Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
Area 23
FAIL
area23hc.com
TYPE: Marketing Consultant + Healthcare Advertising Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Sequoia Capital, Camden Partners, and TPG (via parent company IGP Health)
OWNER: IPG (Interpublic Group) + IPG Health
SUBSIDIARIES: -
REVENUE: ~$750 million
HEADCOUNT: ~1,100
Grand Central Plaza
622 3rd Ave 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
+1 917 265 2623
business.inquiries@area23hc.com
From the perspective of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), federal law (notably Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), and New York State’s Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, § 296), Area 23’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, shaped by its parent company, The Interpublic Group (IPG), raise concerns about potential harassment and discrimination against White employees and hires. IPG’s robust DEI framework, overseen by CEO Philippe Krakowsky and driven by Black woman Global Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer Channing Martin, and Black woman Heide Gardner, former SVP, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, now Global Culture Officer, emphasizes “systemic racism” and “diverse talent pipelines.” Martin frames White individuals as complicit in systemic inequities: “There are centuries of systemic racism, exclusion, prejudice that is built into every system that we live and operate in in this country." Gardner, calling on White people to reflect on their supposedly inherent bias and racism, has stated, “The hard and necessary work is for...White leaders to recognize that there will always be a dissonance between who you thought you were, and who you really are.” On LinkedIn, Gardner shared the sentiment of Black woman and “Racial Strategist” Dr Yanique Redwood that, “Ongoing research continues to prove that White people's fragility, uninterrogated insecurities related to Whiteness, and overt (and covert) racism in the philanthropic sector all add up to have devastating effects on BIPOC colleagues' careers and health outcomes” (Redwood is the author of White Women Cry, a book that criticizes the supposed performative allyship and emotional fragility of affluent white women). Gardner is in favor of putting a “DEI lens on all of your business processes.” This rhetoric, likely embedded in Area23’s DEI training, risks creating a hostile work environment under EEOC and NYSHRL standards by implicitly targeting White employees as inherently privileged, fragile, insecure, ignorant, complicit, and racist. CEO Krakowsky publicly champions DEI as a core value and business imperative, oversees the overall strategy, and is involved in appointing key DEI leaders. While direct evidence of Area 23's specific training content is not available in the provided materials, the prevalence of such training within a sister IPG agency and its commonality in corporate DEI programs suggest its plausibility at Area 23. DEI racial equity training could be perceived as harassing White employees under the lens of the EEOC and NYSHRL (§ 296) if it creates a hostile work environment or implicitly targets them based on race. Such training often emphasizes systemic racism, unconscious bias, and the need for racial equity, which may include discussions framing Whites as inherently privileged or complicit in perpetuating inequality. IPG’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs) for Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and LGBTQ+ employees, with no equivalent for White employees, and supplier diversity policies allocating 30% of sourceable expenses to minority-owned businesses,* suggest differential treatment based on race, potentially violating Title VII’s prohibition on race-based discrimination. Area 23’s leadership, including Group President Renee Mellas and Chief Creative Officer Tim Hawkey, implements these policies under IPG Health’s directive, which prioritizes “BIPOC representation”** and “equity”*** over equality, as evidenced by IPG Mediabrands’ Dani Benowitz’s focus on “BIPOC audiences.” Franklin Williams, a Black man and EVP, Executive Director of Experience Design, has also participated in industry DEI panels. Jemma Gould, a White woman, is Chief Sustainability Officer at IPG, overseeing the company's ESG program, which encompasses sustainability and equity components.
The EEOC’s recent settlement with major law firms disavowing DEI practices for discriminating against White employees underscores the legal vulnerability of such initiatives, amplified by New York’s stringent NYSHRL, which lowers the threshold for hostile work environment claims. IPG’s recent removal of CEO compensation ties to diversity goals (reported April 2025) may reflect awareness of this scrutiny, driven by institutional investors like BlackRock and Vanguard, who push ESG metrics but face criticism for fostering race-conscious policies that disadvantage majority groups. Area 23’s client base, including pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and Novartis, further pressures DEI compliance, potentially prioritizing demographic targets over merit, fueling a social critique that these initiatives unfairly marginalize White employees in hiring, promotions, and workplace culture. Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of The Interpublic Group (IPG), holds ultimate oversight of Area 23's DEI initiatives, as Area 23 operates under IPG's corporate structure, with its DEI policies shaped by IPG's centralized strategies and enforced through IPG Health, led by figures like Channing Martin, Global Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer, while Area 23's local leadership, including Group President Renee Mellas and Chief Creative Officer Tim Hawkey, implements these directives.
Area23’s DEI training for companies risks promoting discriminatory or harassing practices, exposing both Area23, for facilitating unlawful practices, and the receiving companies, for implementing them, to significant legal, financial, and reputational liabilities.
*In 2025, non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, with several other states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona approaching majority-minority status. At an estimated 12.6% of the global population, White people are a global minority. MSQ is incorrect in viewing White people as an overarching majority
**Area 23’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
***DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
Parent company IPG Health’s institutional investors Sequoia Capital, Camden Partners, and TPG are actively integrating ESG scores—with a strong focus on supporting DEI—into its investment landscape. Other Havas institutional investors like BlackRock and Vanguard increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major parent company shareholders (and their parent company IPG) likely serves as a significant driver for Area 23's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of Area 23’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
PARTNERS INCLUDE: Famous Who?, Ritmika Audio Arts, Bro Cinema, Sonido, and Ars Thanea
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.