RedInk Enterprises

From placeholder strategies to comply with the civil rights movements in the 1960s to cumbersome surveys designed to better engage with ethnic employees in the early 2000s, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have undergone several changes over the last century. Today, as the business landscape slowly grasps the value of DEI programs in encouraging innovation and boosting productivity, employers are looking for additional avenues to diversify their workforces. However, even with the current movement towards ending gender-based and racial inequalities across all walks of life, many companies are still struggling to foster a culture that drives diversification, equity, and inclusion. This problem is rooted in the fact that as firms grow larger, it becomes difficult for the C-suite to keep track of their minority employees and their specific support needs. This issue became even more pronounced in the wake of COVID-19 as it disrupted traditional engagement processes with remote ones, hindering an HR personnel’s ability to identify an employee’s personal needs.

Addressing this challenge with its three-pronged approach—communications, education, and engagement—to boosting the efficacy of DEI strategies is Georgia-based RedInk Enterprises. The company’s services include one-on-one coaching for individuals and C-suite executives, group facilitation programs, as well as DEI strategy development for organizations. “We provide collaborative, transformational experiences to help ensure every individual is seen, heard, and respected, which drives the creation of an unyielding sense of belonging across an organization,” says Toi B. James, founder and chief impact officer at RedInk Enterprises.

Discussing the genesis of her company, Toi elaborates on how her 20+ years of experience of working in corporate America as an African American professional helped her realize the needs of every individual that hailed from a marginalized population. Subsequently, when she started working as a DEI strategist for a big corporation, Toi recognized her ability to communicate and educate C-suites, which then drove her to start RedInk Enterprises with a vision to aid companies in fostering a culture that celebrates diversification and inclusivity in their ranks.

We provide collaborative, transformational experiences to help ensure every individual is seen, heard, and respected, which drives the creation of a unyielding sense of belonging across an organization

A common problem she came across during her time as a DEI strategist was the inability of leaders to communicate with their ethnic employees. Therefore, to help them overcome this issue, Toi authored and published her book—12 Steps to Transformational Conversations—which showcases practical steps on how employers can engage with their workforces in a way that addresses their needs personally and professionally.

With respect to client engagement, Toi begins every collaboration with a session where she asks leaders very specific questions as a coach. These questions may adhere to their culture, mission, values, employee-adherence to specific DEI programs, and more, which allows the company to then write a proposal based on their answers. Once the proposal is accepted, RedInk Enterprises then develops a survey with questions, training regimes, and coaching sessions that align with their organization-specific needs. “I do not prescribe, I navigate the conversation to remind them that they are empowered to deliver any outcome they’d like, and help talk through it,” explains Toi. Alternatively, with regards to the book, Toi mentions that they are just 12 very practical steps based on coaching skills that I learned as a certified coach, and it primarily involves approaches of how to/how not to engage in a conversation that involves DEI.

With such unmatched capabilities, RedInk has ignited several success stories since its inception in 2020. And according to Toi, what sets RedInk apart from its contemporaries is its team’s ability to listen to a client’s needs, thereby giving them the necessary space to highlight their experiences, which leads to a deeper understanding on how to prompt a change. Looking ahead, RedInk plans to build partnerships with organizations that specialize in services complementary to its own, which will help them offer a full range of services to its clients. To conclude, Toi reiterates the ethos of her company, “We will continue leveraging education and transformational conversation to deliver a sense of belonging and self-reflection.”