Merit and meritocracy are having quite the moment. Many are rushing to defend them, but few are able to define them. Despite bold claims, our existing workplace and educational systems often function more like a hall of mirrors — reflecting the same profiles over and over while overlooking highly qualified talent that doesn’t fit the mold. Backed by research and real-world examples, this session will challenge the false binary between inclusion and merit and ask: if the mirror’s distorted, what would it take to see talent clearly? Attendees will leave with new language for better ways of talking about merit and practical strategies for building workplace and educational systems that better reflect it.
