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48 Who are your mentors that helped you get to this point in your career? ere are so many people who have contributed to my accomplishments. I've been very fortunate to have had some terrific mentors throughout my career. Some of my best mentoring experiences were less formal. ey were more what I refer to as "mentoring moments." I consider anyone that I can learn from a mentor. If you think about it, there is always a situation, whether or not it's a positive situation or something that you may perceive as negative, there is always a lesson there. Anyone who can teach me something that contributes to my success, has given me some form of mentoring. I have had formal mentors as well. One of my first mentors was a leader at Fannie Mae who really invested in me. It was somebody that I could have straight talk with. When I got it wrong, he would tell me, and when I got it right, we would celebrate that success. I've also had great mentors externally, as well. One of the earliest leaders in diversity and inclusion was also my mentor. Who was it? Dr. Roosevelt omas. He developed the foundational principles of diversity and inclusion. He helped me to understand why diversity is a business imperative. I was very fortunate to have had him as a mentor. What challenges have you faced as a woman in the housing industry over your career? Assumptions. e idea that because you may not fit a certain profile or you may have had a very different ex- perience, that it's not as valuable. Normally these things are not articulated and they are not usually intentional. en there is the challenge of exclu- sion. If you are not intentionally inclusive, you are unintentionally exclusive. Oftentimes, it's not intentional but it shows up when your thoughts or ideas are not taken seriously. It shows up when you may not be at the table for a conversation where you have a lot to contribute. Assumptions are rooted in implicit bias that I believe many women have faced in corporate America. As a black woman, I have had experiences that are unique to that way of being in the world that can sometimes create challenges. What advice do you have to those women who are just starting in the housing industry or trying to break in? In matters of style, bend with the wind, in matters of principle, stand like a rock. Rise above your challenges. Go for it! CHARMAINE BROWN Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for Fannie Mae DIVERSITY PERSPECTIVES "As a black woman, I have had experiences that are unique to that way of being in the world that can sometimes create challenges."