Bringing Intersectional Equity into Tech and Policy with Aerica Shimizu Banks from Shiso

In this week's episode, we talk to Aerica Shimizu Banks, Founder of Shisho, about her journey in building an intersectional equity approach in tech and policy.

Aerica employs a holistic and data-driven approach to her work with Shisho, shaped by her own experiences with environmental justice, policy, and tech. Her triple bottom line is "people, planet, profit."

"Racism, civil rights and the environment and the issues we face in the environment are inextricably linked," the intersectional equity consultant explains, "and there's no way to work on environmental issues without addressing race."

As a black Asian woman who has had to endure racism and sexism throughout her career, the Forbes 30-under-30 social entrepreneur now offers strategic advice and support to empower other women of color who are battling the same journey.

Our discussion leads into sensitive topics around data privacy—particularly our ability to maintain everyday life as a hyper-surveillant nexus of governments and corporate entities encroaches upon our rights. There's a certain level of joy and convenience technology offers, but it often makes us pay for it with our boundaries.

Having worked in many sectors that address equity, it's deeply important to Aerica that Shisho continues to build new systems and frameworks to foreground and restore equity into our institutions.

We also dig deeper into Aerica's tech stack and her big prediction about the tech-for-good space this year and beyond.

To get to know more about Erica: @Erikashimizu.

For more information about her work at Shisho: shiso.biz.