Khanna, who took over as CEO of Revolt in 2017, has been busy planning the first Revolt Summit—a multi-city immersive event for Millennials that will touch down in Atlanta and LA this fall. She’s had a long career in the industry, having previously served as the president of the TV and Digital groups for MGM and president of Universal Networks’ international and digital initiatives. Khanna serves as a board member and past chair of the Canadian Film Centre and sits on the advisory board for the Peabody Awards. She heavily values diversity at Revolt, and says the key question the industry needs to answer is: “Do we really believe diversity adds to the quality of our businesses and the quality of our lives? If we truly believe this, change will follow.”
How can diversity be better incorporated into the recruiting process?
Building diversity in recruiting takes engagement across multiple points over time. Building a network outside of the “usual suspects” will give you access to new pools of talent. Engaging with young up and coming talent from HBCUs and other diverse sources starts the dialog early. Exploring new pools of talent is important. And ultimately, asking yourself –“are the people in my life diverse?” can be a game changer. When our personal lives are diverse our work lives do not feel right if they don’t match. Challenge yourself to expand your circles both inside of work and outside.
Can you share a successful diversity program at your company or one you’ve observed at another company or organization?
Our company was founded on the principles of diversity and inclusion. We are 63% ethnically diverse and over 50% African American. Diversity is our nature and drives our success. The young people of this country are more than 40% diverse moving to over 50+% in the next few years. We reflect them and that is how we win.
What questions is the industry not yet asking in its efforts to be more diverse and inclusive that it should be?
Do we really believe diversity adds to the quality of our businesses and the quality of our lives? If we truly believe this, change will follow.