Meet the Founders of Cleveland Workplace Equity Firm, Demanding the City Do Better for Black Women and Femmes
Much has been said about the trendy and formidable girlboss that gained popularity a few years back. Women like, Sophia Amoruso founder of Nasty Gal, Jen Gotch founder of Ban.do, and to some extent Goop’s Gwyneth Paltrow. In reality though, most of culture’s celebrated #girlbosses haven’t turned out to be the progressive workplace saviors we believed them to be, with their workplaces oozing with discrimination and insensitivities (see Goth and Amoruso). See, the Girlbosses we’re used to have mostly been white, therefore they stood at the particular intersection of oppression and privilege. Gender equality was their priority, racial equality and inequity though, well that was someone else’s problem. Bethany Studenic and Chinenye (ChiChi) Nkemere have turned the Girlboss archetype right side up, becoming female founders who’re concerned with the welfare of other women before their own, and have created a company that strives for systemic change.
ChiChi and Bethany met in 2017 when they were both working at the Department of Justice in Cleveland, working on police reform. Back then ChiChi was the Community Engagement Specialist, and Bethany was brought on as the Senior Policy Analyst. The two worked very closely together, and simultaneously forged a bond that would ultimately see them through the toxic work environment. “I think one of the disappointments there, and part of the thing that birthed Enlightened Solutions, was that wow, I found these people that I work so well with, but we are living inside an organization that is killing us,” said Bethany. So what do two highly educated, (Bethany holds a Bachelors in Social Work, Masters in Social Administration, a Juris Doctor and is currently studying for the bar, while ChiChi holds a Bachelors in Political Science and African/African American Studies, and formerly was an educator for Teach for America) highly skilled, rightfully ambitious, and just plain old tired women do in such a situation? Excuse my language, but they start their own shit!
Enlightened Solutions may have been born out of a toxic situation, but since its inception it’s been nothing but an advocate and safe haven for women—particularly those on the margins. Bethany serves as the Managing Director, ChiChi the Director of Strategy, and together they are Co-Founders of a firm that creates, implements, and publishes research of peoples lived experiences, in order to further help companies and organizations create systemic change. In short, they’re two badass women who’ve had enough of what bell hooks calls, “imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy,” and so they’re demanding the long overdue overhaul of the American workplace.
Their latest endeavor is Project Noir, a survey for Black Women and Femmes that examines their lived experiences in the workplace, healthcare, and education in Cleveland. Following Cleveland being ranked by Bloomberg City Lab as the worst city for Black Women to live, Bethany and ChiChi strategized on how to change that. Much can be said about their efforts to hold Cleveland accountable. And the pressure campaign that will come from the results of their survey will surely have the city and it’s businesses reeling. Because I’m always inspired by women who show up as their authentic selves, and the passions that motivate them, I spoke with Bethany and ChiChi about what they do and why they do it. But also about the things that make them tick, excite them, and humanize them. Their work is important and deserves to be showcased, but the women they are also deserves attention. These two share an enviable bond, really unlike anything I’ve seen from two women who on the surface appear to be polar opposites. As I told them in our interview their partnership is a love story, and quite frankly, we need more women like them. Following interviews have been edited for brevity.
Bethany Studenic
The quintessential ally
Many White women claim that they want to know what to do in order to be an ally for Black and Brown folks, but few actually have the attention spans or intentions to do the work. Not Bethany. Somehow this homeschooled Appalachian White Woman has become a warrior for social justice, and is completely unapologetic about it. Quiet yet observant, Bethany strikes me as someone who understands the qualities of listening, and how essential it is to understanding peoples adversities. It’s clear that she adores her friendship with ChiChi, and it’s a friendship rooted in growth and integrity. She’s a smarty pants in the best sense of the word (did you see all those degrees mentioned above), and her reserved grace is something to be admired.
What female figures inspires you most?
I think for me it’s kind of, conglomerate of people online that i’ve been interacting with or getting to know through different areas and a lot of the, a Gen Z, these content creators that are young and up and coming and i have to say they give me so much hope. I think with Gen Z, they’ve taken technology to really understand each other on a fundamental level and they are more connected with each and more accepting than we ever got the chance to be. So when I talk to younger people, especially younger women and i hear about their vision for this world and what they want and what they see, I’m absolutely inspired, it give me hope for the future.
Name something that makes you laugh/something that makes you cry?
I love humor based on/in real life. I laugh the hardest when I'm joking around with friends. My sense of humor is a little dark and sometimes a little absurd. My favorite character on TV that I identify with lately is actually Kelli from Insecure. I think she's hilarious and genuine.
What makes me cry right now is our world. I know, I know, we talk about it all the time, but reality is really hard right now. There's not much that I see or read about that can top where we are at in this moment. Our world is mortally wounded and I fear daily for the safety and security of others.
Name and talk about your biggest insecurity
There are many insecurities competing for number one. Honestly, I think the overarching theme is just not being good enough. Not smart enough, not fast enough, not fit enough, not pretty enough. It all holds that same thread. Am I enough? I've been working hard on body insecurity lately. It's so intertwined with my femaleness and a highly religious upbringing. I question and critique myself constantly, and I know it has led to holding myself to impossible standards. That perfectionism has brought me a lot of unhappiness in my life, and I've been working on reframing success. For millennial’s, we have been caught in this trap of pressure to succeed in a traditional, monetized way from older generations, while really living in a world where we need to grow and find happiness and fulfillment outside of money and power. Taking time to enjoy things has been a key for me, and directly working through my hangups while I've had time to reflect during quarantine has really helped me grow.
What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed?
I look at memes. Dead serious. I love a good laugh and try to keep certain platforms I use really positive. I also love to learn, so just exploring different concepts is really fun for me. Over quarantine I've been learning about local foraging and mushroom hunting, a little bit of history, and rollerskating. I even broke out my old quad-skates and have been skating in my driveway. I've fallen a solid amount but I can almost stop on purpose now.
When are you most happy?
On my couch, cuddled up with my husband, with a glass of wine. It's simple, but I feel safest and most myself in my own space with people that love me. I've got a dog and a cat and when everyone is on the couch together with a movie on, I'm in heaven.
What fuels you to do the work that you do?
We can't live like this. I'm an outspoken, opinionated woman and that has left me with very few options. People have consistently reacted poorly to me being me. On top of that, I work with and see so much talent in marginalized people that is absolutely squandered by existing systems. The truth is that we as a society have to change. The future is diverse, people are becoming more mobile, more connected, more diverse. We have to build systems that work for everyone.
ChiChi Nkemere
Don’t come for her unless she comes for you
The 32 year-old first generation Nigerian American is a straight shooter. She’s passionate about racial, gender, political, and economic equity, yet she’s also hilariously described herself as a “white woman of color.” On their friendship, she says Bethany has been the most encouraging person in her life over the last two years. “Quiet yet meaningful” as ChiChi puts it. I’m enamored (and at times intimidated) by her brilliance, this naija babe is equally the life of the party, yet all about her business.
What female figures inspires you most?
I think at this stage in my life I really want to be a mix of Nancy Pelosi and Olivia Pope. I think at this point I just kinda wanna do the work. I feel a lot of kinship with—again I’m a Hillary Clinton fanatic and I think she has been right at every single point in her career, including some of the missteps that she’s had, but she’s not a current politician. Nancy Pelosi is deeply misunderstood, especially as an individual that is a consensus builder and thats what I want to be, a consensus builder.
Name something that makes you laugh/something that makes you cry?
Laugh: This Twitter thread about how Michael Jackson was an “asshole” during the Remember The Time video. Specifically, this. Cry, every single time I hear I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack (it’s a special song between my mother, sister and me). Pose on FX - when I think about parents who disown their gay, lesbian, queer or trans* children, even as though individuals/couples have difficulty conceiving or creating families it makes me extremely weepy. Honestly it burns my soul.
Name and talk about your biggest insecurity
My biggest insecurity has to be my sense of Imposter Syndrome; I frequently feel, even when I am confident about my abilities, education and experience that “some individual” will be able to discount me in such a fundamental way that will “expose” me as unqualified. I am big on only speaking about things I am either confident or competent in; so the idea of being overly prepared and yet doubted or discounted as fraud is haunting to me. Other than that? My parents imbued in me an excessive amount of self-worth which is truly unshakable.
What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed?
Skincare routine and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. If I’m truly in need, I go for a long, LONG walk and try to get lost.
When are you most happy?
I am most happy by a body of water - typically a lake or ocean. I think about the vastness of human nature and our fundamental need for freshwater, either to drink, as a habitat for our food, or as a mechanism to carry us across nations.
What fuels you to do the work that you do?
Black Women. Every single day I ask myself, “How can I make this world a more hospitable place for Black Women and Femmes? How am I learning from the most conservative and most radical of us all to find an avenue where all of us can thrive?” It is serendipitous that I had to create my own lane (with Bethany) to be able to fundamentally support our convictions for free and fair acceptance of the most marginalized in American society. It isn’t some task I take lightly, nor something I do for self-aggrandizement. Some individuals truly want to see their names as headlines; I am the opposite - the collective is essential, especially as an African woman. We are nothing without the selection, protection and prayers of our ancestors. I am simply a vessel.