Equity By Design

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood speaks with Celeste Warren about equity by design and what it takes to build truly inclusive workplaces. Celeste shares formative family stories, including her father’s experience as the first Black teacher and principal in his community, and uses those lessons to explain how trust, resilience, and persistence shape her approach to inclusion.

The conversation explores the burden often placed on marginalised people to adapt in order to be accepted, and contrasts that with the responsibility organisations have to remove barriers and create fair access to opportunity. Joanne and Celeste discuss authenticity, dignity, affinity bias, and the common misconception that diversity and equity lower standards. They also examine why equity is not preferential treatment, but a practical way of meeting people where they are so they can thrive.

A major thread throughout the episode is culture change: challenging ingrained habits, helping people understand the value of difference, and encouraging active allyship rather than passive awareness. Celeste uses accessible analogies to show how equity works in practice, why it matters for recruitment and progression, and how leaders can support both structural change and mindset shift.

The episode closes with a clear message that equity benefits everyone when done well. Listeners are left with a call to action to question outdated assumptions, support inclusion in their own contexts, and help build workplaces where people are valued for who they are.