DEI for Small Business: How Affinity Groups Create Community
Affinity Groups at Mind & Mountain
One of the core values in running our small business is belonging and inclusion in our community spaces. We want every single Mind & Mountain client to feel welcomed, seen, and able to bring their full selves into their experience.
We exist in a world that values some identities over others. For example: male, European heritage, able-bodied, and wealthy identities will be prioritized and thus have more power and control in our society. These are the foundations with which our society was built, and the business, fitness, and outdoor rec worlds are no exception. Understanding and acknowledging these power imbalances enables us to identify what safe spaces are missing and how we can empower more people.Ā
At Mind & Mountain we use Affinity Groups for our clients to connect with others who share aspects of their identities. While weā€™re always learning and improving, weā€™ve seen a ton of success to date with this approach and want to share how affinity...
3 Ways Weā€™re Using Financial Accessibility for an Ethical Business
Embracing Inclusivity in BusinessĀ & Community
Hello! This post is part of a series about our team values at Mind & Mountain and the ways that we practice those values within our programs and behind the scenes.Ā
What does it take to build a business and a community that lives the values of inclusivity and equity? At Mind & Mountain, weā€™ve been on a journey to do just that. Whether you participate in Mind & Mountainā€™s programs or youā€™re a business owner looking for ideas, we want to provide transparency on our approach and our learnings (so far!) about implementing equitable business practices.
We want to point out that we are eternal students on this path. Equity and liberation aren't a box to check off once, but a practiceĀ in which we will always have growth potential and room for improvement. Weā€™ve developed our current processes for transparency and accountability with the help of leaders in this field (primarily Black women) and we are excited and grateful to share those proces...