ASTRA Academy

DEI | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Recorded On: 09/23/2020

We acknowledge that this DEI space is not reflective of where we currently are as an organization or an industry. It is, however, reflective of where we need to be in order to accomplish our vision of changing the world through the power of play. 

While we are making strides as an industry to promote representation, this is a continuous effort. Being committed to DEI means that ASTRA will constantly assess our organizational values and model our responsibility to do better as an industry. 

Connect with this page to keep updated on new conversations, downloads, webinars and resources to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion.

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ASTRA staff strive to apply the principles of diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DEI) throughout everything we do. 

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Never doubt that a 
small group of 
thoughtful committed 
citizens can 
change the world; 
Indeed it's the only 
thing that ever has. 
-Margaret Mead

Azhelle Wade

info@thetoycoach.com

Throughout my 10 year career in toys, I've married my natural design abilities and entrepreneurial fascination to become an innovator and creative leader. My friends know me as a woman working in the world of toys and fashion, who always has a new business venture or marketing concept. I’ve invented 3 patented toys, established efficient global development processes, as well as directed the re-branding of multi-million dollar product lines.

After surviving a cancer scare, I decided time waits for no woman and invented the 100 Ways To Wear, Convertible Snap Dress by Costumize Me LLC. A few times a year, you can find me at salsa dance festivals across the globe, building a sense of awareness and community around the convertible event wear brand. I'm currently in the process of flipping that business from B2C to B2B. Check out costumizeme.com for more!

President of thetoycoach.com, an online resource targeted to shed light on the toy industry for innovators and entrepreneurs with a passion for toy and game products. My podcast, Making It In The Toy Industry, supports the site with QA sessions, interviews, and creative tips.

Listen to my podcast, Making It in The Toy Industry here > www.makingitinthetoyindustry.c...

Jessica Pettitt, CSP

www.goodenoughnow.com

jess@goodenoughnow.com 

Jessica Pettitt, M.Ed., CSP, pulls together her stand up comedy years with 15+ years of diversity trainings in a wide range of organizations to serve groups to move from abstract fears to actionable habits that lead teams to want to work together. With a sense of belonging and understanding, colleagues take more risks with their ideation, converse precious resources through collaboration, and maintain real connections with clients over time.

Mikaela Wingard-Phillips

Operations Manager

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikaelawp/

info@mathnificent.com

A 36-year old Seattle native who's lived in 3 countries and speaks English, French, German, and a little Spanish, Mikaela (she/her(s)) is passionate about play, education, social justice, womxn's sports, representation, and creating more space for those who feel they have to shrink or diminish themselves in order to survive in this world. Mikaela grew up in retail doing odd jobs for her mother Gini's store, Math 'n' Stuff. Fast forward 20 years -- after a few curves in the road to teaching, Mikaela found a home in educational/play retail at her mother's store and has invested in growing the business and expanding the product selection to be more inclusive to all folks who might happen through the door. Creating space where a person has a chance to feel seen, heard, valued, and celebrated for exactly who they are is a transforming experience; I've seen it first hand.

In Mikaela's free-time (HA, what free time?), she enjoys Ultimate frisbee, movies, games, building LEGO, playing with her 5 nibblets (gender-neutral term for her siblings' kiddos), going on walks with her wife, Amanda, and eating and drinking the best food and drink Seattle and the world have to offer.

Next adventure: returning to Europe with Amanda (post-COVID, of course) and traveling together to visit the cities we each lived in.

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WEBINARS & DISCUSSION
Diversity & Social Justice: A Starting Place
Recorded 07/22/2020  |  120 minutes
Recorded 07/22/2020  |  120 minutes Regardless of your identity and lived experiences, the concept of how we coexist, interact, and impact one another is imperative to build better teams, better connections, and deeper relationships. Join this webinar to reflect on how you fit into the conversation of diversity. Coming to terms with our own unique positive and negative bias as well as how that intersects with our responsibility of perception and sense of entitlement to validation is the foundation of social justice work. Our experiences, choices, and impact, both intentional and unintentional, matter. This is the starting place. This webinar will be followed by a discussion led by Jessica Pettitt of Good Enough Now and Azhelle Wade of The Toy Coach. Interested in some homework? Listen to Azhelle Wade's podcast before this webinar and discussion: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2aJ3DnLAS0bbAGM5r6kmXz?si=nQnyd6prTF2dFJEwR4jasA Learning Outcomes * Recognizing difference and engagement habits; * Personal reflection and seeking out new experiences; * Feeling safe and prepared; * Conscious and Unconscious Bias, both positive and negative; * Recruitment, Retention, and Fit; and * The role of Curiosity, Generosity, Authenticity, Vulnerability.
You must register to access.
Archive: LQBTQ & Other ABCs of Inclusion
Recorded 03/09/2020
Recorded 03/09/2020 This program was delivered for the GAMA Expo in 2020. Learning new language to understand and interact with more diverse populations can only help us serve people better in the toy industry. This program was meant to be a safe space to learn and ask questions.
You must register to access.
A Starting Place 2.0
Recorded 09/23/2020  |  120 minutes
Recorded 09/23/2020  |  120 minutes Regardless of each participant’s identities and lived experiences, the concept of how we coexist, interact, and impact one another is imperative to build better teams, better connections, and deeper relationships. Spend an hour on this webinar reflecting on how you fit into the conversation of diversity. Coming to terms with our own unique positive and negative bias as well as how that intersects with our responsibility of perception and sense of entitlement to validation is the foundation of social justice work. Our experiences, choices, and impact, both intentional and unintentional, matter. This is the starting place.
You must register to access.
Unconscious Bias
10/21/2020 at 10:00 AM (CDT)  |  120 minutes
10/21/2020 at 10:00 AM (CDT)  |  120 minutes Have you experienced an optical illusion where you don’t initially see all of the options? Was the dress blue with gold stripes? Were you team Laurel or Yanny? Can you see the rabbit and the duck? Our lived experiences are the tools we use to interpret the world around us. We believe what we know – whether we know it or not. Take some time to notice how you perceive yourself and others. The role of perception is directly linked to all that we are conscious of as well as all of the stuff we aren’t! We must learn our habits to be able to be open to understand something we don’t understand. This webinar will be followed by a discussion for participants that want to join.
You must register to access.
Becoming a Better Ally
11/18/2020 at 10:00 AM (CST)  |  120 minutes
11/18/2020 at 10:00 AM (CST)  |  120 minutes Every organization has a group of stakeholders, staff, and volunteers who must foster effective communication through conflict, change, and crisis. With increased comfort and confidence, you can be prepared to hold and encourage others to have the challenging conversations that lead to better collaboration and teamwork. Developing a culture based on listening, speaking up, and taking responsibility builds teams of cooperation for the short- and long-term. This webinar will be followed by a discussion for participants that want to join.
You must register to access.
PODCASTS
The Toy Coach Podcast #20: The Ripple Effect of Racial Bias in the Toy Industry
Recorded 06/03/2020
Recorded 06/03/2020 This past week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me, and if you've been seeing the onslaught of racially charged media reports, then you may feel the same. What I didn't want to do for this episode, is to have a generic conversation about the state of America that didn't relate to the listeners of this podcast at all. But I did feel the need to seize the opportunity to address the elephant in the room of my entire toy career...my race.In today's episode, we're going to tackle the very important conversation of racial bias in the toy industry. I'm going to tell you some of my personal stories, and then I'm going to tell you how you can affect change. It'll seem small at first, but once you listen to this episode you'll understand how those small actions compound into huge, positive effects. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEBlack Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com/Healthy Roots Dolls: https://healthyrootsdolls.com/ The Book Of Cultures: https://worldwidebuddies.com IN HONOR OF THOSE LOST May 25, George Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis. May 29, Tony McDade was fatally shot by a police officer in Tallahassee, Florida. March 13, Breonna Taylor was killed after being shot multiple times by police in her own home in Louisville, Kentucky. February 23, Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead by two white men while he was jogging in Brunswick, GeorgiaThe list goes on and it’s far too long, https://blacklivesmatter.com/ to show your support.
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