ABOUT V
I am Veronique, a Black (with a capital B) cis-gender woman from Chicago. I use she/her/hers pronouns. I spent almost a decade in International Development, focusing on health, education, and gender. Today, I use the international lens from my previous career track, global travels, and my stints living abroad to inform my work at Ampersand Workspace, where I serve as the Founder, CEO, and Lead Educator.
My work is the bridge from thinking to living disruptive systemic change within all aspects of our lives. Through speaking engagements, interactive training/workshop hybrids, and facilitated discussions, I unpack the race and gender elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I make knowledge and growth accessible and actionable. Working with me means:
✨ Reducing fear and discomfort around race and gender
✨ Embracing the learning and unlearning
✨ Defining key actions to uniquely implement
✨ Feeling empowered to embody anti-racist and gender-inclusive
behavior in every aspect of our lives
Moving from anti-racist and gender-inclusive values to real-life transformation and implementation requires each of us to examine the power, privilege, and influence we hold, acknowledge where we fall short on race and gender, and commit to connecting the dots without shame or judgment.
Are you ready?
Ampersand Workspace
Together, the two words come together as a name to signify the feeling I want to bring into every training and workshop, every facilitated conversation, every conference keynote, every heritage and identity observance session, and any other form in which my work may manifest.
We are all on this journey and learning together.
ABOUT AMPERSAND WORKSPACE
Ampersand
Did you know the ampersand used to be an official part of the alphabet? Instead of “W, X, Y, [and] Z,” the ending of the alphabet was "W, X, Y, Z, and per-se and,” eventually turning the turn of phrase into the name of the character it represented. I was drawn to the beautiful and symbolic way of representing “and,” a word that links so many things together.
I often say I “meet people where they are,” particularly where they are in their experience and understanding of race and gender. People contain so many multitudes. I’m a daughter, and a sister, and a friend, and a neighbor, and an entrepreneur, and a Black woman. The list goes on for me, and I’m sure you have multiple facets and identities for you as well. I named my business in such a way acknowledge and embrace that many things are true & can be true about us as a people, including the similarities and differences that make us unique and bring us together. The Ampersand in my business name is meant to represent how we are together on this journey of learning, understanding, & being better to one another.
Workspace
My work is meant to be an open/safe/brave space for learning. I want my business to provide tools to help folks recognize the ways they can progress to being more anti-racist and more inclusive of different expressions of gender. Regardless of where you are on your race and gender journey, there is a place where you can have authentic conversations, feel safe in not knowing or being perfect, gain different perspectives, hear a variety of life experiences, and create action and change within your life. That's Ampersand Workspace.
