WORT 89.9FM Madison
OPEN Madison - Breaking Barriers & Building Bridges
(upbeat music) - Hello friends and welcome. It's time for query, Madison's longest running radio show dedicated to LGBTQ issues. I'm your host, Vicki Kenyon. I use she/her pronouns. My guests tonight are Heidi Deuce from Open Medicine and Maggie Conrad from Little Light Solutions. - Hello. - Hello friends. - Hi. - So Heidi is a human resources leader who has built her career and expertise in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, organizational culture and recruitment, and talent management. She has worked with organizations of all sizes from startups to Fortune Global 500 companies in recruitment, insurance, finance, technology, marketing, and all the things. - All the things. - Yup. And as the board president for Open and founder and chief consultant of Culture Escape Consulting, Heidi provides thought leadership, strategic planning, and creative solutions for her clients that help foster more equitable and inclusive workplaces. And she's a course facilitator for the DEI certification course at Cornell University. Impressive. Maggie Conrad brings over 20 years of diverse experience to her role as a business consultant and mentor. Her journey has seen her excel as a massage therapist, a certified teacher, a business operations manager, business owner, and coach and mentor. Beyond her professional roles, she embraces her roles as mom, wife, autistic individual, and member of the queer community with a penchant for laughter, cooking, problem solving, and spreadsheet wizardry, which is my favorite. Maggie finds joy in realizing people's aspirations and achieving the seemingly impossible. As a founder and CEO of Little Light Solutions LLC, Maggie has partnered with Open for an exciting upcoming event that we'll tell you about in a minute. Welcome ladies, hi, thank you for having us. - Thanks for having us, thank you. - So glad you're here. So Heidi, I know that Open's been around for a little while. Can you start by just telling us what Open stands for and what Open actually is? - Yeah, absolutely. Heidi do, she, they pronouns. And Open, so yeah, Open started just over 15 years ago and it started as the out professional executive network. And it was really a space to gather LGBT individuals together for representation when it came to networking events and similar to chamber events. Getting together, they weren't seeing representation within our community. Over the years, it's really ebbed and flowed and but always remained true to the focus of networking and connecting within our community. Around 2019, the name was changed slightly in order to reach more people and really recognize how broad and intersectional our community is. And so that's when the name was changed to out professional engagement network. I came on to Open around three, three and a half years ago and started as a board member and then grew into taking over as board president. And then as we'll get into it, I founded the Open Foundation, which we'll talk a little bit about later. - Yeah, that's awesome. So what kinds of things, broadly speaking, is Open working on now these days? - Yeah, so Mackie Conrad, she, her pronouns. Right now we're looking ahead to the coming years of what we want Open to be in the future. We're working on developing programs to support LGBTQA people in their career goals. So professionals, everything from connecting them to existing resources. So nonprofits that are already doing amazing work in our community to developing funding for our own programs to serve the community directly. So we're looking to expand the career fair that we have. We're hoping to expand that in the future to include workshops, programs and other professional development opportunities and just see how we can really help other LGBTQA professionals really reach their career goals, whether they are just starting out, maybe just graduated from college or maybe they're looking to transition into a new role. - I love that. And one of the things that you just said that struck me was connecting your clients. Is that what we should call them? - Members. - With resources that already exist in Madison. There's so many nonprofits here doing so much great work. I love that you're trying to connect people with things that already exist instead of trying to recreate things. So I'm sure you've worked on some strong partnerships. - Yeah, we really believe in collaboration over competition, why reinvent the wheel and why reduce services that there's already amazing partners out there to collaborate with. So we have a few partners coming actually to the career fair and speaking with Operation Fresh Start, they have amazing career pathway programs that we hope to partner with and collaborate with in the future. Women in TAC, we've hosted a couple of mixers now and we attended their career fair for women and non-binary individuals and they'll be at our career fair as a resource for individuals as well. We also have the Trevor Project coming. We have local representation here and we're so happy to have that resource on hand. We'll also have voter registration. So it's not even all resources strictly geared towards the LGBTQ+ community, but because our community is so intersectional and reaches so many other communities, I think that's where our focus is, including we've hosted mixers with the Urban League Young Professionals Group, which has been a great partner for ours and we've been able to make so many new networking connections and friendships throughout that partnership. So we're really excited going into 2025 to expand those partnerships. - That's amazing. So we've touched on that a little bit already, but let's get into it. Tell us about your upcoming career fair. What's happening? - Yeah, super exciting. I'm gonna hand it over to Maggie 'cause she's been so such an amazing partner with Open. So if you're event planning, please. - Got it. - Yeah. - Maybe with little light solutions. - A little pleasure, thank you. - Yeah, there you go. - Yeah, so October 3rd is we have two events, our career fair and the annual dinner. The career fair is from two to five PM at the Monona Terrace on the main level. And we're really excited. We have 27 vendors confirmed. So we're gonna have a packed house. We had room for 30. - That's amazing. So you have 27 employers looking for employees. - Yeah, we have seven booths, we'll be resources. So as Heidi mentioned, like the Trevor Project, we have a local shop called Chrysalis Heron Body that's gonna be doing career styling with donations that we receive so people can walk away with an item of clothing for their professional look. We also have 20 actively hiring employers. So in addition to all of the amazing resources, there are a lot of, and a lot of different fields too. We have the science field with exact science and tech like Epic. We also have healthcare like UnityPoint, UW Health. We have banks like Summit Credit Union and nonprofits like Destination Madison. So we have a lot of really great opportunities for people. And it's not just, maybe you're looking for an event or an employer and a job, but maybe you're just also looking to network. Maybe you're just looking to expand your network and meet people in the community, meet other professionals and meet employers who are open and have diversity and equity in mind, front of mind, and have policies in place to support their employees. - Right, let's talk about that in detail a little bit more. You had some real specific criteria that vendors, both employers and resources, had to meet in order to be able to participate in the career fair. So talk a little bit about how people had to apply. - Yeah, we had an application process that we wanted employers to really take some time and think about and reflect and be intentional really on why they wanted to be part of the career fair. So we asked questions around what type of benefits and services and resources do you have for the LGBTQ+ community and listed out adoption benefits and HIV testing and HIV benefits. Things like that that are not only just for the LGBTQ+ community, but are also benefits that might be top of mind within our community. - Right. - And then we asked about their discrimination policies. We asked why they wanted to be part of this career fair. We want to know their reason behind it. Do they have an employee resource group? You know, that's really important. Is there a safe space for employees to go to? And so we also did, you know, provide them a training prior to the career fair in order to really set everyone up for success. Not only the job seekers, but the employers. And so we want the employers to feel like they can welcome people into their booth, to ask those questions, to provide those resources and really anticipate, these are the types of questions and things that might be top of mind for our community when they're looking for a new position. And I will say too, off what Maggie said, we have some amazing employers in UW Health and Unity Point Health have been two of our major sponsors and constant supporters. So thank you to them and all of our supporters. We did a Destination Madison Summit Credit Union. But you have to also think about when you come to a job fair, even though it might be in the banking industry, maybe in tourism or a hospitality, every organization has cross-functional roles. So everyone has a marketing role. Typically they have IT and tech. Typically they have customer service, you know. So think cross-functionally and not just within the industry of, you know, science or laboratory. - Right, yeah, that's a really good idea. I like thinking of it that way. So if people are interested in attending the career fair, do they need to sign up? Can they just show up? Do they bring a resume? Kind of what's the process of walking through the career fair for an attendee? - Yeah, so we do have a registration on the website, but also people can just show up on day off and we can get them registered right there at the entry table. We also do have, you know, we'll have some fun things like resume reviewing. QTI is offering people to send their resumes in ahead of time or you can print them out and bring them on our social media is the links and all of the information that email where to send the resumes out open Madison. And we'll also have career fair readiness provided by Sherm Foundation. - Oh yeah, which is the Society of Human Resource Management. - Yeah, you know your stuff, you know that. - I know that. - Yeah, we'll have people on site and we have some amazing volunteers from both Sherm, Destination Madison and QTI that have graciously volunteered their time and expertise in order to really set our participants and job seekers up for success. So before you even, you know, get into the area of the employers, those resources and services will be available to you. So we know how like nerve-wracking it is to network, networking in and of itself is a skill and it's intimidating walking into a room of people that you might not know. And we wanna make sure that you're feeling welcome and that you're feeling safe and heard and seen. And so a lot of our volunteers from those organizations but also we have several volunteers from open in our community that will be there on hand just to cheer you on and empower you and set you up for success. So. - Yeah, just to reiterate a really important point that you just made, you know, career fairs are kind of a dime a dozen. They happen all the time, they happen all over the place. Specific employers may host one or, you know, a college or university may host one but people in the LGBT community, we don't always feel safe just going to a random job fair, right? So this is an important service that you're providing for folks in the community who might otherwise be totally intimidated by or fearful of a job search, like just in general, let alone a job fair. - So, well done you on this, I can't wait to attend. So the job fair, tell us where it is and what time it is. - Yeah, so it's on October 3rd from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Monona's Harris and you can just walk in. Like Maggie said, you can either just show up or with your resume in hand or you can sign up, send your resume in, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the resources out there. You can send your resume into QTI and that email is out on our social pages and also you can visit us at openmedicine.org to learn more about the entire day's events. - Right, we'll get to that second half in one second. So it's 715 and you're listening to query Madison's longest running program dedicated to LGBTQ issues right here on WORT Madison. I'm your host Vicki Kenyon and tonight I'm talking with Heidi Deuce of Open Madison and Maggie Conrad of Little Light Solutions. We've been talking about an upcoming career fair but there's more to October 3rd than just the career fair. What's the second half of the evening look like for you? - Yeah, so this has been a longstanding annual event with open, it's our open annual dinner. And this year's theme is smashing the glass ceiling or breaking boundaries, building bridges. Like we talked about earlier today, building those collaborations and those partnerships but really setting our community up for success. And this is an opportunity for employers to be in the room. This is an opportunity for our community members, job seekers to be in the room at dinner. And really what we're going to be doing is sharing a lot of stories from our community. What's it like to be LGBTQ+ in the community? What challenges or obstacles have we had to overcome? But also what successes have we had? Much of the time, we might focus on some of the challenges and obstacles but there's a lot of queer joy out there. And that's what we also want to celebrate. There's a lot of people within our community doing amazing, amazing work and creating a lot of impact. And that's what this night is all about is celebrating our community and coming together to collaborate and friendship and networking. And so we have some amazing, amazing hosts. Dina Nina Martinez, Greg Potter will be our host and MCs. And if any of you attended last year's event, that was nothing compared to what they have planned for this year. So I was talking with Greg and Dina, who are also hosts of this show from time to time about what they have planned. And I honestly can't wait. It's going to be amazing. And there are a few surprises in store. Yeah, it's going to be so amazing. I'm not going to give too much away there. But the room will be full every year we sell out. We still do have a handful of tickets available. So if you are interested, please get out there on OpenMadison.org, like ASAP, because they are selling very quickly. And this event is also at the Terrace, right? This starts at 5.30 with networking. And dinner is at 6.30. Programming is around 7 o'clock. But we will also have DJ Fam Noir. Oh, yes, yeah, completely. It's going to be a party. So yeah, we hope to see so many people out there. And we have several of our sponsors and several of our volunteers, as well as open member volunteers that will be at the career fair, also attending the dinner. So it'll be a really nice segue for people to be a little bit more formal, share their resume, get some formal connections, and then hopefully just kind of have a little bit more of a close connection with people at the dinner to be able to have some fun together and really celebrate together. So it'll be a nice transition. A lot of people from the career fair will be joining us at the dinner. So it'll be really fun to-- I think of a career fair sometimes as being very stressful for attendees. And sometimes for employers too, if they're really looking for something specific in the crowd of folks, and how nice to be able to transition from that stressful job searching thing to sitting down and having dinner and socializing with new friends, so looking forward to that. And we want to please show up with the way that you want to show up, just the way that you are. Absolutely, absolutely. You come as you are, because everyone is welcome. And this is an event for LGBT+ community members, but also our allies, because we really do need our allies in order to make that further impact. So we have a lot of allies that will be in attendance as well. One thing I was talking to a job seeker and also an employer this week, and he was like, sometimes-- I said, well, how is your employer? And are there any obstacles or challenges? What do they like? And they were like, sometimes being a male presenting individual, I want to wear heels to work. Or sometimes I want to wear my earrings. And I don't, because I don't want them to look at me sideways, or to look at me and start questioning, or asking me questions. But that's what I feel. That's how I feel. And that's how I want to show up to work some days. And I was like, they're coming to the dinner. I was like, you show up in your heels. You show up in however you want to show up. That's what we want to see. And I will say, because of that, we have a lot of surprises in store when it comes to Dina Nina. So last year, she had quite some fun with a fashion show. So we'll see what plays out this year for them. Oh, my gosh. I will say, sorry, I will say, too, just in speaking with the employers and the people that are going to be there at the career fair and at the dinner, everybody is really excited to support the community. We have some really amazing people that, like Heidi said, that are either members of the community that are in these organizations or staunch allies of the community. And they're really excited to be a part of this as well. So I think the vibes are just going to be pretty cool all around. Is this the first time you've hosted a career fair like this? Open over the years has hosted career fairs. I was not part of Open during that time. But as I was actually going through paperwork and different files that we have, I saw some ads that were placed for a career fair. And so this isn't new. It's just as with any community, as with any organization, there's ebbs and flows. And as our community grows and the needs change of our community, we have to be able to serve that. And I think this is an opportunity not only for our community to show up, ask questions, connect and network. But it's also an opportunity for the employers to learn and listen, listen and learn through stories. And so that's also what Open wants to provide is we want to know, what are you doing? Not everyone's perfect. We all make mistakes. But you have to be open to listening and learning from other individuals. Experience is in order to make an impact in order to make change. Yes, for sure. So when we first started talking, you mentioned the Open Foundation. And getting that up off the ground and running. Do you want to talk about the Open Foundation a little bit? And how that plays into all this? Yeah, so the Open Foundation is a fiscally sponsored organization through the Center for Community Stewardship. And the primary goal is to focus on career readiness and workforce development for the LGBTQ+ community. And so really creating those pathways to success, whether it be that you're transitioning into a new career path. Maybe you have just graduated college or even high school. Maybe you're looking for a trades organization. Really when we think about what does that word professional mean? And what does it mean not only for our community, but as a whole, a professional is any career path that you choose. And so we want to make sure that we're breaking down what society deems is a professional. When we think about a professional, we think about corner office, maybe in banking, maybe mail, typically. And those are things that we want to break down. That's why we're so excited to have trade organizations there. We're so excited to collaborate with Operation Freshstart in their programs and really start to create those pathways and really help people understand why is open here. Why are we here specifically for the LGBTQ+ community? We're here because we touch every other community there is. And I think that's something that's so important for people to keep in mind is the intersectional identities. No one person is a singular identity. We all have intersectional identities. Both that you can see and things that you can't see. And so that's really important when we think about our mission, who we serve, moving forward, is really what voices are we amplifying that have historically been unheard? So you have a foundation. And correct me if I'm wrong, but the foundation is providing the job readiness training. Is the training program called Transform? Yeah, so one of our programs earlier this year, we kicked off our program called Transform, which we partner with Outreach LGBT Center on and was funded by Madison Community Foundation of Fund for Women. So it's a career readiness program that serves transgender women and trans-feminine individuals. And so we've been working with a small cohort of women in their career paths, their interviewing journeys. It's been really rewarding and impactful. And the women that are in the program have taught me so much just from listening and learning from their stories. But also, being able to just talk to them and say, I remember one conversation I had with one of the women. And we were going back and forth on voice message. And she's like, oh my god, I'm so nervous, I'm sitting in my car. And I'm getting ready for this interview. I'm like, you got this, I have this voice recording. And I was like, all right, I need you to blast up your radio, blast up your music. You are amazing. You deserve this job. They deserve to have you. They would be lucky to have you. So just remember that you are interviewing that employer as much as they are interviewing you. And it might not be the right fit. But this in and of itself is going to give you experience in networking and interviewing. And there's just-- there's so much of value. And I know sometimes, right, we don't get the opportunity. But we always have to look at it as like, this was just another stepping stone in my journey. Yeah, one of the lessons that one of my early sales mentors taught me was, you either win or you learn. And that's exactly what you were just saying, right? You're either going to get it or you're not. And if you don't, it's not a loss. It's a learn. Like, what did you learn? Maybe you learned that the employer wasn't the right fit for you. Maybe you learned that you should have answered a question differently or whatever it is. Maybe you learned something. Yeah, we all have all been in those situations where we're like, oh, my God, I wanted that job so bad. And then you look back on it and you're like, oh, man, I dodged a bullet there. Like, I really wanted that at that time. But now I know that that was not the right opportunity. Now that they're filing Chapter 13 a year later, I'm so glad I did that. Absolutely, right? So Heidi or Maggie, is there anything that you want to talk about that we haven't touched on yet? I mean, I just want to say, like, we've talked about how it's going to be a really fun event and all of that stuff. But I also want people just to feel comfortable and confident and that it's a safe and uplifting space as well. We've worked really hard to ensure that we have-- as Heidi said, the right people there. There were some vendors that were not chosen because they weren't the right fit. And we were just really intentional about the space that we're creating. And I just want people to know that it may be out of their wheelhouse. It may be something that they've never done before. But this would probably be a good time to give it a go. Yeah, we still have a couple of spots. So we really only have two to three more booths available. And literally, today, they sold another spot was taken within three minutes of checking the numbers. So you can purchase booths and/or individual tickets or tables to the dinner event at openmadison.org. And yeah, I would encourage employers to do this for their staff because this is a benefit. It's going to be a great night. I can't wait. Thank you, Heidi, and Maggie so much for joining us tonight. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. You've shared it. Yep. To find out more about what's going on at openmadison, you can visit the website openmadison.org. Thank you, friends, so much for tuning in for tonight's edition of Query. I've been your host, Vicki Kenyon. Please make sure to come back next week for Query. We'll have more conversations with local folks about LGBTQ issues of all sorts. Giant thanks to Dave for making us sound great tonight. Thank you, friend. Thanks, Dave. Coming up next is a new edition of This Way Out. Please stay tuned and have an excellent evening. [MUSIC PLAYING] No. No. No. Time is 7.30 listening to WRT89.9 FM Madison Nurelist-Responsored Community Radio Station.
Heidi Duss, OPEN Madison's Board President, and Maggie Conrad, Founder & CEO of Little Light Solutions LLC join Vicki to talk about OPEN's mission to Break Barriers and Build Bridges.