Voices of Experience

Voices of Experience


The Business Case for an Inclusive Office

February 24, 2025

Monica Williams (MBA 2013) is a people-centric strategist that has spent the last 15 years designing both equitable and high-performing workplaces. But her work didn’t start there. She made the transition to the people side of the business from, of all places, the accounting field. Monica’s career has taken her from spreadsheets to organizational heartbeats, as she’s led large-scale people efforts at both CenturyLink and the Denver Airport. In this episode, Monica shares more about what makes people-centric strategies successful, how transferable skills helped her discover her passion and how to stay centered in challenging times.

Table of contents • 1:03 Designing equitable workplace cultures • 2:03 How non-managers can create inclusive cultures • 3:01 Monica's path from accounting to diversity • 5:47 How inclusive cultures lead to better business outcomes • 7:12 Monica's decision to pursue an Executive MBA • 9:09 Challenges and strategies at Denver International Airport • 12:26 Identifying and addressing performative equity efforts • 18:32 Staying centered in challenging times