{"id":30334,"date":"2020-09-29T17:06:28","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T00:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uprinting.com\/?p=30334"},"modified":"2025-12-18T21:41:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T05:41:47","slug":"open-to-all-your-story-of-diversity-and-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uprinting.com\/blog\/open-to-all-your-story-of-diversity-and-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Open To All: Your Story of Diversity and Inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diversity and inclusion \u2013 how far have we come along?<\/p>\n

When Open To All<\/a> launched in June 2020, the campaign was meant to celebrate our diverse workforce in time for Pride Month. It also served as an opportunity for us to reinforce the value of inclusion in the work culture that we thrive in and continue to cultivate.<\/p>\n

Then we opened the conversation to the UPrinting community and it has since evolved into a compelling conversation filled with insight and inspiration. More importantly, we got to know the small businesses and organizations in our community who are at the fore of building diverse and inclusive communities.<\/p>\n

Championing Diversity and Inclusion<\/h2>\n

What is diversity and inclusion? And how vital is the role of small businesses in fostering these values?<\/p>\n

According to Global Diversity Practice<\/a>, diversity is about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different. Inclusion, put simply, is a sense of belonging \u2013 making people feel respected and valued for who they are as an individual or group.<\/p>\n

For years, small businesses and organizations have opened their doors to provide opportunities for everyone, to create products and services that are available to all, and to provide a space where everyone is welcome.<\/p>\n

Open To All aims to shine the spotlight on these companies and nonprofits and the inclusive communities they have built and support. These are their stories.<\/p>\n

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MSCL. T<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Providing equal opportunity is a cornerstone of an inclusive community.<\/p>\n

MSCL. T founder, Johnny De La Cruz, was born and raised in Brooklyn. In his part of town, there were many like him who never had the opportunity to do what others consider to be the \u201cnorm\u201d, like going to college or visiting and experiencing other cities and cultures.<\/p>\n

Despite missing out on these opportunities growing up, Johnny held on to something else, something that he thanks his parents for: ownership.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born to Dominican parents who owned and operated a small grocery store, what we called a \u201cbodega\u201d, in Brooklyn. Watching my parents work from sunup to sundown taught me the importance of ownership. We never had a lot of money, but my parents had freedom.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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This freedom, according to\u00a0Johnny, gave his parents control over their time. There was no asking permission from anyone, for anything, which allowed them to spend valuable time with family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always attracted to that,\u201d<\/em> he shares, and from there, came the fire that lit his entrepreneurial passion and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur company, MSCL. T (pronounced muscle tee) is the platform for your story, expressed through our content and products. Many of us have a 9-to-5 to keep the lights on, but what is your 9-to-5? What are you passionate about? What do you do it for?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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MSCL. T, which stands for Motivate, Strive, Create, Lead, is a clothing brand where everything revolves around their slogan “What’s Your Hustle?\u00ae”. Through clothing, which are ethically made in Los Angeles, Johnny\u2019s team created What\u2019s Your Hustle: The Series, a docu-style video series featuring hustlers from all sides of the spectrum \u2013 from athletes to artists to successful entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

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According to Johnny, \u201cthe motivation behind this series is to inspire the next young person to see beyond their four walls. By seeing someone that the youth can relate to, it can ignite that spark to take the leap that can take someone to the next level. Because on the other side of struggle, is greatness.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cHighlighting both victories and struggles is important because it humanizes the journey in life and makes it much more relatable.\u201d <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

Looking back, Johnny recalls how his vision came to life in December 2019 where they brought together go-getters and entrepreneurs from all over Southern California for the \u201cWhat\u2019s Your Hustle: The Kickback\u201d event. Everyone came to hang out, network, have a drink, and enjoy a few music and dance performances.<\/p>\n