Made For Us

Tosin Sulaiman
Made For Us

Made For Us is an award-winning podcast for anyone who’s curious about how to design for inclusivity. Join us each week for conversations with founders, designers, product inclusion leaders and other creative minds who are challening the status quo of how everyday products are designed. Each episode will bring you insights from people who've spent years thinking, perhaps even obsessing, about how to develop products or build companies that are inclusive from the start. AWARDS 2024 Signal Awards: Bronze winner: Most Inspirational Podcast 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards: Finalist: Moment of Insight from a Role Model for 'Reflections on creating the headscarf emoji, with Rayouf Alhumedhi Finalist: Moment of Visionary Leadership for 'No going back': lessons from P&G's product inclusion journey, with Sam Latif'

  1. Sunscreen that works for every shade: the next big beauty trend? | Dujon Smith

    6D AGO

    Sunscreen that works for every shade: the next big beauty trend? | Dujon Smith

    We all need to protect our skin from the sun's rays, so why are so many sunscreens not formulated with darker skin tones in mind? In this episode, we sit down with Dujon Smith, founder of the inclusive sun care brand My Block Skin. We unpack the myths around sunscreen, the marketing gaps and the sobering stats, including why men of color have the lowest survival rates from melanoma. This episode also dives into: Dujon’s founder journey – from ideation and testing formulations to creating a lifestyle brandHow My Block Skin became the first black-owned sun care brand stocked at the UK pharmacy chain Boots in its 175-year historyHow companies can cater to overlooked audiences through social listening If this episode made you think, laugh, or go “hmm,” leave us a 5 star rating - and text it to a friend. You might also like: Rooting for you: the men's grooming brand winning over big retailers --- About Dujon Smith Dujon Smith is the founder and CEO of My Block Skin, a sun care brand redefining the industry with high-performance, melanin-inclusive formulas. Dujon launched My Block Skin in 2023 as a testament to his mission of inclusivity and innovation. Beyond My Block Skin, Dujon is a full-time investor at Accenture Ventures, where he leads the Founders Development Program, helping underrepresented entrepreneurs scale their technology businesses through access to capital, mentorship, and strategic partnerships.  Learn more about My Block Skin: http://www.myblockskin.com Follow Dujon C Smith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dujoncsmith/ Follow Dujon C Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dujoncsmith/ Resources: Accenture Thought Leadership on the Black Founders Venture Capital Gap: https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/a-com-migration/r3-3/pdf/pdf-172/Accenture-Bridging-Black-Founders-VC-Gap.pdf Skin Cancer Study on Men of Color: https://www.aad.org/news/melanoma-study-men-skin-of-color-lowest-survival-rates --- Connect with Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

    39 min
  2. Fixing the disability data gap: why inclusive AI starts with better data | Ariana Aboulafia

    APR 10

    Fixing the disability data gap: why inclusive AI starts with better data | Ariana Aboulafia

    In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked disability data gap in AI, and why it matters for equitable hiring. Ariana Aboulafia, who leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), joins us to share insights on designing more inclusive algorithmic systems and creating datasets that are more representative of disability. Whether you’re building AI, hiring talent, or advocating for accessibility, this episode is a great starting point for understanding how to reduce disability bias in technology. In the conversation, we explore: How effective AI hiring tools are at reducing human biasThe importance of including people with disabilities at every stage of AI development The challenges of getting accurate disability dataHow understanding the different definitions of disability can improve data collection Missed last week's episode? Would Stephen Hawking get hired today? The hiden bias in AI recruiting tools --- About Ariana Aboulafia Ariana Aboulafia leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, which focuses on the ways in which certain technologies impact disabled people. An attorney with a strong background in public interest advocacy, and with particular expertise in disability, technology, criminal law, and the First Amendment, Ariana has also worked as a public defender. Learn more about Ariana: https://cdt.org/staff/ariana-aboulafia/ Follow Ariana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianaaboulafia/   Follow Ariana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArianaAboulafia Read the disability data report: https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-23-Data-Disability-report-final.pdf --- Connect with  Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

    31 min
  3. Would Stephen Hawking get hired today? The hidden bias in AI recruiting tools, with Susan Scott-Parker

    APR 3

    Would Stephen Hawking get hired today? The hidden bias in AI recruiting tools, with Susan Scott-Parker

    Could AI hiring create more barriers for people with disabilities instead of levelling the playing field? In this episode, Susan Scott-Parker, founder of business disability international, says standardised and inflexible AI hiring systems risk shutting many people with disabilities out of the workforce. She makes the case for more inclusive HR technologies that are designed for the full range of human experience.  Tune in to learn more about: The unsettling truth about how AI hiring tools are screening out candidates with disabilities - and how to make them fairerHow HR leaders can challenge biases in AI hiring tools and demand more from the technology they invest inWhy Susan coined the term “disability confidence” and why it’s not just about “being nice” to disabled people Further listening: How to innovate responsibly, with McKinsey's Rikki Singh --- About Susan Scott-Parker Susan Scott-Parker OBE is a creative thought leader internationally recognised for her work on how to mobilise business leadership behind disability equality. She founded the world’s first business disability network, now the Business Disability Forum (UK). In 2016, she established business disability international and advises a growing global community on how to work productively with businesses as valued allies. Follow Susan Scott-Parker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanscottparker1/ Learn more about business disability international: https://www.businessdisabilityinternational.org/ Learn more about Project Nemo: https://projectnemo.co.uk/ Follow Amit Ghose: https://www.tiktok.com/@amitghosenf1 --- Connect with  Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

    29 min
  4. Be My Eyes: the app powering a global volunteer movement for accessibility | Hans Jørgen Wiberg

    MAR 20

    Be My Eyes: the app powering a global volunteer movement for accessibility | Hans Jørgen Wiberg

    Get the free Made For Us newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and exclusive interviews: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ --- When Danish furniture craftsman Hans Jørgen Wiberg launched Be My Eyes, an app connecting blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers, he had no idea it would grow into a global movement. But ten years after its launch, the app now boasts 800,000 blind users and over 8.5 million volunteers, more than the population of his country. In this episode, Hans, who is blind himself, tells the origin story of the app, how it “spread like wildfire” and Be My Eyes’ partnerships with companies like Microsoft and OpenAI. The conversation covers: The diverse and innovative ways people use the Be My Eyes appWhy microvolunteering - helping out for just a few minutes - has become such a powerful force for goodThe rapid growth of Be My AI, a new AI-powered feature providing users with quick visual assistance for everyday tasksThe challenges Be My Eyes faces in reaching underserved communities Missed last week's episode? Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech --- About Hans Jørgen Wiberg Hans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of Be My Eyes, a groundbreaking app that connects blind and visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers for real-time assistance via video calls. Born in Denmark and visually impaired himself, Hans created Be My Eyes in to address everyday challenges faced by blind and low-vision people. Under his leadership, the app has grown into a global community with 800,000 users and over 8 million volunteers in 150+ countries. --- Learn more about Be My Eyes : https://www.bemyeyes.com/  Follow Be My Eyes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bemyeyesapp/?hl=en  Follow Hans Jørgen Wiberg on LinkedIn: https://dk.linkedin.com/in/hans-j%C3%B8rgen-wiberg-8a16b915  --- Connect with Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/  Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

    31 min
  5. Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech, with TB Bardlavens - listener Q&A edition

    MAR 13

    Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech, with TB Bardlavens - listener Q&A edition

    Get the free Made For Us newsletter to access exclusive content and learn about future listener Q&As: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ --- TB Bardlavens, Director of Product Equity at Adobe, joins us for this special edition featuring questions from Made For Us listeners.  We discuss what it really means to build technology that works for everyone and how the Product Equity team tackles this challenge across all 137 of Adobe’s products. TB also shares how his team shaped Firefly, Adobe’s suite of generative AI tools, ensuring that its outputs truly reflect human diversity.  Along the way, TB answers listeners' questions on the impact of DEI rollbacks in the US and Adobe’s approach to building inclusive global products that respect cultural nuances. Other topics we explore: Why traditional product development often fails to meet human needsHow Adobe is embedding equity and accessibility across its entire product ecosystemThe human case and the business case for product equityThe role of AI in creativity and Adobe’s mission to empower, not replace, creatives Missed last week’s episode? AI vs the gender feedback gap --- About TB Bardlavens TB Bardlavens is chaotic good in its purest form. He is a Gay, Black man from the Carolinas, a highly regarded social intrapreneur, and an advocate for equity in technology and design. He is a Product Executive, Cultural Strategist, Diversity, Equity, and Justice expert, Co-Founder, Writer, and International Speaker and Facilitator. For more than a decade, TB has dedicated his career to dismantling systemic barriers, building and scaling teams, and launching innovative digital products for companies like Microsoft, Meta and Adobe. Learn more about TB Bardlavens: https://www.bardlavens.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bardlavens  Instagram: https://instagram.com/bardlavens  ---  Connect with Made for Us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

    40 min
  6. AI vs the feedback gap: making workplace feedback fairer, with Textio's Mykel Rangel

    MAR 6

    AI vs the feedback gap: making workplace feedback fairer, with Textio's Mykel Rangel

    Join the Made For Us community by signing up for our free newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ --- How does bias show up in workplace feedback, and can AI help fix it? In this episode, we speak with Mykel Rangel, VP of Engineering at Textio, a company that has built AI-driven tools that are reshaping the way managers give feedback and how recruiters craft job ads. We explore the hidden biases in performance reviews, how feedback impacts employee retention and pay, and what leaders can do to create more equitable workplaces. We also cover: Textio’s research on workplace feedback and what language can reveal about a company’s cultureWhy women tend to get more personality-based feedback than menHow AI can help managers close the feedback gapStrategies for evaluating AI tools for bias mitigation Enjoyed what you heard? Pass it on to a friend - or tell the world with a 5-star review. Missed last week's episode? Subtitles for real life? There's a pair of glasses for that --- About Mykel Rangel  Mykel Rangel is the Vice President of Engineering at Textio, a company using artificial intelligence to help organisations create more inclusive, effective, and engaging written communication. Starting off as a tech writer, Mykel transitioned into software before joining Textio.  Learn more about Textio: https://textio.com Follow Mykel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykel-rangel-18963322/ Read the report on bias in performance feedback: https://textio.com/feedback-bias-2024  --- Connect with  Made for Us Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

    31 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Made For Us is an award-winning podcast for anyone who’s curious about how to design for inclusivity. Join us each week for conversations with founders, designers, product inclusion leaders and other creative minds who are challening the status quo of how everyday products are designed. Each episode will bring you insights from people who've spent years thinking, perhaps even obsessing, about how to develop products or build companies that are inclusive from the start. AWARDS 2024 Signal Awards: Bronze winner: Most Inspirational Podcast 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards: Finalist: Moment of Insight from a Role Model for 'Reflections on creating the headscarf emoji, with Rayouf Alhumedhi Finalist: Moment of Visionary Leadership for 'No going back': lessons from P&G's product inclusion journey, with Sam Latif'

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