#39 – From the Trenches: Policy, People & Care (Erica Shoemate)

In this From the Trenches conversation, Erica L. Shoemate, MPA joins Josh Peterson to unpack what policy really looks like when it touches people’s lives—from HR decisions and workplace standards to government regulation, social media safety, and maternal health. Drawing on her background as an intelligence leader and Big Tech policy strategist, Erica explains how thoughtful policies create fairness, clarity, and protection for employees and communities, and why even small businesses must understand how frameworks like ADA and EEO apply to their day-to-day operations.

Moving from the halls of federal agencies to the war rooms of Twitter’s site policy team and into frontline maternal health advocacy, Erica shows how systems design can either reinforce bias or safeguard dignity. She walks through real-time decision-making during the Russia–Ukraine conflict, the heartbreaking story of Kira Johnson, and the ongoing work to address maternal health disparities—especially for Black women and underserved communities. For leaders, MSP owners, and operators, this episode is a masterclass in building policies that anticipate risk, center humanity, and align culture with accountability—perfectly aligned with the structured, people-first approach of the BMK Vision Operating System.

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Episode Highlights

• 00:00:11 – Introduction to real HR policy and why it matters for fairness in everyday workplace decisions.
• 00:04:02 – Erica’s early passion for policy, public service, and constitutional studies that shaped her career path.
• 00:06:37 – Breaking down ADA and EEO obligations for small businesses across federal, state, and local levels.
• 00:16:25 – Maternal health advocacy and the tragic death of Kira Johnson as a case study in systemic bias and system failure.
• 00:29:32 – Leading site policy at Twitter to tackle cyber safety, harmful content, and global freedom-of-expression challenges.
• 00:36:35 – Building real-time policy responses during the Russia–Ukraine conflict while aligning with international human-rights standards.
• 00:41:13 – Navigating internal disagreement and public scrutiny while enforcing policies consistently and objectively.

About the Guest

Erica L. Shoemate, MPA is a national security and AI policy strategist — a systems builder for safety, equity, and trust. A former intelligence leader with the FBI and across the U.S. Intelligence Community, she later shaped digital risk, trust & safety, and regulatory policy across Big Tech, including Twitter, Amazon, and Meta. As Founder & Principal of The EN Strategy Group, she helps mission-driven organizations design ethical frameworks that keep humanity at the center of innovation, including serving as the policy architect behind ChatBlackGPT’s MVP and a Global AI Policy Fellow with the AI 2030 Institute.

Erica is also a nationally recognized maternal health advocate, serving as Ambassador and Maternal Health Policy Co-Chair (VA Lead) for the Maternal and Infant Health Equity Coalition in partnership with March of Dimes. Her lived experience as a high-risk mom fuels her fight for systems that protect people — not just products — and she is known for turning complexity into clarity and chaos into strategy for leaders working at the intersection of technology, equity, and public impact.

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🔗 Connect with Erica on LinkedIn →

About the Host

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. Through the From the Trenches series, Josh helps MSPs strengthen financial clarity, leadership maturity, and operational excellence using the BMK Vision Operating System, turning real-world stories into practical, standard-driven guidance. Connect with Josh on LinkedIn →

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