Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility by Design in Seattle, WA

About M. Burwell

Think of me as a diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility translator. 

Having originally worked in the startup and nonprofit worlds, I encountered incredible people with the desire to create a more equitable workplace and world. But often, once they saw the complexity of diversity and inclusion work, they felt overwhelmed. This meant they didn't take the first step, and instead continued business as usual. 

I knew we could do better.

So in 2015, I left my job as Global Operations Director at a large nonprofit in order to fill that need. To become a “DEIA translator” and help people transform their good intentions into positive change. 

Since then, I’ve developed proven successful DEIA measurement, training, and intervention techniques, specializing in intersectional gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and more recently - disability justice. I’ve worked with clients from the startup, nonprofit, and business worlds, and my work has been covered in publications such as the Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, Geekwire, and the Seattle Times.

What gives me an edge? I bring a unique combination of three traits which make my work highly effective. 

Subject-area knowledge: I hold an MSc in intersectional gender studies from Linköping University, a world leader in diversity theory, and a BA in political science with a focus in entrepreneurship from Gonzaga University. I’ve recently completed a certification in web and digital accessibility from the University of Washington to support clients in digital accessibility as well.

Business operations experience: I’ve launched my own successful company in Seattle, consulted for diverse startups in Spokane, and built nonprofit operations throughout three continents. This has given me the tools to “lift up the hood” on business operations, see how things run behind the scenes, and where we can tighten a bolt or upgrade a gear to create a performance change down the road. 

Research: The ability to synthesize and analyze primary and secondary data is rare for diversity and inclusion specialists, but it's absolutely key for my work. Knowing how to conduct specialized research means that we can adapt diversity theory for the specific case at hand. See samples of my research on my portfolio page. 

Perhaps most importantly, I regularly collaborate with other DEIA practitioners, who are people of color. As a queer, disabled and immunocompromised white person, I am always working to become a better ally. A big part of this is learning from, and working with, those who have different lived experiences than myself. I am honored to regularly collaborate with several leaders, learn more about them here.

I work with clients who are innovative. Proactive. Ready to create a more equitable workplace, alongside a profit. Are you ready to change the world? Contact me for a free 15 minute consultation. 

Certifications include:

• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE). Note: OMWBE does not currently offer certifications for nonbinary, genderqueer, genderdiverse or other genders.

• Certified with pride with the Washington State LGBTQ Certification.

• Certification in web and digital accessibility from the University of Washington.

Values

Centering the most marginalized:

We take intentional steps to include, prioritize, and center those who are most often excluded. This informs our offerings (such as having multiple ways to participate), our methodology (such as anonymizing data), and our values (such as intentionally taking steps to avoid white supremacy culture). This is grounded in the principles of disability justice, gender liberation, and racial justice.

Intersectionality:

This term, originally coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, means we take into account how different identities overlap. Using an intersectional lens affects how we collect and analyze data, as well as our intervention recommendations.

Valuing lived experience:

We recognized that formal education is not the only way to become an advocate of social justice, and that lived experience is an important teacher. This is why M, a queer, disabled and immunocompromised white person, regularly collaborates with those who have different lived experiences, such as people of color and immigrants.

Prioritizing employee safety:

Our data collection and analysis techniques are designed to keep participants safe and their responses confidential. This is our number one priority, and it is woven into all steps of employee surveys and interviews.

Listening and collaborative:

We are the DEIA experts, but you are the experts of your organization. We take a co-creation approach to weave together our expertise and create the most effective DEIA assessments and interventions.

Data and research-based:

All our work is research-based, drawing on decades of studies around DEIA work. Since no two workplaces are identical, we also prioritize using data as a tool of translation, to pinpoint opportunity areas in your unique organization.

Design approach:

With our operations backgrounds, we know that changing the design of the workplace can change the employee experience. We go beyond awareness-raising.

Global and intercultural:

Our team members have diverse experience in global nonprofit operations and intercultural collaboration.

Mindful client selection:

While we work with a wide variety of wonderful nonprofits and businesses, we do not work in industries that are built on foundations of violence or extraction, such as prisons, weapons manufacturing, police, military, fossil fuel, mining etc. We understand the real-world dynamics these industries contribute to and choose not to further invest in them through our work.