Stronger Together

This is Rohan. We met in Chicago when we were both playing on the tennis team at Chicago State University. I remember when I first met him I could barely understand what he was saying because he was speaking so quickly, he had a strong British accent and was using all these British sayings. Both of our teams were actually quite diverse as we had people from Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Latvia, France, Spain and more. In retrospect, it was such an amazing opportunity for all of us to learn about different cultures, particularly, those we had never been exposed to before. He agreed to answer some questions so all of the indented sections are direct quotes from him.

Rohan works as a financial analyst at Cummins, which is a fortune 500 company. He started out at their Indianapolis location and recently transferred to their UK location, which is home for him. Additionally, he owns a mini golf company called Clubhouse, based out of London.

Rohan Wattley and Aqeel Gumbs created Melanin International Link designed to connect black & ethnic professionals globally whilst breaking misconceptions in our respective fields.

The goal for this organization itself is to eventually grow to put on different events in different cities for different ethnic professionals to network and communicate. I would like for this organization to become a great community for individuals to come together and voice their opinions and speak upon their journeys. I think the best way for us to learn in this life is to learn from others and listen to their experiences. You may come across someone who is/has done something you wish to do but have no knowledge but this person can explain and talk about their experiences in a particular field so that you can get an idea of what it is like.

MALLENCE

“I generate passionate income, because I enjoy what I create as much as what it yields”

Why is it important for professionals to connect anyway? And why is it particularly important for minorities? In my case, I’m a proud Latina. When I see other Latinas doing well, and crushing stereotypes and glass ceilings, I become inspired and hopeful that I can get there someday too. If we see people like us succeeding, we become inspired to succeed as well. More importantly, this allows us to see that it is indeed possible for us succeed.

I think it is important for professionals of color/minorities to connect so that we know that we are out there. In the western world people of color have always been the minorities and i think it is important that we connect to encourage different work spaces to select those of different cultures and backgrounds that are qualified for roles. Also, it is always good to be around those in the work space that have a similar culture to you so that one does not feel left out or discouraged at work due to lack of culture/exposure to other minorities.

BEVON

“I believe that ​kids can’t be what they can’t see,​ and that there is no lack of talent, just a lack of opportunity”

Melanin International Link brings professionals together and features their responses on their Instagram page. The community grows through word of mouth, recommendations and it has grown tremendously through social media. Once featured, it is encouraged to nominate others. You can reach out to the team directly on their Instagram via DM to request a feature or to nominate someone. All you will need, once approved, is a headshot, your response to the question, your job title and your location. The team is really great and turns things around very quickly — mine was posted just a few days after I submitted.

So far we have had just over 100 people featured. We decide based on what their profession is and the question itself. For example we have questions that have only been tailored for those in the creative/self employed space. That way those that can submit for that question must be within this space. We have other questions that may be tailored to those in the corporate spaces. We want those in all careers to be given an opportunity to feature, should they want to. When individuals submit their responses to the questions we then have a quality control check before it is handed across to the editor on the team. If it doesn’t pass a quality check then we ask for a resubmission.

AZA

“My identity has always been contested, but no less integral to my being”

We cannot talk about Melanin International Link without giving a major shout out to the team. Just to name a few, Sara Wilkinson is in charge of content, Hannah Igbinidion manages social media, Calvin Ruan is the designer and Lawrence Watkins & Jada Gordon organize calls and create content to discuss at the global level.

The posts come to life through a great team we have put together. We have 2 individuals based out in America - Lawrence and Jada in Chicago and Atlanta. The other 4 individuals are based in London. We have Sara and Hannah who edit our posts and are in control of the content and social media engagement. Posts are posted at particular times of the day and this is determined by Hannah who looks at our analytics.

This group of people is dedicating their time so people like us can benefit connecting with others and hearing their stories. Definitely check them out on Instagram and don’t hesitate to reach out to be featured. They are always looking for new features and ways to expand the community.