Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/
What does radical empathy actually look like in a business, not just as a feeling, but as a practice?
Becky sits down with Terri Givens, political scientist and author of Radical Empathy and Reckoning, to dig into the how behind the why. They talk through Terri's six steps to radical empathy (starting with the hardest one: being vulnerable with yourself first), what it means to unpack internalized bias, and why "safe spaces" might be the wrong goal (brave spaces are more honest and more possible).
They also get into the stuff business owners actually wrestle with: how to build diverse teams without falling into tokenism, what "empathy is not absolution" means when you're deciding who to work with, and why intentionality (not perfection) is the real work of inclusive leadership.
In this episode:
• The six steps of radical empathy, and why vulnerability with yourself comes first
• Unpacking internalized oppression, Terri's own story growing up Black and Catholic in Spokane, WA
• Safe spaces vs. brave spaces, and why the second one is the honest goal
• "Strategic empathy": how to have compassion for someone without excusing their behavior
• Building trust and community without falling into performative hiring or tokenism
• The role business can play in creating the future we want, with lessons from history
Terri Givens is a political scientist, author, and entrepreneur. Her books Radical Empathy (2021) and Reckoning (2025, paperback out this year) offer both the why and the how of using empathy as a tool for real change in business, in community, and in ourselves. Learn more and grab the books (currently 50% off) at Terri's website.
Feminist Founders is a space for business owners who care about equity and justice — and want the practical tools to actually build it. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe and join the conversation.
Find Terri Givens (and her books) at https://www.terrigivens.com/
Also mentioned in this episode:
• "The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkerson: https://amzn.to/44zOjH2
🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/
