First studying and later working across Europe & North America as an Afro-Surinamese born and raised professional has been a great experience so far. But it came with many challenges. Specifically, in the professional environment I constantly had to strike a balance between maintaining my identity and conforming to “the ideal standard”, which can be key for career progress.

Although D&I is more prominent on corporate agendas, I see huge value in exchanging views with others who successfully navigate through this maze of professional and interpersonal complexity. Through this mentoring platform I can provide my contribution to real D&I progress.