Meet Veronique Porter | Social Entrepreneur & Consultant

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

Hi Veronique, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Entrepreneurship kind of found me! Before founding my business, I spent almost a decade in International Development, focusing on health, education, and gender projects in West Africa. But as a Black woman, I spent a lot of time having to navigate power, privilege, and influence as I built my career. When Covid-19 rapidly spread across the world, I shifted my skills to the US. The workplace needed help as it navigated a changing social landscape, hybrid work, and advancing technology. Employees needed help showing up in work environments that lead to burnout, and limited the ways they should show up to be “professional.”

Having the knowledge, experience, and expertise from my formal education in American studies & culture, the international lens from my previous career track, and my understanding of the workplace, I created Ampersand Workspace to bridge the gap between organizational values and goals, and workplace systems that create environments unable to adapt to employees’ needs, identities, and capabilities. I have developed a unique ability to translate complex social issues into relevant, practical, and impactful strategies along with results-oriented solutions. I see that workplace systems are designed in a way that limits and excludes certain identities, while they seek new and different ways to innovate business. I understand the importance of meeting people where they are and the need to create open spaces to unpack controversial and sensitive topics. And I have adapted an interactive and collaborative approach that results in increased capacity, taking participants from passive knowledge to putting learning into action.

I have been in operation for four years and counting! My work includes impactful workshops, trainings, discussions, and keynotes, spanning colleges and universities, to leadership development firms, and beer, wine, & spirits companies. Whether guiding Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), spearheading heritage and identity month initiatives, or coaching executives on inclusive leadership, I am dedicated to creating spaces where individuals and organizations can thrive authentically.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At Ampersand Workspace, I help organizations and leaders build the tools, skills, and mindsets needed to foster workplace cultures where everyone, especially those who’ve been historically excluded or marginalized, can show up fully and thrive. I partner with employers who are committed to creating environments where employees feel safe, valued, and empowered to do their best work.

Everything I do is grounded in the belief that workplaces can and should be spaces that fully embrace the knowledge, expertise, and lived experiences of the people working there. Whether I’m designing leadership trainings, creating strategies for Employee Resource Groups, or facilitating conversations around complex current events, the goal is always the same: help encourage learning, dialogue, and growth. Every offering is grounded in the belief that workplaces should honor the knowledge, expertise, and lived experiences of the people within them, helping to create workplace cultures that can navigate conflict, distance, industry challenges, and more.

By helping leaders and organizations navigate the workplace environment with curiosity, care, and accountability, I’m working toward a future where our differences aren’t just represented in numbers, but our full humanity is respected, resourced, and sustained at work. And by focusing on both identity and systemic change, I plant seeds of workplace learning that grow into our communities and disrupt oppressive systems in the broader world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love how much there is to explore in Colorado!

Let’s take a day at Rocky Mountain National Park or the Sand Dunes! Next, I’d take my friend to stimulate our brains at the immersive Museum for Black Girls and the mind-bending Meow Wolf interactive art exhibit. We’d spend a day soaking and refreshing our bodies with a trip to Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort. And of course, we’d have to spend some time in downtown Denver: we’d get a treat at Union Station, grab a drink at the Emerald Eye in Larimer Square, then head over to 16th Street Mall to grab dinner.

Speaking of treats, what a joy it is seeing mountains in the distance at any given time as we explore Colorado.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am without my large and supportive community. I was born and raised in Chicago. I didn’t get on a plane before heading to college. I did not leave the country until I moved to Mali, West Africa for the Peace Corps. And I would not have made it without my community-at-large. I would not be who I am without the love, help, and care from loved ones from Chicago to Iowa, from the UK, to France to DC, and now Colorado. My community-at-large has challenged me, helping me to grow and learn. And they have lifted me up, reminding me of my talents and strengths, backing my education, travel, and career.

Lastly, a big shout-out to my ten godchildren. They delight my life and fill my soul with their sweet laughs, boundless curiosity, and more energy than I can manage.

Website: https://www.ampersand-workspace.com/

Instagram: @laniseworks

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veroniqueporter/

Other: Email: hi@ampersand-workspace.com

Image Credits
All studios images taken by Happy Hearts Photography