Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What happens when your company's DEI commitment quietly becomes “culture fit” and “team dynamics”? Design teams everywhere are watching equity work get softened into safer language—or disappear altogether. The urgency that once drove real change is being repackaged, watered down, or simply abandoned. Join Lauren Yanko, AIGA board member, and Michelle Leclerc, AIGA LA's DEIA Director, for an honest conversation about staying committed to equity when organizations are backing away. This isn't about pointing fingers—it's about real strategies for real people doing the work. We'll explore:
• Spotting when language changes hides deeper retreats from equity
• Continuing meaningful work even when leadership loses interest
• Managing the personal cost of holding ground when others won't
No corporate platitudes, just straight talk about sustaining equity work when it's no longer convenient.
What happens when your company's DEI commitment quietly becomes “culture fit” and “team dynamics”? Design teams everywhere are watching equity work get softened into safer language—or disappear altogether. The urgency that once drove real change is being repackaged, watered down, or simply abandoned. Join Lauren Yanko, AIGA board member, and Michelle Leclerc, AIGA LA's DEIA Director, for an honest conversation about staying committed to equity when organizations are backing away. This isn't about pointing fingers—it's about real strategies for real people doing the work. We'll explore:
• Spotting when language changes hides deeper retreats from equity
• Continuing meaningful work even when leadership loses interest
• Managing the personal cost of holding ground when others won't
No corporate platitudes, just straight talk about sustaining equity work when it's no longer convenient.
