What Works

Building workplaces that work for everyone

Building workplaces that work for everyone

What Works is a global collaboration platform that brings high-quality consultants to help you advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Together we can assess your current state, approach DEI strategically, develop better leaders, build diverse teams, and create inclusive workplace cultures.

Managing Director at What Works

Anna Kostecka (she/her)

Anna Kostecka is the Managing Director at What Works. She is a globally-minded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategist with +12 years of experience supporting organizations around the world on their DEI journey. Her work has helped over a hundred large and medium-sized employers from private, public, and non-profit sectors build more inclusive workplaces.

In her recent roles, Anna established the learning and consulting portfolio at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) in Canada. She led the development of Inclusive Workplace Competencies that describe knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed to create an inclusive workplace. The framework is now being used by organizations around the world. As a Director of Strategic Initiatives at Diversity Hub in Poland, Anna led the creation of a Center for Employee Resource Groups that helps organizations realize the full potential of ERGs.

Anna has a Master’s degree in psychology from Jagiellonian University and a graduate-level certificate in Adult Education from the University of Toronto. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) which measures intercultural competence and has a GlobeSmart Profile certification.

Senior Consultant

Iren Koltermann (she/her)

Iren Koltermann is a Senior Management Consultant with expertise in talent management, diversity, equity, inclusion, and training. She has over 20 years of experience, assisting organizations to develop inclusive talent management strategies.

Iren holds an M.A. degree in Intercultural & International Communication and a Graduate-level Certificate in Sustainable Community Development from the Royal Roads University

Senior Consultant

Larry Olomofe (he/him)

Larry Olomofe is a Senior Management Consultant and Educator with over 25 years of experience in providing Human Rights/professional training and coaching across many sectors of public administration, civil society, and businesses.

Larry is the former Deputy Head as well as Advisor for combatting racism and xenophobia in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). He ran the portfolio on racism and xenophobia, providing advice to various governments on issues such as racism and anti-racism, non-discrimination, xenophobia, intolerance against Christians, hate incidents, and hate crimes. His work has helped various organizations in the OSCE region to better respond to and prevent hate crimes and apply European and domestic anti-discrimination laws.

Larry holds a BA and MA in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge.

Senior Consultant

Dr. Margaret Amaka Ohia-Nowak (she/her)

Dr. Margaret Amaka Ohia-Nowak is a Nigerian-Polish scholar, trainer, human rights activist, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant with +10 years of experience. She facilitates training on embracing diversity, promoting inclusive language, and reducing bias in the workplace.

Margaret is a Founder of the Centre for Intersectional Justice in Poland that focuses on facilitating conversations about race and supporting affinity groups in Central and Eastern Europe in healing racial trauma. She is a Co-founder and Lead at the Alliance for Black Justice in Poland. The Alliance supports Black and Brown people fleeing war in Ukraine with immediate relief, helps them with rebuilding life in Poland in the long term, and advocates for racial equality. She is also a Board Member of the Polish People of African Descent Association.

Margaret holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Wrocław. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California at Berkeley and studied at City University London and the University of Amsterdam. She has published and presented on race and racism in contemporary public discourse, racist discourse, and representations of Africans portrayed by media in Poland. Margaret is a certified intercultural trainer and a certified FRIS® trainer.

She is an author of the Polish translation of “Change Sings”, a book by Amanda Gorman.

Building a workplace that works for everyone requires time and commitment.

I created What Works as a collaboration platform to bring high-quality consultants to help you advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at your organization.

Building a workplace that works for everyone requires time and commitment.

I created What Works as a collaboration platform to bring high-quality consultants to help you advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at your organization.

Testimonials

Why What Works?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a journey without a destination
and it takes time and commitment to do it right.

“Not only we recognized personal growth from Anna’s coaching but, as a team, we became a more aligned leadership team”

In 2020, our team embarked on a journey of inclusive leadership & culture transformation. We engaged Anna to customize an IDI assessment, conduct individual coaching sessions to my leadership team, and facilitate an interactive learning session for the group. Not only we recognized personal growth from Anna’s coaching but, as a team, we became a more aligned leadership team and have implemented a number of practices benefiting our entire organization.”

Daniel Yeung

Director, Customer Experience Strategy and Operations at Telus

“She is a well-rounded professional, educator, and advocate who truly understands what it takes to elevate any organizations’ diversity actions to a higher level of effectiveness.”

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Anna on the design and delivery of an inclusive leadership program. Anna has shown an innate talent for leading a multifaceted program and for leveraging her in-depth knowledge and experience to support leaders and employers in achieving inclusive workplaces. She is a well-rounded professional, educator, and advocate who truly understands what it takes to elevate any organizations’ diversity actions to a higher level of effectiveness.

Shirley Marie Garcia

Director, People and Culture at March of Dimes Canada

“Your mastery of equity and inclusion, let you identify and guide us on a path to achieve results clearly and concisely.”

Thank you Anna for the incredible leadership you have brought in creating and co-facilitating an equity and inclusion Community of Practice for equity and inclusion practitioners. From the beginning, you laid out a plan of action in great detail that each of our organizations needed, in order to reach breakthrough success. Your mastery of equity and inclusion, let you identify and guide us on a path to achieve results clearly and concisely. I appreciate that you always ensured each CoP event was adequately prepared in advance to address specific EDI concerns. The roadmap you laid out shows we are on the path to achieving great success for everyone in our respective organizations.

Alicia Lauzon

Equity and Inclusion Practitioner