As this season of Belonging@Haas continues, this episode’s host Jenny Linger interviews Chidera Osuji and Larissa Calixto, MBA candidates at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, about how diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) intersect with climate and sustainability issues. Then Jenny checks in with Alvaro Sanchez, former Vice President of Policy at The Greenlining Institute, for his thoughts on the discussion and insights from his experience in the field.
This conversation covers both personal and global perspectives, with Chidera and Larissa sharing from their own experiences in sustainability and social impact, and how these topics are intertwined with inclusion, justice, and belonging. Alvaro contributes from his work experience in climate policy and explains the importance of equity in building a prosperous future. Together, they explore the importance of representation and the critical need for inclusive leadership in approaching global issues.
Belonging at Haas Podcast is produced by University FM.
This episode was also produced by Jenny Linger.
Developed in partnership with the Haas MBA Student Government Association.
Episode Quotes:
Chidera opens up about how her inner narratives and the nuances of belonging held her back from taking up space.
[22:06] Chidera Osuji: I constantly thought to myself, everyone around me is so much better. They’re handling everything. They’re able to keep up [with] the academics. They know what’s going on. Why am I here? And like someone made a mistake, and everyone must be aware of it because I feel that so deeply I’m not supposed to be here. And that feeling has followed me in a lot of spaces, including at times at Haas. Again, not because of anything anyone says, but because those are some of the narratives I’ve internalized based on what you see in media or how other people seem to carry themselves. And sometimes you anchor onto the details that are not the ones that are meant for you to succeed. And I’m trying to reframe and anchor on the ones that would support me and reaffirm my existence or my being in a space. But that’s a journey that’s going to take a long time, and I’m trying to, in this season, lean into community to affirm me and also build that internal affirmation, internal validation, because a lot of harm can be done when you look externally, within reason, because we are living within the systemic realities. But at the same time, there’s a lot of internal work that can be done to set you up to deal more effectively with the realities that exist outside of yourself.
Changing the world starts with taking care of yourself.
[27:51] Larissa Calixto: From my lived experience working in grassroots movements and in the nonprofit sector, I came to realize that trying to change the world while ignoring my own well-being was not sustainable many, many times. And that I could not pour from an empty cup. So I don’t really know how to do this. I think it’s easy to say but hard to do, but I’m learning, and I think we really need to set boundaries, protect our joy, our rituals, build community, and have the confidence that the problems won’t disappear overnight. But if we take care of ourselves along the way, we can better keep contributing for the long run.
Why bridging people matters in finding the solutions we need.
[33:33] Alvaro Sanchez: We always have to be thinking about bridging because it’s not just about making it easier for someone else to cross to another path. Sometimes it’s about bringing those that have the solutions closer to the problem so that we can actually get to the solutions that we need.
On speaking up and taking space for yourself and others when none exists.
[38:51] Alvaro Sanchez: Space often is not going to be made for you. You’re going to have to create it yourself. But that’s why you need a strong network, for that network to be cheering you on and be telling you that you have something important to say and that you should be able to say it. I think try to avoid being in silos and echo chambers. It’s not helpful when everybody around you is telling you that’s the right answer all the time. Some level of doubt, I think, is helpful for the work that we’re trying to do. Real diversity is critical for us to be successful, and diversity doesn’t happen just because everyone around us is telling us the same thing. It actually happens when someone around us says something different.