Welcome to today's Zoom Meeting. We will quickly go over a few ways to make your experience worthwhile before we kick things off.

Please add your organization to your Zoom Name and we encourage you to turn your camera on for speed networking.

Having a strong record of diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) is critical for any organization.

Help us kick things off by turning on your camera and discussing with your peers your biggest challenges with DEI and what you hope to learn today.

Details coming soon!

Details coming soon!

Although the term microaggressions may imply something small, the impact they have on inclusion in the workplace is actually very large. During this workshop, attendees will build awareness around what microaggressions actually are, explore how microaggressions sabotage efforts toward anti-racism and inclusion, and learn actionable ways to decrease the occurrence of microaggressive behavior at work.

Key takeaways include:

• Align on key terms and core concepts as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism
• The three core elements that make up workplace culture and the characteristics of a racist workplace
• Defining microaggressions and how even the best intentioned people use them
• How microaggressions sabotage efforts toward anti-racism and inclusion
• What Allyship looks like and how it allies can interrupt and override microaggressive behavior

Details coming soon!

Take a short break to checkin with work, grab a bite to eat, and digest what you've heard so far.

Come back ready to dive in for the second half of the day.

Through an interactive presentation mixed with small group discussions, identify key things you can do immediately to combat racism in the workplace.

More details coming soon.

This session is designed to provide you with a starting point to encourage transparent communication, establish trust, and uncover actions that can use to build towards a more equal workplace.

• Listen: To give one’s attention and be ready to hear something
  • Employer’s Role:
    • Be willing to hear that your organization isn’t perfect
    • Create a variety of safe spaces/platforms for employees to voice their concerns, suggestions, or feelings about racism in/outside the workplace
  • Employee’s Role:
    • Provide constructive feedback/suggestion to allow your employer an opportunity to address, investigate, solve for the matter.
  • Suggested Approach:
    • Listening Session – held by the CEO or Executive and allow the primary group to voice their immediate concerns, questions, share their emotions
  • What we did: Hold a monthly CEO Listening Session with our Black associates to discuss current events and the impact on black associates/community, discuss why it matters, and what can EWC do to bring awareness to the matter or contribute to a solution.
  • Why it was Impactful: Holding ongoing listening sessions demonstrates that leadership cares to continue the conversation, has a desire to listen to the concerns of their employees, and takes into consideration what they can do to enact change in their organization/community to improve the lives of their employees.

• Understand: To perceive the significance, explanation, or cause of something
  • Employer’s Role:
    • Recognize the cost impact racism can have on your workplace retention and employee production/morale
    • Treat this effort as marathon, not a sprint
    • Don’t expect solutions, but look to understand the impact/effect of racism on your employees
  • Employee’s Role:
    • Humanize the impacts of racism – share your personal experiences and its impact on how you perceive things
  • Suggested Approach:
    • Panel Discussion
    • Open Forums
    • 1:1 Dialogue
  • What we did: Panel series called “The Experience in America” where we tackled and discussed various challenges around racism, justice, and equality to help associates better understand everyone’s varied perception and experiences.
  • Why it was Impactful: In an effort to help others walk in the shoes of those who experience racism to gain a deeper understanding of its impact. It was also an opportunity to address misconceptions or misunderstandings to current events and topics.

• Act: The process of doing something to achieve an aim or bring about change
  • Employer’s Role:
    • Be clear and honest about your position
    • Know what you’re addressing and why you’re addressing it
    • Partner with the people of color to determine approach and messaging
  • Employee’s Role:
    • Outline a clear ask and plan
    • Educate leaders on how various work policies/practices and can create bias or act as a barrier to building a more equal workplace
    • Identify areas where the business can contribute to communities of color
  • Suggested Approach:
    • Establish this initiative as a business priority by making it a part of your strategy and ongoing dialogue
    • Utilize or establish ERG or diversity councils
    • Work closely with associates of color who are most effected to contribute to the strategy and decisions
  • What we did:
    • Communicated with our guests and franchising network our stand against racism and injustice
    • Black associates teamed up to develop a strategy outlining 3-4 areas that EWC could help impact in the workplace and in Black communities to present to our executive leadership team
    • Established a Diversity Council
    • Created scholarships and in the process of partnering with school districts to create awareness and opportunities within communities of color
    • Introduced an Unconscious Bias training
    • Executive leadership partnered with Black associates to identify and donate to a non-profit/cause (Equal Justice Program)
  • Why it was Impactful: By the organization partnering with those who were most effected by racism, it showed their commitment to driving meaningful change towards a more equal and just society. To get to this point it is critical that senior leaders and organizations do the work of listening and understanding to know why these efforts and actions were critically important and how to make it a part of the fabric of the company’s culture.

This is a safe space of your peers. Each person here is working to learn, navigate, and improve their workplace environment.

Take this time to ask the questions that are keeping you up at night. If you're not comfortable asking on camera - feel free to type into the chat.

Moderated by Edward Ford, Senior Director, Client Engagement, Medidata Solutions

Panelists:

Crystal Andrews Banks, Diversity & Inclusion Director, Ulta Beauty 

Lola Adeyemo, Senior Diversity & Inclusion Leader

Elena Valentine, CEO & Co-Founder, Skill Scout

Alexis Davis Smith, CEO, PRecise Communications

The conference MC will highlight a few key takeaways, 'a-ha' moments mentioned in the chat, and next steps to take as you return to work and continue to help build an equitable, anti-racist workplace.