Kayah recognises the importance of working in a company where differences are celebrated and become a means of empowerment.
What is your name and what do you do in your company?
I’m Kayah Hodge, and I currently work as a Marketing Assistant for Tor Publishing Group (TPG.) I create digital graphics, work closely with school and library representatives, submit titles for awards, maintain our Tor Teen Blog handle, facilitate Tor Teen sweepstakes, and execute administrative responsibilities! I get to use both sides of my brain which is really dope.
What does Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mean to you and why is this issue important to you?
People like me have been silenced, excluded, and invalidated for too long. DEI reminds me that my voice, perspective, and identity are valuable professionally and personally. I’m grateful for opportunities to thrive in environments that welcome me holistically.
What has helped you to arrive and feel comfortable in your company?
Internships and a publishing course, called INKluded Academy, equipped me professionally and mentally to be an active teammate at Macmillan. I feel comfortable here because my efforts to cultivate relationships in publishing are celebrated! I love my team at TPG and the Employee Resource Groups, Black/African-American Group (BAAG) and Latinx Voices, because they respect my ideas, encourage me to ask questions, and appreciate my hard work and contributions.
Who/what empowers you?
I am empowered by my community. Having close friends and family who are ambitious and big dreamers has helped make my goals feel attainable. Once I fully internalized the thought that I could do anything for real, I’ve been unstoppable ever since.
What does your company do to promote diversity?
Making Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a dedicated team in a corporate arena, means there’s an intentional effort to cultivate community! Macmillan promotes diversity by acknowledging the lack of it in publishing, being proactive about seeking representative voices, and not settling for complacency/apathy in the hard conversations across the industry.