Workshop | Digital Empathy: Unveiling Bias and Fostering an Equitable Virtual Work Culture

White supremacy culture, as defined by Tema Okun (Dismantling Racism Works), can be mirrored and perpetuated in remote environments. This interactive session equips public employees with the skills and techniques needed for fostering inclusive and equitable virtual teams. Through self-reflection and practical exercises, participants will explore the intersection of white supremacy culture and virtual workplace culture, and explore strategies to mitigate it in their own work environments. They will learn key principles for creating an equitable virtual team culture, techniques for supporting diverse digital engagement among virtual teams, and gain an understanding of personal digital body language style and communication preferences. 

By cultivating self-awareness and recognizing biases, attendees will apply strategies to promote inclusivity and empathy in virtual work, strengthening their ability to navigate diverse boundaries and forge meaningful connections with colleagues and the public they serve.

Handout(s):

🔗 Digital Empathy Toolkit

Emily Harper loves activating courage in people and teams to do meaningful work. She is an award winning, dynamic trainer who has presented change management models, futures thinking and digital communication trends to national audiences - helping them improve their adaptability, foresight, and communication skills.

Emily uses her background in qualitative research, theology, human resources, journalism, and intercultural communication to facilitate meaningful people-centric solutions that make teams feel proud and productive.  Emily holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Missouri State University, a M.A. in Intercultural Studies, and a Master of Theological Studies. She currently works as a Training Analyst for the City of Portland Bureau of Human Resources.  Beyond work, Emily enjoys cooking for large groups of people, long walks with a podcast, and collaborating with her a cohousing community in Washington County.