The very first time I felt the full-fledged traumatic effects of racism was in Norway, in 2017. I went to Norway for a training course for a month. My fellow trainees and I were lodged at Vika, Oslo Central, which was a pretty decent area from what I was told. So, on one fateful afternoon
The talks about ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ is rife on social media! Almost every company has ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ listed as one of their core values. Leaders, both political and corporate, tirelessly preach about how ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ is one of their most valued and significant commitments. Even then, there are uncountable stories of unemployment, rejection, and depression among highly educated immigrants
Lately, I have been speaking to many parents and parents-to-be on their views of raising children in Norway. I ask questions around healthcare, kindergarten, standard of education, and the general welfare and state of mind of both parents and children. Most Norwegians and foreigners alike admit that the healthcare system is pretty solid. Of course,
As a man of obvious African decent I am well acquainted with many of the stereotypes associated to my image. These stereotypes and treatments vary slightly in my frequent travels around the world – from dismissive language from service industry works to apprehension from fellow commuters when I get ‘too close’. But I also recognize
My partner has a deadbeat childhood friend. Let’s call the deadbeat friend, “Dick,” and my partner, “Milan.” For Dick’s newly born precious son’s christening, Milan and I travelled about 6 hours to be present. After the Christening, we drove back to Dick’s, we figured we’d stay for an hour or two and then set off on
Some time ago, while exploring my possibilities of taking a paid language course for the Summer, because I am here on a working resident permit that does not qualify me for the free Norwegian courses, the attendant at the language school, clarified that there were no courses that I could currently join, as everyone was
For the most part, I see myself as a stereotypical Norwegian – blue eyes and blond hair. Growing up in the one of the richest municipalities in Norway, I was one of the lucky ones where we would always travel to a new destination each summer. Because I was one of the fortunate ones, I
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Chisom is an Economist, a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategist, and a 3 times founder of impact driven companies. She has over 14 years of experience working with organizations like the European Commission, The United Nations, ExxonMobil and The Economist Group. Chisom is analytical and a data enthusiast. She is passionate about interrogating the cross-sectoral relationship between society’s inhabitants, resources, production, technology, distribution and output. She efficiently and effectively unlocks complex systems, interprets data, forecasts socio-economic trends and conducts research.
Having lived and worked in 7 countries across 3 continents, she is highly adaptable to different circumstances and people, and thrives in uncertain environments.
As the founder of Diversify and Diversify Consult, Chisom and her team work with companies, institutions, governments and civil society to develop sustainable DEIB strategies and embed measurable diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and society. In addition, in 2022, Diversify launched the Diversify Nordics Summit, the largest conference in the Nordics that gathers cross-sectoral stakeholders to amplify DEIB in the Nordics and beyond.
In 2020, she founded HerSpace, a diverse and inclusive co-creation community for all genders, with particular focus on women and non-binary people. In 2022, HerSpace launched HerTech, Women in Tech incubator, for women-led companies, with a focus on the inclusion of diverse founders.
Chisom is a thought-leader in DEIB and a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness. She writes often on DEIB and justice related topics, some of her work is published on Forbes.