iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

The most-clicked link in my "5 Ally Actions" newsletter last week was to an AP news story about the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filing a discrimination lawsuit against the New York Times, alleging the organization passed over a white man in favor of a less qualified woman.

mailchi.mp

5 Ally Actions - May 15, 2026

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Another one? Jeepers. www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Anyone know what Philz is doing with all their Pride flags? Because I know a lot of people who’d like them.

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

I refrain from making profanity-laden posts. Just sayin

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

The Probl-O-Matic, the only audio device that detects and corrects problematic language. Voice activated. (As seen in an actual paper magazine, In Formation.)

Interior page of In Formation magazine issue 3. It’s a satirical ad for “The Probl-o-matic” which looks like an Alexa or similar device. A person with gray hair and a gray beard is sitting on a comfortable looking sofa, talking to someone with rainbow-dyed hair. Coming out of the device are comment bubbles including They don’t prefer to be called anything. Are you aware of what that word means? The marketing bullets include The only audio device that detects and corrects problematic language. Voice activated. Hours of fun for Gen-z and baby boomers.

Photo of a paper magazine called In Formation. The byline is Every day, computers are making people easier to use. This is the 3rd issue, 2025. The cover has an image of a record on a turntable, and a couple of headlines including My Toyota Ratted Me Out. Tech Bros: A Fashion Journey. Post-soldier Warfare. Silicon Golem. What Hath the iPhone Wrought?

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

What does "merit" actually mean at your workplace? If your answer is "It depends"… that’s a problem. Because research shows merit is often based on someone’s opinion, and that’s where bias sneaks in. The fix? Watch this "Better Allies Minute" short. youtube.com/shorts/0qBgf...

Define What Merit Means #Shorts #BetterAllies

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

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"Your newsletter has been truly transformational for me and my team." ☺️ I'm deeply honored by fan mail like this that I get for my free "5 Ally Actions" newsletter. Not yet a subscriber? Head to betterallies.com/subscribe/ to sign up, or read a few recent editions before deciding.

betterallies.com

“5 Ally Actions” – A free, weekly newsletter Join the 40,000+ learning from Karen Catlin every week about how to create better workplaces where everyone can thrive. Subscribe to &…

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Asking a candidate about personal matters is often illegal. It also undermines meritocratic and inclusive hiring, which aims to hire the best person regardless of identity. youtube.com/shorts/p39UT...

Push Back on Culture Fit Comments #Shorts #BetterAllies

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

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I sincerely hope that beta testing the CEO's new app built with Claude over the weekend *doesn’t* become the newest kind of office housework that women are expected to take on. youtu.be/Q6nem-F8AG8?...

youtu.be

AI is making CEOs delusional

YouTube video by Mo Bitar

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Instead of deciding for her and limiting her career opportunities, let’s ask her. #WomensHistoryMonth — Looking for more everyday actions to create inclusive, merit-based workplaces? Join 40k other learners and subscribe to my free weekly "5 Ally Actions" newsletter betterallies.com/subscribe/ 🙏

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Excuse my bragging, but my latest YouTube short has more likes than any other video I've posted. Woot! 41 people gave it a thumbs up. For me, this is viral. lol youtube.com/shorts/8XcHF...

Challenge the Too Qualified Narrative #Shorts #BetterAllies

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

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This week, I learned about the "too qualified" narrative Learn along with me at The Better Allies Minute on my YouTube channel: youtube.com/shorts/8XcHF...

Challenge the Too Qualified Narrative #Shorts #BetterAllies

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

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Sometimes the most powerful ally move is simply questioning a narrative that never should have existed. #Inclusion #BetterWorkplaces

Image with the message I challenge “she’s too qualified” comments. If someone says a Black woman is
too educated or experienced, I push back. There’s an illustration of white person appearing to be considering the resume of a Black woman. She is saying “I thought excellence was what we wanted.” Credit to Dr. Shaun Harper’s Article in Inside Higher Ed. Along the bottom of the graphic is the @BetterAllies handle and credit to @ninalimpi for the illustration.

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Research shows that when someone tells a denigrating joke, it signals that prejudice is acceptable. Then, people who might normally conceal their bias feel freer to express it. In other words, off-color jokes don’t just reflect discrimination; they help normalize it.

Image with the message I don’t laugh at disparagement humor. Jokes that make fun of a marginalized group help normalize bias and empower people to discriminate more. There’s a photo of President Trump in the White House with members of the US Olympic Hockey Team who appear to be laughing at something Trump said. Along the bottom of the graphic is the @BetterAllies handle and credit to Daniel Torok for the public domain photo.

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

A gem from Women's History Month 2025: “Have you ever been asked to just smile and look pretty during a meeting? Or how to combine work and private life?” www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kpw...

International Women's Day 2025

YouTube video by bol

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

The whiplash continues. US Government sues companies for not allowing men to access women's events. US Government thinks Scouting America "should go back to being the Boy Scouts as originally founded, a group that develops boys into men."

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Thank you Anthropic, for sticking to your values. As I wrote in my book:

Quote from the book Better Allies, chapter 13: "Define or refresh your values. Change starts with each of us as individuals. So, we should ask ourselves: How do we want to operate? (That sentence is highlighted in yellow) How should we treat people? Would we turn down business or investments because of creepy behavior? Would we dismiss our top sales executive after disciplining him for harassment? What are the deals we won't do because they conflict with our values? When will we walk away from cash?" (The last two sentences are also highlighted in yellow)

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

The US government does not have the power to erase historical truths👇 "The Trump administration must temporarily restore displays about slavery at a historic site connected to George Washington after a judge said the government did not have the power to erase historical truths” NYT Daily newsletter

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Feels like a good time to share some responses to offensive/disparaging jokes: - I don’t get it. Can you explain it to me? - I love a good joke, but that wasn’t funny. - Did you really just say that? - Ouch

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Don't be a Teflon leader, where problems never stick to you. Instead, apologize and then do better. www.tpr.org/news/2026-02...

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

"The only thing more powerful than hate is love." Just had to type that lovely message.

Nancy Levine Stearns @nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Reposted by Better Allies

Shareholders of 33 out of 33 corporations including Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, have voted overwhelmingly to reject anti-DEI proposals in 2025-6, most by 98-99 percent of voting shares. Shareholder voting scorecard here: www.impactivize.org/2025-shareho...

impactivize.org

Impactivize Shareholder Scorecard™ -

2025-6 Anti-DEI Proposals and Shareholder Voting Results

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Why yes, I did in fact watch “Bad Bunny Carpool Karaoke“ twice this weekend.

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

The #SuperBowl is February 8. Or is it the #SuperbOwl? 🦉 😉 A somewhat regular reminder to please #CapitalizeEachWord in a multi-word hashtag. Doing so helps screen readers identify each word and then say the hashtag correctly. It’s one of the simplest accessibility things we can do. #A11y

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

I don’t post racist tropes dehumanizing Black people. Just sayin’

Nancy Levine Stearns @nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Reposted by Better Allies

For Black History Month, “A Century of Black History Commemorations” asks institutions, including workplaces, to examine whose stories they have elevated, whose they’ve erased, and how they will protect Black history amid book bans and attacks on DEI. www.linkedin.com/pulse/speak-...

linkedin.com

Speak Up, Get Loud Newsletter Issue #2

February 4, 2026 Welcome back to our second week of Impactivize’s newly launched newsletter. In this issue, we spotlight why and how companies are recognizing Black History Month, not just as a season...

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

How often do you think of the perfect response to a racist comment, hours after it happened? The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has some suggestions. #BlackHistoryMonth

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Black employees are more likely to have their decisions questioned, monitored more closely, & judged more harshly. When you’re about to question someone’s decision, ask yourself, “Would I apply this same level of scrutiny to someone with a different identity?” #BlackHistoryMonth

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

I spy with my little eye... a small surge of new subscribers to my newsletter from the Minnesota state government today. What a nice surprise My latest edition must have resonated with them mailchi.mp/e1771ff987e4...

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Two days before the start of Black History Month, four Black journalists are arrested for doing their job.

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

“May we look at Minnesota as a reflection of where we’ve been and a window into who we can become — a people bound together not by fear, but by a network of care, and shared commitment to life, dignity, and mutual support.” belonging.berkeley.edu/what-fierce-...

belonging.berkeley.edu

This is what fierce, organized love looks like

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

With immigration crackdowns, protests, and violence in the news, many people are scared. For themselves and their families. And many are bringing that fear to work. Let's all show care for each other. Check in with coworkers. Listen to how they're feeling. Let them know it's ok to not be ok.

Image with the message Care for each other. Check in with coworkers, and listen to how they’re feeling. Let them know It’s okay to not be okay. There’s an illustration of two people apparently chatting with each other online. Along the bottom of the graphic is the @BetterAllies handle and credit to @ninalimpi for the illustration.

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Before sharing something on social media, ask yourself: Who is this video (or image) serving? Who could it harm?

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Remember the "Dear Colleague" memo the Ed Dept sent telling institutions to stop using race as a factor in admissions, hiring, scholarships, student support? The one that caused universities to stop all DEI? It was deemed unlawful. And the govt has dropped their appeal. apnews.com/article/dei-...

apnews.com

Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges

The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...

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Reposted by Better Allies

Nancy Levine Stearns @nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

🔥 BREAKING: Shareholders of software giant Intuit vote to reject anti-DEI proposal (tally TBA). Intuit Board calls the proposal's requests "unnecessary and wasteful." Shareholders of 32 out of 32 companies have voted to defeat anti-DEI proposals in 2025-6. www.impactivize.org/impactivizer...

impactivize.org

BREAKING: Intuit Shareholders Vote to Defeat Anti-DEI Proposal -

Shareholders of software giant Intuit voted today to defeat an anti-DEI proposal, adding to chorus of companies saying DEI is a business imperative. The company, which serves approximately 100 million...

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Why yes, I pull over a drum and top it with a coffee table book to create a stand for my tripod for filming shorts in my living room. Doesn’t everyone?

Photo of a djembe drum in front of a couch, near a fireplace. There’s a large thick book on top of the drum and a tripod for a mobile phone. A bright light illuminates the couch.

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Missed my newsletter last week? It's not too late. From DARVO to AI-driven digital blackface to myths about “reverse discrimination,” I unpack the patterns shaping our workplaces. And give you steps to take to create the kind of workplace you want (and others need). mailchi.mp/d944db6961b8...

Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Regrettably, I'm about to decline an invitation to be on a podcast. Why? The host doesn't provide transcripts. And I want a transcript for accessibility. 🙁 #A11y #Inclusion

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

When DARVO surfaces, we face a choice: Stay silent, or disrupt it and stop the manipulation. Dr Jennifer Freyd coined DARVO, which stands for Deny the harmful behavior, Attack the person raising the concern, and Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender, painting themselves as the injured party.

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

If I could, I’d quit using X again.

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Better Allies @betterallies.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Each January, I write a “pundit accountability” newsletter, sharing mistakes I made the previous year, to normalize that it‘s better to misstep and learn from it than to not take any action at all. mailchi.mp/7c23a2ae2787...