Power & Partnership: How to Work Effectively with White Allies
In this workshop, Annie Bao interviews Matt Wallaert on his report The Mediocre White Man, and what it reveals about power, perception, and advancement in professional environments.
Together, Annie and Matt explore:
How power dynamics often show up for Asian women at work
Patterns Asian women face when working with white male leaders and clients
What existing research and lived experience reveal about successful navigation strategies
Practical frameworks for reading the “chessboard” and responding with clarity and confidence
We’ll also be inviting the wider Women of Color in Leadership community at Harvard Business School to join this session, so members should expect a broader WOC leadership audience alongside our TAA community.
This session is educational, direct, and grounded in both data and real-world experience.
About the Hosts:
Matt Wallaert is a behavioral scientist, author, and executive with nearly two decades of experience applying behavioral science to real-world challenges. After leaving academia, he led teams across startups and Fortune 500 companies, founded BeSci.io to help organizations scale applied behavioral science capabilities, and now serves as Chief Experience Officer at Oceans, expanding access to high-quality jobs in international markets. Through his book Start at the End, hundreds of global talks from the UN to SXSW, and equity-driven projects like GetRaised and MediocreWhiteMen, Matt is known for making behavioral science practical, approachable, and impactful—no PhD required.
Connect with Matt
Annie Bao is a mental health strategist and systems thinker who designs human-centered, equitable solutions to advance well-being in healthcare, education, and community care. She brings a powerful blend of behavioral insight, anti-racism, and compassion to building cultures of care that prioritize both performance and humanity.
Connect with Annie
Not a member of The Authentic Asian?
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Please note that this is a space that centers women and those who relate to their lived experience. If you do not identify with this and would still like to support or engage with the community, feel free to reach out to The Authentic Asian team. We’d be happy to explore other ways to include you.