4 ways to redefine power at work to include women of color

This research is the truth for women of color at work. It is the research paper that we reference in our TED Talk. We captured the voices of 1,500+ WOC on why current corporate systems fail to enable WOC to reach their full potential.

Based on interviews with more than 500 women of color, this book is a deeply personal call to action for women of color to find power from within and to join together in community, advocating for a new corporate environment where we all belong — and are accepted— on our own terms. The First, the Few, the Only is a roadmap for us to make a profound impact within and outside our organizations so that WOC are heard, and their lived experiences and contributions are finally valued.

The Calling represents the culmination of over 30 years of Purushothaman’s frontline experience in supporting change agents from all walks of life in reaching for and realizing their true purpose and potential in a way that is authentic, profitable and impactful. Organized around the three fundamental commitments — Stay True. Get Paid. Do Good — this book addresses the deep-seated concerns that often plague our society and personally challenges our ability to show up for the things in our life and our world that really matter.

Billie Jean King details her life's journey to find her true self. She recounts her groundbreaking tennis career — six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, twenty Wimbledon championships, thirty-nine grand-slam titles and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes." She describes the myriad challenges she's hurdled and how her life today remains one of indefatigable service. She offers insights and advice on leadership, business, activism, sports, politics, marriage equality, parenting, sexuality and love.

In workplaces nationwide, women of color need frank talk and honest advice on how to deal with micro-aggressions, heal from racialized trauma and find relief from invisible workplace burdens. Right Within offers strategies for women of color to speak up during racialized moments with managers and clients, work through past triggers they may not even know still cause pain, and reframe past career disappointments as opportunities to grow into a new path.

White Awakening is a leadership growth curriculum designed to support organizations and leaders in understanding what it takes to align with their commitment to a more just, equitable and inclusive workplace and world. Moving beyond the simple postures of allyship, White Awakening enables all of us to play a crucial role in the work of re-humanizing our companies, societies and beyond. ​​

"Imposter syndrome," or doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud at work, is a diagnosis often given to women. But the fact that it's considered a diagnosis at all is problematic. The answer to overcoming imposter syndrome is not to fix individuals, but to create an environment that fosters a number of different leadership styles and where diversity of racial, ethnic and gender identities is viewed as just as professional as the current model.