Commitment to Equity & Inclusion
We believe justice for people and justice for the planet are the same work. Equity and inclusion are how we practice that in our work and in how we live.
ERA: A Framework for Change
Creating Systems that Put People First
ERA (Equity, Rights, & Actions) is both the destination organizations aim for and the perspective that shapes how they get there; it’s a lens for navigating the journey. We advance ERA operating models through advocacy, community engagement, training, and consultancy.
In our humanitarian and development work, we believe that transforming the funding and operating ecosystem requires collective action from funders, CSOs, and INGOs. Our approach, informed by Humentum’s “12 Levers of Change,” provides practical steps to foster effective, locally led development.
We are deeply committed to promoting and ensuring equal access for all.
Recognizing the barriers to accessing support services, we dedicate part of our time to offering free resources and ongoing outreach to underserved populations through our programs. Additionally, we prioritize creating sustainable and environmentally conscious work that benefits clients, communities, and the planet.
Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Equity, and Decolonization
Deb signed this pledge in November 2023, before Complexity Untangled had a second partner. Allen made it his own when he joined in 2025. It is written in Deb's voice, as it was then.
Aware that as a white woman, I can not operate outside the lens of white supremacy, I am committed to practicing anti-racism.
I am a white woman committed to actively confronting and dismantling my own racism, shaped by covertly existing within and unthinkingly benefiting from a white supremacist society. In November 2023, I pledged to be an Anti-Racist Small Business. This is not about making statements—it is a lifelong commitment, both personally and professionally.
In November 2023, I pledged to be an Anti-Racist Small Business.
Rachel Rodgers, Ericka Hines, and Sonya Renee Taylor wrote the pledge, and it outlines five clear, specific practices for any small business. Learn more and take the pledge
I acknowledge that while I have Anishinaabe heritage, much of my life and work is done as an uninvited visitor on stolen, ancestral & traditional territories of many diverse First Nations including the Jumanos, Numunuu Sookobitu (Comanche), Nde Konitsaaii Gokiyaa (Lipan Apache), Coahuiltecan, Tonkawa, Sana, Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Chippewa, the Huron-Wendat & the Mississauga of the Credit Nation. I am committed to decolonizing myself & supporting my community and global society to do the same.
I also acknowledge the African peoples forcibly brought to Turtle Island & whose enslaved labor built the nations & wealth of what is now known as Canada & the USA.
I prioritise hiring women+, BIPOC, and LGBTQI+ individuals to support my business.
….whether as assistants, editors, photographers, graphic designers, or other roles—and ensure their labor is fairly compensated. I do not engage in trading services, as they can devalue the contributions of skilled professionals and create unhealthy power dynamics.
When seeking coaching or support for my personal and professional growth, I often turn to my network and community, paying the full value for their services. I believe payment plans are an important tool for accessibility, and I never charge additional fees for them (credit to Andrea Leda and Kelly Diels).
As a self-employed woman who provides for my family, I set prices that reflect my education, skills, experience, values, and commitment to building a sustainable future. I understand the importance of ongoing education and support, so I create free and open-access resources.
Operating in an often unregulated industry, I regularly assess the accessibility of my rates. I offer sliding scale options, host donation-based community classes, and ensure equitable profit-sharing with collaborators on co-created events, classes, and workshops.
As a white woman with power and privilege, I strive to pay it forward through Complexity Untangled and in my personal life, embodying my values in all aspects of my life.
In practice
We often work inside structures that uphold what we are trying to change, and our income comes from them.
We have not resolved that. Working inside these organizations is also how the work reaches the people it affects, so we keep doing it, and we stay aware of what it costs.
Reduced-fee work has been easier, particularly in coaching. We are wary of listing examples, because naming the people we charged less uses them as evidence of our own good character. The sliding scale exists, and it is used.
If you think we are getting this wrong, or you want to know more about how any of this works, we welcome a conversation.