Recorded live in front of an audience at the 2026 LEAD Conference in Dublin, Allyson and Sarah throw out the traditional script for an open, unfiltered ‘Ask Me Anything’ session. This episode tackles the friction points that leaders and teams encounter daily across retail, FMCG, and consumer goods.
From the myth of pure meritocracy to intersectionality, this is a completely unscripted conversation. With the audience pulling up a chair to the table, Allyson and Sarah lean into the uncomfortable truths for real talk on what it actually takes to drive inclusion when the stakes are high.
Please see below for some relevant resources in relation to today's episode.
Recorded on the 7th of October 2026.
Podcast producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Resources:
Videos & Podcasts:
Emmanuel Acho Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (2020) Video series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@emmanuelacho/videos
Kimberle Crenshaw’s TedTalk “The Urgency of Intersectionality” (2018). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOe5-UsQ2o She also hosts the podcast Intersectionality Matters!
#RaceAnd video series https://colorlines.com/articles/our-new-video-series-raceand-captures-essence-intersectionality
Books:
Layla F. Saad, Me and White Supremacy (2020)
Academic Articles & Research:
Rosette & Livingston (2012), “Failure is not an option for Black women: Effects of organizational performance on leaders with single versus dual-subordinate identities,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Travis, D. J., Thorpe-Moscon, J., & McCluney, C. (2016). Emotional tax: How Black women and men pay more at work and how leaders can take action. Catalyst. https://www.catalyst.org/insights/2016/emotional-tax-how-black-women-and-men-pay-more-at-work-and-how-leaders-can-take-action
","author_name":"LEAD Network"}