Author and journalist Caroline Clarke explores our fundamental need for belonging and how critical it is not only to every individual's fulfillment and success but to our collective wellbeing and future.

Drawing from her work as Women of Power Chief Brand Officer and her own family's journey with multi-racial adoption, genetic testing, and reunion, she illuminates the barriers to belonging and what it takes to overcome them.

It's not enough to value diversity and inclusion, Clarke insists. Companies, communities, even families must cultivate a culture of genuine belonging in order to reach their fullest potential and truly thrive. Caroline Clarke is an award-winning journalist who has spent most of her career at the family-owned media company Black Enterprise where she is currently Chief Brand Officer, Women of Power. The brainchild of Clarke and a small team of her female colleagues, Women of Power has consistently been the company’s growth leader since its launch in 2005.

Comprised of the nation’s largest annual conference for women of color executives — the Women of Power Summit – as well as a wealth of original multi-platform content, the brand exists to give women of color business leaders the heightened validation, visibility and access to information and individuals they need to endure and advance, leading by design, not default.

A sought after speaker, moderator and host, Clarke is also an acclaimed author. Her first book, Take a Lesson: Today’s Black Achievers on How They Made It & What They Learned Along the Way,” was broadly used in business course syllabi, particularly in HBCU’s. Her most recent book, Postcards from Cookie, was voted Best Memoir of the Year by Essence (2014).

A native New Yorker with degrees from Smith College and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Clarke is a passionate advocate for adoption and high quality public education. A mother of two, she serves on a number of non-profit boards, and currently lives in New York and the San Francisco Bay area. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx