S7 Ep2 : Representation Matters | Elaine Ho

Elaine Ho serves as NASA’s Chief Diversity Officer, providing executive and transformative leadership over diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policy and programs for the entire NASA workforce. Ho is a long-time public servant who has been connected to DEIA throughout her career, having held multiple high-level positions at the Department of Agriculture, IRS, and the White House. Prior to her federal service career, Ho was a practicing attorney, specializing in employment law and workplace diversity and inclusion, and served over four years active duty as an Air Force criminal prosecutor.

Key Takeaways:

• Representation matters – you have to see it to be able to achieve it

• Collaboration is everything

• Trust is the foundation of successful collaboration

• Meet people where they are at – put yourself in their shoes

• Demonstrate the value of DEIA to get people onboard

• There are times to be right and there are times to understand 

• Be yourself, everyone else is already taken

• Authenticity is a lifelong state of self-reflection 

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

• The Space Race (documentary)

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Find Guest’s work:

• NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/

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For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

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Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Nina Kissinger.

Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!