The Future of DEI with The Courage Collective
The Future of DEI with The Courage Collective
We’ve had the opportunity to get to know Daniel Oppong (he/him) and Sunday Helmerich (they/them) from The Courage Collective over the past two years. We’ve long admired the work that they do.
Recently, we sat down with them to explore what it really means to embed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) into workplace culture. Our conversation focused on how DEIB shows up in values, how systems either support or hinder progress, and why behavioral change is the heart of lasting impact. Whether you’re just starting this work or deep into the journey, we hope this conversation offers insights and inspiration.
Check out our conversation:
[This conversation has been edited and condensed for brevity.]
Hannah: What was the impetus for starting The Courage Collective?
Daniel: We wanted to make DEIB more human and integrated across the employee journey. At the time, I was at an employee experience company struggling to implement DEI initiatives. I realized that waiting for people who didn’t share the same urgency wasn’t an option—I needed to take action. The conversation around DEI felt polarized and abstract; I wanted to create something lasting, human-centered, and embedded in workplace culture.
Hannah: Sunday, how did you get involved?
Sunday: I was working at a company that hired Daniel, and I saw firsthand the impact of his work. For the first time, I truly got to know colleagues I’d worked with for a year because The Courage Collective created space for it. That experience reshaped how we saw and treated each other. I was excited to work behind the scenes to help integrate this into workplace systems.
Hannah: What are some of the biggest reasons organizations are reaching out to you and what are some of the primary ways you support organizations?
Daniel: When we started in 2020-2021, there was a rush of companies responding to public pressure without a clear vision. Others were genuinely committed to inclusion but needed help with strategy.
Our services have evolved to the present day, where we focus on creating cultures of inclusion and belonging in three main ways:
Strategic Consulting: Listening to employees, identifying priorities, and creating actionable DEIB strategies.
People Development: Supporting leaders and managers in fostering inclusive workplaces.
Inclusive Design: Helping organizations better understand and serve diverse employee needs.
We see ourselves as employee advocates—helping leaders empower their teams.
Sunday: My favorite projects are the ones where we start with strategy, then get called back to support a specific project, like leadership development or ERGs. It allows for deeper, sustained impact.
Hannah: How do you measure your success and impact?
Sunday: Impact happens on two levels—systems and culture. You need to set up fair, consistent processes, but you can’t stop there. If you have a great hiring and promotions process, but a workplace where people don't trust and respect each other, then you have a great system with unhappy people.
We try to come at it holistically, where you're focused on setting up systems in a way so that people have as consistent and equitable a chance as possible to succeed here. At the same time, we’re asking: what does the culture feel like?
One without the other leads to shallow change. It’s about building both simultaneously, moving the needle forward slowly, and holding each other accountable.
Hannah: Every day there's a new headline about DEIB being rolled back. It can be overwhelming to read. What do you say when people come to you with concerns, and what do you think this means?
Daniel: I would say three things:
For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. In 2020, there was a fever pitch of urgent action. I think we’re in an equal-and-opposite reaction moment right now.
It doesn’t change the fact that the demographics in the world are still shifting. Because organizations will always have people, you have to think about how you are meeting the needs of your team, whether you call that inclusion and belonging or not. For us, regardless of the language, the question is - what is the work?
Number three, there are still organizations who are continuing, because it is tied to their value system. It's unchanged because it wasn't an outside-in thing. It's always been an inside-out thing.Companies that prioritize DEIB from an internal values perspective will continue, while those driven by optics may not.
I understand there's some trepidation, and there are some very real implications. So we're not denying or negating the real life implications. But we’re holding the reality of the present moment while also thinking about how to continue to create cultures where people can truly thrive.
Hannah: What’s one critical action that leaders can take right now to create more belonging?
Sunday: Equip managers at all levels to build real connections on their teams. Regular one-on-ones aren’t enough if you’re only covering tasks and tactics. If you don't feel like your individual reports know you and trust you, there can’t be a sense of belonging. Trust starts—and stops—with managers.
Hannah: What excites you about the future of your work?
Sunday: M We were just talking about chatGPT earlier and how it equips you to be more productive. My hope is that we can use tools like AI to create efficiencies that free up more time for creativity and connection. If we have tools to make work more productive, it provides an opportunity to pause and make work more human.
Daniel: I'll add that there's a real opportunity for beauty to come from pain and challenging circumstances. I think this present moment is inviting a level of resilience and reimagination - and probably refocusing and re-centering on what the work is. The real question is: how do we prioritize the human experience at work? That’s what excites me—continuing to work toward that.
Whatever form it takes, whatever language is used, if we're going to be working with people, we need to prioritize their experience.
Hannah: Would it be accurate to say that by moving away from what we're calling it and focusing more on the human experience, maybe in some ways, we're actually getting even closer to where we want to go or where we need to go?
Daniel: That's the opportunity. My hope is that there are some companies who have demonstrated DEIB as a part of their core values. They’re interested in investing in their people and their consumers, and because of that, they will continue. Nothing has changed for them.
But we’re at a fork in the road moment. If it was about optics and PR, it's easier to not continue.
Our hope is that it will drive some people closer to prioritizing the human experience, and some people are going to depart from that. That's just the reality of the current climate.
Hannah: To finish off, I just want to summarize that we shouldn’t just focus not on sole initiatives, but to ground them in values. That’s so beautiful. Let’s all start there.
Our biggest takeaway?
DEIB is slow but essential work. It’s about consistent, thoughtful action that creates spaces where everyone can thrive. We invite you to reflect: How do these ideas show up in your workplace? How can your systems and behaviors better reflect the values you hold? We’d love to hear what resonates with you.