Phillip Milano is the founder of YouDareToAsk.com (by YFORUM), the acclaimed cross-cultural dialogue project that encourages people to ask unflinching, politically incorrect questions about our differences. Phillip believes this no-holds-barred dialogue can help us overcome our fears of offending and gain greater understanding of one another.
Since its creation, Phillip’s web site has attracted millions of visitors and thousands of questions and answers. He and his project have been featured on CBS, CNN, BET and the BBC, and in numerous newspapers, including The Washington Post, New York Times and USA Today.
He is a popular speaker and author of the Penguin book “I Can’t Believe You Asked That!” as well as writer of the pioneering and award-winning newspaper column “Dare to Ask.”
So how did Phillip, a middle-aged white guy from the Midwest and 25-year newspaper veteran, become an internationally recognized authority on diversity issues? He first got interested in actively promoting diversity causes as a newspaper recruiter who founded The National Diversity Newspaper Job Bank. Shortly thereafter, national studies revealed that more than 70 percent of Americans still feel “racial groups aren’t getting along well with each other; worry that things are only going to get worse; and think racial and religious tensions are serious problems.”
The conversations Phillip had with others as a recruiter and trainer inspired him to create a forum in cyberspace (www.yforum.com, now YouDareToAsk.com) that allows people to anonymously ask and answer questions about their differences. As creator and editor-in-chief, Phillip has attracted the attention of hundreds of media outlets such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, the BBC and Atlantic Monthly.
Building on his experience facilitating thousands of cross-cultural conversations, Phillip has written two books including I Can’t Believe You Asked That! and Why Do White People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out of the Rain? He received his Masters of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University and his Bachelors of Science in Journalism from Southern Illinois University.
For more on Phillip’s no-holds-barred presentations about race, sex, religion – and more – at college campuses, non-profits and corporations, click here. His take-no-prisoners programs and keynotes tear off the blinders of decorum, re-awakening our child-like curiosity and giving us the tools we need to discuss taboo topics we’re dying to know about each other.