‘Now is the time’ is the theme for National Inclusion Week 2025, taking place on 15-21 September. With diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) facing increasing backlash, the intention of this year’s theme is to inspire action that goes beyond shallow diversity metrics and makes a genuine impact. It’s about standing up for sustainable inclusive practices, when everyone else in the room falls quiet.
This takes courage. Something which Kristen Kavanaugh, former DEI director of Tesla and MarineCorps veteran, knows a lot about. Working in male-dominated environments resistant to change, Kavanaugh learned how to take advantage of small, testing moments to gradually build up her resilience.
Here, she talks about her time at Tesla before its DEI rollback, what it looks like in practice to choose courage over fear, and how to support genuine cultural change.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a courageous leader. What learning curves, ‘failures’, or meaningful moments did you experience to get you to this point?
In Courage Over Fear, we call them “Moments that Mattered” – small but defining decisions that expand our capacity for courage. My journey wasn’t marked by grand heroics but by moments that tested me: coming out after serving under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, challenging empty DEI gestures, and resisting the impact of Elon’s tweeting habits at Tesla.
Each time I chose to be just 5% more courageous, I built the resilience to show up when it truly counted. Those compounded moments shaped me into the leader I am today.
Even small steps – like creating space for honest dialogue – can rebuild trust and move organisations forward.
Tesla operates in a traditionally male-dominated industry. What unique diversity challenges did you encounter in tech/automotive, and how did you navigate these?
Leading in male-dominated industries wasn’t new to me – Tesla often felt like the Marine Corps. In both, culture could be resistant to change, but my mission was clear: take care of your people.
At Tesla, that meant building solutions that took factory team members into account. They were the backbone of the company, yet often the most overlooked. Progress came when we designed practical solutions with them in mind, making inclusion part of how the business actually operated.
What’s one DEI initiative you implemented at Tesla that you’re most proud of?
I’m most proud of expanding Tesla’s benefits to be more progressive and inclusive. After relocating our corporate headquarters to Texas, we strengthened the Safety Net programme and broadened health coverage to include travel and lodging for employees needing care unavailable in their state.
We also secured fertility services and a concierge benefits programme for LGBTQ+ employees. What made this successful was that it wasn’t symbolic. It was backed by data and designed to address valid fears and real retention concerns. These benefits met genuine employee needs – ensuring people felt valued, supported, and more likely to stay and grow with the company.
Diversity metrics show who is in the room, but not who feels heard, valued, or able to contribute.
What does it look like when a leader chooses fear over courage in DEI decisions?
When leaders choose fear over courage in DEI, they retreat into silence or symbolic gestures. The ripple effects are immediate: underrepresented employees feel overlooked, trust erodes, and innovation suffers.
I’ve seen leaders avoid tough conversations or back away from commitments when challenged – only to deepen skepticism across the workforce.
By contrast, courageous leaders lean into discomfort, take deliberate action, and signal that inclusion is foundational, not optional. Even small steps – like creating space for honest dialogue – can rebuild trust and move organisations forward.
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How do you measure genuine cultural change versus performative diversity metrics? What should leaders be tracking?
Diversity metrics show who is in the room, but not who feels heard, valued, or able to contribute. Genuine change shows up in engagement, retention, promotion, and employee sentiment across groups.
Leaders should ask the right questions on engagement surveys – about psychological safety, trust, and belonging – then take the answers seriously and act on them. They should track whether employees feel safe to speak up, whether diverse voices influence decisions, and whether underrepresented talent advances equitably.
Culture is measured less by representation at a moment in time and more by whether people experience inclusion, trust, and opportunity over time.
The path forward is persistence through practical action. DEI can’t survive as theory.
>> Roadmap: How to change workplace culture in 100 days
What is The Agency Loop, and how can HR leaders use it in a scenario where there is pressure to deprioritise DEI in their organisation?
The Agency Loop is a practical framework for leaders facing moments when their values collide with organisational pressures – such as deprioritising DEI. It begins with the Authenticity Phase, aligning who you are with how you show up.
The Agency Phase guides leaders to make intentional, values-driven decisions, even in difficult environments.
The Growth Phase allows reflection, learning, and adaptation from those experiences.
Together, these phases create a continuous cycle that strengthens leadership in uncertain environments and equips leaders with the courage to navigate future challenges without losing sight of their core values.
Given recent corporate pullbacks from DEI commitments, what do you see as the path forward for people professionals who still believe this work is essential?
While resistance to change and the retreat from DEI initiatives can feel disheartening, these moments offer a critical opportunity to be strategic about how we rebuild systems that work for everyone.
The path forward is persistence through practical action. DEI can’t survive as theory – it must be advanced through leadership and systemic change.
This means advocating for inclusive policies that create real equity, keeping leadership engaged in difficult conversations, and mentoring underrepresented talent to open doors. These actions embed DEI into culture and sustain progress, even in uncertain times.
For those who feel isolated as the only voice advocating for inclusion in their workplace, what’s your most practical advice?
Focus on what you can control. Start with small, consistent actions: if someone’s idea gets overlooked in a meeting, bring it back and give them credit. Pause in discussions to invite quieter voices and check in with teammates who seem disengaged.
Then, expand your influence – raise inclusion in hiring conversations or ask your team directly: “What helps you feel safe speaking up, and what gets in the way?” These practical steps compound over time, showing that inclusion doesn’t require authority – it requires courage in everyday moments. You will find that courage is contagious.
