Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are hot button topics that we often expect immediate responses to and successes in, but in this episode of Business Edge, special guest Raquel Tamez urges that time is the biggest factor in overcoming many roadblocks associated with these aspirations. Listen to her speak to how organizations and individuals can evolve to foster positive change. She also explores how we can all be our best selves by educating ourselves by consistently reading, prioritizing our most important values, and always striving for excellence.
Raquel Tamez [00:00:00] Be excellent. First and foremost, be excellent. Be excellent at that which you've chosen to pursue. Whatever your degree, your profession, your job, your project, be excellent. You earn credibility that way.
Finn Lambouris [00:00:18] You're listening to Business Edge, the podcast for professionals looking to excel in the workforce. In each episode, our guests take a deep dive into their personal and professional experiences to give you an edge in the marketplace. This podcast is brought to you by Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:00:34] Welcome back to another episode of Business Edge. We're happy to be here with you today. My name is Chrissy and with me is Nicole. How are you doing today?
Nicole Klemp [00:00:40] I'm good, Chrissy. How are you?
Chrissy Vasquez [00:00:42] Good. We're excited to talk to Raquel Tamez today.
Nicole Klemp [00:00:46] Yeah. Let me tell you a little bit about Raquel. So Raquel is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Saint Mary's University School of Law. As the chief inclusion and engagement officer for Charles River Associates, Raquel plays an integral role in the firm's D&I efforts, creating initiatives aimed at empowering its workforce and strengthening its culture. Prior to joining CRA, Raquel served as CEO for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers or SHPE. From 2014 to 2017, she held the role of Chief Legal Officer at Source America, a nonprofit that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In 2017, she was appointed to the FTC's Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment. She also serves as a board member for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives. In 2020, Raquel represented SHPE as part of their Hispanic delegation to the World Economic Forum. That same year, she received the 2020 Oatly Award from the Mexican government in recognition of her efforts to empower Hispanics abroad. Thanks so much for joining us, Raquel.
Raquel Tamez [00:01:49] Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to talk with you today.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:01:53] Yes, that's quite an extensive bio. We're very honored that you're willing to join us today. So thank you.
Raquel Tamez [00:01:59] Anything for AKPsi!
Chrissy Vasquez [00:02:01] So speaking of AKPsi, I believe you spoke at the Principled Business Leadership Institute in Baltimore this past year. Talk to us a little bit about your interest in getting back involved with the fraternity after graduating and being in your career.
Raquel Tamez [00:02:15] Sure. Thanks for the question. When they reached out to me about the opportunity to give the keynote speech at the conference, one, I was really very much honored and excited because it was really around that same time that I was thinking about my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, and looking at other organizations that I hadn't really been actively involved in, only because I was so focused on being the CEO of SHPE, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. And that was over four years of my life, and I was really focused on that and trying to build up that organization, and we can talk a little bit about what SHPE is. And I let a lot of my other sort of interests and activities and participation, I put it on hold. And when I left SHPE to take on this new role, an inaugural role at Charles River as their first ever Chief Inclusion Engagement Officer, I thought now I can really look up, look around, and revisit organizations that I love, that I'm passionate about, but put on hold for a while while I focused on building up SHPE to what it is today.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:03:45] Oh, that's awesome. Thank you for being willing to come back and give your talent to the organization. I'm sure you inspired a lot of young business students there at that conference.
Raquel Tamez [00:03:55] Yeah, I hope so. I got good feedback after the speech, really very thought provoking questions too. And during the fireside chat I'd like to think that it was a robust conversation and I was really impressed with the students that I saw there, the questions that they asked. And I had a line of folks afterwards who wanted to introduce themselves, wanted to connect and wanted to provide some feedback. So yes, it was a really great experience and I'm glad that I did it and I would do it again.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:04:33] Oh, that's awesome. Thank you for sharing. Can you talk-- you talked a little bit about SHPE. Tell us a little bit about your time there. So you were CEO for four years. Were you involved or engaged with the organization before you took over as CEO?
Raquel Tamez [00:04:46] Well, it's interesting because I had never heard of SHPE before. The recruiter reached out to me so it was an executive recruiter. At the time I was the Chief Legal Officer of Source America. Source America is a national nonprofit whose mission is all about creating employment opportunities for persons with significant disabilities. And I served as a Chief Legal Officer there. And when the recruiter reached out about this opportunity at SHPE, I was like, ship? Ship who? Do they build boats? I don't understand, why are you reaching out to me? And then I quickly learned that it was this national professional society comprised of 80% students at universities and professionals, mainly engineers. And I'm thinking, well, I'm not an engineer, I'm a lawyer! But at the end of the day, they were looking for a leader. And I'd like to think that over the span of my career that I've honed in on some of my leadership skills. And really those leadership skills started early on. And I learned a lot about leadership at the time that I was at the Iota chapter at the University of Texas at Austin. But SHPE is a professional society. 80% of the members are, as I mentioned, students at universities. There are SHPE chapters at most major universities. The focus is STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math, but a good portion of the members are engineers or studying to be engineers. And when I onboarded as the CEO of SHPE, a lot had to be built. The team was doing really good work with events and conferences, convention, that sort of thing. But in the four years that I was there, we really built out the programing. We increased membership, we increased engagement, we increased attendance, we increased the number of corporate sponsors. And I'm really proud of what was accomplished in those four years.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:06:57] Sounds like it! Sounds like you did a lot of great things. I do have a question. Since it's mostly college based, are you finding that the number of females going to engineering is going up or do you still feel like that's an industry and a sector that's very male dominant?
Raquel Tamez [00:07:12] It is male dominated in the industry. SHPE actually had really good numbers. We were better than the national average as far as our female members and in fact, we have very specific programing for our SHPEtina's right. There's an entire conference for them, about them at the convention, and there's specific curated programing and events and experiences for the female members, the SHPEtina's. But there's work that we still need to do. We need to increase diversity when it comes to gender. We need to increase diversity when it comes to underrepresented minorities in all of the sectors of STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:08:02] Nice, thank you.
Nicole Klemp [00:08:03] Yeah, that's amazing work. While we're on the topic of SHPE, one more question there. Can you tell us a little bit more about being part of the first Hispanic delegation to the World Economic Forum? I think that's really impressive, and I think the listeners would love to hear a little bit more about that.
Raquel Tamez [00:08:17] Sure. Well, as the CEO of SHPE, one of the premier national organizations, Hispanic organizations, I was invited to participate as part of the first Hispanic delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos. There is an organization that focuses on advocating for Hispanics and inclusion of Hispanics in all sort of centers of power. And that organization is called We Are All Human. And the CEO, founder of that organization has become a good friend of mine. But really, she rallied, she identified Hispanic leaders in different sectors. So there was one who focused on entrepreneurship and venture capitalism, and there was another who focused on employee resource groups and corporate professional development. Myself, I represented a national organization, professional society, with 14,000 members. And so it was a nice, diverse group of Hispanic leaders that constituted this first delegation. And it was a really intense experience. Davos, Switzerland, in the middle of January, is very cold and wet, and dark.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:09:47] I bet!
Raquel Tamez [00:09:58] And the World Economic Forum essentially takes over the town of Davos. And so the regular storefronts are actually converted into corporate fronts.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:10:03] Oh, interesting.
Raquel Tamez [00:10:05] So all of the different companies that are there that are participating will go in and basically take over these different retail sites. And you can go in, you can pop in and you can learn the latest and greatest for that particular company or, you know, rubbing elbows with executives, CEOs from all of the major companies and sort of global dignitaries and politicians, etc.. And then there's all kinds of-- so there's lots of learning during the day and the days start pretty early, like at 7 a.m. there's activity happening, and throughout the day, all day and well into the evening with, you know, dinners and different kinds of social activities happening in the evening. So it's all week long. It's intense. I participated in a few different panels, met some amazing people that I'm still connected with. And in fact, someone that I met there two years later recommended me for a for profit board seat. So it's really interesting how connections at a particular event can lead to other opportunities. So it's important that, you know, networking and building relationships and staying connected and nurturing those relationships is really important.
Nicole Klemp [00:11:32] Yeah.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:11:32] Oh, absolutely. I think that's something we hear time and time again in this podcast is relationships are what matter and really standing for who you are and your brand, if you will, is what matters in building those relationships and following through on what you say you're going to do and really having that integrity in those relationships.
Raquel Tamez [00:11:50] Yeah, that's right. And it's not so much about just, you know, grabbing people's business cards or connecting with them on LinkedIn and scanning code. Yeah, it's actually building a relationship with those individuals. And one of my mentors said a long time ago, and it's something that is, I believe, very true. It's relationships are the currency of the workplace. They're super important. And there is some truth to the adage it's not what you know, it's who you know. But I would go one step further and say it's who knows you, right? So that's where personal brand is important. That's where tooting your own horn and not blowing it, right? In other words, going and taking credit for your work. And doing that graciously, right? Because you don't want to come across braggadocious or obnoxious. But it is important to take credit for the work that you do and to showcase that and to have a good personal brand and a good social media presence and really demonstrate and advocate what it is that you're doing and your value and what you bring to the table.
Nicole Klemp [00:13:12] Mm hmm. I think early on in my career, I was intimidated when I was networking of like, well, what is a CEO ever going to want? Or What am I ever going to be able to provide to that person's network? And I was listening to a conversation last week and they talked about never discount the future value of a relationship. You never know how those connections will cross again and how somebody that you feel like won't have a use for you in their network actually will. And there could be a way to connect. So kind of in that vein, what do you think is the best way for our listeners to approach when they're meeting someone new? How do they even start that conversation in terms of networking?
Raquel Tamez [00:13:44] I think it's just being genuine. Right? If you're genuinely interested in meeting someone and then I think it's going over to the person and not interrupting a conversation that they might be in the middle of, right? I think that could come off as rude, but, you know, go over, see when it's a good time to sort of interject and step in and say, "I would like to introduce myself, I'd like to meet you." If there is something that you know about the person or know about the company. And even in some instances I would encourage people. There are times when you see someone at an event and they're standing by themselves.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:14:28] Mm hmm.
Raquel Tamez [00:14:29] And that is uncomfortable. Be the person to go over and introduce yourself and bring them in. Introduce them to other people if you know other people. I try and do that and I appreciate it when someone does that for me because there are times when I go to an event and I don't know anyone. So I do take it upon myself to go and mingle and introduce myself. And it's uncomfortable. And I would invite you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:15:03] Mm hmm. That's great advice.
Nicole Klemp [00:15:05] Yeah, absolutely.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:15:08] You've been listening to Business Edge. Brought to you by Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity and sponsored by Synergos Association Management Company. Now, let's get back to the conversation.
Nicole Klemp [00:15:22] Let's switch gears a little bit with your experience in inclusion and diversity initiatives. Can you tell us a little bit about some of the top challenges that you see companies have when they're trying to implement, you know, a DEI initiative or be more focused on inclusion, what are some of the challenges or roadblocks you see, and how do you think that some companies or professionals could help their organizations overcome?
Raquel Tamez [00:15:46] I think time. Time is a challenge, I think in two main ways. Time in that, when you have a diversity officer, when you have someone in a role like mine, there's an expectation from others that change is going to happen. Things are going to happen overnight. And that's the furthest from the truth. When it comes to a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace, that takes time because you are talking about changing, influencing people's minds and their hearts and their behaviors. And in some instances, in a lot of instances, change can be scary. And I think sometimes when it comes to, you know, diversity, equity, inclusion, programing, initiatives, things like that, it can be scary for folks because they might not know or they don't want to say the wrong thing. Even though they might be curious about someone else or someone else's culture, how to be more inclusive, and they don't know how to go about it. And in these days, with the cancel culture where people are so quickly canceled for being human, for making a mistake, it's really disconcerting to me how we've gotten to a place where something that someone may have said or done decades ago is being held against them current day. It's like, when did we become a society where people are not allowed to evolve? Grow and change. So I think there is that expectation that things, especially if a firm or company, is trying to be more diverse and more inclusive and more equitable, that it it falls on one person and that one person is going to come in and make things happen and change is going to happen overnight. And, you know, there's going to be visible diversity and there's going to be a feeling of inclusion and there's going to be actual equity. That's tough. And then there is time on the part of the people who you're asking to come along on this journey. I know like in consulting firms and law firms and other companies where everyone is working, they have a lot of work going on, a lot of pressures, especially with COVID and the impact of COVID and this hybrid work experience. And, you know, what's going on with our kids. It's, people don't have time. And so depending on where the company is in its maturity of DE&I, in those companies that are early stages in their journey, a lot of DE&I will show up as efforts, initiatives, certain programs that require people to-- it won't be fully integrated, right? it won't be fully holistic just yet. It's not necessarily a part of the DE&A of the company or the firm. And so you're asking people to show up for training. You're asking people to show up for a speaker or an event. And when there's so much going on with work and projects and deliverables and your personal life and your, you know, everything that that entails, something's got to give. And so people don't always have time.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:19:47] So in that vein of DEI and you know, kind of bringing that into organizations, I've seen it in companies and nonprofits that are trying to bring those efforts in. And even within the fraternity, when we put forth those efforts that there is often a pocket of individuals that are very against those changes and feel like they're being forced to do something that they don't agree with. How do you incorporate those people into the change, valuing their opinions, but also kind of folding them into the change when they're resistant to the organization making those changes?
Raquel Tamez [00:20:24] Yeah. I believe it's being open minded to what they have to say. And listening and trying to come to understand their thinking and their position, their hesitation, their rejection in some instances, and trying to better understand where that's coming from. At the end of the day, you will not convince everyone. And that's okay. I think the focus needs to be on those folks that are open minded and accepting of the initiatives and the programing around DE&I and working towards more diversity, working towards fostering a workplace of inclusion and equity. Focus on those people that get it, that accept it, that want it, that support it. And then there's a group of people that's somewhere in the middle. Right? And I think it's about being consistent, being consistent and persistent and encouraging those people. Not every, you know, training or event is going to resonate with them. But something will. And so that's when you capture their minds and hopefully their hearts and you can influence changed behavior.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:2159] Perfect. Thank you.
Nicole Klemp [00:22:00] Yeah. So we have a lot of young professionals listening. What advice would you give someone who's, you know, maybe in college now or early in their career interested in a career path similar to yours? What kind of things should they be doing to, you know, find roles or get involved in different organizations to kind of get going on a similar career path?
Raquel Tamez [00:22:21] I used to say this to SHPE members. I used to say this to young lawyers when I was practicing law. Be excellent. First and foremost, be excellent. Be excellent at that which you've chosen to pursue. Whatever your degree, your profession, your job, your project. Be excellent. Be competent in what it is that you've chosen to pursue. You earn credibility that way. Credibility is very important in any capacity, in any role. So be good at what you're doing. So if you've chosen to be an engineer, be an excellent engineer, if you've chosen to be a lawyer, be an excellent lawyer. If you've chosen, you know, business, be an excellent business executive. And then if DE&I is important to you, then express your interest and get involved, be supportive of those initiatives, those programs, those events. Show up for training and the speakers and be engaged in what's happening. Become a member of an employee resource group, which are affinity groups in the corporate setting. But first and foremost is be excellent. Get as much experience as you can. I'm not one of those people that says, oh, you know, follow your passion. I say, be passionate about what you're doing. Figure it out. Figure out how you can be passionate about where you're at, what you're doing. Learn as much as you can and be open minded to other opportunities and figure out how you might connect dots where they might not be, you know, mapped out for you. Unlikely connections.
Nicole Klemp [00:24:25] Yeah, that's great.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:24:27] So when you talk about learn as much as you can, I'm curious. You know, the DE&I space is evolving so much. How do you stay current on information and new trends coming out and new research? What kind of news sources do you use?
Raquel Tamez [00:24:42] There's a lot out there.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:24:43] Yeah.
[00:24:44] And it seems like everybody is a DE&I expert these days. I don't go around saying I'm a DE&I expert. I don't know if anybody can be a DE&I expert, to be quite honest, but I think that's-- we see folks, they're DE&I ambassadors and DE&I evangelists, and DE&I advocates, and DE&I specialists. And, um, and I think that's great, you know, that people are interested and passionate and they're being effective in their advocacy. Lots of online information. There's a certain university, they're doing certifications now. Pretty much most universities have some kind of DE&I certification, so if you want to go get a credential, that's one way of going about it. But read. I am a big reader. I read multiple books kind of in one month. I think last year I was about 100 books that I read and I enjoy historical fiction. But I do read a lot on leadership and spirituality and things like stoicism. So my one book that I'm really into right now is really the link between quantum physics and eastern mysticism.
Nicole Klemp [00:26:14] Oh, interesting.
Raquel Tamez [00:26:15] Yeah, I know, right?
Chrissy Vasquez [00:26:17] You've said a lot of words I need to write down and Google.
Raquel Tamez [00:26:23] And I like to read biographies and autobiographies about who were the unique leaders. Different types of leaders. And I learn from that. But reading's super important, I think. I think you can bring a lot more to a conversation if you're well read.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:26:44] That's very true.
Nicole Klemp [00:26:46] Yeah, absolutely.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:26:48] I am curious a little bit on-- you are very well educated. You're very involved. How do you find time to balance some fun in your life? And are there any things that you like to do outside of work and reading for your time?
Raquel Tamez [00:27:03] Yeah, you know, I think it helped that I learned organization skills early on. And I've honed those. I'd like to think that I'm good at prioritizing. That's important. Because there's this perception, I think, that people have of me where they're like, wow, she's got that role and she's a board member over there of this board and that board. And she travels and she, you know, goes and works out and does this and does that. You know, where does she have the time? I make the time. And I still have time left over, I think, because of organization and prioritization. But I also wake up at 4:30 in the morning. I go to bed at 9:30. I'm a really light sleeper and I think that I value my sleep because it's really when I can mentally disconnect. And I oftentimes wake up the next morning with answers and solutions and ideas once I've been able to turn my brain off. So, I value sleep, and so I make it a priority. I really do. But I also make my mornings and how I start my day a priority. So I wake up. I make my french press coffee. I got the incense going on, my meditation incense going on. I meditate. I read a journal, and then I go work out. So, and then I start my workday. There was a time, a very short period of time in my life, in my career, where I felt like I was going to bed late and I was, I'd wake up and I'd jump out of bed. And after snoozing the alarm for so many times. And it was just a scramble. And I didn't like it. I didn't feel like I had control of my day. I felt like the day was controlling me and I was being tossed around by time. And so I just, you know, created new habits for myself. And I'm disciplined about those habits.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:29:42] That's great advice because I can relate. I used to feel scrambled in the morning and now I have a good hour before I start my day. And it really does help set the tone better for the day.
Raquel Tamez [00:29:51] Yeah, absolutely.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:29:53] Doesn't mean that the day gets scrambled, but, yeah.
Nicole Klemp [00:29:56] Yeah, I feel like good sleep is a really underrated, you know, thing for professionals because they think, "Oh, I've got to hustle and I've got to get 3 hours of sleep and then get back to it." But really, you're more productive when you're well rested. And I think people miss that sometimes.
Raquel Tamez [00:30:11] Oh, yeah. I mean, I even say when people ask me something and I don't know the answer or I'm not sure, I don't hesitate to say, "I need to sleep on that. I'm going to sleep on that." And often times I do wake up the next day or the day after with ideas and just being very disciplined about my time. You know, people will take your time if you let them.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:30:39] Absolutely.
Raquel Tamez [00:30:40] And so when it comes to meetings. You know, somebody schedules a meeting for an hour. I'm like, "Do we really need an hour? I think we can probably get this done in 30 minutes." So all of my meetings are 30 minutes. Unless I know for sure it needs to be more than that, and then it'll be 45 minutes. And I put time in between my meetings and my calls. I'm very miserly with my time.
Nicole Klemp [00:31:16] Well, on that note, I think we better jump into our final signature question. So we ask all of our guests on Business Edge this signature question. So Raquel, tell us about a time when your personal values were challenged and what did you do about that?
Raquel Tamez [00:31:33] I'm sure that's happened from time to time throughout my career. But the one that comes to mind that is more recent is a time when I was in a leadership role and George Floyd had been murdered, had been killed. And there was a lot of sadness and anger and angst and all, you know, Black Lives Matter was really coming to fruition and, you know, a communication expressing-- you know, I was the lead of the organization and we wanted to say something. Say something for the members. But there was a directive that we weren't to use the term Black Lives Matter. And that was surprising to me and disappointing to me because I thought that that's what our constituents needed to hear, what our members needed to hear. And it's something that I felt needed to be said in my heart and in my mind, in my mind's eye. But, we followed the directive. And it did not go well. Major backlash. It was not pretty. It was really stressful. And so we had to do all this pivoting and all these sort of, you know, subsequent communications and had to have a meeting and I ended up apologizing. Not because I made the decision, but I held myself responsible and accountable for that decision. And it was the right thing to do because that's what the members and the constituents needed to hear. So I did it. And it was heartfelt and I meant it and, because it was about doing the right thing and integrity is one of my most valuable values.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:34:22] Wow. Thank you. That's very powerful.
Nicole Klemp [00:34:24] Yeah. Thank you for sharing that.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:34:26] Yeah. And I think there was many organizations that were in a similar situation where they were given directives on what to say. And it wasn't what, like you said, the constituents or those that patronize the business or whatever wanted to hear or needed to hear. So I think there was several organizations in that same boat.
Raquel Tamez [00:34:44] And I think at the end of the day, people knew that wasn't necessarily my decision, but I ended up apologizing. And I think people appreciated that this is what they needed and wanted to hear.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:35:01] Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for spending time. We appreciate you prioritizing this today and spending time to chat with us. It's been a wonderful conversation.
Nicole Klemp [00:35:10] Yeah. Thank you so much, Raquel.
Raquel Tamez [00:35:11] Yeah, thank you for having me. And I appreciate the time with you.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:35:15] Absolutely. Great. Well, thank you very much.
Finn Lambouris [00:35:20] Thanks for listening to Business Edge! If you have questions, comments, or topic suggestions for us, email businessedge@akpsi.org.