Joyce Osei, Business Analyst, Diversity & Inclusion Advocate and Author
Experience in Diversity & Inclusion and Audience Engagement
Joyce Osei is on a mission to inspire, impact and innovate with Entrepreneurs and Senior Leaders in Tech. She is a Business Analyst, Diversity & Inclusion Advocate and a published author.
Over the past 7 years, Joyce has worked to increase the representation of women in male-dominated industries by supporting leaders to attract, retain and develop their female talent.
She has done this by working with corporates on awards programmes which showcase and celebrate women as role models in their industry sector.
Joyce has also worked with senior decision-makers and influencers to enable their female talent to be informed, inspired and empowered via tailored solutions such as e-learning platforms and industry-specific conferences.
With over 15 years of experience in client-facing roles, Joyce has supported Leaders in Tech, Legal, Media, Transport & Logistics and Banking & Finance to create and build inclusive corporate cultures so that their employees can be authentic, fully contribute and thrive.
“You don't need to have 'Leader' in your job title to be one. It starts with you-taking ownership of your ideas and actions. Do your research and make sure you surround yourself with people who have more insights than you and are already doing what you want to do.”
Joyce Osei
As part of tackling under-representation in Diversity & Inclusion, Joyce wrote and published her first book in 2020 - 'The Adventures of Amma and Kwessi in Barbados'. A children's story which increases the representation of African Caribbean characters and celebrates different cultures.
She has also co-authored Voices of Hope, sharing her personal story of how she became an author to inspire and transform other people's lives, particularly women.
Joyce now works with Entrepreneurs and Senior Leaders to help them increase diverse representation in the digital content they produce, so they can better engage with their audience and impact the world.
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career/role or areas of focus.
I support Entrepreneurs and Senior Leaders in the Tech industry to increase their audience engagement in Diversity & Inclusion.
I do this by increasing the representation of people who are underrepresented in the workplace via the digital content they produce.
I also support Founders to increase their brand presence through social media and online events.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
Tackling inequalities and social justice - I put solutions in place to help transform these issues. Making businesses grow and flourish by increasing representation when it comes to Diversity & Inclusion.
I'm also motivated to create a safe space for underrepresented people so they can have their voices heard and shift perceptions by sharing their experiences.
Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have?
I'm very passionate about Diversity, Equality & Inclusion. This passion led me to write and publish my first children's book because I believe representation matters.
'The Adventures of Amma and Kwessi in Barbados' is inspired by my children and my Ghanaian and Barbadian heritage and is available on Etsy.
I am also a co-author of Voice Of Hope, a compilation of women's stories shared to heal, inspire and transform lives.
When it comes to your life chosen career, is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
"What you know doesn't grow you." - What this means to me is that every day, I have to step out of my comfort zone and reach out to others in order to find solutions.
It means I have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, especially in challenging and uncertain times like now. Each time I do this, something magical happens. I highly recommend it!
What are you most proud of in your life?
Being able to make a difference in people's lives. I've done many things in my life that I am proud of, but ultimately I am most proud of my family.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
The importance of leadership because growing up it wasn't a topic of conversation. If I'd known the importance of leadership at the start of my career, I would have understood better how the world works.
I would also have realised earlier that you don't need to have 'Leader' in your job title to be one. It starts with you-taking ownership of your ideas and actions.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
Tyler Perry, because of his creativity and innovation. He had a vision, overcame adversity, and he made it happen.
He creates and produces all his content which increases the representation of Black people.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Deloitte UK because even though they have been on their Inclusion journey for over 5 years, they also acknowledge they still have some way to go. They responded to the Black Lives Matter movement by listening and learning from the experiences of their Black employees, and they followed up with and launched The Black Action Plan.
Voice At The Table because they support companies to tap into the diversity of their people by improving inclusive behaviours of leaders and teams. When you create an inclusive culture, you're more likely to fully contribute and be your authentic self which then positively impacts the individual, the team and the business.
One Hand Can't Clap, is all about collective work and responsibility. They have been transforming the lives of African Caribbean people for 20 years using insights from Jamaican proverbs to teach inclusive leadership so that they can positively impact the organisations they work in and the society they live in. This is vital as there is a significant lack of representation of Black people at a senior level across all industries.
WeAreTheCity has been supporting companies to attract, retain and develop their female talent for over 10 years, particularly in the Tech sector. They also organise awards programmes to showcase women in the industry and to raise awareness of the gender divide and skills shortage that are still affecting the Tech sector.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"Give more than you get!"
It's simply about contributing to others regardless of where you find yourself.
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
I thrive when I am in an environment where everyone is able to be creative and innovative and do the work they love.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
We all need to be connected. I think there will be even more platforms in future due to the impact of the pandemic.
I believe this will fuel growth for people wanting to connect more in the context of wellbeing globally.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
LinkedIn because it's enabled me to meet business owners and gain visible insights on a global scale.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?
I believe in the importance of mentors because they challenge me to think differently and open my eyes and mind to different perspectives.
I have three mentors and a coach who continually and positively stretch me.
I mentor young people that are at the start of their careers, and I also reverse mentor a couple of senior leaders by sharing my insights on Diversity and Inclusion.
How do you network?
To effectively network, I strategically plan what I am going to do and who I'd like to connect with.
Prior to the pandemic, I attended a variety of industry events in the Diversity and Inclusion space organised by WeAreTheCity; One Hand Can't Clap; Voice The Table and Your Future Your Ambition. Now, I mainly network by reconnecting with people via LinkedIn.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
Do your research and make sure you surround yourself with people who have more insights than you and are already doing what you want to do.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Lack of clarity. When you're not clear on what you are pursuing, you don't know what actions you need to take; then you get stuck!
That's why it's really important to surround yourself with the right people. They will shape how you perceive a situation.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
Building relationships with people at all levels and across a variety of industry sectors. This has helped me because I gain insights into the nuances in Gender Diversity & Inclusion some women face. For example, women in the Media industry compared with women in Law firms.
I can identify gaps and collaborate with relevant people from my network to create solutions that transform these challenges. I also love to connect people in my network who share similar values, so they can collaborate too.
I did this when I connected an IP Law Firm, an Insurance company and a company in Professional Services who were all struggling to recruit Black talent with a Social Enterprise who organised career events for Black boys and men. It was a success, and they are now going into their third year of working together.
My resilience has massively helped when things don't go the way I've planned. I take the lessons learnt and try to incorporate them into my new experience.
Is there anything new that you are working on or involved in that you would like to share?
I am currently working with Frog Systems; they offer a video-based mental health and wellbeing solution that captures the power of the lived experience, the shared experience and offers hope and support to those in need.
I am collaborating with the team, so our digital content is in alignment with their commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion. I am also a Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador at Book Brilliance Publishing working to transform the publishing landscape by building a pipeline of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic authors. During the lockdown, I have been working on my second children's story, set in Ghana, and due to be published in 2021.