Dr. Fadia Nordtveit 03F Launches TV Show and Consulting Company to Address Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

“I remember always being fascinated by the art of creating and representing,” says Nordtveit, whose Div III centered on gender, representation, and screen cultures. “It helped that I was guided by very creative and fearless parents who lived their lives on their own terms and taught me to follow my passions. Those passions and my love for experimentation brought me to Hampshire College rather than a more traditional school.” Fadia Hasan grew up in Bangladesh and came to the United States in 2003.

“What got me into DEIB work is quite unfortunately something that many of us BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) changemakers may relate to: I had a series of really bad experiences in one of my past workplaces,” she says. “Then I happened to go to a weeklong conference that offered a great deal of workshops and trainings in DEIB that I participated in, which enabled me to process some of the bad feelings and take action on them.”

The experience was so motivating that it propelled her into research, teaching, production, and trainings in the world of DEIB and how to create safety in the workplace. “First, I created Talking Out of Line,” Nordtveit says. “Each episode chooses a different industry to focus on and shines a light on a leader within it who is working at the intersections of DEIB to create lasting impact in diverse fields.” The very first episode, “What Is Talking Out Of Line?,” presents an overview of the show.

“The incredibly empowering educational process of Hampshire College made it possible for me to really explore my interests, gain expertise, and, ultimately, to create out-of-the-box projects.”Dr. Fadia Nordtveit 03F

After years of research and prototyping in academic and industry settings, Nordtveit also founded collaborative.ly, a consulting company that provides services, such as the Inclusive Business Model Canvas. This tool, methodology, and framework may be used to evaluate organizations, processes, and outputs to help businesses and organizations build an inclusive foundational structure by re-prioritizing and re-calibrating their structures to meet DEIB goals.

After earning her Ph.D. in communication, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Nordtveit returned to Hampshire for two years as visiting assistant professor of Asian studies. She is now an assistant professor of communications at Springfield College and holds a part-time faculty, researcher, and consultant position at New York University.

“In any of my talks, when I’m asked to narrate my academic journey, I always acknowledge and emphasize the role Hampshire College played in preparing me for my graduate and academic life,” she says. “I learned the value of deep exploration and research, rather than memorizing for tests, which helped with knowledge retention. It helped me in my graduate work, fieldwork for complex research projects, and writing my books, as well as designing effective pedagogical experiences for my students.

“The incredibly empowering educational process of Hampshire College made it possible for me to really explore my interests, gain expertise, and, ultimately, to create out-of-the-box projects,” she says.

Talking Out of Line and collaborative.ly are just the latest in a wide range of social justice projects Nordtveit has spearheaded. Her research on environmental communication and climate justice, global youth movements, and new media technologies led her to found The BGreen Project, the subject of her book Participatory Networks and the Environment. This year, she will publish Millennials, Generation Z and the Fair-Trade Revolution in the United States (Routledge).