Reflections from our co-facilitator, Alia Sunderji:
In April 2025, our RADIUS Consulting and Training team launched the Designing for Equity Masterclass with a clear motivation: to push back against the growing rollback of equity commitments and make the case that equity work is not only still essential, it’s non-negotiable. From our consulting and training work with municipalities, health care institutions, and post secondary schools, we have seen well-meaning, yet frustrated leaders asking us:
“Why can’t I retain my staff?”
“How can we attract more diverse candidates?”
“What does inclusive leadership actually look like in practice—not just in theory?”
The truth is, conventional solutions aren’t enough.
Programs that fail to interrogate power and systemic barriers often exclude the very teams, customers, communities and clients they aim to invite in— and that’s something we’re determined to change.
Our Designing for Equity Masterclass isn’t just training. It’s a call to reimagine how we design policies, programs, and internal systems from the ground up, with equity as the blueprint—not the afterthought.
Cross-sector conversations, shared commitments
Our Designing for Equity Masterclass brought together leaders from government, education, nonprofits, healthcare, and more. While their roles and sectors differed, their concerns echoed one another.
What emerged was rich dialogue, where participants stepped outside their silos and realized: we’re facing shared systemic challenges and we’re stronger when we learn from one another. Even small practices like beginning with a humanity check-in to ask about how we are arriving and what our access needs revealed how inclusion can show up in everyday design.
Together, we created space to reflect on how isolating this work can feel, named challenges in our organizations, shared practical approaches, and identified ways we can move equity commitments from intention to action.
We are thrilled by what we heard from our attendees:
“This course gave me the tools, language, and clarity to move from performative equity to designing systems that truly reduce harm, build trust, and center those most impacted.”
“I left feeling a real sense of agency to create more equitable spaces for engagement and co-creation.”
As a facilitator, this Masterclass gave me hope. Hope that we’re moving away from traditional design where decisions are made without the voices of those most impacted. By listening deeply and co-creating, we begin to honor the full gifts and perspectives within our teams and communities. This work just makes sense—and it can’t wait.
I was especially moved by how participants showed up to tackle hard questions—like how to advance equity in rigid, corporate or unionized systems. We built a space for honesty, care, and learning.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to keep evolving the Masterclass, drawing from collective wisdom to name the frustrations of this work—and also imagine new paths forward. Equity must be part of the blueprint, not the afterthought. We’re stronger for doing this together.
Curious about what this could look like in your organization? Let’s start the conversation. Contact consulting@radiussfu.com or subscribe for email updates on future Masterclasses.