The Why: Valentine most recently spearheaded the agenda on Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion at A+E and helped develop a program to establish a foundation, guidelines and standards that promote equality and fairness. Working to develop a customized solution to inequities within A+E’s studio business, she developed a training program and partnered with Cornell University to address unconscious biases and unwind industry norms that affected the ability to attract diverse talent.
She Says… “When I think of a strong champion of DEI, I think of Ken Chenault, who was the former CEO of American Express. As a Black CEO, he paved the way for soooo many people of color coming up around and behind him.”
The last app I used: Zoom and LinkedIn–I am currently taking a course (virtually, hence zoom) to become a certified coach, which is a tall and daunting task. My cohort of professionals shared LinkedIn profiles so we can appreciate each other’s backgrounds and keep in touch. What an extraordinary group of professionals and furthermore I am so incredibly humbled and honored to be supported by A + E to pursue this endeavor.
Who do you view as a DEI champion and why? When I think of a strong champion of DEI, I think of Ken Chenault who was the former CEO of American Express. As a black CEO, he paved the way for soooo many people of color coming up around and behind him. I had the pleasure of seeing him speak at an event for Black Chief People Leaders and he was so inspirational. I found myself being introspective and thinking, geez, I’m not doing enough with my life. People like this inspire me to lean into the pay it forward mantra. I have an obligation to help young professionals coming up around and behind me now! It’s exciting!
Do you think there has been significant progress on DEI in the industry in the past year? The road to change is often a long one. I think there has been tremendous progress in raising awareness and making the topic of Diversity Equity Belonging and Inclusion a more socially acceptable topic. We are getting to a place where it is no longer a taboo topic! I think there’s still plenty of work to be done to make sure we remove stigmas. For example, to make room for different people, some people still think that means we’re leaving others behind. I don’t see it that way, but that shift in paradigm doesn’t happen overnight. In the industry in general, I also think we’re moving the needle on more wholesome storytelling! We are moving out of “typecasts” and we’re starting to see more diversity in our programming.
While diversity in front of the camera has increased, with good success, I’d also like to see an expansion in diversity behind the camera. This is an ongoing struggle, and it is critical that we continue moving in that direction.
Place I would love to retire to: Goodness, I love the pie-in-the-sky question! If I had my druthers, I would retire to Puerto Rico. Island paradise calls me! However, that’s likely not all that pragmatic when I think about how connected I want to be to my family. Realistically, I would like to retire with enough funds to be able to enjoy a nomadic lifestyle. Jet set to Puerto Rico when I want, come back to the northeast when it suits, and travel the world a bit.