Equity In Action

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Sharitta Marshall, founder of Visionary Development Consulting, for a wide-ranging conversation about what “equity in action” really looks like inside organisations.

Sharitta challenges the myth of meritocracy and unpacks how privilege and systemic inequities shape who gets access to opportunity, resources, and decision-makers. Together they explore why equality-based approaches often fail in practice, and why equity requires intentional plans, appropriate support, and a clearer understanding of diverse lived experiences.

A central focus is the role Employee Resource Groups can play when they are treated as strategic business units rather than social clubs. Sharitta outlines what effective ERG programmes need: alignment to business priorities, clear goals and metrics, proper funding, defined roles and responsibilities, onboarding and succession planning, and executive sponsorship that actively removes barriers and opens doors to spaces, places, and people.

They also discuss the broader political and economic context influencing DEI pushback, including the impact of anti-Blackness and policy trends, and why organisations often only respond when the costs are made tangible. The episode closes with a practical call to quantify the real financial impact of turnover and poor employee experience, and to use that data to sustain meaningful culture change.