May 25, 2021
Learning early on in life that you can do anything until someone tells you you can’t, Felice Gray-Kemp’s experience as a young, inquisitive, intelligent African American girl taught her how to navigate spaces fraught with peril. Raised by strong women, Felice learned early on the importance of being true to herself and recognizing her own strength. Felice is a business and legal executive with expertise in U.S. and international commercial law. She has served as a legal business partner for public, Fortune 500 industrial, technology and iconic consumer product companies as well as closely-held and privately-held
entities including as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of a company that she founded. In
2021, Felice joined CaaStle as a member of its senior leadership team. As a Yale alumni, Boston University School of Law graduate, and Fellow at the University of Connecticut School of Law Felice’s commitment to continued education does not stop with her own. She has been an adjunct professor in several Connecticut colleges that focus on the education of adult learners. Felice was appointed by the Governor of the State of Connecticut to serve as a Regent on the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education. Felice has been widely recognized through awards, podcasts, speaking engagements, and co-authoring articles for the legal and business acumen. Having gone over many barriers, she is passionate and committed to deconstruct each one of them. This is a passion born in part of her own experience in the over a dozen roles (including promotions) in which she has been “the first” of many descriptors--most often, the first person of color, African-American, woman or African-American woman in every professional position that she has held. Her hope is that, in her lifetime, such descriptors will rarely apply to any individual.
What You Will Hear in This Episode
Felice’s early childhood experiences and influences
Social justice
Reinvention
False barriers and guide posting that we set up for ourselves.
Navigating the challenges as an african american woman in the corporate world.
What companies can do to be more inclusive.
Assumptions around women, blacks and marginalized groups
Self reflection in leadership.
Pink taxes, gray taxes and PTO.
Building more awareness about ageism and gendered ageism.
Quotes:
“Don’t believe what you think, be the best you that you can be, know what your inside voice is and be true to yourself.”
“Why would we discount ourselves when the world is working overtime to do that for us.”
“You should not feed into these negative messages that will have you question yourself when you should be too busy being yourself.”
“If you don’t have a diverse network you’re probably not going to have a diverse employee base either.”
“Look to humanity, this isn’t social programming. Let people succeed or fail based on their own ability.
Mentioned:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgraykempgeneralcounsel/
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