Beyond DEI
Talent scarcity will be the defining condition of the 21st century. It doesn’t matter whether there are .5 or 500 people for every job. Getting the right talent for the right job will be the biggest challenge faced by people leaders and organizations in an era driven by a knowledge and information economy. Our experienced consultants go beyond DEI to help our clients to create talent gravity, build rich talent portfolios, and foster positive, productive organizational cultures that drive growth.
CEO & Founder, Dr. Lauren Tucker
Dr. Lauren Tucker combines her extensive experience in DEI, data science, and relationship marketing to help clients build inclusive, positive employee relationships in a multicultural, transcultural, and global world. Frustrated with the myopic and transactional approaches of legacy DEI and talent management programs, Dr. Tucker designed Do What Matters to put inclusion first by addressing the operational inefficiencies and broken communications that turn off great talent, especially women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and those with disabilities.
“The 20th century was the century of talent abuse and those who came of professional age in those days were basically raised by wolves. As a result, people leaders and managers across the globe have failed to manage humans with the respect and care they deserve. The inclusion challenge facing today’s leaders goes way beyond DEI. Remote work, an increasingly multicultural market, and the expectations of activist employees mean people leaders will need to master the principles of inclusion to create the rich talent portfolios required to achieve and sustain growth in the 21st century. Making employees feel safe, valued, heard, and productive is just the beginning.”
An entrepreneur with a history of leadership, research, practice and activism in race, ethnicity, and gender, Dr. Tucker is an honorary research fellow at the School of Mass Communication Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, where she received her doctorate. She has worked at some of the world’s most renowned advertising agencies, including Leo Burnett, Burrell Communications, and the Martin Agency and is also co-founder of Indivisible Chicago, a progressive political organization dedicated to making civic activism easy, accessible and impactful.
Dr. Tucker is available for speaking engagements and keynotes on inclusion, equity, diversity, talent management, and leadership.
COO, Robert Jackson
Robert is a marketing communications veteran with extensive experience solving complex business, marketing, and communications challenges for Fortune 500 companies. Most recently he’s run RAJAA (Robert A. Jackson And Associates) as its Principal and prior to that, had an extended tenure at the McDonald’s Corporation where he was recognized, nationally, for his leadership in significantly increasing brand affinity through highly innovative integrated marketing communications strategies.
As the COO of Do What Matters, Robert leads strategic partnerships, providing clients with best-in-class inclusion management and employee engagement tools. Jackson also nurtures our talented portfolio of inclusion consultants and oversees customer retention and operational excellence across the company.
Jackson holds an adjunct professorship at City Colleges of Chicago and serves as a board member for Centers for New Horizons, a social service organization, and Just Roots Chicago, an organization that promotes urban agriculture.
CMO, Cara Gray
Cara brings over 20 years of experience in the advertising and marketing industry to her work as Chief Marketing Officer of Do What Matters. With expertise in digital marketing and social media, she develops and leads all of our marketing strategies and is the guard of the Do What Matters brand, online and off. Cara also manages Dr. Tucker’s speaking engagements and public relations appearances.
Working on a brand with a mission is especially rewarding to Cara, who has witnessed a tremendous amount of bias and exclusion in the workplace over the years. She looks at every piece of marketing as an opportunity to create transformation.
Prior to joining Do What Matters, Cara has enjoyed a colorful career – from professional oboist to Instagram Agency Owner with a few stops along the way. She is a lifelong learner, always digging into the latest platform, online tool or trend.
Consultant, Mel Windley
Mel is our Lead Consultant at Do What Matters. Clients appreciate his mentorship and partnership on the often-winding road to creating a more inclusive culture within their organizations. We call Mel the “OG of ERGs” based on his years of involvement with Employee Resource Groups in different companies along his career journey.
Fueled by his experiences in Business and Marketing Strategy, HR & Training, Multicultural Marketing and Executive Leadership in entrepreneurial, client-side and agency work environments allows Mel to consult in a manner that is strategic, diplomatic, and supportive.
GET TO KNOW US
Outcomes
Employee Engagement
Integrating inclusion strategy throughout the company results in greater representation, diversity and employee engagement, improving employee net promoter scores, retention and the probability that your company can win the war for talent in an increasingly competitive market.
Operational Excellence
Our approach to inclusion strategy development and implementation reduces the operational inefficiencies that contribute to bias and exclusion and produce a drag on company culture and profitability.
Client Satisfaction
Client access to a richer, more diverse, talent portfolio offers greater opportunities for fresh, unexpected creative ideas marketers require to compete in an increasingly multicultural and global market.
