Why I left corporate to build a company for the unseen
I didn’t leave because I was tired. I left because I saw something worth building.
The Base Camp — Gratitude & growing edges
For close to two decades, I had the privilege of working at one of the most respected life sciences companies in the world.
The people? Brilliant.
The mission? Bold.
The growth? Deeply personal.
I was trusted with meaningful work across commercial strategy, learning, performance, and culture. I grew as a leader. I grew as a person. And I’ll always be grateful for the mentors and managers… especially those who saw more in me than I saw in myself.
But over time, I began to feel something shift.
Not in the company itself, but in what I couldn’t un-see across the industry.
The Truth Beneath — The system isn’t broken. It was built this way.
In every boardroom, offsite, and initiative I touched, one truth became clearer:
The people weren’t the problem. The playbook was.
I saw high-performing, high-potential professionals… especially those from under-represented backgrounds—slowing down, opting out, or feeling like passengers in systems that didn’t quite know how to hold their brilliance.
Not because they lacked capability.
But because they lacked access.
Or cultural alignment.
Or the kind of visible sponsorship that makes potential undeniable.
These weren’t “bad actors” or “toxic workplaces.”
These were legacy structures, designed decades ago, under different assumptions, with narrow defaults about who leads, who speaks, who belongs.
And that’s when I realised:
If we want different outcomes, we can’t keep tweaking the same operating model.
We need better scaffolding… not just for talent, but for the systems they enter.
The Sherpa’s Map — from well-meaning to well-built
So what do you do when the system is full of good people trying their best… but the outcomes still fall short?
You build something new.
During my time in corporate, I witnessed extraordinary leadership at the very top… none more iconic than Ken Frazier, our former CEO. A Black man leading a global company with integrity, clarity, and principle. I didn’t know him personally, but his presence alone proved what was possible. It expanded the horizon for many of us.
And while it would be remiss not to acknowledge the significance of his departure, especially in today’s DEI climate… it’s equally important to recognise that he was succeeded by Rob Davis, a white man who has remained unwavering in keeping diversity and inclusion central to the company’s mission. As he put it, “Our company has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion. It is at the core of who we are, our values, and how we operate as a company. It is also a strategic imperative.”
This continuity of leadership and commitment to equity is part of what makes me proud to have a long-standing association with this organisation.
Further down the organisation, Celeste Warren, Vice President of Global Diversity & Inclusion, became a north star for me. Her work showed that DE&I isn’t a side initiative… it’s a business strategy. From a distance, she helped reframe what this work could look like when done with intention, accountability, and heart.
Closer to home, I was fortunate to have conspirators and allies… people who shared ideas, asked tough questions, and stood alongside me (you know who you are). Their support helped me think through what this could look like locally and, more importantly, take meaningful action.
Inspired by her leadership, I began to imagine a different model:
Regional Centres of Excellence to translate global equity goals into local cultural fluency
Career pathways rooted in visibility, not just capability
Inclusion as a leadership competency, not a side project
I believed in that vision.
I still do.
But I also knew:
To lead this work the way it needed to be led,
I couldn’t wait for permission.
I had to build it myself.
The Climb — Leaving wasn’t running. It was reaching.
Here’s what I did next… and what you might be ready for too:
1. Trusted my lived experience
I stopped second-guessing what I saw. I stopped explaining away the patterns. I named what others felt but couldn’t always say.
2. Backed myself
Instead of waiting for the perfect job spec, I built the role I believed was missing… a translator between ambition and access, between talent and traction.
3. Launched The Black Sherpa
Not as a rebellion… but as a relay. To carry forward the work that often gets stuck in strategy decks and town halls.
The Sherpa’s Truth — The common-sense truth we ignore
Here’s what I’ve learned that feels like common sense… but rarely gets common action:
You can have world-class people inside well-intentioned companies… and still not create systems where everyone can thrive.
This isn’t about blame.
It’s about design.
And design is changeable.
When we get intentional, we can build frameworks that:
Don’t just attract difference, but retain and elevate it
Don’t just coach the individual, but re-educate the system
Don’t just celebrate talent, but resource it
Who this is for
If you’ve ever felt unseen despite your effort,
If you’ve worked harder, only to watch the rules shift,
If you’re trying to lead but always feel a few steps behind the room—
You’re not broken.
The system just wasn’t built with you in mind.
That’s why I created The Black Sherpa.
To be a guide, not a guru.
To build strategies rooted in cultural truth.
To support both the professionals and the companies that know “diversity” can’t be delegated.
If this resonates, reach out.
If you're building something similar, let’s talk.
And if someone you know needs to hear this, pass it on.
Final Word
I didn’t leave to escape.
I left to build.
And the door’s still open… for partnership, for progress, for people who want to create more equitable systems from the inside and the outside.
We don’t need to wait for better rooms.
We can design them.
And walk with those who were never meant to be at the margins.
I’m Yam – Founder of The Black Sherpa
Founder | Strategist | Speaker | Host of The Black Sherpa Podcast
I founded The Black Sherpa to create a world where talent rises on merit and no one’s potential is held back by bias or barriers.
Through bold strategy, storytelling, and our flagship community, The 29k Club - I help professionals grow with confidence and support leaders to build cultures that truly live their values.
Let’s connect and build a future where inclusion powers performance, and leadership reflects the world we serve.
