Glory Quinonez works as a guest experience specialist.
It seems every month of the year has a cause attached to it. February is Black History Month. June in Pride Month. July is Disability Pride Month. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Although these commemorations are anchors of activism for their respective communities, it’s worth bearing in mind that all of them are causes which are not, and should not, be tokenized for a mere 30 days. They matter all year round. Such is the case for the issue of disabled people and employment; it’s recognized in the fall, but should be a topic people are enthusiastic about the other 11 months of the year.
The Museum of Ice Cream is one organization taking that sentiment to heart. Diversity and inclusion is an important area of focus to Jennifer Bouchard, the chief people and administration officer at the Museum of Ice Cream parent company Figure8. In a recent interview with me conducted over email, Bouchard, who has spent more than 13 years working in the Human Resources realm and whose favorite ice cream flavor is salted chocolate gelato, told me her work has involved a “deep focus on scaling companies, culture and employee engagement programs, as well as talent brand and recruitment marketing functions.”
For Bouchard and her colleagues, diversity and inclusion, she said, “makes us better.” Having a diverse group of people, all with unique lived experiences, makes everything at the museum better—Bouchard told me “our guests, our teams, our culture, our product, and our services benefit and are better because of the amazing and diverse talent that we have at our company.” She added the museum’s mission is to “unite and inspire” through imagination and connection, telling me it’s imperative workers can connect immediately with every person who walks through the museum doors. The world is a diverse place and it’s essential to the museum’s successes as a business to embrace diversity and inclusion to the fullest extent, according to Bouchard.
The museum employs people from the disability community, with a strong emphasis on neurodiversity. Bouchard explained the organization accommodates its disabled employees by taking into account both requests by team members and the recommendations given by their doctors. There are standard accommodations for things like scheduling and sitting, but Bouchard emphasized there isn’t a one-size-fits-all policy for the workforce. The museum tries very hard, she told me, to “provide the best accommodations that we can based on the needs of the individual” and said the team recently has implemented Employee Assistance Program which is designed to help workers access mental health services, childcare, housing, and other basic needs.
“Diversity and neurodiversity are huge pillars of the Museum of Ice Cream. As a little person I can say the museum has made tremendous accommodations for me and anyone with a disability. We also make our guests feel safe, welcomed, and comfortable once they come through those double doors,” said Glory Quinonez, who works at the museum as a guest experience specialist. “When you come inside the museum, you automatically encounter the four senses which captivates the guest’s attention and make them feel eager to start the experience. The museum is accessible to everyone and the goal is to bring out the kid in people no matter who they are or how they look on the outside.”
As a disabled woman, Quinonez said the reason she’s worked more than 4 years at the museum is because her feedback is always received positively and her needs are always heard. She’s grateful to be at the museum and told me they do a great job of taking care of its employees and guests. That’s an “incredibly important” quality to Quinonez.
Quinonez’s colleague Alisha Bowling concurred with Quinonez’s sentiments. “I admit I didn’t do much research before applying to Museum of Ice Cream and was quite surprised at the giant slide and sprinkle pool,” she said. “It has turned out to be the best job I’ve ever had. From the incredible staff and the fun I get to have every shift to the constant upgrades and improvements to the experience for staff and guests, I don’t know that there’s anywhere else I’d rather be right now.”
Bowling, whose favorite ice cream is coffee, said she’s never believed her race or mental illness have hindered in ability to find gainful employment, adding she’s always been selective of where she chooses to work and strong believes in the notion everyone contributes to the world simply by virtue of being amongst it. “Museum of Ice Cream has been one of the more supportive and understanding jobs I’ve had, due in large part to managers who have struggled with mental illness and understand the struggle,” Bowling said. “They make me feel accepted in ways that previous places haven’t. The shift leads are all incredible and really help to foster an inclusive and comfortable environment.”
When asked how technology plays a role in the museum’s function, Bouchard explained the organization uses ZenDesk for management and ensure they’re communicating with employees in a efficient and timely manner. In addition, Bouchard noted the company is looking into “creating a connected tech stack” that makes administrative tasks and the like more streamlined, as well as mitigating bias. As to the actual physical space itself, Quinonez said technology plays a “big role” and pointed to assistive technologies like elevators, ramps, and stairs. Moreover, the museum permits service dogs and employees use translation software on their devices to communicate with guests who speak different languages. In terms of marketing, Bowling said the museum is active on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
“I hear people mention the viral TikTok of the girl who did a cannonball into the sprinkle pool quite often,” she said.
Bouchard, Quinonez, and Bowling all expressed gratitude.
“I connect deeply to the mission that [museum founder and Figure8 CEO] Maryellis Bunn has created and built for Museum of Ice Cream, to unite and inspire the world through imagination and connection,” Bouchard said. “As we look forward to building this company and culture, I am grateful to lead this program and the team that shapes how we maintain and increase a people centered culture.”
“I applaud the addition of some mental health and housing services for employees,” Bowling said. “It’s a great first step, and I sincerely hope that things continue to move in this direction. I’d also love to see us make our own ice cream again.”
