The goals of the EPIC Equity Council are to advance equity within our community and create collaborative spaces for EPIC people to embed equity within their work.
Equity at EPIC
We believe ethnography demands a focus on equity. Ethnographers strive to understand people’s worlds on their own terms, and shape organizations, products, services and experiences that are tools for them to build the lives they envision, free from the inequalities that may define their present. To do this well, we must address the ways we are connected to diverse, global communities through systems that benefit some and disadvantage others. Embedded in these systems are deep inequities of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, disability, and identity.
“Becoming EPIC: Building Equity” is a new program directed by the Equity Council to tackle the ongoing inequalities that have shaped our field. We will leverage financial resources and the power of our community to provide mentorship, training, conference participation, and other opportunities for a cohort of early to mid-career practitioners, focused on those who have faced barriers to inclusion and/or whose work directly contributes to equity in our field. The expertise of cohort members will also be showcased. (The application period for 2023 has closed, but stay tuned for 2024!)
In order to advance equity with meaningful outcomes, to value equity and invest in it, we need your help.
We invite you to make a financial contribution, in any amount, according to your ability. If you have benefited from EPIC activities and resources, and particularly if you have an employer that has funded your own professional development, please consider making a donation to benefit those who face barriers to inclusion. 100% of your donation directly supports community members through Equity Council programs. EPIC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Meet the Equity Council
Nichole Carelock
Shakima Jackson-Martinez
Kate Sieck
Nichole Carelock (she/her) is an anthropologist with 10+ years experience building technical solutions that not only work for people, but with people. Previously she worked on privacy at Facebook and in civic technology ensuring the Presidential Transition Teams were equipped with the right Tech Policy, People and Practices to succeed. Her expertise spans from service design for systems with millions of users, to intimate cottage industry ethnographies. She belongs to and serves many communities including AfroTech, User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA), and the American Anthropological Association(AAA). In addition, Nichole is passionate about digital services for vulnerable populations and prides herself on being a “slow thinker” in her world of “failing fast” “rapid iteration” and “disruption.” Nichole is a member of the EPIC Board.
Shakima Jackson-Martinez is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advocate who specializes in foundational DE&I practices, inclusive talent acquisition, and building organizational empathy through internal research. She is currently the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at AnswerLab, a full-service UX Research firm, where she leads the DE&I and talent acquisition functions. Shakima has over 15 years of corporate experience in Human Resources, Project Management, Strategy, and Operations. She is extremely passionate about using research to foster a deeper understanding of company culture and organizational needs while also creating spaces where people feel a true sense of belonging. Shakima recently presented The Myth of the Pipeline Problem: Creating a Diverse and Thriving Team at EPIC2022.
Kate Sieck (she/her) is an anthropologist with 10+ years experience in building interdisciplinary teams to tackle entrenched problems in novel ways. Together, they blend qualitative and quantitative research with social theory, design, and storytelling to create rich contextual understandings of people’s lives, and collaborate toward innovative solutions. She currently serves as a Senior Manager on the Human-Centered AI team at Toyota Research Institute, leading the Harmonious Communities Department. Prior to this, she held roles in academia, marketing and consulting, and public policy. A passionate advocate for building and supporting the next generations of researchers, Kate also teaches the EPIC Course Using Theory in Research.
Get Involved
Building equity with meaningful outcomes requires investments of money, time, and wisdom from our whole community. You can:
1. Make a Direct Contribution
We invite you to make a financial donation, in any amount, according to your ability. Small amounts amplified across our community have a mighty impact! Your donation directly supports individual participants in equity programs—and they make our entire field more rigorous, robust and resilient.
2. Leverage Organizational Support
We honor organizational contributors as Equity Partners and offer benefits in recognition of their support. Contact us to find out more about Equity Partnership.
3. Contribute Time and Share Wisdom
Everything EPIC does is powered by members and volunteers. Please contact us to contribute time, wisdom, and good old “elbow grease” to our equity programs! We’d love your help with training, mentoring, fundraising, project management, and outreach.
Equity Partners & Donors
Our equity program could not exist without individuals and organizations who believe that investing in equity is essential to our community and our field. We are thrilled to recognize our inaugural Equity Partners, Catalyst Constellations, Multilingual Connections and Generation Focus.
Individual contributors include more than 50 anonymous donors and: Adelina, Alexandra Mack, Andrea Villa, Anna Edmondson, Aude, Charley Scull, Collabo XD, Deborah Gassner, Elizabeth Anderson-Kempe, Erin Duncan, Evan Hanover, Gregory Weinstein, Helen King, Indicia Consulting, Jeff Chen, Jennifer Collier Jennings, Jillian Powers, Johannes, Kate Sieck, Kathi R Kitner, Kimberley Peter, Lisa Talia Moretti, M LeVan, Marta Cuciurean-Zapan, Martha Cotton, Marty Gage, Matt Bernius, Melissa, Meredith Hamilton, Mike Youngblood, Niels, noodle research, Ovetta Sampson, Robin Beers, Rose Kue, Rutabaga, Simon Roberts, Sonder Studio, Ulla Geisel, Tamisha Shankar, Tania Schlatter, Thomas J McLeish, Tracey Lovejoy, Ya