This episode goes somewhere we didn't plan, and we think that makes it one of our best yet.

We sat down with Jarah Euston, co-founder and CEO of WorkWhile, a fast-growing app-based staffing platform connecting 80 million frontline workers with flexible shift opportunities. Jarah grew up in Fresno working retail, got burnt out building software for tech people, and decided to build technology for workers instead. It's a compelling vision and a genuinely interesting conversation about flexibility, AI, and what the future of work could look like for hourly employees.

But after that conversation wrapped, we learned that WorkWhile had recently settled a second major lawsuit with the San Francisco City Attorney's office for misclassifying workers as independent contractors. So we spoke with David Chu, the San Francisco City Attorney, and asked for his side of the story.

What you'll hear in this episode is both interviews back to back. First, Jarah's perspective on building worker-centered technology, and then David's perspective on what happens when "flexibility" becomes a cover for avoiding worker protections.

Together, these two conversations raise a question that feels urgent right now: Is it possible to build a genuinely worker-centered future of work, one with flexibility, innovation, and fair treatment? Or are we just repackaging old inequities in new apps?

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

It's February 2026, and everything is happening all at once. In this unfiltered bonus episode, we try to make sense of the polycrisis… from billionaires losing it (looking at you, Benioff), to the Epstein files, to AI potentially developing consciousness, to Tesla pivoting to humanoid robots. We dig into why the people with the most power and money seem to be the most broken, how institutions (including Felicia's own alma mater!) are choosing money over morals, and why this might actually be the reckoning we've been overdue for. Plus: Reggie Watts' optimistic AI theory, the case for dismantling the patriarchy, why capitalism is the connective tissue in all of this, and an honest conversation about aging as women in a world designed to make us hate our wrinkles.

Let’s get into it!

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

We're catching up with Chris Haigh, founder of True Change Associates, to discuss the dramatic shifts in DEI work over the past few years. From the surge of interest post-2020 to the current backlash, we explore what it means to do this work within a capitalist framework and whether it's even possible to create real change from within existing systems.

Chris shares Dr. Carmen Foster's powerful framework of the time-space continuum, a reminder that today's challenges are a blip in the larger arc toward justice. We discuss language shifts, the persistence of this work despite market pressures, and what the future might hold 10 years from now, including the role of AI in creating equitable workplaces.

This conversation is both a reality check and a beacon of hope for anyone navigating the complexity of DEI work in 2026.

0:00 - Intro and Felicia and Rachel chat about the state of the world
13:30 - Catching up with Chris: Where in the world & what's new
22:15 - DEI as an industry: Can it exist within capitalism?
32:40 - The 2020 surge and subsequent backlash
42:50 - Language shifts: From DEI to "culture" and "belonging"
48:20 - Islands of psychological safety: Doing the work where you can
55:10 - Companies still doing the work (quietly)
60:54 - The time-space continuum: Taking the long view
62:40 - Future of work: AI, humanity, and what's next
65:35 - How to connect with Chris & True Change Associates
66:48 - Wrap-up

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

In this episode, we sit down with the brilliant Anouska Bhattacharya, VP of Programs at YW Boston, for a conversation that somehow ties together the imperialist history of the gin and tonic, the absolute barbarism of mammograms, and the future of equity work in a post-DEI world.

Anouska shares her origin story as a "recovering academic" who traded the ivory tower for community organizing, and explains how her neurobiology background helps her understand why systems can, and must, be unlearned. We get into how DEI work is evolving (spoiler: call it civility, call it employee engagement, the work continues), what it means to find joy as fuel for sustainability, and why she's currently tap dancing in her Watertown basement while performing in a burlesque reimagining of the Nutcracker.

Plus: ice shipped from Massachusetts to India, dense breasts, and a love story between Pluto and its moon. You know, the usual. 😂

Chapters:

• [00:00] Intro & Workshop Promo: Reimagining the Future of Work Together
• [09:19] Meet Anouska: A Recovering Academic's Origin Story
• [14:07] Why History of Science? Drawing Lines Between Normal & Abnormal
• [17:30] The Three Pillars: Leadership, Community & Joy
• [21:13] How Felicia & Rachel First Met Anouska
• [22:01] The Imperialist History of the Gin & Tonic
• [28:06] Ice Ships from Massachusetts to India
• [33:36] The Mammogram Rant
• [38:37] Hard Pivot: The State of DEI Work
• [43:40] Renaming the Work: Civility, Employee Engagement & Beyond
• [49:52] Did Companies Ever Really Care? Risk Mitigation vs. Real Change
• [53:11] Finding Balance: Tap Dancing, Plants & Pluto's Love Story
• [56:22] The Slutcracker & the Radical Power of Art
• [60:35] Colonialism, Modesty & Reclaiming Our Bodies
• [61:14] Station Eleven: Survival Is Insufficient
• [64:05] Building Community in Hard Times
• [66:10] Where to Find Anouska & Slutcracker Performance Dates

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

The robots aren't in charge... yet!

In this episode of the She Geeks Out podcast, we chat with Rashmi Jolly, founder of Assideo Consulting, global innovation leader, and deeply thoughtful future-of-work nerd, to talk about what happens when AI collides with humanity, power, and culture.

Rashmi shares her wild journey from immigrant kid with “doctor or bust” expectations, to Wall Street, to entrepreneurship in women’s health and genetics, to roles at the Economist Intelligence Unit, Mastercard, and Bain’s innovation group, and now to life split between Dubai, Zurich, and her kids’ school in the U.S.

Together, we explore:

• How AI is being treated like the new high-priced consultant, and what gets lost when leaders trust the tool more than their own people
• The quiet ways generative AI is eroding creativity, learning, and confidence, especially for younger workers who never got to solve problems without it
• The ethics red flags Rashmi is most worried about, from biased datasets in women’s health to opaque data collection and “empathetic” chatbots that are a little too good at keeping us hooked
• How different countries (including China, Singapore, and the UAE) are regulating tech, education, and kids’ screen time, and what the U.S. might learn from that, even with all the complexities and human rights concerns
• Why psychological safety is non-negotiable for real innovation, and how framing work as “serving another human” changes everything

Rashmi also shares hopeful stories about her kids and their peers, the emotional language they’re developing, and why she still believes the next generation can pull us out of this feverish tech dream and back into a more grounded, human way of working.

If you care about AI, inclusion, power, leadership, and what kind of world we’re handing to young people, this one will stick with you long after you hit pause.

Episode Chapters:

• (0:00:07) - Intro (Felicia and Rachel) Neuroscience of Trust in Workplace
• (0:10:16) - Navigating a Dynamic Work Landscape
• (0:16:45) - Reimagining Work in AI-Era
• (0:28:00) - Balancing Empathy in AI Development
• (0:41:33) - Building Psychological Safety for Innovation
• (0:54:19) - Ethical Concerns in AI Development
• (1:00:52) - Cultural Perspectives on Future Work

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

We’re joined by Christina Peoples, gerontologist, age enthusiast, and the brilliant mind behind GeroWhat?!® Christina is on a mission to make aging real, joyful, and something we all engage with, no matter how old we are. We love this for us!

Together, we explore:

• Why aging isn’t just about older adults, it’s about all of us
• How ageism intersects with race, gender, and power in the workplace
• What workplaces miss when they equate “fresh energy” with youth
• The value of intergenerational connection, curiosity, and empathy
• Why reframing aging as a privilege can change everything

We also share laughs over acid-wash jeans, hearing aids, and The Golden Girls, and unpack the “stereotypical baggage” we all carry when it comes to age. Whether you’re 25, 95, or somewhere in between, this conversation invites you to rethink how we grow older and how we can build workplaces (and lives!) that honor aging as a shared human journey.

Tune in and get inspired. Because aging is for everyone!

Chapters

(0:00:07) - Intro: Felicia and Rachel Talk About the Future of Work
We share a workshop envisioning a more inclusive and collaborative future workplace amid uncertainties like AI and climate change.

(0:12:29) - Passion for Aging and Gerontology
Interview with Christina! Discovering passion for aging, exploring life course, and early experiences with older adults in gerontology.

(0:27:17) - Intersectionality and Cultural Values in Aging
How age discrimination intersects with race and gender, influenced by cultural and generational values in the workplace.

(0:40:08) - Promoting Age-Inclusive Work Environments
Individuality in the workplace, ageism, intergenerational connections, reducing bias, and valuing curiosity and innovation.

(0:49:45) - Navigating Aging and Authenticity
Embracing identity and style as we age, challenging societal beauty standards, and valuing intergenerational relationships.

(0:59:50) - Aging With Intention and Empowerment
Aging brings shared experiences and challenges, including the use of orthotics and hearing aids, and the importance of intergenerational dialogue.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

What does it mean to co-create a future that’s not rooted in fear, but in connection, expansion, and conscious choice? In part two of our conversation with intuitive guide Cindy Aaker, we move beyond surface-level spirituality and dive deep into the energetic shifts reshaping our world—from AI and algorithmic decision-making to collective awakening, planetary upheaval, and yes, off-planet visitors too. :D

We also unpack Felicia’s recent experience speaking at Startup Boston Week on the ethical dimensions of AI in hiring and performance, and explore how technology can either amplify fear or help us reconnect with each other, depending on how we choose to use it.

This episode blends the practical and the metaphysical, the personal and the planetary. It’s for anyone who feels like the world is in chaos and wants a reminder that something new is being born and we each have a part to play.

Expect big feels, wild truths, and a surprising amount of hope!

Listen to Part 1 of our conversation with Cindy here

Chapters:

(0:00:07) - Felicia and Rachel chat
Felicia shares her experience at Startup Boston Week and thoughts on AI at work.

(0:15:08) - Welcome Cindy! Navigating Fear in Aquarius Age
Cindy reflects on societal changes, confronting hidden issues and navigating fear with higher guidance.

(0:27:10) - Exploring Collective Fear and Shifting Timelines
Collective fear, cosmic phenomena, and timeline jumping are discussed in relation to current events and maintaining a positive energy level.

(0:34:10) - Navigating Future Visions and Cosmic Shifts
The Mandela Effect, timeline shifts, global inequality, astrological insights, heart-centered pursuits, and open-mindedness towards change.

(0:50:22) - Embracing Positive Possibilities and Energies
Negativity bias, mental framing, and positive thinking can transform our lives and lead to a fulfilling future.

(0:55:25) - Overcoming Fear, System Breakdown, Cosmic Shift
Resilience and awakening in the face of challenges, societal structures, generational impact, and preparing for transformative years ahead.

(1:08:57) - Reclaiming Power Through Stillness and Nature
Reclaiming personal and collective power in a world dominated by the 1% and fear, through meditation and connecting with nature.

(1:15:15) - The Power of Joy and Vibration
Prioritizing joy leads to personal fulfillment, positive influence, and effortless progress in a harmonious world.

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.

In this powerful and soul-stirring episode, we sit down with the visionary Doc Jana—author, mystic, former DEI consultant, and certified death doula—to explore what it really means to lead with heart in a world on fire.

We talk about embracing awkwardness, navigating spiritual awakenings, stepping away from performative professionalism, and time traveling into a more just and joyful 2035. Doc shares their journey from growing up as an army brat to founding Manifest Equity® and helping people imagine a radically better future, starting from within.

We also touch on:

• Burnout in DEI and the cost of being “the only one”
• The connection between birth, death, and leadership
• The fall of capitalism (yes, we go there)
• Why joy is a form of resistance
• How to anchor yourself when everything’s shifting

This one goes deep. And yes, there will be a part two! In the meantime, tune in, take a breath, and maybe even schedule some joy time.

Podcast Chapters

• (0:00:07) - Felicia and Rachel Intro
• (0:13:47) - Welcome Doc! Doc's Origin Story
• (0:26:07) - Navigating Time Travel and Spiritual Alignment
• (0:36:10) - Spiritual Responsibility and Cultivating Joy
• (0:46:53) - Awakening and Collective Transformation
• (0:50:52) - The Transformative Power Dynamics of DEI
• (0:54:39) - Navigating Spiritual Transition and Purpose

Links

• Doc Jana
• A Psychic Story Podcast Interview
• Manifest Equity®

Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.