We’ve been divided on purpose. I teach people to see it, feel it, and let empathy rewrite the story. Every week, you’ll receive thought-provoking insights, human-first storytelling, and bold reframes designed to challenge how we are reclaiming our humanity through our daily actions. Whether building movements, reshaping culture, or simply asking better questions, this space is for you. Welcome home.
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Changemakers: Inclusion Is More Than an Invite
Published 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader
How many times have you been invited to rooms, thinking you're welcome, unintentionally ignored, and left disheartened?
Yep, me too...and I'm sharing a perspective about what it means to curate rooms where you're not just invited, but truly welcome.
What you can expect in today's issue:
Why inclusion is more than an invitation
The subtle ways people feel unwelcome, even in “good” rooms
What it actually means to hold space for others
How curiosity, not charisma, creates meaningful connection
A reflection on how changemakers can build deeper, more nourishing relationships
A few months ago, I hosted a dinner in New York City.
I brought together five changemakers who, on paper, had everything in common. They worked across nonprofit leadership, the unhoused community, public policy, mental health tech, and social entrepreneurship. Individually, each person was thoughtful, kind, and deeply committed to making the world better.
And yet, something felt off.
As the evening unfolded, I began noticing small moments that are easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.
People are cutting each other off to get their thoughts out.
Conversations happening at one another, not with one another.
Little eye contact with the one person at the table who didn’t already know everyone else.
When someone new joined the dinner, there were no questions. No pause to bring them in. The conversation simply continued as if nothing had changed. They barely said hello.
There was a clear absence of welcome, and it wasn't intentional; it was a natural response from them.
In that moment it crystalized for me.
It wasn't enough to invite someone into the room. What mattered more was how you treated them once they’re there.
We often mistake presence for inclusion. We think because someone has a seat at the table, they feel part of it, and nothing more needs to be done. And we assume that because a space is filled with well-intentioned people, it’s automatically safe and nourishing.
But inclusion lives in subtleties.
It’s in who we look at when someone else is speaking.
It’s in whether we pause long enough to ask a question.
It’s in noticing who hasn’t spoken yet and making space without putting them on the spot.
It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room.
It’s about being the most attentive one.
What struck me that evening is that many changemakers are incredible at advocating, building, and leading, yet few know how to hold space or even slowwwww down.
The urgency to share overtakes the desire to be curious, and it’s allowing silence to exist long enough for someone else to enter it. Making eye contact with the person who might be wondering if they belong.
When we don’t do this, we miss the very thing we say we’re craving.
Depth. Connection. And relationships that actually nourish us.
There’s actually irony here.
Changemakers often talk about collaboration, community, and collective impact.
But without relational care, even the most aligned rooms can feel transactional and hollow. And the missed opportunity is significant.
Consider this: have you ever walked into a room you were genuinely excited about, already picturing the conversations you’d share, only to leave having barely spoken?
You tried to lean in, but as the newest person there, you were wrapped up in relationships that already existed. Slowly, your energy dimmed, your interest faded, and the likelihood of returning disappeared.
So you can understand that when you don’t feel seen, those newly invited Changemakers end up withholding insight, creativity, and trust. And those relationships are never nurtured, and never reach their potential.
And let's be real: it's not because people don’t care; in fact, Changemakers are so hungry for depth that they easily get engrossed in existing conversations and don't pause to see who else may have entered.
Inclusion isn’t about engaging the most familiar or impressive voice. It’s about widening the circle of attention.
How to slow the room and create real inclusion
Inclusion doesn’t require grand gestures. It requires intention and restraint.
Here are a few simple ways to slow a room down so people actually feel welcomed and included:
Pause before responding.
Let someone finish their thought fully before jumping in. Silence creates space. Space invites others in.
Shift from statements to questions.
Curiosity builds connection faster than commentary. A genuine “Tell me more” can change the tone of an entire conversation.
Use your eyes intentionally.
When someone is speaking, notice who else is at the table. Make eye contact with the person who hasn’t spoken yet. It quietly signals, you’re part of this too.
Invite without spotlighting.
Instead of putting someone on the spot, open the floor gently: “I’d love to hear other perspectives.” This gives choice without pressure.
Resist the urge to fill every moment.
Discomfort often precedes depth. Let the pause do some of the work.
Notice who you’re orienting toward.
Inclusion isn’t about engaging the most familiar or impressive voice. It’s about widening the circle of attention.
Why am I sharing this with you?
Think about the rooms you move through regularly.
Who do you naturally gravitate toward?
Who do you unintentionally overlook?
And what small shift could you make to help someone feel more welcomed, more included, more seen?
Often, it’s not grand gestures that change relationships. It’s the subtle cues that say, you belong here.
What's Happening, BTS
Fractional Strategic Partnerships
A beautiful set of opportunities has arisen out of the work and intentions I've set out. Because of the relationships formed through The Empathy Storytellers Salon, I'm now receiving requests to help other mission-driven organizations and communities learn how to curate experiences and identify gaps in their ability to deepen relationships with their communities and customers.
This has been work I've thoroughly enjoyed, and I'm eager to help as many communities and purpose-driven organizations as possible deepen their trust and relationships with their customers.
If your organization or someone in your network is interested in designing a strategy to elevate customer and community experiences and build trust and sustained engagement, let's talk!
How you can work directly with Dr. Beri and the RKE Team when you're ready:
🗣️ 🎤
Book me to speak or facilitate a workshop at your next work event or conference.
Topics:
Navigating chaos and uncertainty with Emotional Intelligence
Let's partner and design immersive, story-driven experiences for your purpose-driven organization so the customers you're trying to reach don’t just see your impact, they step into it.
It’s how movements are born: when a mission becomes personal.
Partner with us through The Empathy Storyteller's Salon, where we host curated immersions, dinners, and experiences to help changemakers deepen relationships, cultivate community, and elevate their emotional well-being.
We’ve been divided on purpose. I teach people to see it, feel it, and let empathy rewrite the story. Every week, you’ll receive thought-provoking insights, human-first storytelling, and bold reframes designed to challenge how we are reclaiming our humanity through our daily actions. Whether building movements, reshaping culture, or simply asking better questions, this space is for you. Welcome home.
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