The Road Ahead: Building Equity in Divisive Times

By Christina S. Hassan, CEO

Now, with a new president and our country facing a level of chaos and division I haven’t seen in my 50+ years, I’ve asked myself: Should I change how I work? Should I adjust how I talk about it? Should I soften my words? My answer to all of this is a firm and resounding no. Now, more than ever, the work my firm does is critical.

Does it scare me that this work will be harder to navigate? Yes. That it might become more difficult to sustain my business? Yes. That some people may respond with extreme hostility? Absolutely. I’ve taken extra precautions—changing our public-facing business address, and installing security systems—but none of these measures will stop me or my team from doing the work.

This is not the time to retreat in fear, shrink into the shadows, or compromise on what is right, just, and necessary. Nor is it the time to dwell in grief or frustration. This is the time to step up, to act, and to expect others to act with us. We don’t need passive allies. We need accomplices and co-conspirators—people who will stand beside us or even act without us. Those with the most privilege have the least to lose and the most responsibility to take risks.

I’ve always fought for those who cannot fight for themselves and speak up for those whose voices cannot be heard. That will not change now.

Our work isn’t about placing blame or creating division. We don’t point fingers or shame. Instead, we guide people to recognize their implicit biases—something we all carry—and use that awareness to confront systemic and institutional inequities. While history provides essential context for how these inequities were built, the focus of our work is on the present, where these inequities continue to shape outcomes.

Equity, as we define it, is achieved when a person’s identity does not determine their outcomes. Unfortunately, we are far from achieving this vision. That’s why our work focuses on building awareness, fostering critical conversations, and driving systemic change to create equitable outcomes.

Progress requires us to confront hard truths and engage in honest, often uncomfortable conversations—especially about race. It demands an unrelenting commitment to dismantling the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequity. To claim we live in a post-racial society is not just misguided; it is a deliberate denial of reality.

Despite the progress we claim to have made in gender equality, the undeniable fact that no woman has ever held the highest office in this country is a glaring reminder of the systemic barriers that still exist. This injustice must be confronted head-on in the hard conversations we engage in and the urgent work we do to create real change.

I am not a martyr, but I am resolute in my convictions. I stand firm in my beliefs and my purpose. As the saying goes, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” I stand for something, and I will not stop.

A heartfelt thank you to all my collaborators, colleagues, partners in crime, and, most of all, my incredible Gemini Group team.