In this episode, I sit down with Grace Yung Foster, a Korean adoptee, foster care alumna, and NYU MBA graduate who shares her powerful story of navigating identity, systemic barriers, and the nonprofit world. Grace opens up about growing up in white environments, the struggle with internalized racism, and how becoming a mother sparked a turning point in embracing her heritage and herself. Now, as the founder of the Inclusion Initiative, Grace is creating spaces for adoptees and foster youth of color to find community, mentorship, and professional support that she didn’t have.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Grace’s experience growing up as a transracial adoptee in foster care
• Challenges she faced in the nonprofit sector and leadership roles
• The internalized racism and self-acceptance journey that transformed her life
• How motherhood became a catalyst for embracing her Korean identity
• The founding and mission of the Inclusion Initiative, focused on building community and access for adoptees and foster youth of color
• The importance of authentic mentorship and allyship in breaking systemic barriers

Grace’s story sheds light on the often unseen struggles of adoptees and foster youth of color, especially in professional spaces where representation and support can be scarce. Her honest reflections and dedication to creating inclusive communities remind us all of the power of visibility, self-love, and advocacy.

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:30:00] Discussing the underrepresentation of people of color, especially women, in nonprofit leadership and the limits of advanced degrees in breaking systemic barriers

[00:32:00] Personal reflections on feeling silenced despite credentials and expertise in leadership roles

[00:34:00] The decision to walk away from nonprofit leadership and create a space to embrace and amplify marginalized voices

[00:36:00] The racial reckoning of 2020–2021 and how workplace conversations about race often felt performative and incomplete

[00:38:30] Challenges of acceptance within Asian communities as a transracial adoptee raised in a white family

[00:42:00] Growing up minimizing Korean identity due to pressure to assimilate in predominantly white environments

[00:44:00] The impact of internalized racism and learned self-hate during youth and early adulthood

[00:45:30] The turning point of impending motherhood sparking the desire to reclaim and embrace cultural identity

[00:48:30] The importance of unlearning unconscious bias and committing to ongoing self-reflection and cultural competency

[00:51:30] Feeling excluded from nonprofit sector despite education and experience, highlighting the lack of authentic mentorship and sponsorship

[00:54:30] The stigma around foster care and adoption in professional spaces and the invisibility of foster alumni leaders

[00:56:30] The critical role of authentic mentorship and the difficulty in finding mentors who share or understand lived experiences

[01:02:00] Building the Inclusion Initiative to create access, community, and visibility for adoptees and foster alumni facing systemic barriers

[01:04:00] How the Inclusion Initiative supports career navigation, networking, and leadership development for marginalized identities

After a career in nonprofits and getting her MBA, Grace Yung Foster wanted to do something with more impact. She is now the Founder & CEO of The Inclusion Initiative that focuses on changing the future of work and close the professional opportunity gap Adoptees and Foster Care Alumni often face due to a lack of an established network. Through The Inclusion Initiative, she works to create belonging. The company was born from Grace’s lived experience in struggling to achieve the professional and career opportunities that her peers were achieving who do not share her identities and lived experiences.

Inclusion Initiative Website

https://www.theinclusioninitiative.com/

The Inclusion Conversation

https://www.theinclusioninitiative.com/podcast

Support Grace and Inclusion Initiative at SXSW 2026

Vote on following panels

Panel 1: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1753369972829001RNq5

Panel 2: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1753241104522001N55Z

If you enjoyed the show and you want to join our community of other women of color who are embracing their voice head over to https://embracingyourvoicepod.com/

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