Strands of Genius: Building Feminist Cities, The Secret Financial Lives of Americans, When Black Women Go From Pet to Threat

Guest curated by Kema Christian-Coates

Feb 25, 2021

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, KEMA CHRISTIAN-COATES ::

LOCATION: NYC
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Deutsch

I'm a Houstonian turned proud New Yorker who is still holding out hope that Texas will turn blue. I've spent my career at early-stage startups building content programs from the ground up, and I'm currently the Director of Content Strategy at Deutsch NY where I identify digital content opportunities for clients like PNC Bank, J&J, EISAI, and Cetaphil. While most of my writing is hidden in Google docs that will never see the light of day, I've been published in The Huffington Post, Forbes, and The New York Times. Last but not least, I'm a newlywed who is the proud mom of two sweet, talkative kittens, Pine and Willow.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals Team): This edition of Strands is part of our ongoing partnership with 600 & Rising, an advocacy group for Black talent in advertising and PR. Thanks so much for being here, Kema, and for sharing the links below! Feminist cities FTW :)

:: THE LINKS ::

IS IT TIME TO BUILD FEMINIST CITIES?

In a world where everything from medication to crash test dummies, bullet-proof vests to kitchen counters, smartphones to office temperatures, are designed, tested, and set to standards determined by men’s bodies and needs, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that cities are also designed with men’s lives as the basis for the blueprint. (Vox)

THE SECRET FINANCIAL LIVES OF AMERICANS (AND THE FUTURE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES)

A candid, revealing study that explores Americans' secret shame when it comes to money and how they finance the public half of their double lives by borrowing from the private half. Recording interviews from everyday Americans, shopping addicts, and even a convicted bank robber, this study breaks down how Americans really feel about money and how the financial services industry can evolve to serve them. (The Secret Financial Lives of Americans)

WHEN BLACK WOMEN GO FROM PET TO THREAT

A workplace phenomenon where Black women are embraced and groomed by organizations until they start demonstrating high levels of confidence and excel in their role, a transition that may be perceived as threatening by employers. (Medium)

Looking for more from Kema Christian-Coates? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from her in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Chess

:: City :: Not a city, but the Ngorongoro desert in Tanzania

:: Book :: This changes month-to-month, but right now it's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent

:: Podcast :: Hidden Brain

:: HOW COULD CATASTROPHE POSSIBLY PREVAIL OVER US? ::

"So while once we asked, 'How could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?' Now, we assert: 'How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?'" - Amanda Gorman

Kema Christian-Coates

kema.christiancoates@deutschinc.com

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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

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