The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute was founded by Joy E. Mason in spring 2021 as an offshoot of her Optimist Business Solutions company in response to the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department. Since then, the institute has grown into a space for Black women and Black Latinas to increase their […]
In a recent interview, Joy Mason, CEO and founder of Optimist Business Solutions discusses her background in continuous improvement, what led to the creation of The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute™ (SSREI), along with some project examples. SSREI is an innovative leadership program designed to upskill Black Women to be complex problem solvers. She also […]
Written by Brion
Joy Mason helped found the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute, which is a nonprofit in Indianapolis, Indiana that teaches Black female professionals problem solving skills to receive the institute’s Six Sigma green belt certification. Six Sigma training is normally $5,000, but the tuition is reduced for these women due to corporate sponsorships. Students meet all […]
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Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) Center for Business and Economic Development has partnered with the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute (SSREI) to help Black women in Indianapolis and Marion County earn their Six Sigma Green Belt certification. “What we’re doing with the Six Sigma for Racial Equity Institute is taking the power of data analysis […]
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Joy Mason discusses her background, and her work creating the Six Sigma Racial Equity Initiative with podcast host Veronica Marquez. The initiative is designed to upskill Black women in the Indianapolis community with strategies and tools for critical thinking and complex problem-solving. Each program cohort includes training and certification provided by a local university. The […]
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Overwhelmed!! That’s the word Joy E. Mason hears most often when she asks leaders how they feel about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Leaders are finding themselves overwhelmed by recent demographic and cultural shifts and the uncertainty of what to do next. Unfortunately, traditional DEI training doesn’t appear to have the answers that leaders desperately […]
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Isaac Hughley, Process Improvement Specialist with the Indiana Department of Revenue presented at the monthly Indianapolis ASQ section meeting in September 2021. He discussed how kaizen events can be used in the public sector to address complex and unique challenges (especially during a pandemic). He shares an example of a kaizen event in which the […]
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Deondra is a strategic thinker and consultant based in Indianapolis (Indiana) who focuses on coaching, empowering and developing individuals towards achieving their personal and professional goals. She shares her experiences working for and volunteering within nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations. In addition to her nonprofit work, she is also the creator of the #RootCauseRacism, which was […]
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Joy Mason is a Six Sigma Black Belt who spent many years at Eli Lilly in continuous improvement before taking on a consulting career. She introduces the idea of CARE, and more clearly defines the following words: inclusion, diversity, racism, equity and discrimination. She explains how Six Sigma and the DMAIC model can be used […]
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Mark Graban interviews Christopher D. Chapman, Senior Lean Transformation Coach at Chapman Lean Enterprise, and Dr. Valeria Sinclair-Chapman, a social scientist, Associate Professor, and Director of the Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University. They discuss Christopher’s article “Lean in Lean Thinkers to Root Out Racial Inequity” and the intersection and overlap between Lean […]
Written by Brion