{"product_id":"rising-from-a-mud-hut-to-the-boardroom-and-back-again-hardcover","title":"Rising: From a Mud Hut to the Boardroom -- And Back Again - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGraci Harkema\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn identity that spans the globe.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this astonishing memoir, Graci Harkema revisits her experience growing up as an adoptee from the Congo in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She traces her path to claiming and living her own story, becoming a successful consultant on diversity, equity and inclusion, racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, and women in business. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBorn amid civil unrest in a mud hut in the Congo and weighing a mere three pounds, Harkema was left at an orphanage, where she was not expected to live another day. But that afternoon, a visiting American missionary saw her sleeping in a doll's bed and heard a voice inside her say, \"This is your daughter.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer childhood was spent wishing to be lighter and blonder, like her siblings and classmates. Out of fear of standing out even more from her peers, Harkema kept her sexuality a secret, only coming out of the closet years later--during a job interview! Eventually, she learned to see her identity as her superpower, instead of her shame. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eToday, Harkema helps embrace diversity and drive inclusion to ensure open and safe work environments. She is committed to empowering employees to perform to their potential as their authentic selves--setting an example as she continues to live her own story, journeying to meet her birth mother, to discover one more piece of herself.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGraci Harkema\u003c\/b\u003e is the owner of Graci LLC, a consultancy providing training and speaking on diversity, inclusion and implicit bias for Fortune 500, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. \u003ci\u003eThe Grand Rapids Business Journal \u003c\/i\u003ehas named her a 40 Under 40 Business Leader of West Michigan, and one of the 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders of West Michigan. Graci received national media attention in 2019 for publicly resigning from a prominent Diversity \u0026amp; Inclusion leadership role to make a stand for racial equity and justice. Passionate about serving her community, she volunteers her time on LGBTQ+ non-profit boards and committees. She is also an avid supporter of her parents' faith-based non-profit, Heart for Central Africa, in her hometown of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.A graduate in communications from Grand Valley State University, Graci resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her dog, Teddy Roosevelt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 216\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.78 x 8.7 x 5.95 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 18, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42169969967239,"sku":"9781774582510","price":26.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/5a190b7c2018125db7b5cabb8459bf27.webp?v=1733344922","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/rising-from-a-mud-hut-to-the-boardroom-and-back-again-hardcover","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}