The words we use shape the world around us. Our language choices reinforce our beliefs, biases, and opinions with every word we say or write.

Journalists and other professional communicators use certain tools to make sure their language usage is spot on. Style guides like *The AP Stylebook* and *The Chicago Manual of Style* help writers double check that they're using professional titles, technical terms, and even sports statistics correctly.

This talk will cover how tools like style guides shape our perspective and the inclusivity pitfalls they can create. We'll also go over how to repurpose these tools to improve inclusivity, using the lessons Thursday learned in the process of writing for more startups than is probably healthy and in editing *The Responsible Communication Style Guide*.