FOUNDER

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Debra Johnston is a strategic human resources leader with over 18 years of experience, ranging from consulting to pioneering startups to mission-driven nonprofit organizations to Fortune 500 companies. 

She has a Master of Science degree in Human Resources and a Bachelor degree in both Communications and Political Science. Debra holds certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and a Strategic HR Business Partner (sHRBP). She also obtained a Diversity and Inclusion certificate.  

Debra previously served as President & Board Chair of a chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management where she received the SHRM Superior Merit Award. She has also taught as an HR Instructor at a university.  Debra has contributed in many different volunteer roles for various organizations and charitable causes.

Through my education and career in human resources, I have studied and gained a fuller (but never complete) understanding of people, behavior, culture, communications and organizational systems. Then I began to see past the issues in the workplace and our personal microcosms to the underlying, reoccurring, systemic, problematic themes in our macrocosm.  As a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging - both on the job and in society as a whole - I became more attuned to areas of ongoing inequity, such as: 

• Equity - I have seen and experienced first hand the challenges of sexism and sexual harassment both professionally and personally. I continue to gain deeper insights from friends who face racism and systemic oppression. There are numerous areas of social inequity where people are not treated fairly and do not have the same access to opportunities. Throughout the world, so many do not have equal access to basic life essentials. I am aware of how far we have come but am still frustrated by how much further we have to go.

• Education - As a learning and development professional and a lifelong learner myself, I recognize the importance of access to knowledge and education. I watch my sister and others struggle with the burden of overwhelming, unpayable student loan debt and know that girls and women in other countries are not even allowed to pursue further education.  I am also a mother of a young child and am concerned about how we are educating and shaping our children.

• Economy - From my years of working in financial services, I thought a lot about our economy and began to see the downside of capitalism and our monetary system where an elite few hoard wealth while poverty runs rampant worldwide and most others are one crisis away from financial ruin.  

• Environment - We face increasing climate change and pollution with an ever-growing population and environmental inequities without the desperately needed level of global cooperation and action. 

I came to realize that the majority of my soapbox issues fell into the above four areas, and I began to see everywhere how they were not separate problems but were all intertwined. I found myself constantly, passionately talking about these issues but not really knowing what to do about them that would actually make a difference. It is so disheartening to see that drastic change is needed on a large scale and knowing that one person is unable to make the necessary widespread, systemic changes across the world. It feels hopeless but these monumental issues affect us all and cannot be ignored. I am compelled to channel my frustration into productive action to try and make a greater contribution because if we all did something, it could start to have a cumulative effect and ultimately will have more of an impact than doing nothing at all. 

Therefore, I created Equity 4 Everyone to shine a light on the interconnected issues of social, educational, economic and environmental inequities. I want to help others increase their awareness and knowledge of these problems and see them from different perspectives so we can all be part of the solution and tackle them together to eradicate inequities and strive for equity for everyone.  

Join me and be the change!

Debra Johnston

Founder, Equity 4 Everyone