More Details Announced for Inclusion Summit on Nov. 10
GREATER DES MOINES, IA (Oct. 28, 2021) – The Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Inclusion Summit has announced more programming for the hybrid event scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 10. A CEO Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Panel will kick off the event.
The panel discussion will feature Dr. Angela Franklin, President of Des Moines University; Grant Kvalheim, CEO and President of Athene USA; Suzanna de Baca, President and Group Publisher of Business Publications Corporation; and Renee Christoffer, President and CEO of Veridian Credit Union. It will be moderated by Jay Byers, President and CEO of The Partnership.
“Successful DEI work in organizations takes leadership and commitment from the top, and we are excited to hear from these leaders on where they have found success,” said Sanjita Pradhan, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at The Partnership. “This discussion and other programming at the Inclusion Summit will help attendees continue to take steps on their own DEI journey.”
The panel joins other previously announced programming including three keynote speakers: James Wright, Kerrien (Kay) Suarez and Kenji Yoshino.
Wright is a dynamic and compelling leader with a demonstrated ability to inspire and catalyze large corporations to develop strategic plans and programs that frequently receive national recognition for their effectiveness in Diversity and Inclusion. With a track record of delivering practical roadmaps for increasing Diversity in global corporations such as Apple Inc., LinkedIn, NBCUniversal, Time Warner (AOL), Verizon / MCI and other respected industry organizations, James has become a sought-after speaker in the field of Diversity and Inclusion, human resources and social media. Wright’s presentation will focus on “Rewiring the Workplace Mindset of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.”
Suarez is the Executive Director of Equity in the Center (EiC), a field-wide initiative to influence social sector leaders to shift mindsets, practices and systems to achieve race equity. EiC envisions a future where nonprofit and philanthropic organizations advance race equity internally while also centering it in their work externally. In 2018, EiC published “Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture,” which details management and operational levers that organizations utilize to transform culture.
Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and the Director of the Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. A graduate of Harvard (AB summa cum laude), Oxford (MSc as a Rhodes Scholar), and Yale (JD), he specializes in constitutional law, anti-discrimination law, and law and literature. Yoshino is the author of three books and has been published in several major academic journals including The Harvard Law Review, The Stanford Law Review and The Yale Law Journal. His presentation will focus on “Uncovering Talent: A New Model of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.”
The Partnership’s Inclusion Award winners will be announced at The Summit.
The Inclusion Summit will take place at the FFA Enrichment Center at the Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny Campus. In-person attendance is at capacity, but attendees have the option to join virtually. The event’s theme is “Equity in Action,” and attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about what equity means and discover tools and resources to build equity-centered practices, systems and organizations.
Learn more and register on The Partnership’s website.
About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 24 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,500 Regional Business Members and more than 365 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com.