DEI After 5 with Sacha

Hosted by The work doesn’t end at 5pm—and neither do we.

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Aug 2026

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About the show

DEI After 5 is where inclusion meets real life. Hosted by Sacha Thompson, this weekly podcast explores how current events shape our workplaces and communities—with practical insights and honest reflection. deiafter5.substack.com

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60 recent

August 25, 2026Episode 10 min

Season 13 Is Here: What Does DEI Look Like Now?

DEI After 5 is back for Season 13 —and this season will look a little different. We’re revisiting timely conversations from past seasons, bringing in new guests, and exploring what the future of DEI, inclusion, workplace culture, and psychological safety looks like in today’s anti-DEI climate. Tune in as we ask what’s changing, what still matters, and where we go from here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

August 18, 202616 min

Culture of Care at Work: Trust, Accountability, and What Employees Need Now

The language around workplace culture may keep changing, but the real work has not gone away. Employees still want to feel respected, recognized, supported, and safe enough to tell the truth about their experiences. In this replay episode of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson reflects on the future of this work and why organizations need more than one-off workshops or performative statements. The conversation explores the shift toward deeper culture transformation, trust rebuilding, accountability, and repair after harm. This episode is about what it takes to build a true culture of care—one where leaders align their actions with their values, employees feel seen and heard, and organizations create conditions where people can contribute without constantly bracing themselves. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

August 11, 2026Episode 2929 min

Creating Cultures of Care: Psychological Safety, Trust, and the Real Employee Experience

Psychological safety is more than a workplace term. It shows up in the everyday experiences employees have with their leaders, their teams, and the systems around them. In this episode of High Velocity Radio, host Lee Cantor talks with Sacha Thompson, founder of The Equity Equation, about creating authentic workplaces where people feel valued, heard, and able to contribute. Sacha shares how leaders can move beyond buzzwords and focus on what employees are actually experiencing day to day. Together, they explore the disconnect between stated culture and lived experience, the role of leadership alignment, the impact of AI on employee roles, and why investing in employee development is essential for building trust and sustaining healthy teams. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

August 4, 2026Episode 3241 min

Leading Through Discomfort: Fear, Power Shifts, and Growth at Work

Discomfort is part of leadership, especially when the work requires us to question old habits, listen differently, and make room for experiences beyond our own. But too often, fear of saying the wrong thing or not having the perfect answer keeps people stuck. In this replay episode of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson talks with Nadia Nagamootoo about what it means to lead through discomfort, complexity, and change. Together, they explore why discomfort shows up in organizations, how power is shifting in the workplace, and what leaders can do when fear, rigidity, or avoidance get in the way of growth. This conversation is about more than workplace inclusion. It is about self-reflection, courage, agility, and building environments where people can learn, adapt, and thrive. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

July 28, 202642 min

When Black Women Are Pushed Out: Work, Well-Being, and the Cost of “Playing the Game”

Women of color are often expected to navigate workplaces that were not built with them in mind—while still leading, performing, adapting, and carrying the emotional weight of being “the only” or “one of few.” In this replay episode of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson talks with Vanity Jenkins and Rachel Vicente about what it takes to create healthier workplace environments where women of color can lead, learn, and thrive without shrinking themselves. Together, they discuss leadership development, planning for those often pushed to the margins, internalized racial oppression, mental health, wellness, boundaries, and what it means to build spaces where women of color are supported—not just celebrated. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

July 21, 2026Episode 3234 min

When the Work Takes Too Much: Self-Compassion, Resilience, and Knowing When to Step Back

Caring deeply about people, justice, and change can be meaningful—but it can also be exhausting. When the world feels heavy and the work never seems to end, compassion fatigue and burnout can quietly take hold. In this replay episode of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson talks with Dr. Rebecca Eldridge, a psychotherapist specializing in compassion and self-compassion, about how to recognize stress, protect your well-being, and make grounded choices when the work starts costing too much. Together, they explore what compassion fatigue looks like, how the socio-political climate affects our capacity, and why self-compassion is not about checking out—it is about staying connected to yourself while navigating difficult realities. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

July 14, 2026Episode 3130 min

Change Happens in Relationships: Story, Privilege, and Confronting Racism

Change does not happen only through statements, strategies, or training rooms. Often, it begins in relationships—with the stories we hear, the people we love, and the moments that help us see the world differently. In this replay from Season 1 of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson talks with consultant and anti-racism author Jarrett Carroll about the personal experiences that shaped his commitment to equity and justice. Jarrett reflects on his father’s experience as a gay man during a time when homosexuality was criminalized and stigmatized, and how that history helped him better understand power, exclusion, identity, and responsibility. Together, they explore shared humanity, privilege, organizational change, and why confronting racism requires both personal reflection and collective action. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

July 8, 2026Episode 1247 min

Building Bridges in a Divided World: Grace, Space, and Civil Discourse

We are living in a time when it can feel easier to disconnect, dismiss, or retreat than to stay in conversation. But building bridges across difference requires something deeper: grace, space, reflection, and the willingness to see one another’s humanity. In this replay episode of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson talks with Yvonne Alston, CEO of Indelible Impressions Consulting, about what it means to create meaningful dialogue in a divided world. Together, they explore how we make room for hard conversations, bridge perspectives, and create conditions where people can learn, reflect, and connect without losing sight of accountability. Yvonne shares her perspective as a culturist working across sectors to strengthen leadership, deepen understanding, and support more authentic conversations at work and in community. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

July 1, 2026Episode 2944 min

DEI Backlash at Work: Navigating Politics, Polarization, and Organizational Change

DEI work does not happen in a vacuum. As political tension, polarization, and anti-DEI efforts continue to shape public conversation, those dynamics show up inside workplaces too. In this replay episode of DEI After 5, Sacha Thompson talks with Sara Taylor of Deep See Consulting about the future of DEI in a contentious political landscape. With decades of experience in the field, Sara offers a grounded look at how organizations can navigate backlash, shifting language, internal resistance, and the deeper work of culture change. This conversation explores why DEI is not just a set of programs or statements—it is organizational change work that requires clarity, communication, cultural competence, and the willingness to consider perspectives beyond our own. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe

June 23, 202617 min

Wellness at Work in Uncertain Times: Community, Self-Care, and Real Talk with KutiMack

Wellness at work isn’t just yoga and apps—it’s community, honesty, and how we treat people when things feel uncertain. In this episode, Sacha Thompson talks with wellness coach and former record executive KutiMac about self-care that actually holds up in real life. Kuti shares his journey from the music industry to keynote speaking and workplace wellness, and we get into what it means to stay grounded, question norms, and build relationships that keep you (and your people) steady. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deiafter5.substack.com/subscribe