Empowering Diversity and Inclusion: Masla’s Impactful Work with e180/Braindate
Background on e180/Braindate
At Masla Empathy Lab, we collaborated with e180 to support their Braindate initiative. The company e180 launched Braindate in 2011 with a mission centered around the question, “what is meaningful learning and where does it take place?” Braindate was innovative, challenging the traditional teacher-student model by believing in the idea that everyone can be a teacher.
We fostered a culture of peer learning to achieve company objectives through a web-based platform that facilitates “knowledge sharing” between people at various events, creating engaging and enriched event experiences for attendees.
Since its inception, Braindate has served more than 350,000 event attendees and gained over 500 clients worldwide. As a benefit corporation (B Corp), the founder of e180/Braindate understood the importance of practicing business as a force for good, and embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into their organizational fabric was crucial.
What were they hoping the outcome was?
During our work with e180/Braindate, we aimed to provide them with a diagnosis, analyzing where they required support in terms of EDI initiatives within their organization. Co-creation was essential, as we recognized e180/Braindate’s status as a smaller company. To address this, we fostered a collaborative environment with an approach informed by design thinking.
The “Challenge”
As we worked with e180/Braindate, we recognized that they considered themselves a reasonably diverse team, striving to cultivate an inclusive work culture and environment. However, they faced two fundamental questions.
First, they wondered how they could become more inclusive and diverse to create a robust, safe work environment for everyone. Additionally, as their Braindate service involved creating lounges at events in the hospitality industry, it was vital to foster an inclusive physical environment for participants.
We understood their deep desire to form an EDI-informed experience, which led them to seek a consultant to support their learning journey, ultimately directing them to us at Masla Empathy Lab. Our collaboration with e180 began in Fall 2020 and concluded in Spring 2022.
Methodology/Outcome
Our collaboration with e180 spanned nearly two years, closely involving Smriti Bansal, the former Head of Content at the company, as well as the CEO of e180/Braindate, Christine Renaud. In our consulting work, we ensured that Smriti and the CEO were on the same page. As Smriti noted in an interview, “when it comes to EDI work, there is a degree of being able to educate the stakeholders in terms of why this is important.”
We maintained an open dialogue and were unafraid to challenge e180/Braindate on ways they could improve. We aimed to “call them in versus calling them out,” creating a respectful environment for growth.
In our work with the organization, we conducted an anonymous survey on the demographics of the company. We explored different dimensions of employees’ identity, including ethnocultural ancestry, spoken language, religious background, and gender identity, among other factors. Additionally, we conducted one-on-one interviews with several team members across the organizational hierarchy to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company’s dynamics.
After collecting quantitative and qualitative data, we analyzed it, shared our analysis with Smriti and Christine, and recommended a strategic plan for the company moving forward, which significantly impacted their hiring practices. The real outcome of our work was providing the organization with the basic vocabulary and skills to have EDI-related conversations and a two-year plan with prioritized recommendations.
Conclusion
Throughout our collaboration with e180/Braindate, the company had a team of twenty people. Following our involvement, they underwent a hiring wave, bringing twenty-five more employees on board. e180 remains committed to updating and adapting its EDI plan, applying our methodology while conducting an updated organizational diagnostic survey. We provided the company with an invaluable foundation to foster EDI in the long run.
Our work with e180/Braindate offered them a sustainable path to continue building an organization they can be proud of. Two years after our experience, they are now in a position that would not be possible without our strategic recommendations and co-collaboration in building a foundation of language, trust, and openness centered around EDI.
Overall, we were an excellent entry point to start working on EDI strategies in the company. These are difficult topics to talk about, and we were able to create a space that felt safe, yet also challenged e180/Braindate to “do better”.
Background on e180/Braindate
At Masla Empathy Lab, we collaborated with e180 to support their Braindate initiative. The company e180 launched Braindate in 2011 with a mission centered around the question, “what is meaningful learning and where does it take place?” Braindate was innovative, challenging the traditional teacher-student model by believing in the idea that everyone can be a teacher.
We fostered a culture of peer learning to achieve company objectives through a web-based platform that facilitates “knowledge sharing” between people at various events, creating engaging and enriched event experiences for attendees.
Since its inception, Braindate has served more than 350,000 event attendees and gained over 500 clients worldwide. As a benefit corporation (B Corp), the founder of e180/Braindate understood the importance of practicing business as a force for good, and embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into their organizational fabric was crucial.
What were they hoping the outcome was?
During our work with e180/Braindate, we aimed to provide them with a diagnosis, analyzing where they required support in terms of EDI initiatives within their organization. Co-creation was essential, as we recognized e180/Braindate’s status as a smaller company. To address this, we fostered a collaborative environment with an approach informed by design thinking.
The “Challenge”
As we worked with e180/Braindate, we recognized that they considered themselves a reasonably diverse team, striving to cultivate an inclusive work culture and environment. However, they faced two fundamental questions.
First, they wondered how they could become more inclusive and diverse to create a robust, safe work environment for everyone. Additionally, as their Braindate service involved creating lounges at events in the hospitality industry, it was vital to foster an inclusive physical environment for participants.
We understood their deep desire to form an EDI-informed experience, which led them to seek a consultant to support their learning journey, ultimately directing them to us at Masla Empathy Lab. Our collaboration with e180 began in Fall 2020 and concluded in Spring 2022.
Methodology/Outcome
Our collaboration with e180 spanned nearly two years, closely involving Smriti Bansal, the former Head of Content at the company, as well as the CEO of e180/Braindate, Christine Renaud. In our consulting work, we ensured that Smriti and the CEO were on the same page. As Smriti noted in an interview, “when it comes to EDI work, there is a degree of being able to educate the stakeholders in terms of why this is important.”
We maintained an open dialogue and were unafraid to challenge e180/Braindate on ways they could improve. We aimed to “call them in versus calling them out,” creating a respectful environment for growth.
In our work with the organization, we conducted an anonymous survey on the demographics of the company. We explored different dimensions of employees’ identity, including ethnocultural ancestry, spoken language, religious background, and gender identity, among other factors. Additionally, we conducted one-on-one interviews with several team members across the organizational hierarchy to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company’s dynamics.
After collecting quantitative and qualitative data, we analyzed it, shared our analysis with Smriti and Christine, and recommended a strategic plan for the company moving forward, which significantly impacted their hiring practices. The real outcome of our work was providing the organization with the basic vocabulary and skills to have EDI-related conversations and a two-year plan with prioritized recommendations.
Conclusion
Throughout our collaboration with e180/Braindate, the company had a team of twenty people. Following our involvement, they underwent a hiring wave, bringing twenty-five more employees on board. e180 remains committed to updating and adapting its EDI plan, applying our methodology while conducting an updated organizational diagnostic survey. We provided the company with an invaluable foundation to foster EDI in the long run.
Our work with e180/Braindate offered them a sustainable path to continue building an organization they can be proud of. Two years after our experience, they are now in a position that would not be possible without our strategic recommendations and co-collaboration in building a foundation of language, trust, and openness centered around EDI.
Overall, we were an excellent entry point to start working on EDI strategies in the company. These are difficult topics to talk about, and we were able to create a space that felt safe, yet also challenged e180/Braindate to “do better”.