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Like any good business, we are happy to let our track record speak for itself. DSI has a long list of satisfied clients. If you are thinking about working with us, we feel it is important that you come in with your eyes wide open and knowing exactly what to expect in the way of knowledge base, skill sets, approach and professionalism. Now, there is what we can tell you about ourselves, and then there is what others will tell you about their experience working with us. Please feel free to explore these testimonials from some of our most recent clients and workshop participants.
"Dr. Karumanchery's training is helping our Corporation to embrace diversity through a fundamental shift in our attitudes and in our corporate culture. The unique impact and nature of his training are a direct result of Leeno's ability to combine his years of education with honest, self-reflection on his own experiences. By sharing from his heart and challenging participants to take a closer look at their traditional beliefs, the positive impact of Leeno's training goes far beyond token actions."
"Dr. Karumanchery's work with our agency has been groundbreaking. He has provided us with a critical lens through which to probe our own assumptions and biases as we struggle to create a truly equitable workplace. A very skilled Trainer, he levels the playing field between the oppressed and the oppressor, providing understanding without alienating either side. As a field, we cannot afford to ignore his anti-racism, anti-oppression message. We would do so at our own peril. I would urge anyone who is concerned with issues of diversity and inclusion in their workplace to begin here."
"About nine months ago our entire staff participated in a DSI workshop facilitated by Dr. Karumanchery. To this day the staff still talks about how thought-provoking, insightful, and meaningful it was to them in both their lives and their work. Leeno presented us with a new perspective and challenged our way of thinking and working, but did so with kindness, understanding and compassion. He has taken a very difficult issue and set us on the journey to become more inclusive, both as people and as an organization."
"Kiwanis Homes contracted with Dr. Leeno Karumanchery for Anti-Racism training to staff. In addition to presenting information in an easy-to-understand, visually impacting manner, Dr. Karumanchery is a passionate conveyor of both his education and real-life experiences. Leeno draws you into an effortless discussion in a non-threatening fashion, offering ways to positively expand a perhaps limited thought process by citing personal examples in an impressionable and empathetic manner. Any questions were answered in a non-judgmental way and personal situations were discussed from a number of distinct viewpoints, with insight being offered for each point of view. Staff shared that they were positively affected by the presentation and training, leading to a greater understanding of, and benefit to, the clients we serve."
"The City of Kitchener Fire Department utilized the DSI Diversity Training to assist in the ongoing education of our staff. Using various techniques, Dr. Karumanchery opened our minds around diversity and anti-oppression by delivering a very challenging and sometimes controversial subject matter in a safe environment without intimidation. The training was well received by staff and the promotion of these open discussions has helped shape the views of our Department. On a personal note, Leeno allowed me to take a different view on diversity and to examine how I treat and react to people from diverse backgrounds. I see this program as a life altering experience. These are values that I will now pass on to my kids."
"Wow and Change maker! These are the words that surface when I think of Dr. Leeno Karumanchery. Recently, Leeno gave a keynote address on the impact of diversity and language on physical restraint interventions with children and youth in custodial and residential settings for the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Leeno's engaging and demonstrative style encouraged participants to self-reflect upon their daily assumptions and privileges they have by virtue of their gender, culture and economic status. One week has passed and participants are still engaged in self-reflection and with one another…as if the symposium just ended yesterday. Leeno brought seeds of enlightenment with him, but he ingeniously had the participants walk into uncharted territory and sew those seeds of personal and systemic change…changing them forever."
"Peel Children's Aid is currently using Dr. Leeno Karumanchery's services as part of our agency's ongoing work in anti-oppression. A cornerstone of this approach is ensuring that our managers and staff receive effective diversity/anti-oppression training and DSI has been hired to provide this training for our agency. Those who have attended thus far have rated the training as excellent and have found it very useful. Leeno has done a great job in the design and implementation of the training program to suit our agency's requirements. He is knowledgeable, well organized and a skilled presenter and educator."
"Like most communities, Brantford is changing to mirror the diversity of our Province. St. Leonard’s Community Services believes that its board, staff and clients should reflect that diversity and respond accordingly to the varying strengths and needs of our stakeholders. To that end, the Agency’s managers and supervisors have participated in, and benefited tremendously from, the diversity training provided by Dr. Leeno Karumanchery over the past 2 years. This experience convinced our leadership that the entire organization needed to engage in diversity training as a continuous process. Multiple two day sessions are planned for this year and this will continue into 2008 as well. Leeno’s teaching approach has had a profound effect on our staff’s outlook towards fellow employees and clients. I have no hesitation in saying that this is one of the best training investments our organization ever made."
"TFY’s entire staff has now participated in the 2-Day Anti-Oppression training provided by Diversity Solutions Inc. The training is not only comprehensive in its content but superb in its delivery. Dr. Karumanchery’s excellence in presenting an incredibly difficult and sensitive topic is supported by his tremendous knowledge base, his sensitivity to individual participants and his ability to validate their unique experiences, as well as his skill in engaging all participants. His knowledge, combined with his skill as a facilitator is equally matched by his passion for helping people develop skills to become allies to those who are oppressed, whether they be people of colour, women, people with physical disabilities, etc. Dr. Karumanchery has provided TFY with one of the most powerful training programs that its staff has ever participated in."
"Our agency booked Leeno for a two-day training in November 2006. Overall the feedback from staff regarding Leeno and the training was very positive. We found Leeno to be insightful and passionate around the issues of AR/AO. Leeno has a great understanding of the impact and oppression experienced by marginalized groups. He used his humour and real life stories to connect with participants. The training gave participants the opportunity to self reflect and look at our own power and privilege. The training was powerful and provided participants with tools, resources, use of appropriate language and most of all, it provided awareness."
"As a well established agency, we understand how important it is to be able to evolve along with our community and its changing needs. When we set out to find someone who could help us spearhead our organizational change initiative, Dr. Karumanchery caught our attention with his forthright approach, his clarity of vision and his genuine desire to work "with us" towards the creation of a truly equitable workplace. His leadership and guidance along this journey have been invaluable and I would definitely recommend him to any organization in need of diversity/equity consulting and training."
"Leeno, your two-day presentation surpassed my expectations. Your cultural analysis was broad enough to have staff appreciate the issues and yet was delivered with such grace that they were challenged to really think about them. The best part of the training was the dialogue that was evoked within the agency afterwards. Our staff is now more aware of inappropriate behavior and the impact it has on others, even when unintentional. This has helped them in their direct work with clients, and as a result, they have become better and more effective change agents. Thank you for facilitating such a wonderful training and learning experience!"
"Dr. Karumanchery provided a two day training program for our agency's Senior Management Team and we were so impressed that we have engaged him to deliver extensive training for all our staff and Board members. Diversity training and program development is a very popular topic these days. Unfortunately, however, some training programs that we had previously experienced left people feeling offended, guilty and angry. Well-meaning people had felt insulted and felt that their attitudes and efforts were not good enough and that there was no way they could win in dealing with the diversity issue. Our experience with Dr. Karumanchery was fundamentally different. Because his presentation is non-threatening, our fears and resistance were easily dissipated. He deals with the tough issues…in a direct and hard-hitting way, yet never in an accusatory manner. We fully expect that Dr. Karumanchery's training will result in a fundamental shift in our organizational culture and our ability to deal constructively and openly with the issues of oppression and diversity."
"As a major service provider for people with disabilities, we at KW-Habilitation understand the need to continually reassess and reframe how equity and diversity are applied in our policy and practice. We also recognize that if we are to remain responsive to the diverse needs of the people we support, our staff and stakeholders, we must engage Diversity Trainings as a lynch-pin our plan to build sustainable, reliable and honest relationships within our community. To these ends, we contracted with DSI to develop and facilitate a training that would help us move forward in the process. Dr. Karumanchery far exceeded our expectations and because of his experiences and abilities it became apparent quickly that there was much for us to learn. We look forward to continuing our training with Dr. Karumanchery in the future and would not hesitate to recommend Diversity Solutions Inc."
"Dr. Karumanchery recently led a day-long workshop for our community leadership program. His presentation really challenged the participants and led them to a deeper understanding of the various factors that need to be taken into account when working with diverse populations. Many of our participants (all adult learners) had previously attended diversity training workshops through their workplaces and every one of their evaluations indicated that they had learned more on this one day than in all the other diversity workshops combined. While they found the content to be challenging and at times uncomfortable, they also found it to be hugely valuable on both personal and professional levels. I thoroughly appreciated Dr. Karumanchery's teaching style and methodology and would be very pleased to have him join us again."
"Because CTYS was increasingly diversifying in terms of its employees and clients, we recognized that it had become time to discuss the opportunities and challenges of such change, and how we might embrace that change within out organization. To this end, we contracted with DSI and their facilitator, Dr. Leeno Karumanchery, to engage us with an anti-oppression model that would educate staff, encourage discussion and help us to place all the issues on the table. The staff enjoyed Leeno’s sometimes humourous, sometimes emotional but always passionate delivery. It was an opportunity to explore how we might ensure that the issue of diversity is integral to the operation of the agency. I would recommend DSI to others who wish to respond to the opportunities and challenges of diversity and I would be very pleased to speak with anyone considering Dr. Karumanchery as their support person."