FILLING THE GAPS TOGETHER
Coming together to pave a way to equity, telling every story...
As we embark on this journey of interviewing our male allies, we are confident that together we are building a more equitable world—for all people. Each role model is taking 30 minutes of their time to give back and to lead by example. We feature all the stories tnat need to be told AND heard.
Our second male ally is Robert Baker, an allyship specialist, diversity advocate, and leader in inclusive leadership. With over 40 years of experience, Robert has dedicated his work to addressing unconscious bias, promoting mature masculinity, and mentoring men as allies. This conversation is incredibly insightful and impactful, making it a must-listen!
One of our key takeaways thus far is that the focus should not be solely on men or women, but on humanity as a whole, fostering connection, community, maturity, and collaboration. It is immature masculinity that needs to change. We are interconnected and have a unique opportunity to drive change that benefits everyone.
If you know a male ally whom we should feature, please email us.
Continuing to build the largest online library of role models, leading by example to get to 1000+ stories!
Thank you for being here with us!
Stephanie xxx
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Crafting their own narratives, meet our role models this week...
A True Ally
We are excited to share the second male role model of our Ally-Series: Robert Baker.
He is an internationally recognised Allyship Specialist at Encompass Equality and a global thought leader on male allies in DEI and engaging men in gender equality and inclusion.
With over 40 years of experience in international HR consulting, Robert dedicates his expertise to helping organisations attract, retain, and develop diverse talent through inclusive workplace strategies.
As the Founder and CEO of his consulting company and in collaboration with Encompass Equality, Robert runs impactful workshops, leadership coaching sessions, and speaking engagements that empower male leaders to become authentic allies in the DEI space.
Robert is also a committed advocate beyond corporate walls.
He serves as: Trustee for UN Women UK / Vice Chair of European Women on Boards / Global Ambassador for PWN Global Associate at Token Man Consulting / Disrupter in Residence in D&I at EDHEC Business School / Lecturer on Male Allyship at the University of Amsterdam Academy.
His work has earned him numerous accolades, including:
Top 50 Trailblazer in Gender Equity (2023) / Corporate Male Champion of the Year (2024) / Companion of the Chartered Management Institute
We are so grateful for Robert’s approach to allyship, mentorship, and leadership, showing us how to build inclusive cultures that drive meaningful change.
Pivot At Any Age…
Meet Brenda Hart, the Managing Director of Soft&Co, who started her bespoke furniture and design company at the tender age of 50. This South African furniture design brand is redefining home styling through bespoke, handcrafted collections.
With a passion for quality, artistry, and personalisation, the Soft&Co team creates elegant, functional pieces that reflect each client’s unique taste.
“Bringing intentional design home. All the years and hard work put into it, has led me to this place. Experience backs your journey.”
Compose Your Life…
Ever wished for a private concierge, offering a variety of personal services, from home cleaning, personal styling to -cheffing, and interior design?
Meet Grace Wheeler, the founder of Compozure, providing you with exactly these professionals, to check off your to-do-list, so you can focus on everything else!
Graze took back her time and is now helping others do the same.
Compozure is a modern private concierge service redefining what it means to live a seamless, balanced life. From juggling a fast-paced New York lifestyle to building Compozure, they turned personal overwhelm into a powerful solution, tackling to-dos, errands, and life admin so clients can focus on what truly matters.
“Entrepreneurship, business-building, start-ups are all about problem solving with unpredictable challenges and problems—keep going!
Investing in people to help build the right culture is super important when building a business that serves others.”
Join us for our upcoming In-Person Speaker Series with Christine Murphy
On Monday, 16 June, Stephanie Ferrario will be in conversation with Author Christine Murphy, to talk about her first book “Notes on Surviving the Fire”.
Join us in Fulham | London at 7pm
Please RSVP here by Tuesday, 10 June
Christine Murphy has lived, worked, and travelled in more than a hundred countries, including eleven months in a tent on the African continent and a year as a resident in a Buddhist nunnery in the Himalayas. She is a trained Buddhistologist with a Ph.D. in religious studies. Murphy joins Stephanie to discuss everything from her top tips of navigating the times we live in to writing her first novel, Notes on Surviving the Fire.
