What Ketchup/Curry Teach Us About Inclusion by Paresh Motiwala

Everyone knows ketchup or curry, but few know what’s inside them. Their flavor comes from ingredients that are wildly different, yet perfectly blended. That’s the power of diversity when leaders understand how to support and mentor people from different cultures and backgrounds. This session uses a simple metaphor to unpack a complex challenge: • recognizing cultural differences, • avoiding blind spots, and • helping team members thrive through intentional, culturally aware mentorship. When leaders learn to blend differences instead of flattening them, teams become more innovative, more resilient, and more human. Time permitting, I will share my own journey — including the early struggles of working in an environment where diversity was not prioritized, and how I helped shift hiring practices toward inclusion and equity. But we will also confront a difficult truth: in many organizations, “DEI hiring” has become a buzzword. How can we recognize when DEI is performative rather than real? What signals tell us whether an organization is committed to inclusion or simply checking a box? And most importantly, what choices do we have — to leave, to endure, or to influence change from within? This session offers practical tools for identifying organizational readiness, advocating for inclusive practices, and leading with cultural awareness no matter where you sit in the hierarchy.