Praise for Better Allies
“Better Allies demystifies the work of allyship in an actionable, approachable, and blame-free way. The book introduces key concepts necessary to effective allyship with concrete examples and case studies, and offers a myriad of positive actions we can all take on our journey to be better allies in our workplace and our personal lives.” —Caroline Simard, PhD, Managing Director, Stanford VMWare Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab
“Calling all allies! Here is your one-stop manual for becoming better as an advocate, champion, and ally for marginalized colleagues in the workplace. Catlin’s rich experience as an executive in the tech world infuses each of her immensely practical allyship strategies with deep wisdom from the trenches. Not sure where to start? Catlin demystifies allyship with proven workplace actions from a host of everyday allies. This amazing book is both an invitation and a roadmap to every person and organization committed to making the workplace fully inclusive. More, Better Allies is a gift to everyone who truly wants to be a better human being at work.” —Brad Johnson, PhD and David G. Smith, PhD, authors of Athena Rising and Good Guys
“As businesses continue to focus on local and global expansion, I believe success lies in seeking and embracing differing cultural perspectives. The first step is to have a workforce which is reflective of their target customer. By including and advocating for people of all genders, cultures and lifestyles, and ensuring they are reflected in all levels of the company from the board room to the mail room, businesses will develop a practice of empathy and understanding which will translate into more meaningful connections, thus products and services people believe in. Better Allies paves a road to this success. ” —Steve Johnson, Vice President of Experience Design and Innovation, Netflix
“Some people have it harder than you at work. This is just true. Get over it. And, yes, there are many permutations of this dynamic involving class, color, race, sexual orientation and a few thousand other ways people are different from each other. We tend to not notice it, or not do anything about it, at least partly because we’re not sure what to do. Fortunately, we now have Better Allies. It’s incredibly complete and packed with practical advice to help you start to make a difference in your organization.” —Joe Dunn, Executive Coach and Radical Candor Guru
“As a global business strategist with a plural board career, I am passionate regarding how imperative it is in today’s world that companies must sharpen their competitive advantage by attracting and retaining top talent. Better Allies is a thoughtful and insightful book, offering a toolkit of meaningful, actionable ideas for the reader of how to create a meaningful and engaging workplace.” —Eugenia Ulasewicz, former President, Burberry Americas
“I tore through Better Allies, and you will too. Karen Catlin has brought clarity to the challenges underrepresented people face at work. Read this book if you want advice on how to be a better ally, on how to create a more inclusive culture, and on how to increase your competitive advantage around hiring and retaining talent.” —Norm Meyrowitz, former President of Products, Macromedia
“Karen Catlin has created an accessible, practical everyday guide to becoming a better ally. Whether you are just starting out or you’ve been an ally for years, everyone can learn something new from this terrific book.” —Elizabeth Ames, CEO, Women In Product
“Ever found yourself wondering ‘How can I better support diversity and inclusion in the workplace?’ In Better Allies, Karen Catlin breaks it down and helps to guide the conversation. This book is just the beginning of a grassroots movement. And it’s going to help make a big difference to workplaces everywhere.” —Brad Arkin, Chief Security and Trust Officer, Cisco
“Navigating today’s business landscape requires everyone to build their ability to support colleagues and coach others. This book will give you valuable insights and practical advice on being a better ally. It’s an eye-opening, powerful approach.” —Tom Hale, President, SurveyMonkey
“Better Allies is an important book for outcome-focused executives, however we classify ourselves. As someone who mentors a broad set of up-and-coming product managers and product leaders, I see every day how urgently we need to widen our lenses to spot emerging talent we’ve often overlooked – even as so many product leadership roles remain unfilled. Karen Catlin provides a range of actionable, motivating, effective tools for growing more diverse teams so that we can deliver more successful products. Better Allies can help each of us be better allies.” —Rich Mironov, startup CEO and author of The Art of Product Management
“As men, we have a whole lot of privilege. And we can use that privilege to open doors and bring more diversity into ‘the room where it happens.’ In Better Allies, you’ll learn practical steps to do exactly that and create a more inclusive workplace. Be a better man and read this book now.” —Ray Arata, Co-Founder Inclusionary Leadership Group
Praise for Belonging in Healthcare
“The vital need to diversify our healthcare workforce has been palpable for a long time. Now, through Karen Catlin’s research and stories, we have a practical guide that can help get us there.” —Eric Topol, MD, Author DEEP MEDICINE, Professor, Scripps Research
“Ms. Catlin did her research when taking on the healthcare industry after tech. I applaud her attention to the lack of racial and ethnic representation of frontline professionals and the need for white healthcare workers to practice allyship with their colleagues of color. What is especially concerning is the persistent elimination of diverse talent from the medical workforce at a time when retention should be of paramount importance to mitigate an impending workforce shortage, eliminate healthcare disparities and optimize public health.” —Pringl Miller, MD FACS, Founder and Executive Director of Physician Just Equity
“Belonging in Healthcare is more than a great book; it’s a clarion call to action. Karen Catlin is a shoulder angel with practical advice for the privileged in healthcare to sponsor, champion, amplify, and advocate for their colleagues with less access. The book is a must read, and being a better ally is a must do. We can’t hope to tackle inequity and disparities in health outcomes for patients without fostering inclusive workplaces for those who care for them.” —Murray Brozinsky, CEO of Conversa Health (now part of Amwell)
“In Belonging in Healthcare, Karen Catlin offers a wealth of poignant observations and practical advice that anyone who works in a healthcare-related field can use to make their work environments more welcoming and inclusive to our patients, students, and colleagues. This is a powerful book that is full of wisdom about issues that can often be difficult to discuss, while also leaving the reader feel inspired and equipped to help address those same challenges.” —Kyle Pusateri, MA, MPH, Chief Operating Officer, Global Brain Health Institute
“Belonging in Healthcare is an important read for all healthcare leaders seeking to understand how to shift the workplace culture to one of inclusivity and belonging.” —Resa E. Lewiss, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Radiology, Founder of The Visible Voices podcast
“This book reminds us that there is a subtle but critically important distinction between being a ‘knight’ and being an ally. In the healthcare industry, being an ally is more than just a moral imperative; it could quite literally be a matter of life and death.” —Dawn Haut, MD, Leader of a large federally qualified health center (FQHC)
“Karen Catlin’s Belonging in Healthcare shows the importance of allyship in healthcare and then points the way for each of us. Being an ally is a continuous journey of learning and taking action for change, and this book shares practical ways to sponsor others in their careers, expand our networks, improve hiring, make the workplace more inclusive, and more.” —Philip Welkhoff, PhD, Director at a global philanthropic foundation
Better Allies® 