing some serious progression in a positive way when it comes to revenue generation. So no, shifting from shareholder to stakeholder governance is not bad for business. It’s great for business.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Change can be scary, but definitely worth it.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Indeed.
Lyn Wineman:
All right. You’re right in the middle of this movement. What are some of the trends that you’re seeing either for business or for equity and inclusivity work in the next five to 10 years?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
One of the trends, and I’m loving this trend, is that we’re shifting the conversation from climate sustainability to climate justice.
Lyn Wineman:
Yes.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
And that for me is one of the most beautiful shifts, because as we know it the planet is melting, right? The polar caps are melting. There’s no way to sustain the planet. What we have to do is just completely be conscious of our role within it, those who are impacted by climate change. How do we ensure, if we’re talking again through a racial equity lens, that justice is at the center? When you take a community that is impacted by climate change and yet they’re the last to receive resources, they’re the last to receive power, they’re the last to receive support, that there’s an inequity there that really impacts the community on a larger scale that is not seen at first, but it really is felt afterwards. That is one of the trends that I’m seeing.
Another trend that I’m seeing is we’re shifting this conversation from DEI to JEDI. Again, justice being at the core center. And that for me is a great shift, because it’s more about just diversifying and thinking that, oh, I have a couple of folks of color in my team, so I’ve checked off this box. It’s really centering those who are impacted disproportionately and due to the inequities of the systemic issues we have in this country, but also in the world.
Just wanted to make this point, I think when folks think of racial equity JEDI, it’s a US focused problem. This is a global problem. Once we have that understanding and perspective, we could approach the work differently. We could understand what needs to be done differently.
And going back to the trends. Again, the DEI to JEDI. Also, this level of less extractive engagement and more of a learning and listening engagement. I’m loving this shift that folks are having, especially those in power. For example, we’re working closely with a group of white powerful CEOs and executives that comprises of the WMRJ group, which is White Men for Racial Justice. Here is a group of white men that are leaders within their organizations and have been on a learning journey for over the last five years. This community comprises of over 200 B Corp leaders. We’ve partnered with them on the learning journey pillar that I’ve shared with you earlier to talk about how white men needs to understand their whiteness first before they dive into this work. And here’s a group leading that work, spearheaded by this group and providing the community.
So, this way, when that uncomfortable feeling, when those levels of tension come up you have a community that can call you in. Again, this is just a community of all white men, nothing else. And there’s equity advisors that hold the white men accountable. There’s a shift and there’s a trend of real leaders that are not people of color wanting to do the work. We have the results. We have the examples within our ecosystem. Some of these trends are very positive, and some of these trends are still being analyzed. A lot of it will show in time whether the programs that are created and those who are part of these communities really moving the needle in the right direction. I’m really optimistic for the next five to 10 years.
Lyn Wineman:
You know what? Talking with you makes me optimistic for the next five to 10 years too. That’s fantastic. This has been so inspiring. I’m going to ask you my favorite question next. Everybody who listens to Agency for Change knows that I am inspired by motivational quotes. You have said so many interesting and inspiring things today. I’m hoping you can give me a Hugues Sygney original quote.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Oof. I have a few of those. I would say enter your heart. Listen to those who are truly impacted. Recognize that we could always continue to keep learning. Hold yourself accountable. Recognize that it’s never too late to shift your mindset. Have grace and love with yourself because this work is not easy.
Lyn Wineman:
Thank you for that one.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
The last one would be, it’s not a sprint. This is a marathon. It takes time. It takes a collective and we can’t do it alone. Just be conscious of pacing yourself, giving yourself the grace and love that you need to do this work and you’ll see the change that you seek.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow. Pure gold. Thank you. Thank you for that.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Thank you.
Lyn Wineman:
Thank you. How can our listeners find out more about your work and more about B Labs?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely. We have an amazing racial equity video that you can find on YouTube that shares our four-pillar strategy and providing examples on how to activate on each of those pillars. You can also check out my LinkedIn. You can find a lot more information there. You can reach out to me via LinkedIn. I love to connect with folks. I will be intentional in reaching out, providing you with a calendar invite and just finding some time for maybe a virtual coffee or a tea.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah, that’s fantastic.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely. And then you can also go on our website. You can go to our B Lab US and Canada website where you’ll also find some additional resources to support you and your journey. One of those resources that I would love to uplift really quickly is our racial equity CEO blueprint. This blueprint was created in partnership with our partners of CREA. CREA comprises is Corporate Racial Equity Alliance, and that group comprises of FSG, PolicyLink, Just Capital, CAPIQ and B Lab US and Canada.
Lyn Wineman:
Fantastic.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
We’ve developed this robust blueprint to provide a north star, a how to guide, if you will, on how to achieve racial equity. There are step-by-steps of what exactly is and how it is to be implemented. And then the last plug I would love to implement is our learning journey is actually slated for launch in February 2023. If you’re interested in joining this learning journey that you’re hearing so much about you can go on our website, you can fill in the intake form, and we can have you join our learning journey starting again February on the 101 level. And that will be again in partnership with WMRJ. For example, if you are a white male and you would like to join us in our learning journey, you’d be going through the WMRJ learning journey. We are also partnering with Be More with Anu. If you are non-white male and you are looking to join the learning journey 101 level, you will take the learning journey that is in partnership with Be More with Anu.
Lyn Wineman:
Fantastic.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
So, the learning journey, again, slated for February 2023. The idea is to continue having folks join. The CEO blueprint is one of those resources. You can literally go on our website right now, download and see how to start building and achieving racial equity within your organization.
Lyn Wineman:
Fantastic. Hugues, we are going to get links to all of those in the show notes on kidglov.com as well, so people can have everything from your LinkedIn link to the video to the resources from the website. thank you for all those.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Wonderful. With love.
Lyn Wineman:
I’m really enjoying this conversation. As we wrap up our time together, is there one most important thing that you would like our listeners to remember about the work that you’re doing?
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Yes. I would love listeners to know that it’s literally been only 11 months since I’ve been in this role. That means our racial equity strategy has only been 11 months, but it’s to show how much we’ve accomplished in 11 months.
Lyn Wineman:
For sure.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
I would love for our listeners to continue to remain with me on this journey. Reach out to B Lab, reach out to me. And ask questions. There’s no silly question. There’s no stupid question. It does not matter where you are in the journey. If you are recognizing that a shift needs to happen, this is the moment for it. Listen to that instinct and join us, because you will have a community that will support you along the way.
Lyn Wineman:
That is fantastic. Hugues, I fully believe the world needs more people like you, more organizations like B Labs. Thank you so much for taking time to talk with us today.
Hugues Sygney Jr.:
Absolutely. With pleasure and love. Thank you so much for the work that you’re doing as well and providing the platform to share out some of these amazing resources.
Announcer:
We hope you enjoyed today’s Agency for Change podcast. To hear all our interviews with those who are making a positive change in our communities, or to nominate a changemaker you’d love to hear from, visit KidGlov.com at K-I-D-G-L-O-V.com to get in touch. As always, if you like what you’ve heard today, be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.