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What’s a sunshower, anyway?
A sunshower is surely one of nature’s wonders. It’s raining and the sun is shining! Incredible and beautiful. Scientists explain away the magic by saying that the wind carries raindrops from a faraway rainstorm into an area where the sun is shining and the skies are clear.
But it is magical nonetheless and sunshowers have inspired songs and poems throughout history. In folklore, sunshowers have symbolized the marriage of foxes, or of spirits and humans, or the alchemy of sunshine into liquid gold.
For us, a sunshower is a fitting metaphor for our DEI work (yes, we still call it DEI). Just as the sun breaks through a downpour, DEI initiatives illuminate hidden truths and challenges within individuals and organizations. This unexpected burst of light, like a sunshower, brings clarity and inspires change, even amidst challenges. SunShower Learning's DEI work guides organizations through the "storm" of inequity, fostering understanding and creating a brighter future where all can thrive.
But it is magical nonetheless and sunshowers have inspired songs and poems throughout history. In folklore, sunshowers have symbolized the marriage of foxes, or of spirits and humans, or the alchemy of sunshine into liquid gold.
For us, a sunshower is a fitting metaphor for our DEI work (yes, we still call it DEI). Just as the sun breaks through a downpour, DEI initiatives illuminate hidden truths and challenges within individuals and organizations. This unexpected burst of light, like a sunshower, brings clarity and inspires change, even amidst challenges. SunShower Learning's DEI work guides organizations through the "storm" of inequity, fostering understanding and creating a brighter future where all can thrive.
Filmmaker and Founder
Joel Lesko began his filmmaking career producing documentary films. He worked with thought leaders like Deepak Chopra and VP Al Gore to shine a light on health and social impact issues. But making a living in documentaries is challenging and with his MBA in hand, Joel dove into the corporate training world. Like many, he was interested in the FISH! phenomenon. This training video inspired people to bring joy into their work by emulating the fishmongers in the Seattle Public Market. When they sell a fish, they make it into a show. Hint: they throw the fish. The training video was a worldwide success.
Joel risked everything to tell the story about a bus driver, Reggie Wilson, who greeted his riders with a warm welcome and a song. People waited for his route. SMILE! became a blockbuster hit and propelled Joel and SunShower Learning into the training business.
Racial and social justice
Joel’s next project brought together his passion for filmmaking and lifelong commitment to racial and social justice. Having grown up with parents who were active in the civil rights movement, Joel was on the hunt for a new project. A friend introduced him to Leslie Aguilar, the author of an interesting book that taught 6 simple techniques for speaking up against stereotypes. A few months later, Joel was in a studio in New York filming Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts with an HBO documentary cinematographer. Ouch! rocked the training world. It won multiple awards and broke new ground in DEI training by bringing emotional storytelling, thought-provoking interactions and skills together in one short video. By now, hundreds of thousands of employees have learned how to speak up with Ouch!
ATT Stanford Microsoft Yale-New Haven
SunShower Learning grew, and Joel’s work was adopted by large and small organizations across the country and beyond. SunShower courses are being used by the US Justice Department, Nemours Health, Iowa State and thousands more organizations. Then Liberty Libery Liberty called: “We love your work and want you to make a video course for us!” This led to a multi-year project to create a series of courses that has been used by more than 40,000 Liberty employees. SunShower created a generic version of the Inclusion in Action: 9 Skills course and it's being used by organizations around the world.
A lasting impression
Joel’s work has been at the forefront of DEI training, setting a standard in both content and quality. All along, Joel’s commitment has remained the same: to explore what gets in the way of diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and to provide actionable skills to drive meaningful change.
Joel risked everything to tell the story about a bus driver, Reggie Wilson, who greeted his riders with a warm welcome and a song. People waited for his route. SMILE! became a blockbuster hit and propelled Joel and SunShower Learning into the training business.
Racial and social justice
Joel’s next project brought together his passion for filmmaking and lifelong commitment to racial and social justice. Having grown up with parents who were active in the civil rights movement, Joel was on the hunt for a new project. A friend introduced him to Leslie Aguilar, the author of an interesting book that taught 6 simple techniques for speaking up against stereotypes. A few months later, Joel was in a studio in New York filming Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts with an HBO documentary cinematographer. Ouch! rocked the training world. It won multiple awards and broke new ground in DEI training by bringing emotional storytelling, thought-provoking interactions and skills together in one short video. By now, hundreds of thousands of employees have learned how to speak up with Ouch!
ATT Stanford Microsoft Yale-New Haven
SunShower Learning grew, and Joel’s work was adopted by large and small organizations across the country and beyond. SunShower courses are being used by the US Justice Department, Nemours Health, Iowa State and thousands more organizations. Then Liberty Libery Liberty called: “We love your work and want you to make a video course for us!” This led to a multi-year project to create a series of courses that has been used by more than 40,000 Liberty employees. SunShower created a generic version of the Inclusion in Action: 9 Skills course and it's being used by organizations around the world.
A lasting impression
Joel’s work has been at the forefront of DEI training, setting a standard in both content and quality. All along, Joel’s commitment has remained the same: to explore what gets in the way of diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and to provide actionable skills to drive meaningful change.
Writer and Strategist
Gina Miller is a native New Yorker who married into a Gullah family in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Gullah people are descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and cotton plantations on the Sea Islands and coastal plain of the lower Atlantic. Due to their geographical isolation and strong community life, the Gullah have been unique in their ability to preserve their African cultural heritage.
As a result of Gina’s family dynamic – and especially when she became a parent – her natural interest in culture, community and social justice evolved into a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. As an avid reader, prolific writer and community volunteer, she channels her thoughts and emotions into various forms of storytelling. This includes writing articles and developing content.
With a deep-rooted belief in the power of DEI training as a catalyst for progress, Gina has embarked on a remarkable journey to promote lasting change by capitalizing on her decades of marketing expertise. As SunShower’s resident writer - content creator - digital strategist, Gina helps steer our communications to amplify our mission and connect with a wide-ranging audience.
As a result of Gina’s family dynamic – and especially when she became a parent – her natural interest in culture, community and social justice evolved into a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. As an avid reader, prolific writer and community volunteer, she channels her thoughts and emotions into various forms of storytelling. This includes writing articles and developing content.
With a deep-rooted belief in the power of DEI training as a catalyst for progress, Gina has embarked on a remarkable journey to promote lasting change by capitalizing on her decades of marketing expertise. As SunShower’s resident writer - content creator - digital strategist, Gina helps steer our communications to amplify our mission and connect with a wide-ranging audience.
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We Collaborate With Distinguished Experts
Leslie Aguilar
Courses in the SunShower library:
Hideko Akashi
Courses in the SunShower library:
Mary Chlopecki, Esq.
Courses in the SunShower library:
Tina Dyer
Greg Gale
Courses in the SunShower library:
Katherine Jeffery, Ph.D.
Courses in the SunShower library:
Robin Denise Johnson, Ph.D.
Courses in the SunShower library:
Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, M.D.
Courses in the SunShower library:
Lisette Martinez, MBA
Courses in the SunShower library:
Danita Oliver
Courses in the SunShower library:
Steve L. Robbins, Ph.D.
Courses in the SunShower library:
Marsha Ross-Jackson, Esq., MPA
Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D.
Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.
Courses in the SunShower library:
Connie Watson, Ed.D.
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