It's time to stop fumbling over diversity, inclusion, and belonging in your business

When you do, you'll win more diverse customers who don't cleanly fit into what's considered "mainstream." You'll also attract a more diverse team.

These programs are perfect for you if:

You want to attract more diverse customers but you're not sure how
You're nervous about making mistakes when engaging with diverse communities
You want to know how to deliver ongoing messaging and experiences that make diverse and niche customers feel like they belong with you
You want to build a team that is representative of the customers you want to serve
You want to learn about diversity, inclusion, and belonging in a safe space that's free of judgement and where no question is a dumb question

The outcomes are especially applicable if you are:

An entrepreneur who wants to apply the lessons to building your own business
A marketer at a company or agency working to build an inclusive brand for your organization or for your clients
A people leader who wants to build a high-performing diverse team where everyone feels like they belong

These programs are not for you if:

You're looking for a plug-and-play quick fix solution (note: there isn't one)
You're not committed to building an inclusive brand over the long-term
You're not open to being empathetic to the plight of those who are different from you

Introducing Belonging University

Your digital education on how to build an inclusive brand that wins the attention, adoration, and loyalty of diverse and niche customers.

The curriculum is broken out into two programs designed to give you the skills, knowledge, resources, support, and confidence you need to authentically engage diverse and niche consumers and make them feel like they belong with your brand.

“Mic drop @soniaethompson! Absolutely brilliant talk about inclusive marketing. Thank you for educating us and not only making us better marketers, but better people.” --- Talia Wolfe, Conversion Optimization Specialist, Get Uplift

Your guide on this journey

I’m Sonia Thompson, a customer experience strategist and consultant who helps brands win customers by delivering inclusive and remarkable experiences that make them feel like they belong.

Before I started my own business, I spent nine years at Johnson & Johnson, helping grow various healthcare brands around the world. While there, I was a diversity and inclusion champion and employee resource group leader.

Now, as an entrepreneur, I write columns for Inc. and Forbes where I focus on how to use inclusive marketing, belonging, and remarkable customer experiences to grow. I also contribute to Entrepreneur, Success, and other publications.

I’ve keynoted conferences where I’ve taught tens of thousands of people how to be more inclusive with their marketing. And I’ve worked with brands 1:1 to help them do the same.

Aside from all that on the business front, I’ve also got a number of differences on a personal level, that makes me not fit so cleanly into what is considered to be the “mainstream.”

I’m a Black woman, I have a Spanish-speaking Argentine husband, and together we have a mixed-race daughter. We live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I follow a gluten-free diet, and I’m left-handed. These aspects of my life have impacted my experiences as a consumer.

And unfortunately, I’ve been frustrated by far too many brands who’ve ignored, or underserved me and my unique needs, and ultimately sent me the signal “you don’t belong here.”

That’s a shame because business is about belonging.

When you make your customers feel like they belong with you, they will reward you with their attention, adoration, and loyalty.

As Published In:

The Belonging University Programs

Inclusive Brand Academy

In this 6-week digital course, you’ll learn how to build an inclusive brand that attracts a high-performing diverse team and consistently wins diverse and niche customers.

What's you'll receive:

5 Modules covering the 5 C's of building an inclusive brand: Company culture, Circle of influence, Customer intimacy, Customer journey mapping, and Customer experience delivery
Action plans, templates, scripts, and tons of examples to help you apply the lessons
Community where you can connect and learn from your peers
Lifetime access to the material, including all updates
6 Q&A calls where you can get feedback specific to your brand

Get Inclusive Brand Academy

See what's inside the course:

Module 1

Company Culture

Building an inclusive brand first requires you to build an inclusive company culture. This module will walk you through how to build, nurture, and grow an environment where inclusivity thrives.

Module Highlights:

Building inclusivity into your DNA
Living inclusive values
The role of business cases
Making inclusion everyone's job
Ongoing internal training and communication

Module 2

Circle of Influence

Being inclusive becomes more of a natural part of how you operate when you have a diverse group of voices influencing the way you think, act, and view the world. This module will help you diversify the voices that impact how you show up as a brand.

Module Highlights:

The science behind what your network looks like
Building a diverse and representative network
Building a diverse and representative team
How to step beyond the comfort of your tried and true spaces
Authentic relationship building

Module 3

Customer Intimacy

The struggle many brands have with connecting with diverse customers stems from an intimacy issue. This module focuses on how to expand your knowledge of diverse customers beyond a superficial level so you can earn their loyalty.

Module Highlights:

Customer intimacy: Your unfair advantage
Inclusive buyer personas as a growth lever
Deepening your cultural intelligence
Ongoing relationship building
Participating in and shaping the culture

Module 4

Customer Journey Mapping

Before you can consistently deliver experiences that make diverse and niche customers feel like they belong, you first have to have a vision for the kinds of experiences you want to deliver along your customer journey. This module will walk you through how to map out inclusive experiences at every brand touchpoint.

Module Highlights:

Establishing an inclusive customer experience vision
Determining your place on the inclusivity spectrum
How to conduct a customer experience audit
Identifying where diverse and niche consumers drop off in their journey with you
The mechanics of planning and connecting your customer experience vision to your customer journey

Module 5

Customer Experience Delivery

There are a lot of moving parts within your marketing mix that contribute to the experiences you deliver on a consistent basis that make your customers feel like you belong. This module will walk you through the core components to pay attention to that will shape the connection between your brand and the diverse consumers you want to serve.

Module Highlights:

Creating inclusive products
Making your copy more inclusive
Inclusive visual imagery
Special events and celebrations (ex. Black History Month)
The processes, goals, and metrics you need

“Thank YOU [for] being such an amazing educator and proponent for inclusive marketing. This is table stakes for brands who want to succeed in today's world.” --- Unbounce

iBelong Inclusivity HUB

This membership community builds on the framework of building an inclusive brand taught in Inclusive Brand Academy, by giving you the specifics on inclusion related topics, and action plans to help you apply the learnings.

Learn important background information and get ideas designed to increase your cultural intelligence. Apply them to your business in a way that helps you deliver more inclusive experiences. Get your questions answered from experts. All within a safe space.

Each month you'll receive:

In-depth report on an inclusive marketing topic full of examples and action steps
News and content round-up of diversity, inclusion, and belonging happenings
Community to chat, listen, and learn from your peers
Interview with an industry expert on relevant topics
Weekly Q&A Calls where you can get feedback on your campaigns

Get iBelong Inclusivity HUB

YES! YES! YESSSSSS! Thank you, Sonia for reminding the world that humanity comes in more than one shade, shape, and gender and we are ALL worth the attention and recognition of the brands who seek our business. --- Alaura Weaver, Content Marketing Strategist

Enroll in the Belonging University bundle of Inclusive Brand Academy + 1 Year of iBelong Inclusivity HUB Today

6 Monthly Payments of $299

PAY MONTHLY

One-Time Payment of $1497

PAY IN FULL + SAVE

Group rates available

“Y'all,...@soniaethompson just gave the most amazing talk about inclusive marketing. The kind of talk that compels you to action! Just phenomenal.”

--- BiteSized Consulting

My 30-Day Risk Free Guarantee to You

Your experience is extremely important to me. For the Inclusive Brand Academy, if within 30 days you are not happy with the content, send a note requesting a refund, and I’ll return your money, no questions asked.

For the iBelong membership community, if within the first 30-days of your subscription, you are not happy with the content, send a note requesting a refund, and I’ll return your money, no questions asked.

If after that initial 30-day period, you no longer wish to receive the content, simply cancel your monthly subscription and you will no longer be billed.

If you purchase the bundle, if within 30 days you are not happy with the content, send a note requesting a refund, and I’ll return your money, no questions asked.

It's time to stop fumbling over diversity, inclusion, and belonging in your business

These programs are perfect for you if:

You want to attract more diverse customers but you're not sure how

You're nervous about making mistakes when engaging with diverse communities

You want to know how to deliver ongoing messaging and experiences that make diverse and niche customers feel like they belong with you

You want to build a team that is representative of the customers you want to serve

You want to learn about diversity, inclusion, and belonging in a safe space that's free of judgement and where no question is a dumb question

The outcomes are especially applicable if you are:

These programs are not for you if:

Introducing Belonging University

“Mic drop @soniaethompson! Absolutely brilliant talk about inclusive marketing. Thank you for educating us and not only making us better marketers, but better people.” --- Talia Wolfe, Conversion Optimization Specialist, Get Uplift

Your guide on this journey

As Published In:

The Belonging University Programs

Inclusive Brand Academy

What's you'll receive:

See what's inside the course:

Module 1

Company Culture

Module Highlights:

Module 2

Circle of Influence

Module Highlights:

Module 3

Customer Intimacy

Module Highlights:

Module 4

Customer Journey Mapping

Module Highlights:

Module 5

Customer Experience Delivery

Module Highlights:

“Thank YOU [for] being such an amazing educator and proponent for inclusive marketing. This is table stakes for brands who want to succeed in today's world.” --- Unbounce

iBelong Inclusivity HUB

Each month you'll receive:

YES! YES! YESSSSSS! Thank you, Sonia for reminding the world that humanity comes in more than one shade, shape, and gender and we are ALL worth the attention and recognition of the brands who seek our business. --- Alaura Weaver, Content Marketing Strategist

Enroll in the Belonging University bundle of Inclusive Brand Academy + 1 Year of iBelong Inclusivity HUB Today

6 Monthly Payments of $299

One-Time Payment of $1497

*Group rates available*

“Y'all,...@soniaethompson just gave the most amazing talk about inclusive marketing. The kind of talk that compels you to action! Just phenomenal.”

--- BiteSized Consulting

My 30-Day Risk Free Guarantee to You

Join Our Free Trial

Group rates available