In our opinion, when we think about an ‘international’ woman in Norway, whose name is a both a brand and a verb, Alicia Partee comes to mind. Alicia is a brand because she is an advocate for progress, she holds strong and defendable opinions, is all around a force of nature, and simply makes us
Feeling clueless and confused in Norway? Here are six key recommendations to integrate and build network, community, and career in Norway. Ten years ago, or, perhaps, five or, maybe, two, you defied your fear of change and did what was thought to be unthinkable: you moved abroad. To a foreign country. Thousands of miles away,
When I landed in Norway, in the middle of the night, I remember it was cold. I was 9 years old, and my mom had, according to Islamic law, kidnapped me, and brought me to Norway. I moved from a big town full of people, friends, family and good food, to a little town with
At Diversify, we are forever smitten by women who put in the work. They never cease to amaze us. Elizabeth Iluore is a Nigerian, who arrived in Norway from the Netherlands in 2016, as a trailing spouse. Like many trailing spouses, she is highly skilled with a background in finance and public policy. And while
I recently picked up a book on diversity at the bookstore and barely four chapters in, I have made several notes – mental and written – on thoughts to further explore. One of my basic constructs of diversity (as I understand it) is that while we are seemingly different, if we listened and empathized without
Network for Work (NFW) is an organization that has been on our radar for about a year. A little while after Diversify was established, we learned about the amazing work NFW was engaged in – as a strong advocate for employment opportunities and facilitation for skilled immigrants, with a particular interest in Trailing Spouses. Nikol
Representation in all aspect of life matters. It matters every day and everywhere – in media, in our professional, social, political and personal lives. For many of us, it is comforting to feel that we can relate to someone or something. This might give us a feeling of community or reinforces the notion that we
I recently had an interesting conversation with a man on diversity, integration and inclusion – especially as it relates to immigrants and natives in Norway. He stated (I paraphrase) that both groups, speak equally about integration and inclusion but never really live by example. The question he usually asks people is: what are you doing
I’ll say it simply. Moving to a new country – whatever your reason, can be hard. Sometimes, it chokes the life out of you. It may even bring about rational and irrational fears you never thought were possible. The rising fear and insecurity of life not ‘falling into place’ has the capacity to stifle, diminish,
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
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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.