Dear Headway Community,

We hope you are finding ways to maintain your health, and take care of yourselves and your families during these alarming times. If you have been directly affected by the actions of the federal government, we are sorry. We hope you have the support you need and that you’re able to find solace, be it in community, in mutual aid, in justice or otherwise. 

Many of you work at an organization that receives state or federal funding, or are tied to a university that does. It’s vital to us to be able to serve you. In the fall of 2023, at least 27 states had laws in place preventing state funds from being used for diversity and inclusion training. Around the same time, we began marketing workshops and classes that align with Celeste’s expertise in communication, meetings and other elements of workplace culture, but are not specifically focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. What became clear to us: Headway helps make workplaces stronger. At the time, we floated the idea of focusing on our broader appeal, but did not make any official moves to do so.

So, two situations now collide, and we find ourselves officially expanding Headway Training to encompass workplace culture overall. The second circumstance we’re alluding to is the current Republican administration’s position on equality and discrimination, and diversity, equity and inclusion as they define it (note: in most cases, not how we define it).

It may appear that we are obeying in advance or are kowtowing to the new administration. Not so. We are combining all of our work under one umbrella, and committing to supporting workplaces where health and psychological safety are prioritized. We are still dedicated to helping you build and maintain workplaces that are diverse and inclusive, and that prioritize equity, access and belonging. Those of you who have taken our classes, know that our programs aren’t only about difference. All of our techniques can be applied to build sustainable workplaces that counteract the toxic hustle culture we’ve become accustomed to. The only changes are, in fact, one: the language used to describe our work will expand to include all that we do, and will not rely only on the three to five words that have become so volatile in our society. And two: organizations will have more ways to use our training to help build healthy, productive work environments.

We look forward to supporting you and your organizations in whatever ways we can. As we continue to navigate this crisis together, we hope you’ll share your stories and your strategies with us so we can lift each other up.

In solidarity, 

The Headway Team

*We are still accepting participants for Level 1 Facilitator Training; the next session starts May 13 and ends June 17. Participants who have taken Level 1 and want to continue on to Level 2, register here.