Abbiola Ballah (she/her) is the founder and CEO of Phern Education Studios, an organisation that is a catalyst for change in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging space. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Abbiola has spent the past 20 plus years living, studying and working in Japan, the US and Belize.

An educator for 17 plus years, she has held leadership roles in various educational institutions, focusing on creating inclusive environments in these spaces, being especially passionate about supporting others to create communities where everyone's intersectional identities feel a sense of belonging. Abbiola is an avid reader, a travel nerd, a theatre buff, and a Japanese karaoke queen. 

In this episode, we speak about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). What do these terms mean, and why did Abbiola choose to become a diversity worker? Her personal journey is obviously inexctricably linked to her answer because the personal is political. 

In our conversation Abbiola also dismisses the myth that DEIB work is solely a US issue and highlights the importance of creating safer and braver spaces by outlining what those spaces actually mean. She introduces us further to the term co-conspirator as coined by Bettina Love. 

It is an educational episode in which the brilliant Abbiola nurtures us with lots of book recommendations, her humor and by sharing her knowledge with us. Thank you Abbiola. 

Host: Stella Saliari  

At Salt the Podcast my guests and I contest and deconstruct narratives, and passionately recreate with the aim to change systems and perceptions. We want to elevate a generation that is feminist, antiracist and empathetic. Our conversations flow into each other and leave room for the unexpected. Salt is love, community, solidarity, a collective, healing, creating. It is intersectional, full of stories, movement and change. It insists, evolves and transforms. It is a commitment.

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