Spotlight on Inclusive Leadership: Ivana Sosa

Ivana Sosa knows firsthand how important creating space and building an inclusive workplace culture is for employees and our mission. As a first-generation Dominican American, she helped her mother and other members of her Spanish-speaking Washington Heights neighborhood navigate life in New York City, experiencing what it takes to break through implicit and explicit biases. She saw how inclusivity empowers people to feel valued and contribute their best, and she’s committed to being an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion throughout her career.

Ivana brought this passion to MJFF when she started as a grants systems manager in Research Operations in 2022. She set up informal coffee chats with colleagues in Research and other business units, learning about their backgrounds and cultures. She discovered just how diverse MJFF is.

“Everybody has biases. I think it’s important to challenge myself about my own, so I try and make it a goal to change my perspective and views by talking with people from diverse backgrounds.” 

This personal challenge and her love of planning events culminated in her role as the MJFF Social Committee Multicultural Event Representative.

"I started reaching out across the organization to figure out different ways we could collaborate to create multi-cultural learning opportunities.”

Internal Communications Specialist and MJFF Social Committee Lead Amanda Russell recognized and shares Ivana’s enthusiasm for finding ways to showcase the importance of DEI in our efforts to speed our mission.  

“Staff are dedicated to incorporating DEI however we can,” says Amanda. “That passion is also at the core of the Social Committee.”

Amanda proposed a structure for the Social Committee to her department leadership who agreed that DEI should be a focus of staff events. The next step was asking Ivana to take on the multicultural event representative position. Ivana gratefully accepted, saying,

“This [was] exactly what I was looking for, and [everything I was saying] got to the top. It’s refreshing to see leadership take an interest in our efforts and extend their appreciation and support.”

Ivana hit the ground running in her new role. She and the Social Committee were ambitious and looking to host an informal gathering that allowed staff to socialize and build their knowledge about MJFF DEI funded-initiatives. Collaborating with Senior Scientific Portfolio Manager Andrew Koemeter-Cox , PhD, Principal Clinical Research Specialist Katharina Klapper , and A Place for Us ERG leadership, they learned about research projects that are examining PD’s impact on underrepresented populations around the world. This ultimately resulted in the first Fox Around the World “one part social, one part information…equaling a whole lot of appreciation for the diverse cultures that speed our mission” event on Wednesday, August 21. The social gathering included posters featuring research projects, including Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis, Perceptions, Awareness and Care in Kenya and Senegal, Unveiling PD in the Face of Inequality: Recognizing, Overcoming and Caring for Underserved Communities in Brazil and Disparities in Care of Parkinson’s Disease Patients Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders to name a few. 

Ivana and the Social Committee also collaborated with Senior Office Manager Oretha Winston and Office Coordinator Laurie Homer to source food from different cultures such as Japan, Thailand, South Africa and South America. Catering was provided by the same group who services the United Nations. They worked together alongside Zoe Butchen , another Social Committee member, to decorate the office with globe-shaped lanterns and flags representing countries worldwide. 

Attendees were thrilled to learn about our work globally and appreciated the opportunity to connect with each other. For Ivana, leading this event allowed her to live our values, particularly curiosity and collaboration.

“Fox Around the World met a bigger goal of showing how diversity, equity and inclusion can positively impact the entire organization. Diversity is beautiful, so let’s continue to embrace that beauty internally and externally.”

Written by Serena Fong , MJFF Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead