Leading Systemic Change: Black History Month’23 Panel Discussion

In celebration of US Black History Month, Jazmine Brown from Multiverse teamed up with BYP Network’s NYC-based leadership, Robert Newman, for an evening of networking and a panel discussion centered around “Leading Systemic Change”. Hosted at Multiverse’s NYC office on February 7th, the event drew in more than sixty Black young professionals from across the region.

BYP Network was founded by Kiki Oniwinde in 2016 as she identified the need to connect Black professionals and students from all over the world with role models, career opportunities, and business support, and ultimately, to empower Black professionals to solve their own problems. Though founded in the UK, BYP has a global community called BYPeers. In 2022, BYPeers launched in New York City. BYP and Multiverse are both mission-driven organizations dedicated to supporting Black individuals along their career journeys and our aligned missions resulted in a synergy that was felt throughout this event. 

As people filtered in, the room began to buzz with conversation and connection. This event had attendees with a diverse range of professional backgrounds; from teachers to entrepreneurs, apprentices, finance professionals, digital marketers, and more. It was clear that this was an intentional space filled with passionate individuals who had a shared desire for genuine connection. 

Panel Discussion on Leading Systemic Change

Once most people had arrived, we settled in for the highlight of the evening, an engaging panel discussion featuring: 

• Jelani Taylor, Enterprise Account Executive at Multiverse,
• Stewart Williams, Managing Director of Talent Development at OneTen, and
• Zoe Onegywara, Digital Marketing Apprentice Alumni & Creative Operations Coordinator at Visible by Verizon.

The panel was moderated by Multiverse DEI Manager, Jazmine Brown.

In addition to focusing on the theme of “Leading Systemic Change”, the panelists also touched on the 2023 BHM theme “Black Resistance”. Each panelist, with their unique background, brought fresh ideas and context to the discussion. 

Through the presence of Stewart Williams, we got to hear the perspective of leadership at OneTen, another mission-aligned organization that resonates with BYP and Multiverse. Stewart shared, “access to education should not be predicated on pedigree”, which is a sentiment that resonates deeply with all organizations involved. Stewart went on to share about the importance of finding your community, because often, “it’s not just who you know, but who knows you” that can make all the difference in your career. 

When asked about the power of an individual to create impact in their spaces, Jelani shared the importance of tapping into the human part of you. Check in to ask yourself, “Does the work I’m doing align with my purpose?” If it doesn’t, what needs to change? If it does, is there more you can be doing to work toward positive change? 

Multiverse Alumni, Zoe Onegywara, was then asked about how she sees herself being part of systemic change. She shared, “I’m going to champion systemic change through being an alumni buddy. I can be the person that apprentices come to for support.” Zoe’s response was a reminder to everyone in the room that sometimes systemic change isn’t about huge corporate-level impact, but rather, a reminder that we can choose to take action in our daily lives to support others. 

Looking to the Future

As the panel wrapped up and the evening turned to individual networking, Stewart reminded us once more about the importance of community. “Show me your clique and I’ll show you your future”, he shared. Leaving us all with the reminder that the people we choose to surround ourselves with are the people who influence the lives and careers we will lead. 

So the question for each of us this Black History Month and beyond is to consider the following: 

Who is your community? What do they stand for and what does that mean for your future?

Thank you to Jazmine Brown (Multiverse) and Robert Newman (BYPeers) for putting this event together! 

This article has been written by the Multiverse Community Team.