Changing Marketing for Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion
How two deaf, LGBTQ women are shifting the landscape of marketing for marginalized communities.
Think of the most recent advertisement that you have seen. Could someone with a disability be able to understand it? How about a non-English speaker? While 26 percent of the US population lives with some type of disability and 20 percent do not speak English, the marketing industry is still geared towards the able-bodied, English-speaking body of the society, overlooking the needs of marginalized communities.
And being members of the disabled community themselves, Michelle Lapides and Katherine Lees have stood up to the challenge and founded dozanü innovations to bring innovative marketing solutions to individuals, organizations, and corporate management.
While both Michelle and Katherine had years of experience in marketing, sales, and management, starting a new company was not an easy task.
“This journey of building our business through nearly six years has been tumultuous at times but continues to grow in amazing ways with our vast network, and we couldn’t have reached where we are today without the support of the Tory Burch Foundation via PeopleFund”, said Michelle and Katherine in our interview.
But now, their company, based in Austin with branches across the nation, is poised to be the leading BX Design™ Team specializing in alternative perspectives delivering innovative, modern marketing and business strategies that focus on inclusion.
They have worked with state agencies, non-profit organizations, and fortune companies to “help improve their accessible practices and spread information to people with disabilities, curating and implementing a comprehensive set of services for your business to shine.”
“Created for the disabled community, by members of the disabled community”, dozanü is defeating misconceptions regarding the disabled + marginalized communities in the marketing industry and providing valuable opportunities to the underrepresented who have been overlooked for far too long. Michelle and Katherine believe that the talented, but underrepresented members of the disabled and the LGBTQ+ community will be able to offer more “content with more representation across vast communities when it comes to culture, race, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, disabilities, language use, and many more carry more meaning and impact when we consider the hugely diverse audience we hold across our social networks – which travels globally” with their unique experiences and perspectives
Finally, the two entrepreneurs shared, “changemakers who are LGBTQ+, disabled, Black, Indigenous, and people of color are vital in shaping the way we think about, create, and deliver ideas. When we understand the power and the kind of impact we can have via inclusive and accessible marketing, that is when we can truly make a difference and build our way towards the kind of world, we want to live in.”
PeopleFund is a proud supporter for the disabled and LGBTQ+ community. To learn more about Michelle and Katherine’s work and how dozanü innovations will continue to impact our community and the marketing industry, please check out www.dozanu.com for more information.