Day 1 | Monday, May 24, 2021: 10:00am - 4:00pm ET
Day 2 | Tuesday, May 25, 2021: 10:00am - 4:00pm ET
Day 3 | Wednesday, May 26, 2021: 10:00am - 4:30pm ET

Register Now

"A lot of excellent efforts in the DEI space. It prompted many ideas that I can use within my own organization"

"Great authentic conversation - did not sugar coat how hard this is and how much of a leadership commitment is required."

"Great content, I couldn't take notes fast enough." 

 These are just some of the hundreds of comments from the over 1,000 DEI leaders who attended our 2020 DEI conference in November.   

This event served as a platform for exceptional practitioners to share their work and further discuss race, social justice, neurodiversity, women's health, disability, allyship, and others. The Conference Board, its partners, and the leaders who shared their stories can all justifiably be proud of contributing to creating more inclusive workplaces across North America.  

We invite you to join us on the essential journey to create workplaces committed to inclusion, equity, and belonging as we build on the momentum of this great event and design an all-new agenda for May. DEI professionals' work is never-ending, and we join with the community to create an event that addresses their most current challenges and celebrate their achievements.  

We'll be posting a draft agenda soon. In the meantime, here are some of the topics currently under consideration: 

• Intersectionality 
• Building the Foundation for Success: How to Get Started and Build Momentum in your DEI Function 
• Microaggressions 
• What Does it Mean to be an Ally 
• How Employers Can Effectively Engage with Social Justice Issues 
• Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace 
•  Self Care for DEI Professionals 
• How to Effectively Implement Anti-Racism Training 
• DEI and Analytics 
• Maintaining Momentum 
• Restorative Justice – What Role can this play in your DEI initiative? 
• Recognizing and Addressing Privilege 
• Communicating Across the Partisan Divide

Get Involved

If you would like to get involved in this year’s conference, please contact us.

• Speaking Opportunities: john.brewer@conference-board.org
• Sponsorship Opportunities: ryan.gavaghan@conference-board.org
• Marketing Partnerships: allison.nilsen@conference-board.org
• Group Registrations: ulei.kou@conference-board.org 

Register Now

This event is complimentary for The Conference Board members* and $495 for non-members. Register now to join us live or to watch later on-demand. Be sure to sign into your account to receive the member rate. Not sure if your organization is a member? Check here. 

*This offer applies to Enterprise, Center, Global Advantage, and Council Members with approved tcb.org Member user IDs and passwords. This offer excludes Insight Members, Higher-Education Members, Experience to Lead programs, in-person events, and third-party hosted events.

FREE DiversityComm Magazine Subscriptions for The Conference Board Participants!
DiversityComm, Inc. (DCI) is dedicated to inform, educate, employ and provide equal opportunity within corporate America in order to create a more diverse workplace. DCI is the premiere resource for diverse audiences and companies across the nation providing & informing cutting-edge concepts and is the link between the qualified students, career & business candidates, educational institutions, corporate America, and the federal government. Subscribe for FREE today!

Download the Agenda

DAY ONE | Monday, May 24, 2021

10:00 – 10:15 am (ET)

Welcome and Opening Remarks

John Brewer, Program Director, DEI Conference, The Conference Board

10:15 – 11:00 am
General Session A

Panel Discussion: Where Are You From – Exploring Intersectionality and Identity

Many conversations begin with the conventional inquiry, "where are you from?" Seen by many as a polite icebreaker, even this simple traditional question is not devoid of bias and even prejudice. Many feel that this question challenges their legitimacy and their status as an equal member of a community.

This opening conversation will reclaim this simple question and use it as a starting point for exploring identity. Our panelists will discuss their origins and their experience of identity, and what this means to them. This discussion will also reveal the shortcomings of many categories in D&I – presenting a more complex notion of the point where we all begin our D&I journey.

Moderator:

Katie Juran, Senior Director, Diversity & Inclusion and Experience Communications, Adobe 

Panelists:

Peter McBride, Director, The Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies, Keene State College

Sofia Bonnet, Chief Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, GitHub

U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo, Creative Entrepreneur Fellow 2021, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston

11:00 – 11:10 am Break

11:10 am - 12:30 pm
General Session B

Inclusive Leadership for Building Equitable Organizations

During the last year, leaders in many organizations became more aware of racial inequities within their own organization. Now, increasing numbers of employees are asking leaders to harness this awareness and move towards action. What does it mean to embrace inclusive leadership? How are leaders learning behavior changes that align with an inclusive leadership strategy for the entire organization?

In this unique and dynamic session, the IBIS Consulting Group and their troupe of professional actors help participants find answers to these questions through the portrayal of workplace scenarios that regularly occur within your organization. The scenarios serve as starting points for interactive discussion on inclusive leadership and how to be an ally in the workplace. The real-life scenarios illustrate the responsibility of leaders to mitigate bias and address systemic disparities.

Shilpa Pherwani, Principal/CEO, IBIS Consulting Group

12:30 – 12:45 pm Break

12:45 – 1:25 pm
Concurrent Session C1

Panel Discussion: Passion Is Not Enough – Discussion on the Skills You Need to Successfully Lead DEI

Most people enter the DEI field because it is their passion, recognizing the moral and business imperative for change and drawing on their own experiences to make a difference for greater equity and inclusion within their organization.

But passion is a necessary but insufficient quality for success and thinking that passion and commitment are enough will lead to frustration and lack of progress.

DEI leader Rohini Ananad will lead a conversation with three CDO’s sharing lessons learned during their careers and what it takes to succeed as DEI becomes a top priority for employers.

Moderator:

Rohini Anand, Senior Fellow, The Conference Board

Panelists:

Shari Slate, Chief Inclusion and Collaboration Officer, VP Inclusive Future and Strategy, Cisco

Ben-Saba Hasan, Chief Culture Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer, Walmart

Terrance Irizarry, Chief Diversity Officer, Danone

12:45 – 1:25 pm
Concurrent Session C2

Getting Started with DEI – Lessons from Organizations Early in the Journey

This session, features employers in the early stages of developing and executing a D&I strategy. Hear firsthand some of the early challenges in making progress at this critical juncture.

Moderator:

Antonia Ford, Diversity and Belonging Partner, Blend

Panelists:

Ruth White, Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Carbon Five

Angela Cheng Cimini, VP HR & People Operations, Clear Motion

Pamela Zapata, Director - Global Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, PTC Therapeutics, Inc.

1:25 – 1:35 pm  Break

1:35 – 2:20 pm

Concurrent Session D1

Who's Really In with the In-Crowd? Understanding and Addressing Privilege

The subject of privilege has become increasingly central to DEI and issues such as equity, the practice of allyship, and the creation of psychological safety.

Sofia Bonnet will examine privilege through her biography and career progression. She will share how associating with others' privilege helped her advance the challenge of being an immigrant and adjusting to the norms and expectations of the dominant culture and the need for those who succeed and help others.

Sofia Bonnet, Chief Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, GitHub

1:35 – 2:20 pm
Concurrent Session D2

Using Storytelling to Advance Understanding, Appreciation and Inclusion

Throughout the past year, Adobe has strengthened empathy through employee storytelling.  They have done this by spotlighting employees and their unique backgrounds at larger D&I events, during cultural moments including Hispanic Heritage Month and Veterans Day and Remembrance Day, and at team all hands meetings.

To help build connections and camaraderie in 2020, they introduced a new weekly Adobe For All Coffee Break series with senior leaders across the company sharing their fascinating life stories. Katie Juran will discuss how guests have shared a wide variety of life experiences, including growing up a racial/ethnic minority; homelessness and socioeconomic challenges; military service; LGBTQ+ identity; and many more.

Katie Juran, Senior Director, Diversity & Inclusion and Experience Communications, Adobe

2:25 – 3:05 pm

General Session E

Panel Discussion: Psychological Safety & Belonging

Employers are recognizing the importance of creating psychological safe workplaces – where people feel free to express who they are, what they believe, and how they feel. This is a necessary condition to creating the sense of belonging that is at the core of DEI progress.

Moderator: 

Dr. Tom C. Hogan, Professor of Practice in Human Resource Management, Penn State University

Panelists:

Natalie Edwards, Chief Diversity Officer, National Grid

Stephanie Redivo, EDI Program Lead, TransLink

Brad Lande-Shannon, CMO, Spring Health

3:05 – 3:10 pm     

Closing Remarks

3:20 – 4:00 pm     

DEI OVERTIME I

In this overtime session we will move to Zoom for an interactive discussion continuing the conversation of the opening panel – “Where are you from?”.

This session will explore both intersectionality and diversity – both the overdetermination of marginalization and privilege and celebrate the infinite diversity of which we are all a part.

DAY TWO | Tuesday, May 25, 2021

10:00 – 10:15 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

John Brewer, Program Director, DEI Conference, The Conference Board

10:15 – 11:00 am
General Session F:

Allyship as Action – The Microsoft Story

Widely recognized as one of the best examples of culture change in recent years, Microsoft recently introduced a global allyship program for all employees.

Microsoft made the course mandatory in response to the pandemic's impact on the workplace, rising violence and hate towards those of Asian heritage, and increasing awareness of racism.

Aligning the idea of allyship with the notion of a growth mindset and working with neuroscientists the aim is to create a culture that allows the free exchange of ideas.  Employees learn, grow, make mistakes – and connections between employees deepen.

Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer, Microsoft

11:00 – 11:10 am  Break

11:10 am – 12:20 pm
General Session G:

Approaching DEI Through the Lens of Change Management

For the foreseeable future DEI will continue to be some of the most dominant and challenging issues  society faces.

So how can we nurture and maintain a Change Mindset to help address both?

How can a change management approach help in achieving the goal of a workplace that practices equity and belonging?

During this session we explore:

• What is a change mindset, and how can it help drive performance amid ambiguity?
• How do we use mindsets to drive inclusion and innovation?
• How can your organization develop change mindsets at scale and drive DEI across the organization?

Alan Morales, VP & Head of Transformative Change for the Future of Work, Prudential Financial

Marvin Mendoza, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, PPG Industries

12:20 – 12:40 pm   Break

12:40 – 1:20 pm
Concurrent Session H1:

Panel Discussion: Addressing Workplace Mental Health As Part of Your DEI Strategy

While lock downs due to the pandemic have been a widespread stressful and, in many cases, traumatic event, they have increased awareness among employers of the importance of the mental health of their people.

In addition, leaders gained a greater appreciation of the differing mental health impact on different communities and ensure that an organization’s mental health interventions account for diversity.

In this session, Spring Health will discuss workplace mental health from the perspective of DEI and explore how to combine humanity with technology and data to eliminate the barriers to care that prevent so many getting the help they need and help employees thrive.

DeDe Alexander, Clinical Manager, Care Navigation, Spring Health

Vanessa De Leon, Care Navigator, Spring Health

12:40 – 1:20 pm
Concurrent Session H2:

Building Bridges Not Walls: Restorative Justice, Community Trauma, and The Partisan Divide

It’s hard to escape the message nowadays that America is a country divided – most obviously in the political sphere where partisanship has in many ways replaced any semblance of a marketplace of ideas. The violent storming of the Capitol on Jan 6th was just the latest and most extreme example of the division that exists.

In addressing these issues, we must realize historic wrongs, current fears, and community trauma.

This conversation will explore these issues as the participants ask the question of how can we begin to heal?

Panelists:

Peter McBride, Director, The Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies, Keene State College

Deanna Ransom, Global Head Of Marketing & Marketing Services - (CMO), Televerde

Jamira Burley, Head, Advocacy, The Responsible Business Initiative

1:20 – 1:30 pm     Break

1:30 – 2:15 pm
Concurrent Session I1:

From Intention to Impact: Conference Board Research on Measuring The Impact of Your DEI Initiatives

Two of the defining characteristics of the future workplace will be a diverse workforce and increased use of analytics to make more evidence based human capital decisions.

In this session you will hear the latest research from the Board, The ROI of Inclusion: How to Align Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Business Results as well as hear about the associated Tool Kit.

Concurrent Session I2:

Fertility & Maternal Health in the Black Community

2:20 – 3:10 pm

General Session J:

Panel Discussion: Where are We Now?

From origins to identity to intersectionality – we move on to examine the current state of DEI as a function and explore how DEI professionals can work with other functions in the organization to spread their influence wider and create better, longer lasting results.

Moderator:

Marilyn Johnson, Senior Director, Global Sustainability, Clarivate

Panelists:

Sonja Wilkerson, EVP & Chief People Officer, Bloom Energy

Josetta Jones, Chief Diversity Officer, Chevron

Natasha Martell Jackson, Sr. Program Director, Global Diversity Inclusion and Social Impact, Intel

3:10 – 3:20 pm     

Closing Remarks

3:20 – 4:00 pm     

DEI OVERTIME II

DAY THREE | Wednesday, May 26, 2021

10:00 – 10:15 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

John Brewer, Program Director, DEI Conference, The Conference Board

10:15 – 11:00 am
General Session K:

Screenside Chat: Understanding and Addressing Anti-Asian Racism in Society and at Work

Racism is not a new thing, but it seems as if recently is has gone mainstream. Certainly, incidents of anti-Asian racism have increased dramatically in the last year – something the media only seemed to address in the aftermath of the recent shooting in Atlanta.

This first of two sessions focused on racism will feature a screenside conversation between two executives with direct experience of the problem.  They will share some of those experiences as well as explore what employers can do to create workplaces that embrace Asian employees.

Brenda Tsai, Former Global Chief Marketing Officer, BNY Mellon

Anna W. Mok, President & Executive Board Chair, Ascend & Ascend Foundation

11:00 – 11:10 am Break

11:10 – 11:50 am
General Session L:

The History of Racism in Healthcare

This session will look at the history of health care in the US and how racism was built into the system from the very beginning and persists to this day.

It’s long been documented that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have a starkly different experience when seeking healthcare compared to others. While progress has been made, racial health disparities are deeply ingrained in the U.S. healthcare system. In order to address these disparities, though, it’s critical to understand where they began in the first place.

Dr. Raquel Hammonds, Director of Integrative and Preventive Medicine at Carrot Fertility, will lead an in-depth exploration of how history has contributed to today’s issues of unequal access to care, particularly in fertility and maternal health. She’ll look at the origins of systematic racism in healthcare, equity vs. equality, the role social determinants play, and what we can do today to start closing the gap.

Areas for discussion include:

• Understanding how history has led to disparities in healthcare
• Learning how social determinants factor into outcomes
• Learning what employers can do today to start closing gaps in care

Amie Varley, Quality Patient Safety Specialist – Emergency Department and Infection Control, Niagara Health And Co-Host, The Gritty Nurse Podcast

Dr. Raquel Hammonds, Director of Integrative & Preventive Medicine, Carrot Fertility

11:55 am – 12:40 pm

General Session M 

Panel Discussion: Disability in the Workplace

Diversity practitioners understand the business benefits of workplace and marketplace inclusion, but disability is often not included within this diversity dialogue. Times are changing!

Given the demand to recruit and retain diverse talent (from millennials to the aging workforce) and recent compliance revisions for government contractors, individuals with disabilities are coming into the spotlight. Moving beyond the interested-in but the actual "how-to" of creating a disability inclusion strategy is required. This session will provide practical tips and replicable best practices for a disability in the workplace strategy.

12:40 –12:50 pm  Break

12:50 – 1:35 pm

Concurrent Session N1:

Embedding DEI in Your Culture: From Good Intentions to Everyday Moments of Inclusion

Everyday workplace interactions are what make or break whether employees feel like they are included and belong at your organization. How can you ensure that everyone, from your newest hire through your C-Suite understands their role in DEI so that it permeates the day-to-day decisions, actions and relationships that form the front line of your culture?

In this session, Maureen Berkner Boyt will take a more granular view of change and program design. We’ll cover the neuroscience and power of inclusion nudges to drive behavior change, how to use the 3 C’s of inclusion to shift from a top-down approach to living with individual employees, and how to create a rhythm of inclusion. Learn how to translate your company’s commitment to DEI into everyday actions.

Maureen Berkner Boyt, Founder and CEO, The Moxie Exchange

Concurrent Session N2:

Native Americans, First Nations, Indigenous Peoples – Integrating Turtle Island’s First Inhabitants Into the Workplace

Dawson Her Many Horses, Senior Vice President and Head of North American Banking, Wells Fargo

1:40 – 2:25 pm
General Session O:

Celebrating And Leveraging Difference: A Conversation with Ashley Brundage, Author

In this session you will hear from Ashley in a lively conversation with Marsha Jones. While they work together for PNC, Ashley is also a successful author who has drawn on her experiences to help others recognize power their difference gives them.

The conversation will cover this central idea as well as reflect on the DEI work Ashley leads at PNC and how employers can help their people recognize and realize their potential and ensure the workplace is one where there know they belong.

Ashley Brundage, Vice President. Diversity and Inclusion, PNC

Marsha Jones, Chief Diversity Officer, PNC

2:30 – 3:20 pm