But we could do things differently.
And some of us already are.

Start small. Stay real.

Ask for pronouns. Not because it’s trendy. Because it tells the truth: this space wasn’t made with everyone in mind.
Let’s remake it.

Board packets?
I’ve received over 800 printed pages during my tenure. Multiply that by 100 people across a network, and that’s 80,000 pages—about 320 pounds of CO₂.
Opt-in printing could shift that.
Digital access is also more inclusive—searchable, resizable, readable by screen. Let it be the default.

Structure tells the story.

If inclusion only lives in personalities, it won’t survive turnover.
If it lives in infrastructure, it will.

What if every board conducted an annual reflection on:

• Who is present—and who is not

• What barriers exist to participation (time, money, culture)

• How our board resembles the future we want to build

No judgment. Just evolution.

Create feedback loops that move both ways.

When boards make decisions without those most impacted, the gap widens.
What if we invited the field in?

• Virtual town halls with low barriers

• Paid focus groups

• Rotating worker rep seats

• Board nominations from community partners

Feedback can be dignified, not extractive.
And it can shape us.

Access isn’t an add-on. It’s the invitation.

For someone like me, restrooms at board venues can determine whether I hydrate or not.
Whether I stay for dinner or disappear.
This isn’t a complaint. It’s context.

Accessibility includes:

• Venue safety for all bodies

• Stipends or scholarships to serve

• Written and asynchronous board participation

• Affinity spaces for people who feel peripheral

Because showing up shouldn't mean disappearing parts of ourselves.

Boards can be beautiful.

But only if we let go of the old blueprint.
Only if we write new agreements.

A one-page document—shared at every meeting—could carry our collective values.
What we believe.
How we want to be together.
What we’re measuring—not just in dollars, but in dignity.

This isn’t a manifesto.
It’s a practice.
And it’s already happening, wherever people are brave enough to make space for more of us.