The IDEA of Belonging in a Diverse World
John Samuel |
TEDxRaleigh
• November 2021
In today’s world, you hear a lot of buzzwords around diversity and inclusion. More recently, the spotlight is shining on inclusion, suggesting that companies shouldn’t just focus on numbers of women or people of color. Rather, they should focus on whether people feel like they’re part of a community. That they belong.
As a blind person, for a long time, I felt I didn’t belong in many parts of my life. With that in mind, I want to introduce a new acronym to your vocabulary. Instead of just D and I…I’d like you to learn IDEA: “I” stands for inclusion, “D” stands for diversity, “E” stands for equity, and “A” stands for accessibility.
John Samuel impacts businesses and people with innovative strategies on digital accessibility. His experience includes stints in domestic and international industries over the last 15 years. While launching and serving as the CEO for Aster Cameroon, a global telecom infrastructure Joint Venture, he built a $45 million business bringing internet access across Africa. Afterward, he became an early member of Homestrings, a USAID backed crowdfunding platform, where he helped raise capital for startups in emerging markets. John holds his MBA from George Washington University, BS in Accounting from North Carolina State University and Certified Professional in Accessible Core Competencies (CPACC).