Judith Martinez on Staying Engaged and How Companies Can Move Beyond Performative Allyship

We recently caught up with Leadership Incubator Fellow Judith Martinez, founder and CEO of InHerShoes, a women-of-color-led, social impact-driven organization that’s catalyzing courage for girls and women around the world. Since 2014, InHerShoes has mobilized thousands of millennial women and their allies to make the world a better place through social impact and posing one question: what would you do if you were 1% more courageous? Here, Judith shares her thoughts on the big shifts happening in the social impact space, how the corporate sector can authentically show up for people and causes, and what it takes to turn individual moments into momentum for social movement.

On shifts in the social impact space and how companies are responding

We are at a really interesting inflection point in the world and in the space that is social impact. These past two years have brought with it an incredible spotlight on the inefficiencies and broken systems that have long existed before the pandemic. From racism to the mental health crisis; digital poverty to food scarcity; privacy concerns to climate change; gender equity to political turmoil — the list goes on and there is no shortage of systemic issues for any social impact enthusiast to choose from in hopes to solve.

The last two years have also brought a growing interest and awareness of social activism and engagement. From individuals taking it to the streets for rallies and marches, using social platforms as engines for change, even redefining the role of “influencer”, individuals, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are demanding for businesses to show up. In a recent Fortune article citing a study by McKinsey, over 41% of Gen Z look to and support brands who align with their values and are contributing to social change. But beyond the beautiful newsletters, inclusivity statements on websites, and big press headlines, how much of what we see from companies are genuine change versus performative allyship?

On how companies can move beyond performance and into true allyship

Working in the nonprofit space, I am constantly learning and grappling with the difference between performative and true allyship. Not just for companies, but my own organization. And to be honest, I think if you’re not ongoingly grappling with this issue on some level, this is an invitation to start. If we aren’t continuously asking these questions or being curious about our own thoughts on them, we miss opportunities to truly show up as allies in daily life beyond the board room.

Over the course of my career I’ve found myself invited by well-meaning companies and organizations to lead a workshop or training connected to our work at InHerShoes. A request I know many of my colleagues have also faced at one point or another in their careers. For many of us in this space however, a quarterly 60 minute workshop is not the question; the question is really how do we take that single training moment and turn it into momentum for forward movement organizationally? Where does theory meet practice and training become action? This is why I believe allyship for companies is not in the form of training — it’s strategy.

I’d love for more leaders from the corporate space to see the opportunity of recruiting initiatives, mentoring programs and diversity task forces for building sustainable, strategic change — not just one-off training or donations on Giving Tuesday. Even more so, if leadership doesn’t buy into these efforts, they’re not going to work. There’s a great article, ‘Why Diversity Programs Fail’, that looks at how critical leadership buy in is.

At InHerShoes we emphasize 1% more courage because we believe monumental change begins with a single choice, a single action, that leads to many. Systemic issues like racism, sexism, climate change to name a few did not happen overnight. And their solving won’t happen overnight won’t either. But we are one step closer when we choose allyship in solving complex problems. In my work I am constantly learning from my experiences how allyship is a bottom up, top down, side to side, backwards and forwards dance. The beat and the steps may look different and change, especially in these times of transition and navigation — but it only works when you actually move. And it can take courage to dance.

On what peers in the social impact space should keep in mind

I think it’s important to recognize that movements weren’t built by one person. And they didn’t happen from just one moment. They’re a collection of moments and a collection of people.

When we’re working with so many complex problems, the how can be so intimidating — how are we going to do this? How are we going to convince people that plastic doesn’t have to be used every single day, or how can we close the gender wage gap? I think when how seems impossible your why is going to anchor you to keep going. That’s something that has personally been impactful for me — being deeply connected to why you are doing this. Why are we doing this.

On what donors should think about this giving season

I think it’s important as a donor to really understand what your actual goals are. From donating to nonprofits or charities, foundations to campaigns, there are all of these different ways to create impact. Which for me, has been so exciting to see evolve over the past decade in the space. So for example, if someone wanted to donate to an organization that has a reach of over a million people, then they’re going to want to give to a huge organization like the UNICEFs of the world who can allocate funding to do just that.

But if your goal is to give directly to the people on the ground, working on the frontlines with the folks they are impacting, then I encourage you to go to a grassroots organization. With InHerShoes, the nonprofit that I run, we are a tiny startup nonprofit. We’ve been operating on the ground for eight years, and we don’t currently have the manpower to reach millions. But if we think about giving from an equity space, there’s so much opportunity to mobilize around smaller, grassroots organizations, because those are often the efforts that are overlooked compared to colossal organizations. There are so many incredible grassroots organizations in your own backyard. As much as giving during this season is phenomenal, and I encourage anyone with the means and opportunity to give to do so — giving back to your community doesn’t have to take place once a year. It can happen at any moment. Just like 1% more courage at a time.