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What does it mean to become an “interrupter” in the face of injustice, exclusion, or systems that no longer serve people?

In this episode of KnowThyBrand, Giulia is joined by Carrie Sawyer, founder of Diversity by Design and Inclusion First Institute, for a deeply human conversation about inclusion, advocacy, leadership, and transformation.

Carrie shares the story behind her book Ripples of Inclusion, created after collecting hundreds of questions from people across the United States following the murder of “George Floyd in 2020. Together, they explore what it means to ask difficult questions, how to safely support others, and why even the smallest actions can create meaningful ripple effects.

The conversation then shifts into Carrie’s personal experience with breast cancer and how that journey is now inspiring a new vision: HELD, a women’s health innovation lab focused on healing, education, leadership, and disruption within healthcare systems.

This episode is a powerful reflection on courage, empathy, advocacy, and the importance of understanding the unique role each of us can play in creating change.

Topics Covered:

• The Power of Becoming an “Interrupter”: what it means to interrupt harmful systems, behaviours, or moments of exclusion and why small actions can create lasting ripple effects.
• Creating Safe Spaces for Difficult Conversations: why asking questions requires courage, emotional awareness, and an understanding of timing, trust, and psychological safety.
• Inclusion Beyond Labels: how inclusion extends across race, gender, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ communities, and access to resources.
• The Ripple Effect of Small Actions: why even brief moments of support or intervention can profoundly impact another person’s life.
• Navigating Allyship Without Entitlement: understanding the difference between offering support and expecting emotional labour from others.
• Leadership Through Personal Experience: how Carrie’s breast cancer journey transformed her perspective on healthcare, advocacy, and systemic gaps in patient support.
• Healthcare Systems and Patient Advocacy: why patients often feel pressured to surrender authority over their own bodies and medical decisions.
• HELD (Healing, Education, Leadership, and Disruption): Carrie’s emerging vision for a women’s health innovation lab designed to support patients and rethink care systems.
• Redefining Recovery and Healing: the emotional, mental, and identity shifts that continue long after treatment ends.
• Finding Your Unique Contribution: why meaningful impact does not depend on scale and how understanding your own strengths can help you create change in your own way.

Resources mentioned:

• Connect with entity Carrie Sawyer on LinkedIn 
• Learn more about Diversity by Design
• Support Carrie’s HELD initiative https://gofund.me/070ac0b9c 
• Explore Ripples of Inclusion
• Connect with KnowThyBrand on LinkedIn and Instagram
• Subscribe to KnowThyBrand for more episodes
  

Episodes similar to this one:

• Telling Stories that Matter: Amplifying Marginalized Voices Through Media with Robin N. Hamilton
• Girl Power Uganda: On a Mission to Tackle Menstrual Poverty with Robin Köhler

ABOUT THE SHOW

KnowThyBrand by Giulia Iannucci

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A more inclusive and sustainable world is possible. Listen to incredible guests as they share their unique stories and expertise, let them inspire you, and learn what we can all do to foster a fairer future.