Your HR Practices Aren’t Broken–They Were Never Built for Equity
Let’s stop managing harm and start designing for liberation
You’ve probably already done the trainings, started a DEI committee, maybe even tweaked a few policies — but somehow it’s still not clicking. Maybe people are burning out, hiring isn’t going the way you hoped, or the systems you’re working with just don’t match the values you’re trying to live out. The truth is, most HR systems were never set up for equity in the first place. This course will help you move beyond reacting to harm and start building human-centered policies that actually make work better for everyone.
Rethinking HR — Transforming Policies for Workplace Equity and Justice
Registration now open!
Move beyond theory and implement workplace equity through liberatory, human-centered HR practices.
Thursdays 2-4pm PST May 1-July 31 (off June 19 for Juneteenth and July 3rd)
Rethinking HR is a live, twelve-week virtual course for HR professionals, executive leaders, and others shaping the policies and practices that impact your people every day. Together, we’ll dismantle outdated, harmful HR practices and rebuild them with equity, care, and sustainability at the center. You’ll walk away with concrete tools, policies, and practices you can actually use — rooted in justice, and built to last.
In this moment, when equity work is under increasing scrutiny and attack, it’s more important than ever to integrate justice into the everyday systems — hiring, benefits, performance, and pay — that shape your organization. This course offers a clear, actionable path to do just that, while staying grounded, values-aligned, and legally sound.
What We’ll Work On Together
In this course, we’ll dig into the real, practical work of transforming your HR systems for equity and justice. Together, we’ll cover:
Why HR is one of the most effective levers for lasting organizational change
Designing equitable hiring and recruiting practices
Building inclusive employee benefits (beyond the basics)
Restorative approaches to accountability and conflict resolution
Creating a workplace culture that invites, rather than punishes — call-in culture in action
Addressing pay equity and transparency
Exploring alternative organizational models that redistribute power
Understanding your legal responsibilities — and how to go beyond bare-minimum compliance
Recognizing and preventing discrimination and wrongful termination
Build Your Handbook As You Go
Throughout the course, you’ll also be working section-by-section on your own organization’s employee handbook. Each module will help you draft revisions, develop new policies, and get direct feedback from me. By the end of the course, you’ll leave with a collection of proposed changes and resources — ready for further conversation, leadership buy-in, and implementation at your own pace.
You’ll also have opportunities for individual coaching to work through challenges specific to your workplace, so you’re not going it alone.
“I had the opportunity to learn from Nel firsthand through the Certificate in Nonprofit Fundraising and Certificate in Grant Writing courses at the People’s Nonprofit Accelerator. Their approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is next level. Nel doesn’t just teach DEI—they open your eyes to new perspectives and inspires a shift in how you think and lead. It’s the kind of learning that sticks with you and pushes you to be better, both personally and professionally.”
Ashlan Glazier-Anderson, Ashbeanpdx Marketing
Systemic problems require systemic solutions.
Low retention, racialized harm, pay gaps, burnout, inaccessible processes — maybe you’ve seen some (or all) of this up close. You’re not the only one. These issues aren’t just random — they’re the predictable outcomes of systems built to maintain the status quo, not to create equity, care, or collective thriving.
Most of us didn’t build these systems. We inherited them, tweaked them, tried to make them less harmful — maybe even threw some band-aids on and crossed our fingers. I’ve been there. But patching up broken systems will only get us so far. At some point, we have to decide to do something different.
This course is about making that shift. We’ll take the time to slow down, assess, and begin redesigning your policies and practices — not just to reduce harm, but to actively move toward liberation, equity, and sustainability.
Together, we’ll explore how to build:
Transparent budgeting
Streamlined accommodation processes
Restorative performance improvement
Decolonized hiring practices
Redistributed power (yes, even inside your HR systems)
“Nel is someone with deep lived experience in serving communities who experience marginalization. I've hired them to teach an HR class several times now, and they are so responsive to the students in every course. This is the most engaged I've seen students when talking about HR. Nel's ideas and their commitment to liberatory practices allow them to connect to the students and show them that HR and people management don't have to be oppressive, and can actually create equity and prosperity for workers and community members.”
Marina Martinez-Bateman, New Coyote Consulting
What You’ll Actually Get (Besides More Zoom Time)
By the end of this course, you’ll have:
A set of draft policies and handbook revisions, aligned with your values and ready to take through your organization’s decision-making process
Concrete tools for hiring, onboarding, benefits, pay equity, accountability, and conflict — tools you can actually use, not just theory
A framework for making equity-centered HR decisions, even in the face of external pressure and shifting legal landscapes
Strategies for redistributing power and making your systems work for your people, not against them
Confidence to advocate for changes internally and the skills to back it up
A network of peers who are in it with you — leaders and practitioners working through the same challenges
You’ll also get:
12 thoughtfully designed modules
Access to recordings for 2 years
A downloadable workbook to help you apply the work in real-time
A supportive group chat community
Ongoing 1:1 coaching opportunities throughout the course
“I attended Nel's class "Making the Case for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion". I was impressed with Nel's ability to communicate how to best incorporate anti-racist principles into an organization's (and individual's) daily practices to an audience with diverse lived experience and DEIJ knowledge. From the start, Nel created a safe and inclusive space where students felt accepted exactly where they were at within their own DEIJ learning journeys. I was able to bring key points back to my organization and engage in conversations about how we can improve upon, and commit to, our core strategy for racial equity impact.”
MiKayla Ryan, The People’s Nonprofit Accelerator
Presale pricing through March 31, 2025. Full price $1,597 beginning April 1, 2025
You don’t have to figure it out alone–let’s do this!
Curious? Here’s what folks usually ask:
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This course is for HR professionals, executive directors, and other leaders who shape policies and practices inside their organizations — whether you work in a nonprofit, grassroots group, or values-driven business. You don’t need to have “HR” in your title, but you should have the ability (or influence) to help move policy work forward. If you care about making your organization more equitable — whether you’re ready to overhaul your handbook now or just beginning to prepare — you’re in the right place.
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When you register, you’ll get:
12 live sessions (plus access to all recordings for 2 years)
A downloadable workbook to help you apply what you learn as we go
A group chat community for peer support
Opportunities for 1:1 coaching with me during the course
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No worries — you’ll have access to all session recordings for two years, so you can catch up when it works for you.
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You don’t need to be a DEI expert or have formal training — we’ll cover foundational concepts and shared language together. But you do need to be committed to equity and racial justice. This course is designed for folks who are ready to move beyond performative change and take real, systemic action — even if you’re still figuring out the how. If you’re on board with that, you’ll be right at home.
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Live sessions are two hours per week. Beyond that, you’ll probably want to spend some time applying what you’re learning — reviewing policies, drafting revisions, or reflecting with your team. That said, not everyone will be ready to dive into policy changes right away, and that’s okay. You’ll have access to the recordings, workbook, and tools for two years, so you can return to the material and implement changes at a pace that works for you and your organization.
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Not quite — and that’s by design. You’ll finish with draft policies, proposed revisions, and feedback to bring back to your organization for deeper conversation and implementation. Real change takes time. This course will give you a strong foundation and the tools to implement right away, or make changes when the timing is right.
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I’d love to chat. You can schedule a free 30-minute call with me to talk it through and decide if this course is the right fit.
“We worked with Nel to offer 3 DEIJ trainings to our non profit's small board and staff. Nel put together a very thoughtful and comprehensive series of trainings for our group, which they then adapted to fit the ever evolving needs of the group. Nel embodies so much of what is important in DEIJ work, both in the content they are knowledgeable in and the approach they take to working with clients.
Nel is experienced at both virtual and in person gatherings. They shared a wealth of information, case studies, and examples of ways our organization could make our internal policies and operations more equitable. They also led meaningful discussions about the future of our organization and our external programs, helping us to see the way that our programs fit into the broader food system as well as other systems.”
Rachael Ward, Farmers Market Fund