Made For Us

• Why sunscreen needs to work for every shade, with Dujon Smith, CEO of My Block Skin

  Do people with melanin-rich skin need less sun protection? With sayings like “Asian don’t raisin” and “Black don’t crack,” sun care is often overlooked in communities of color. But the science tells a different story.In this episode, we sit down with Dujon Smith, founder of the inclusive sun care brand My Block Skin. We unpack the myths around sunscreen, the marketing gaps and the sobering stats, including why men of color have the lowest survival rates from melanoma.This episode also dives into:Dujon’s founder journey – from ideation and testing formulations to creating a lifestyle brandHow My Block Skin became the first black-owned sun care brand stocked at the UK pharmacy chain Boots in its 175-year historyHow companies can cater to overlooked audiences through social listening If this episode made you think, laugh, or go “hmm,” leave us a 5 star rating - and text it to a friend.You might also like:Rooting for you: the men's grooming brand winning over big retailers---About Dujon Smith Dujon Smith is the founder and CEO of My Block Skin, a sun care brand redefining the industry with high-performance, melanin-inclusive formulas. Dujon launched My Block Skin in 2023 as a testament to his mission of inclusivity and innovation. Beyond My Block Skin, Dujon is a full-time investor at Accenture Ventures, where he leads the Founders Development Program, helping underrepresented entrepreneurs scale their technology businesses through access to capital, mentorship, and strategic partnerships. Learn more about My Block Skin: http://www.myblockskin.comFollow Dujon C Smith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dujoncsmith/Follow Dujon C Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dujoncsmith/Resources: Accenture Thought Leadership on the Black Founders Venture Capital Gap: https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/a-com-migration/r3-3/pdf/pdf-172/Accenture-Bridging-Black-Founders-VC-Gap.pdfSkin Cancer Study on Men of Color: https://www.aad.org/news/melanoma-study-men-skin-of-color-lowest-survival-rates---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

  --------  

  37:51
• Crossover episode with Climify Podcast: Creating cradle-to-cradle clothing with Heike Petersen

  Welcome to our first crossover episode of Season 2! This week, we’re sharing an interview from the climate design podcast Climify, hosted by Eric Benson - but we’ll be back next week with a new episode of Made For Us!Climify is one of our favourite podcast discoveries this year, and we highly recommend it if you’re curious about design and social impact. We hope you enjoy discovering the show through this special episode from Season 4: “Creating Cradle-to-Cradle Clothing with Heike Petersen”. In the conversation, Heike Petersen shares with Eric her multicultural global journey in creating her cradle-to-cradle sustainable, biodegradable, and hypoallergenic yoga fitness brand, Wellicious. Eric and Heike discuss: Challenges of building a sustainable clothing brandHow to make sense of sustainable certifications The crucial shift we all need to make towards slow fashion Learn more about Climify: www.climatedesigners.org/edu/climify ---Connect with Made for Us on LinkedIn and InstagramShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/

  --------  

  1:07:03
• Fixing the disability data gap: why inclusive AI starts with better data | Ariana Aboulafia

  In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked disability data gap in AI, and why it matters for equitable hiring. Ariana Aboulafia, who leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), joins us to share insights on designing more inclusive algorithmic systems and creating datasets that are more representative of disability. Whether you’re building AI, hiring talent, or advocating for accessibility, this episode is a great starting point for understanding how to reduce disability bias in technology.In the conversation, we explore:How effective AI hiring tools are at reducing human biasThe importance of including people with disabilities at every stage of AI development The challenges of getting accurate disability dataHow understanding the different definitions of disability can improve data collection Missed last week's episode? Would Stephen Hawking get hired today? The hiden bias in AI recruiting tools---About Ariana AboulafiaAriana Aboulafia leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, which focuses on the ways in which certain technologies impact disabled people.An attorney with a strong background in public interest advocacy, and with particular expertise in disability, technology, criminal law, and the First Amendment, Ariana has also worked as a public defender.Learn more about Ariana: https://cdt.org/staff/ariana-aboulafia/Follow Ariana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianaaboulafia/ Follow Ariana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArianaAboulafiaRead the disability data report: https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-23-Data-Disability-report-final.pdf ---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

  --------  

  31:12
• Would Stephen Hawking get hired today? The hidden bias in AI recruiting tools, with Susan Scott-Parker

  Could AI hiring create more barriers for people with disabilities instead of levelling the playing field? In this episode, Susan Scott-Parker, founder of business disability international, says standardised and inflexible AI hiring systems risk shutting many people with disabilities out of the workforce. She makes the case for more inclusive HR technologies that are designed for the full range of human experience. Tune in to learn more about: The unsettling truth about how AI hiring tools are screening out candidates with disabilities - and how to make them fairerHow HR leaders can challenge biases in AI hiring tools and demand more from the technology they invest inWhy Susan coined the term “disability confidence” and why it’s not just about “being nice” to disabled peopleFurther listening: How to innovate responsibly, with McKinsey's Rikki Singh---About Susan Scott-Parker Susan Scott-Parker OBE is a creative thought leader internationally recognised for her work on how to mobilise business leadership behind disability equality. She founded the world’s first business disability network, now the Business Disability Forum (UK). In 2016, she established business disability international and advises a growing global community on how to work productively with businesses as valued allies.Follow Susan Scott-Parker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanscottparker1/Learn more about business disability international: https://www.businessdisabilityinternational.org/Learn more about Project Nemo: https://projectnemo.co.uk/Follow Amit Ghose: https://www.tiktok.com/@amitghosenf1---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

  --------  

  28:40
• REPLAY: Cliff Weitzman on building 'the voice of the internet'

  This week, we're taking you back to the first ever episode of Made For Us (and the most downloaded in Season 1). It’s an interview with Cliff Weitzman, the founder and CEO of Speechify, a text to speech app that has made reading more accessible for people with dyslexia, ADHD, low vision and other conditions that make reading difficult. Speechify now has 50 million users who can listen to the internet, emails and other documents with over 200 AI voices, including those of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow.We also have a special announcement about a big milestone that Made For Us reached this week.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! And be sure to subscribe to the free Made For Us newsletter to get bonus content.Also from the archives: Ade Hassan on moving beyond 'one-nude-fits-all'---Learn more about SpeechifyWebsite / InstagramFollow Cliff WeitzmanInstagram / Youtube / Medium---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

  --------  

  34:42

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About Made For Us