A message from Jackie
This past year of life has been a total ride. I take away so many rich lessons from this time spent working within a dynamic, innovation-focused, globally corporation for my first ever in-house role where I had the honour of developing the first comprehensive annual DEI Strategy in alignment with the global and #AISDEI vision. I developed the first DEI Strategy for Japan, joined fireside chats on DEI, led training workshops for managers, consulted on myriad important files across women’s leadership, disability and neurodiversity, LGBTQ inclusion, anti-racist approaches to data collection, and engaged with leaders about the business and equitable talent promotions across multifaceted corporate policies and practices. I was also empowered to bilingually host the first live streamed Amazon Tokyo Pride Concert from the Amazon Studios in Shibuya that then handed over to London and closed off in New York City Amazon Studios to circle the globe featuring awesome queer-positive artists. I experienced wonderful team building and allyship in Nashville and Paris and am paying forward all of these learnings. I have a renewed sense of vocation and passion for intersectional data analytics, DEI business strategy, and the importance of nurturing emotionally intelligent power-sharing and co-leadership practices to drive a more equitable future rich in sustainable workplace happiness.
It has been an exciting, eventful and dynamic year of professional growth and personal learnings that deepened my DEI practices and honed my life purpose. I was also ironically faced with skyrocketing caregiving demands, neurodiversity diagnoses for all four of us in the family, and an experiential invitation into the real-time impacts of perimenopause and apparently, ADHD. At 47 years old, this was an interesting experience as my ability for intensive hyper-focus has ALWAYS only been a predominant superpower in my life as an international researcher and electoral systems designer, and as a university law/policy scholar and diversity advocate/educator. I am so grateful for all those who seriously “showed up” with support, empathy, and guidance. In particular, I wish to call out my Amazon International Stores Diversity Equity and Inclusion (#AISDEI) worldwide team of colleagues whose professionalism, compassion, and dedication to DEI best practices is so inspiring. You are beautiful people ALL. Albeit only a year, I will miss this badass team immensely.
As I prepare to return to leading my own company (enjoi Japan), I have gotten extreme clarity on my highest purpose on this earth. I am excited to build enjoi’s DEI educational offerings to scale and serve globally. A variety of key opportunities, exciting thought partners, and co-conspirators for change have already been showing up in my pathway. I’m a bit blown away and feeling some vertigo, but also feeling so blessed and wishing to lean into these adventures in innovation with grace. As a dear mentor has said, we must embrace the process of failing forward into greater learnings and brighter impact. Upwards and onwards we go…