Nothing about us without us. What does that mean? Well, in the case of product and service design, it means that designers shouldn’t be designing “for” the most marginalized but instead “with” them. Why do toy designers design “toys for girls” and “toys for boys”? Why are products that address the needs of people with disabilities an exception rather than the rule? Why are the most marginalized people not at the decision-making table when products and services are conceptualized and launched? In this episode, we ask product designers Reginé Gilbert, Jahan Mantin and Vanessa Raponi about what inclusive product, service and program design looks like.

One of the hottest topics out there is the rise of artificial intelligence and in particular of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. Suddenly machines can pass MBA exams, write memos for you, create computer codes, and much much more. At the same time, the conversation around the potential harms, and in particular the inequities, that can be created by such technologies is also accelerating. How can we take advantage of all of the incredible things it can do without suffering from its potential harms? And, is that even possible? In this episode, we talk to Annie Veillet and Allison Cohen to answer these questions.

Why do we call the Men’s World Cup in soccer just “The World Cup” and for women, it is the “Women’s World Cup”? Why is the NBA —the National Basketball League—just for men, and the one for women is the “WNBA.”? People think they are an add on…a niche market…But, they would be wrong. What would happen if we thought about women’s sports and women in sports as equally valuable as men? In this episode, we are going to hear from two accomplished entrepreneurs, Meghan Chayka and Jacie De Hoop, on what using a gender lens in sports analytics might do.