DEI Consulting Services
We regularly work with mission-driven, socially conscious organizations, corporations, and policy offices within the food, beverage, and hospitality (FBH) industry to build connections through differences.
We recognize that learning (and unlearning) is not a passive activity. We create events that connect theoretical concepts with actionable changes following an Educate → Engage → Activate model.
→
→
Educate
Foundation-building learning events that introduce complex topics to a wide range of audiences. These are best for acclimating larger groups to new social justice ideas, and are centered around absorbing information over interaction.
Timing: 30-90 minutes
1
Topic-Themed Presentation
Educational presentations and webinars focused on a specific topic.
Past Example: An hour-long webinar on cultivating inclusive workplaces through power mapping, proactive conflict mediation, and empowered employee resource groups.
2
Panels, Moderated Q&As, Custom Events
External or internal events in varying formats. This also includes book discussions & film screenings.
Past Example: Moderated Q&A with Dr. Shinhee Han to discuss psychic repercussions of anti-Asian violence, building off of her book, Racial Melancholia, Racial Dissociation.
Collaborative discussion spaces to unpack how social justice is interwoven into the workplace. These are vulnerable spaces meant for small groups, so everyone has an opportunity to analyze and reflect on the topic at length.
Timing: 1-2 hours
Engage
1
Interactive Workshops
Educational presentation paired with live, small-group discussions on a specific topic.
​
Past Example: A 90-minute cross-functional conversation about how cultural appropriation affects the CPG product development cycle.
2
Panels, Moderated Q&As, Custom Events
Moderated deep-dives into a specific topic. Best when scheduled with an Educate event.​
Past Example: A 90-minute social media specific conversation on best practices to highlight BIPOC talent without tokenizing them.
Active coalition-building opportunities for organizations to develop more equitable processes that center those most impacted. These are ideal for building momentum within team members to challenge existing systems, and co-create, then implement, new ideas from the ground up.
Timing: 1-2 hours
Activate
1
Facilitated Team Brainstorm
Goal-oriented workshops to develop new processes and commit to a long-tailed implementation plan.
Past Example: Multiple 90-minute brainstorms reformulating the pitch guidelines for a media organization's Editorial department.
2
Panels, Moderated Q&As, Custom Events
Internal or external Town Hall organized by Studio ATAO, to address industry-specific questions pertinent to the entire audience.
Past Example: A Town Hall for food & beverage media to discuss how publications can commit to public accountability and respond to crisis.
Sample Topics
-
Introduction to The Politics of Food
-
Food & Microaggressions in the Workplace
-
Recognizing & Preventing Tokenism in the Workplace
-
Understanding Authenticity & Cultural Appropriation
-
History & Impact of the Model Minority Myth
-
Understanding & Unlearning the Scarcity Mentality
-
Power 101: Mapping Power Dynamics
-
Psychological Safety & Transformative Justice in the Workplace
-
Creating Equitable & Impactful ERGs
​
-
Unpacking the Effects of Gentrification on Hospitality
Additional
Long-Term Projects
Custom Curricula
12-24 months
A mix of live and recorded seminars, internal events (e.g., panels, Q&As), and small-group workshops paced along an overarching theme.
​
Branded Research Reports
6-24 months
In-depth reports with detailed action steps, built from the learnings of internal & external focus groups. These are similar to our media toolkits, but for internal use.
​
Listening Tour & Accountability Groups
3-12 months
Organizational change initiatives that map existing power dynamics, with tailored suggestions on how to implement learnings from internal focus groups.
Featured Past Client Work
We moderated a company-wide panel conversation on understanding food insecurity through a cultural lens. After the panel, we created a custom, self-paced curriculum for employees looking to engage more deeply with the topic.
We organized an internal three-part series of Q&As, presentations, and workshops to address anti-Asian violence in the U.S., food and identity, and what power redistribution could look like within a food and tech company.
​We facilitated a series of interactive workshops on tokenism, authenticity, gentrification, intersectionality in food media. These were segmented by department and ended with action-oriented brainstorming sessions to identify gaps in existing processes.
We hosted a four-part series with the DEI Committee to establish a transformative justice-minded framework for conflict, feedback, and communication within the organization.
Let's Work Together
Support our ongoing work
Our team is continuously working behind-the-scenes to ensure our events run smoothly and we are creating a space that is welcoming to all. If you've benefited from our programming, we kindly ask you to consider supporting us by becoming a monthly patron or with a one-time donation. We thank you for your generosity!
All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Get the latest sent to your inbox
Subscribe for the latest information on ticket releases, new content, our regular newsletters & more!