Real change happens when businesses, educators, and communities work together to create equitable opportunities for all.

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Phoenix LaRocco is proud to be one of the many businesses choosing to sponsor the North Carolina-based Let’s Talk Racism Conference and the educators, students, and leaders shaping a more just and inclusive future. Our founder, Anna, discusses this choice:

"Equality is giving everyone the same thing. Equity provides resources and opportunities to individuals to create a level playing field. As a white individual, I have been given certain privileges because of the color of my skin. Seeing the shocking actions our government has taken, from erasing the beautiful Black Lives Matter street sign near my alma mater in Washington, D.C. to the lack of response to police brutality, it is clear that our government is failing us not just on the federal level but on all levels.

I will continue to advocate, discuss, and protest the ways our government must improve, but in the meantime, as a business owner, I also must step up financially. I need to support the issues that matter to me and continue my own education. The organization We Are is just one of many amazing organizations doing this work. Perhaps it’s time to ask yourself: Where can I spend my dollar?

As a woman, I also face disadvantages, but women cannot advance unless all women advance. I know that Black women experience significant economic disparities compared to white women such as lower earnings, higher unemployment rates, and lower wealth accumulation. I need to take a stand where I can.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that supporting this organization aligns deeply with our values."

Growing up in a low-income, rural community, I saw firsthand how advocacy and access create opportunities. From my work in marketing to launching mission-driven initiatives like Petwrk,

my focus has always been on building connections that foster change. Community is so important, and programs that champion and foster DEI benefit businesses and our government. Yet, these programs are now being dismantled,

and that loss is hurting Americans at every level.