Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Urrutia Gedney and Beatriz Garcia.
Hi Marisa and Beatriz, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
During the height of pandemic uncertainty, as we collectively witnessed a movement calling for resolutions to combat systemic racism and workplace issues like pay inequity and racist hiring practices, we had a strong call to make a space for people to be witnessed and supported as they spoke up.
We realized the toll on our confidence and power after experiencing inequities throughout our careers. Our truth became clear: we desire and demand justice at work. Our focus is to help marginalized folks heal from workplace harm, unlearn internalized oppression, rise up in their power to keep fighting, be understood and be taken care of.
Starting with a healing circle series, we kicked off a five weeks workshop for women and gender expansive BIPOC to share their stories and heal together. We invite participants to discuss their challenges and the impact of indignities, learn the language of oppression and validate the harm they’ve experienced, call back their power and ask what they need to demand and from who, and then help them create meaningful self-care practices to carry them through their most vulnerable and brave moments.
After running five cohorts of the healing circle, it became evident that this wasn’t only about individual transformation. We are expanding our work and taking on consultant projects and are working with several organizations and companies to support their Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion work.
Because we envision a world in which workplace systemic oppression is dismantled and women and gender expansive BIPOC advocates thrive, radically impacting the communities we represent and serve, our services are growing to reach more people and businesses.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Working at a pace that matches the mental, physical, and emotional impact of living through the pandemic, we don’t push ourselves with imaginary deadlines or a sense of urgency. The struggle is unlearning the effects of capitalist white dominant working norms because it’s difficult to not feel like we could always be doing more.
Also, we didn’t see each other in-person for over a year! We adapted to meeting virtually, but there was something so special when we were both vaccinated and able to start seeing each other in person occasionally.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Your Truth at Work is a BIPOC healing space for women and gender expansive advocates who demand and desire equity and justice at work. Our programs focus on supporting individuals challenging and dismantling white-dominant norms.
We run healing circles and a Speak Your Truth series on topics like the harm of HR practices and money shame. We partner with our community to host workshops, most recently we collaborated with V Go, a transformative non-binary artist and activist, to create Imagining New Worlds through Inner Dialogue, a workshop focused on the practice of liberation that nurtures gender expansiveness. We brought our organization expertise and V brought their vision and dynamic facilitation.
We offer 1 on 1 coaching to support those struggling with workplace oppression. Our consulting services use our combined 30 years of nonprofit executive leadership experience to serve companies committing to anti-racist work, re-evaluating their DEI efforts and initiatives, naming and acknowledging the harm their policies create. Other examples of our services include dialogue facilitation, program design, customized workshops, and executive coaching.
We guide people to define and build strategies for belonging while facing personal bias and fighting systems of oppression. Our work is an invitation for those craving to be witnessed, acknowledged, seen, and cared for as they recover from the harm of white-dominant culture. We support people’s healing so they can sustain the work.
We believe when critical thinkers, who are powerful change-makers, start to heal a generation of bold BIPOC & gender expansive leaders grounded in their power and worth will reach new limits of equity and justice.
We’re proud of creating and upholding work norms rooted in love, care, respect, admiration, acknowledgment, validation, and feeling valued. We consistently hear that people have never seen this kind of support offered and we’re excited to fill a gap, to meet the people that are in need of this support, and be part of a movement making the workplace more equitable.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Marisa: I was always dancing or bouncing on a trampoline, writing stories about my nana and her friends, and adamantly telling people how to correctly pronounce my name.
Beatriz: You could always find me outside with my beloved dog Osa, playing with my siblings and cousins – crooked ponytail, scraped knees, and daydreaming while laying on the grass.
Contact Info:
- Email: yourtruthatwork@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.yourtruthatwork.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourtruthatwork/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourtruthatwork
Image Credits:
Photos by Jorge Segura Design by Anna Lian Tes
