‘If not now then when? If not me, then who?’
This is what Linda Howard asked herself when she decided to take action and become an advocate. Linda Howard provides thought leadership to organizations and impacts thousands of professionals through board membership, keynotes, and authorship. She is a multi-faceted individual with over 35 years of experience in law, compliance, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), and multicultural competency.
In this episode, we talk about Linda’s experience with serial grief, challenges in the legal field, authenticity in the workplace, religious tolerance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the impact of AI on health equity. We also discuss her experiences of traveling to various mosques during Ramadan and the significance of spiritual experiences and her book, Crescent Over Crossroad.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction to Linda Howard: Expertise in Law, Compliance, and DEI
02:06 Impact of Serial Grief and Purpose-Driven Life
05:06 Changes to Be More Purpose-Driven and Relocation to Morocco
09:58 Why Linda Wrote her Book
25:35 The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace
39:41 What to know about AI’s use in the Medical Field
38:11 How Linda advocates for medical equity
Who is Linda Howard?
With over 35 years in law, compliance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Linda Howard is a distinguished expert who has honed her attorney, consultant, and entrepreneur skills in some of the most challenging environments. She is the entrepreneurial force behind With Linda Howard and Alturnative, specialized consultancies driving DEI, ethics, and compliance transformations within organizations. Linda’s extensive experience also extends into the literary world, where she is the author of Crescent Over Crossroads, a book that explores intersections of cultural identity and global politics.
An alumna of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Linda has served as Interim Chief Compliance Officer for TAF and UI Health (University of Illinois Hospital System), Interim CEO and President of the National Wellness Institute (NWI) Board of Directors, Associate VP of Business Ethics at Amerigroup Corporation, provided legal counsel at top New York City law firms, and held the role of Senior In-House Counsel at EY.
Linda is a skillful communicator who delivers challenging messages with compassion, transparency, and strength. As an inspirational, informative, and authentic public speaker, advisor, and author, she has inspired and educated audiences for decades. Linda has provided DEI advisory services to corporations, nonprofits, and elite academic institutions. She has spoken at numerous international conferences and was a founding NWI’s Multicultural Competency Committee member. Linda was the chief architect behind several innovative online DEI courses. Her work has established her as an influential voice and leader in fostering inclusive and ethical organizational cultures.
Mic Drop Moments:
“One of the things that’s had a real impact on me and that has driven the purpose in my life is having gone through the experience of serial grief.”
“Imagine standing at the crossroads where race, religion and gender intersect, caught in the swirling winds of societal expectations, personal beliefs and professional aspirations.”
“Life is a journey and you go through bumps in the road, sometimes you move a little bit off your course, and then you have something that brings you back to your center.”
“Find work that aligns with who you are.”
“I know that you can have differences in religion and find harmony.”
“AI needs to be subjected to tests and more transparency.”
“We need more regulations and transparency in AI, especially in the healthcare industry.”
“I took people along with me on my journey during the month of Ramadan.”
“Lessons around resilience and introspection from my book have inspired readers to engage in meaningful conversations.”
Resources:
Get Linda’s Book: Crescent Over Crossroad
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