In this episode, Matt Auron, Managing Director at Evolution, sits down with Rudy Nickens, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Sustainability Partner at Evolution for a lively discussion of diversity, leadership and community development.

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About Rudy

Rudy is an executive coach, facilitator, educator, entrepreneur and thought leader with expertise in cultural diversity, business management and community development. For over two decades, Nickens has consulted, educated and trained hundreds of local, national and international organizations in workforce diversity, leadership development, cultural competence and conflict resolution. He specializes in efforts to eliminate the effects of internalized racism and sexism and violence against women.

Prior to joining Evolution Rudy was the Director for Equal Opportunity and Diversity for the Missouri Department of Transportation which has a budget of over $2.6 billion and more than 6,000 employees.  In the wake of the death of Michael Brown, Jr in 2014 , the governor of Missouri asked for Rudy to work with the Ferguson Commission whose mission was to conduct a “thorough, wide-ranging and unflinching study of the social and economic conditions that impede progress, equality and safety in the St. Louis region.”  

Rudy  also served as Executive Director of The St. Louis Black Repertory Company and Vice President of St. Louis 2004, a civic organization created to act as a catalyst for community development.  Beyond his organizational leadership roles, Rudy owned and operated The Sunshine Inn for years which in addition to having great food was an institution that proved a place and resources for all kinds of community activity from art to politics to community organizing.

Rudy  earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. A Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellow, he received the Ethics Project’s Inaugural Ambassador Andrew Young Award for outstanding leadership and the Robert Bradley Award for distinguished service. 

In this episode, Matt Auron, Managing Director at Evolution, sits down with Evolution Partners Simon D'Arcy and Todd Emaus to discuss their new book: Scale Without Losing Your Soul: The Startup Culture Guide

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About Simon

Simon is a speaker, author, executive coach, Founder/CEO advisor, and partner at Evolution, a coaching, consulting and investment firm, where he focuses on helping companies scale without losing their soul. For more than 25 years, he has been part of company-wide culture transformation efforts at Fortune 500 companies and has helped early-stage startups discover and cultivate cultural identities from their earliest days. 

Simon has consulted and coached leaders at over two hundred companies, including startups like Slack, Glassdoor, Dropbox, Yahoo, Iterable and Bandcamp. He has also coached leaders atFortune 500 companies such as ConocoPhillips, Rohm & Haas, and Genentech. He’s seen how culture building can be the difference between creating a mediocre company and creating something  iconic and lasting. 

 About Todd 

Todd Emaus is a venture-backed startup founder focused on supporting other founders and leaders in their journeys.

As a coach and culture builder, Todd helps his clients move past obstacles, win the mental game, build effective teams and lead companies that matter. His experience founding multiple businesses, raising venture capital, and leading rapidly growing teams provides the backdrop for a deep empathy for today’s leaders and the challenges they face.

He is a partner at Evolution, a coaching, consulting and investment firm. His clients have included founders and leaders at some of the most iconic and ambitious organizations of our generation, including Twitter, Slack, Bandcamp, Iterable, Magic Spoon, Snapdocs, Conductor, Tilt, Bond Pet Foods, Firstbase, and others.

In this episode, Matt Auron, Managing Director at Evolution, sits down with Jacob Little, People Business Partner & Head of People Experience and DEI at Glassdoor to discuss the impact of DEI on company culture and success.

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About Jacob

Jacob Little is the People Business Partner & Head of People Experience and DEI at Glassdoor. Jacob grew up in Russia and Germany as the child of Baptist missionaries, and his coming out process was more difficult than it should have been. 

Alongside his career in Talent and Organizational Development, Jacob has been involved in ERGs for over a decade, as the co-chair of Walmart Pride, Levi's Pride, and as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of San Francisco Pride. Jacob is passionate about creating cultural transformation by evolving mindsets, systems, and processes.