Gail Plant is an inspirational Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging advocate. She attended Drexel University, where she received her B.A. in Computer Information Systems. Immediately following graduation from Drexel in 1995, she began her career with a local company, where she worked for 27 years until her retirement in June 2022. During her tenure, she held several leadership roles within the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. Gail received her M.A. in Leadership Development in 2015, and she has spent the last 28 years coaching, mentoring, and leading others on the journey of embracing and fostering the value of themselves and others.

Key Takeaways:

• If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you need a new crowd

• Remain teachable

• Listen to young people

• Being an ally means speaking up in the moment, not after the fact

• An inclusive society starts at the individual level

• V.A.L.U.E. – Victorious, Authentic, Loving oneself, Uniqueness, Empowerment

• Valuing you starts with you

• Honor everyone’s perspective in a room

• Authenticity is the ability to be yourself in every situation, regardless of the circumstances, and, in doing so, unleash your full potential

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• Sound Of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot (Film)

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

Emily McConnell is a collaborator, designer, educator, and researcher based in Chicago. She has been the resident costume designer at the CCPA Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University since 2007, designing almost 100 productions during that time all while managing the costume shop and teaching and supervising students. Starting in the fall of 2024, she will also be serving as the Program Director for Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies and the Curriculum Coordinator for Technical Theatre. She has been an Artistic Associate at Steep Theatre since 2011 and worked as a freelance designer in Chicago theatre since 1999 with credits including The House, Northlight, Oak Park Theatre Festival, Lifeline Theatre, and The Gift. Her research into collaborative methods in theatrical design has presented that research at conferences including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the American Theatrical Costume Association, and her writing has been published in HowlRound Theatrical Commons and Theatre Design and Technology Magazine. She holds a BA in Drama from Dartmouth College and an MA in Theatre Design from Northwestern.

Key Takeaways:

• Proximity is not enough – gaining new knowledge and expanding your awareness is essential to progress

• Be mindful of the identities present in the spaces you are in (including your own)

• Determine the priorities of everyone in the room – ask yourself how you can support these goals

• Transparency is key to resolving conflicts in the workplace

• Honesty should be the starting point

• Present the problem, not the solution

• Mutual investment in collaboration will bring about the best outcome

• Authenticity means being honest and open about your strengths, vulnerabilities, and limitations

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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Find Guest’s work:

• Emily’s Website: https://www.emilymccdesign.com/

• Emily’s Blog: https://www.emilymccdesign.com/blog

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

Lusanda Mayikana is the Dean of Pluralism and Multicultural Affairs at Lake Forest Academy. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Social Justice from Lancaster University (U.K.), a Master of Arts in English Education from the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and a Master of Arts in English from Middlebury College. Lusanda came to Lake Forest Academy in 2003 after spending a year as a Harvard-South Africa fellow in the African American Studies department and the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. As the Dean of Equity, Pluralism, Inclusion, and Community, Lusanda is committed to fostering an inclusive culture and community where all members enjoy belonging, agency, and support. Her focus on bridging by listening, engaging, and intentionally organizing emphasizes connectedness, understanding, and learning about our varied lived experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• “I am because of those around me”

• Meet people where they are

• Be curious

• Play to the strengths of you and those around you

• Slow down

• Take the time to listen to others, even those you disagree with

• Authenticity comes from self-knowledge, self-awareness, and sincerity

• Trust who you are

• Create spaces where people can take risks and, in doing so, be their authentic selves

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• Learning to Disagree by John Inazu (book)

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Find Guest’s work:

• Lake Forest Academy: https://www.lfanet.org/

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

Dr. Damon Cates has been the President & CEO of One Hope United since 2024. Damon received a BA from Millikin University, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined One Hope United from the University of Chicago, where, for over 16 years of service, he led alumni relations and development programs for several of the University’s academic units. In addition to UChicago, Damon has also held leadership fundraising positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University. Damon is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at conferences. He has published articles on enhancing constituent engagement and building organizational capacity, and was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to the Illinois Youth Budget Commission in 2023.

Key Takeaways:

• Be honest about your lived experience – you can always find commonalities with others

• Be aware of the assumptions you make of others on face value

• Be mindful of the shame that can be attached to certain identities – allow yourself and others to share your/their identity on your/their own terms

• Engage in your community and the causes you support in whatever ways you can

• Never underestimate the power of being with people in person

• Be present and intentional in interactions with others

• Authenticity comes from passion

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• Beautiful Thing (film)

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Find Guest’s work:

• One Hope United: https://onehopeunited.org/

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

Jeffrey Spahn is the founder and president of Leading Leaders Inc. For more than 20 years he has researched, coached and inspired top business executives and their teams through the distinctive collective leadership process of We the Leader. Jeff’s journey into leading leaders was sparked by experiences of collective flow in high school and as a letterman on the University of Michigan football team. His business degree from the University of Michigan and doctorate from the University of Chicago ground his practice in sound scholarship. Jeff’s most recent publication is the book, We the Leader, published by McGraw-Hill.

Key Takeaways:

• We are all both leaders and followers

• Collective flow comes from explicitly stating shared intentions to foster connection

• Mutual investment within a community allows us to see others as valuable and vital

• Ask questions – be curious

• Practice dialogue – stay open to new ideas

• Try things and take risks to foster new connections

• Assert your beliefs – don’t impose or withhold – and be ready to let them go

• Reframe difference from something to avoid or attack to an opportunity to create

• Authenticity requires community – to be authentic you need to allow others to be authentic

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• Mary Parker Follett – Prophet of Management: A Celebration of Writings from the 1920s (book) edited by Peter F. Drucker

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Find Guest’s work:

• Jeff Spahn’s Website: https://wetheleader.com/

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright, an Atlanta-based author, dynamic speaker, and strategic thought partner, writes to inspire transformation and change in communities, institutions, and personal lives. Her impactful work tackles deep-rooted challenges that demand identity shifts and enhanced capacities to achieve lasting, meaningful change. Dr. Wright champions authenticity, striving to align our aspirational identities with our lived realities. Dr. Wright is the author of seven influential books, served for 10 years on the senior leadership team as the director of enrollment management at the largest parish Episcopal school in the country, and serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Emory School of Medicine.

Key Takeaways:

• Define yourself: “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive” – Audre Lorde

• Respect the dignity of every human being

• Take the time to pause and look again

• Your identity is not an obstacle – if it feels like one, it has not been truly seen

• Be careful of the ideas about certain identities you may project onto others

• Ask questions – be curious

• We have the power to write new beginnings and endings to our stories

• Lead with DIGNITY: Diversity, Identity, Growth, Nurture, Integrity, Transparency, Yield

• Authenticity is when aspirational identity aligns with lived reality

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less (book) edited by Daniel T. Jones and Miya Lee

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Find Guest’s work:

• Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright’s Website: https://bethsarahwright.com/

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

T. Mark Meyer is a psychotherapist and a consultant for the world’s largest corporations, leading workshops on conflict resolution, authenticity, and authentic management. He coaches professional athletes in discovering their purpose and counsels both couples and individuals. After founding and spearheading several successful companies, Mark connected with his authentic self and refocused his professional aspirations. He’s a business coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner who uses his personal experience to help others live their most authentic lives.

Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity is a life-long journey

• Accomplishments won’t bring you happiness if you don’t know your purpose in life

• Accept people where they are – go with the flow

• Authenticity and purpose drive innovation and creativity in workplaces

• Authenticity is as much about being yourself as it is about allowing others to be themselves

• Stay curious and non-judgemental

• Shift your thinking from “what should I accomplish now?” to “who do I want to be now?”

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• The Myth of Normal (book) by Dr. Gabor Maté

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Find Guest’s work:

• T. Mark Meyer’s Website: https://tmarkmeyer.com/

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

Sean DeMarco Garcia is the Founder/Coordinator of Astrochemistry Consulting LLC, which offers training and coaching sessions in de-escalation and crisis intervention for frontline workers. They teach individuals how to humanely deescalate those experiencing an emotional or mental wellness crisis both in personal and professional interactions. Sean has written a book on his de-escalation work throughout his life entitled “It Isn’t About You,” and has 30+ years of experience as a naval veteran, police officer, and head of the private security department for a hospital.

Key Takeaways

• We are all connected

• Curate a worldview that is based in culture

• Experience as much of the beauty of the world as you can

• Be careful of your perceptions of others and the way these can influence your own behavior

• Three things to live by: empathy, listening, and validating emotions

• It’s not about you – everyone is dealing with something

• Slow down – don’t rush to respond

• Prioritize self-care and encourage others to do the same

• Be curious – learn about the perspectives and cultures of others

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• It Isn’t About You (book) by Sean DeMarco Garcia

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Find Guest’s work:

• AstroChemistry Consulting: https://actc11.com/home-page

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!