Maria Fernanda Kirigin, or “MK” for short, breaks down why color blind approaches to inclusion are ineffective at best, and harmful at worst. Using Europe’s identity crisis as a case study, MK’s thought-provoking, engaging, and inspiring talk sheds light on the power of data in shaping narratives of identity, acceptance, and belonging. Weaving her personal immigration story with extensive research, she challenges the myth of color blindness and advocates for the importance of collecting disaggregated race and ethnicity data to move social justice efforts in Europe beyond just gender. MK Kirigin is a global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion expert, educator, and consultant with a decade of experience fostering inclusion and sense of belonging across both the public and private sectors. She is a proud Latina with a strong connection to her Bolivian roots, but she grew up moving to a new country every two years. As a master’s student at Harvard, MK explored her research interest in collective identity formation in diverse communities by studying education policy and ethnic studies. She is the founder of Roots to Leadership, a DEI consultancy with a focus on anti-bias and anti-racism. You can keep up with her work at www.mkirigin.com. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx