Meenakshi Iyer

Topic: Reshaping the Immigrant Human Experience with Cultural Intelligence

One of the consequences of globalization has been movement of people across geographies and cultures creating a generation of ‘global citizens’ who choose to and are able to emigrate. On the other end of the spectrum, are those who were displaced from their homes for reasons ranging from war to climate change.* The immigrant/migrant human experience is often characterized by where they come from, and how and why they arrived in the adopted home country. It is affected by language and cultural differences, religious, racial and ethnic differences. There is a constant push and pull between assimilating and integrating in the adopted home country and preserving original identities.

In this panel discussion, we will look at how Cultural Intelligence can play a role in reshaping the immigrant human experience. We will delve into the Why, What and How of Cultural Intelligence; how empathy, respectful curiosity and inclusion are foundational to Cultural Intelligence; and its importance in uplifting the immigrant experience both within and outside the world of work.

*According to the UN, at the end of 2019, 272 million people, which is 3.5% of the world’s population, lived in a country other than their country of birth. This includes the 79.5 million people who were displaced – which is the highest since WWII.

 

Meenakshi is a global citizen – she is fluent in four languages, and has lived and worked in 10+ cities in India and the US; and is passionate about democratizing access to and opportunity for people development across the world.  

A T-shaped servant leader with a 20-plus year-interdisciplinary career in international healthcare, HR, Training, IT and business process transformation, Meenakshi is a Personal Agility and Collaborative Leadership Skills Coach. As of Aug 2019, she has been the Founder and Principal of NorthStar Solutions and Services – where she helps leaders and SMEs design their transformation journeys through human-centered coaching, training and consulting.