Navigating the ambiguities of DEI work

The current DEI landscape is often painted in binaries - championed or rejected, celebrated or attacked. Yet, in reality, many inside organizations sit in a space of deep ambivalence, dealing with contradictions, power dynamics, shifting institutional priorities and government mandates. This paper suggests leaning into that messiness, arguing that ambivalence (and complexity) isn’t something to be ‘fixed’ but rather held, interrogated, and worked through. Drawing from transdisciplinary insights, we explore how DEI work unfolds in nonlinear ways, shaped by emotional labor, structural conditions, and competing narratives of inclusion. Instead of seeking definitive answers, we advocate for embracing uncertainty and (a certain level of) discomfort as necessary ingredients for meaningful change.