We had the good fortune of connecting with Joie Ha and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is often sanitized for the workplace. It exists outside of current events or issues facing marginalized populations, and is often made more palatable for the corporate setting. Some clients use it to check off a proverbial DEI box without doing the actual work.

Seeing this gap, we decided to create our own firm, Community Organizing for Radical Empathy, where we always put our community first. We provide real life examples and challenge our clients to think critically and understand DEI concepts on a deeper level. Additionally our roots are in community organizing, so we re-invest our profits directly into work that benefits minoritized groups.


Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Community Organizing for Radical Empathy has a unique business model where we fund our community organizing work through our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting and training. When you choose to work with CORE, you directly support important work being done on the ground.

For example, with the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, CORE recently hosted the statewide Stop AAPI Hate rally in conjunction with several Asian American organizations. CORE has also been providing several free healing circles for marginalized communities to practice resiliency and connect over shared identities. We plan to offer free workshops and panels on sustainable allyship and coalition building.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely show folks some of my favorite hiking spots! I like to keep it simple and take people to Roxborough State Park or the Flatirons in Boulder.

In terms of food and drink, I maintain that Colorado has the best Vietnamese pho. I’ve had pho in New York, California, and in Vietnam but Colorado pho just hits different! One of my favorite pho spots is Pho Duy on Federal Blvd. I’d also take guests to my favorite boba spot, Tea Street, on Colorado Blvd. They hand make all of their syrups and teas!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We truly exist due to the support our community has shown us. As individuals and as a company, we have received mentorship and help from several organizations. We want to give a shout out to Sakura Foundation, Asian Pacific Development Center, and Asian Avenue Magazine for always supporting our work and believing that we can make a difference.

Website: www.coredei.com

Instagram: instagram.com/core.dei

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/core-community-organizing-for-radical-empathy

Facebook: facebook.com/coredei

Image Credits
Large group photo by Miguel Ortega, primary photo of myself by Asian Avenue Magazine, photo of young girl with sign by Glenn Asakawa.

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