On our journey to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace, where all people feel accepted and valued, Family Equality is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Strata RMK —Fractional Chief Inclusion Officers and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Consultants!
Megan and Karyn are working side by side with us on the next steps of this DEI & B journey, and we’re thrilled to introduce them to our families!
Megan Abman (she/they)
Megan lives with the purpose of inspiring confidence and empowerment. With their background in neuroscience and organizational psychology, they are passionate about strategically problem-solving challenges at the organizational and individual level to make a substantive impact within an organization to help others perform at their best. They are a serial entrepreneur, most recently co-founding Strata RMK and operating out of Denver, Colorado.
During their tenure as FWI’s Chief Diversity Officer, some of their proudest accomplishments include: revamping the benefits offering to be more inclusive to all families by establishing an adoption fee assistance program, organizing and moderating several panel events featured in Denver Startup Week, serving as a guest lecturer at CU Denver Business School, and appearing as a featured guest speaker for the Choose Inclusion Podcast.
Serving as fractional CIO for other companies across the U.S., they have established equitable performance management and measurement procedures and practices coupled with data-driven strategies upholding and fostering an inclusive employee working experience on top of delivering a company keynote to all clients outlining the value of psychological safety.
Top favorite podcasts/books:
- Hidden Brain by Shankar Vedentam
- Where should we begin by Esther Perel
- Worklife by Adam Grant
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Living in beautiful Colorado, I really enjoy playing in the mountains by hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, rafting, and backpacking. I also love exploring the city with friends and family by trying out new breweries, restaurants, museums, etc.
What drives you to do this work? My ultimate purpose in life is to inspire confidence and empowerment. Being able to shape DEI&B strategy and advocate for a more inclusive and equitable working experience for all within and among organizations across the world is a wonderful way to achieve this. I am filled with so much pride and gratitude working alongside my business partners and others in this line of work.
What does family equality mean to you? The notion of ‘family’ is far more complex and nuanced than what I expected growing up. Initially, I had thought that family solely comprised of those individuals who were directly related to you. Navigating the complexities of being a queer nonbinary individual, my notion of family has expanded to encompass those ‘chosen’ family members, as well. All of this is to say that as we strive for equality in reimagining how family may look differently for different folks, the strategies to achieve equality are going to take a tremendous amount of zeal, creativity, and courage in changing hearts and minds.
Life motto: “Nothing to it, but to do it!”
Karyn Lu (she/her)
Karyn’s personal mission is to inspire moments of meaning and beauty through human connection. As a co-founder of Strata RMK, she works closely with organizations all over the world to foster brave spaces and reimagine the future of work. She believes that DEI&B is not just the foundation for all great work; it IS the work.
Karyn immigrated to the United States at 10 years old with her family. She has often experienced being “the only” in the room as she navigated her career in the digital/tech space. She has 15+ years of experience building inclusive teams, products, and services across both private and public sectors. In 2018, she served as the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer at FWI (a 400+ person software company headquartered in Denver), a role she proposed and created.
Karyn has been a TEDx and Creative Mornings speaker, and her work has earned a Webby Award and a CES Innovation Award. Karyn resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband Keith, their third grader Leo, and kindergartener Alden.
Top 3 favorite podcasts/books:
- Anything written by Haruki Murakami
- “Going Through It” podcast (interviews with notable women discussing a pivotal moment when they decided it was time to make a change)
- “How I Built This” podcast
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Hanging out with my family (husband and two boys, 8 and 5), playing music, reading, writing, and getting to the ocean every chance I get.
What drives you to do this work? It’s too important not to do. When I worked in the public sector building more modern & inclusive digital services for everyone, one of my biggest lightbulb moments was understanding that “government is us; just us.” I think that applies here in the DEI&B space, too. It’s up to all of us.
What does family equality mean to you? Beyond removing barriers for anyone who wishes to form a family, getting to a collective place where families of all stripes and definitions are able to thrive.
Life motto: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” (Annie Dillard)