Julie Kratz’s career (see her bio below) has been defined by one central question: How can leaders create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued? After spending 12 years in Corporate America—and often feeling like she didn’t belong—Julie pivoted to build a career around allyship and inclusion. Today, she’s a leading voice on what it takes to create cultures of belonging, authoring seven books and founding International Allyship Day. In this conversation, Julie and I explore: How early career experiences at Caterpillar and in consulting shaped her perspective on leadership and inclusion. Why COVID both accelerated and complicated conversations around allyship. The “roller coaster” of DEI work and how organizations can move from good intentions to lasting systems of change. Her candid take on hiring practices, bias, and what truly creates equitable opportunities. Insights from her new book, We Want You: An Allyship Guide for People with Power, are a call to action for those in leadership roles to engage fully in creating inclusive cultures. From her Buckeye roots to becoming a nationally recognized author, speaker, and professor, Julie shares hard-earned lessons, fresh data, and practical tools for leaders who want to navigate today’s multi-generational, diverse workforce with courage and care. This episode is brought to you by... Ever wish your company updates could be less "quarterly earnings report" and more "late-night talk show"? At Pelaccio & Partners, we're revolutionizing internal communications with podcasts that employees actually want to listen to. Imagine podcast episodes that make your employees laugh while staying informed. Our founder, Jeff Pelaccio, doesn't just create podcasts; he creates conversations that break through the noise. Whether you're a growing startup or a massive corporation, we turn your company's story into audio gold. Leadership becomes human. Remote teams feel connected. Your message cuts through the clutter. Jeff is happy to share his insights on podcasting with you. You can contact him via LinkedIn or schedule a Zoom call via this link - 15-minute call with Jeff. About Julie: Julie Kratz has dedicated her career to allyship and inclusion. After spending 12 years in Corporate America, experiencing many career “pivot points,” due to her own lack of belonging, she started her own speaking business with the goal of helping leaders be better allies. Promoting allyship in the workplace, she helps organizations foster more inclusive environments so that everyone can feel seen, heard, and belong. Julie is a professor at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, hosts a regular Forbes column on allyship, is a frequent keynote speaker, podcast host, and TEDx speaker. She is also the creator of the Lead Like an Ally training program and the Founder of the annual International Allyship Day program in NYC. She holds an MBA, is a Certified Master Coach, and is a certified unconscious bias and psychological safety trainer. Julie is the author of 7 books, including We Want You: An Allyship Guide for People with Power, Allyship in Action: 10 Practices for Living Inclusively, The Little Allies children’s book, and more.
