Diversity, equity and inclusion is a not-so-hot "hot" topic right now. After the initial rush to increase diversity in employee hires and establish DEI leadership roles, many in corporate America are cooling on the idea. The reasons are plentiful – roles not set up for success, underfunding, lack of training and resources, and weak organizational support. The landscape has also become more complex. Initially sparked by the murder of George Floyd, DEI efforts focused on increasing Black representation in the workforce. But then came the rise in Asian hate crimes and backlash against the LGBTQI+ community. Suddenly, w...

As the founder of Addwomxn, I embarked on a journey to create more than just a creative agency—I envisioned a community where all women could come together and see the humanity in each other, where diversity isn’t just celebrated, but woven into the fabric of our shared reality. Since the inception of Addwomxn, one of our foundational values has been to cultivate a culture of inclusivity—one that embraces true diversity, fosters a trusting environment, and upholds individual accountability.  Understanding the Need: In the ever-chan...

As we move toward our second anniversary of the launch of Addwomxn, we’re taking time to reflect on what we’ve learned in this incredible two-year journey – from our foundational roots to where we are now.  In the beginning, we spent a great deal of time on our name, Addwomxn. At its core is the very intentional “x” … sometimes misunderstood, often mispronounced. (The “x” is silent in pronunciation, meaning “womxn” is simply pronounced, “women.”). Today, that still feels like a good decision as it’s a visual representation of the intersectionality of a vast number of identities that include gender, sex and ra...

Is the traditional agency model broken? It is, according to a recent Forbes article. For the last decade, clients have been pushing back on big agency fees. The traditional agency-client service model is centered on the agency, not the client. The best talent is leaving the big agencies. The only winners are the agencies and their profits; both the client and the talent suffer. Yes, the traditional agency model is bro...

Reporter Ethan Nelson’s December 1 article in the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal scored Minnesota companies on DEI initiatives. Last year was the first year the business publication began tracking employer diversity, ranking companies based on the percentage of their employees who don’t identify as white, who are executives, on boards of directors, and who have ownership in the company. The lists cover small, medium, and large public and private companies, nonprofits and government entities. Lots of household names are am...

For 15 years I’ve had a vision of a bricks and mortar building full of women creative entrepreneur types including designers, illustrators, photographers, writers who would work separately but refer and pitch larger work together. It was just a vision until 2020, when I recognized a unique moment to move a version of this forward into reality. The pandemic isolated us in early 2020, making the bricks and mortar part of my vision seem  ridiculous. Leaving that notion behind opened me up to start working on this vision again from a different angle – it could be virtual. At the same time, I wasn’t finding fulfillment i...

Women are at the heart and soul of this new venture called Addwomxn. We are excellent communicators when we come together to nurture and empower each other. Our hope is that someday Addwomxn will be obsolete (or rather, Xtinct) because a mindset of abundance – in the workplace, in our communities – has affected change. Already as Addwomxn, people immersive in all cultures have seen us. Something transformative happens when we receive kind, contextual and educational feedback from others (thank you, The Coven, Addwomxn Ally, we see you). We listen, become more informed through conversations, remain uncomfortable as needed, and explore. Th...

A women-centric creative collaborative is popping up in the Twin Cities. Under its umbrella, creativity and diversity can flourish in the spirit of honoring humanity and nurturing entrepreneurship and creative talent. It’s called Addwomxn.   The Name Addwomxn has evoked many responses as its founder Renita Faye of Affina Design and board members Janice Stanford, Flygirl Creative; Aaron King, Perceptiv; and Jen Gilhoi, Sparktrack, have been sharing it and spelling it in conversation since early 2021 (nope, no space in between words; and yes, with an “x”!). For some, hearing the name opened the doors of the Madison Avenue ad agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce...