DEI SYMPOSIUM ADVANCING EQUITY
STRATEGIC INTEGRATION
THROUGH LEADERSHIP
FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 • 8:30 A.M.-4 P.M. ALTRIA THEATER
DEI SYMPOSIUM AGENDA
BREAKFAST
WELCOME & OPENING
PERFORMANCE: KEVIN DAVIS OF BAN CARIBE
KEYNOTE: TARA JAYE FRANK
WORKSHOP 1
LUNCH
WORKSHOP 2
CLOSING SPEAKER CALL TO ACTION: JAMES WARREN
CLOSING REMARKS
NETWORKING SOCIAL
VIP FOR ALL - LEXUS LOUNGE REFLECTION & CONNECTION SPACE
ELIJAH LEE - EMCEE
Elijah Lee, a 15-year-old student, and community activist is a national advocate for children. For the past five years, Elijah has organized annual child abuse prevention marches and served as a public speaker on the issue of child abuse.
To support young survivors and reduce trauma impacts, Elijah organized and raised funds for pediatric safe rooms at Vidant North Hospital in Roanoke Rapids, NC. This effort transformed uninviting emergency rooms into child-friendly welcoming spaces. Recently he raised $12,500 for a similar partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Richmond. Elijah is the founder of a nonprofit organization, Hear Our Voices, dedicated to empowering young people with an emphasis on assisting youth in finding their voice and becoming agents of change.
For this work, he was named the 2022 Youth Entrepreneur of the Year by the Metropolitan Business League. Elijah is an active lobbyist with the Virginia General Assembly, advocating and testifying for legislation impacting young people. He has most recently worked to submit 5 pieces of legislation to the General Assembly, all dedicated to empowering young people.
Elijah has worked hard to use legislation to unite, having bipartisan support on every bill he has proposed. He serves as a public speaker on the issues of child abuse, racism, oppression, and trauma-informed care. He has been the keynote speaker for the KIPP National Summit, Indiana NAACP Conference, Prevents Child Abuse North Carolina Conference, Virginia School Safety Conference, and other events. Along with serving as the leader and founder of his own non-profit, Hear Our Voices, Elijah also serves as the Co-President of Voters of Tomorrow’s Virginia Chapter, allowing him to organize book distributions, voter registration events, and more. He serves as a Field Organizer for the Pride Liberation Project, Ambassador for Voices for Virginia’s Children, Political Director for the Virginia Teen Democrats, and more.
Recently, he has become the Co-Executive Director of the largest youth coalition in Virginia. In each of these positions, Elijah works to find new and innovative ways to empower young people and bring them to the table. In addition, Elijah is an ordained minister and serves as a guest preacher in both Virginia and North Carolina. Elijah’s activism led him to be featured on the Marvel Hero Project streaming on DisneyPlus (episode 2, Incredible Elijah). Elijah has also made two guest appearances on the Kelly Clarkson Show and was highlighted in PEOPLE Magazine and the Black PantherComic. As a freshman at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, he remains committed to his academics.
KEVIN DAVIS OF BAN CARIBE
Native New Yorker Kevin Davis began his music career studying music theory and percussion while growing up in New York’s culturally diverse neighborhoods. While living in New York his music was influenced by Tito Puente, Eddie Palmeri and Sam Cooke. His music has led him to study abroad in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and he now resides in Virginia’s capital city of Richmond.
Co-founder of the World Beat Workshop in Richmond VA and a frequent guest artist at the Virginia Commission of the Arts and Young Audiences of Learning. Kevin Davis & Ban Caribe is a blend of Afro-Cuban/Latin/ Caribbean music laced with soulful rhythm and blues fused together by pulsating percussion beats.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
TARA JAYE FRANK Founder & CEO TJF Career Modeling LLCTara Jaye Frank is an equity strategist who has advised and educated thousands of Fortune 500 executives across multiple industries and large member organizations. Her work, fueled by a deep belief in the creative power and potential of every ONE, focuses on building bridges between people, ideas, and opportunity. Before founding her culture and leadership consultancy, Tara spent twenty-one years at Hallmark Cards, where she served in multiple executive roles, including Vice-President Creative Writing and Editorial, Vice-President Business Innovation, Vice-President Multicultural Strategy, and Corporate Culture Advisor to the President. Her book, The Waymakers: Clearing the Path to Workplace Equity with Competence and Confidence (May 2022), is an invitation to all people with power and position to open doors, remove barriers, and facilitate access and opportunity for those who have been historically denied. Tara resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, two of their six children, and their three dogs. She is also a proud Spelman Alumna and a member of the Executive Leadership Council, Network of Executive Women, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and was recently named a 2022 SUCCESS 125 honoree by SUCCESS Magazine, and is listed among CORE Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Blacks in 2022.
JAMES WARREN VP of Brand Strategy, JMI CEO, Share More Stories
James Warren is a storyteller and a strategist, passionate about the intersections of human and digital, and brands, culture and communities. James is the Vice President of Brand Strategy at JMI, a brand strategy and consulting firm uniquely focused on brand community engagement. He is also the Founder and CEO of Share More Stories, a human experience company that delivers deeper human insights and solutions through storytelling and machine leaning, to help brands and organizations create more value for and with their constituents. For nearly 25 years, James has used his unique blend of marketing, storytelling, strategic planning, organizational development and innovation experiences to help companies form lasting connections with their employees, consumers and communities. Over the last several years, James and his team have led groundbreaking studies focused on the travel experiences of historically excluded and underrepresented consumer groups, helping clients at the state and local level develop more authentic engagement and improve the visitation experience. A sought-after advisor, facilitator, contributor and convener, James serves on the BridgePark Foundation’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee as Chair; the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Mission, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Dwight School Foundation’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board.
WORKSHOPS
IMPLEMENTING
Developing an equity lens to inform decision making is a critical tool to be able to foster an environment that honors each employee’s unique gifts, talents, and backgrounds while also advancing the mission of the organization. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to explore the concept of an equity lens and apply that learning to critically analyze how policies and procedures impact under served, historically marginalized groups in the workplace.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have become crucial issues in the modern workplace, and organizations are recognizing the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive environment. However, building a sustainable and measurable DEI program is not an easy task. In this presentation, we will discuss the key components of a road map for building a sustainable and measurable DEI program and explore strategies for implementation that can help organizations create a more inclusive workplace and achieve their DEI goals.
Individuals who participate in this session will be able to discuss approaches and tools that will support relationship building with individuals and communities as a collective. Founded in the community organizing and grass roots approaches, the group will discuss how organizing shows up in our day-to-day work, the value of organizing, and how to effectively engage to develop strong relationships.
CHARM BULLARD VA Center for Inclusive Communities
EQUITY IN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
JAY GRAVES Pathfinder Business Consultants
A ROAD MAP FOR BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE AND MEASURABLE DEI PROGRAM
VICTOR RIVERA YMCA of the USA
ORGANIZING WITH COMMUNITY: DISCOVERING STRATEGIES AND TACTICS TO IMPROVE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES
1ST FLOOR FERRELL LOUNGE
3RD FLOOR PARLOR SOUTH
1ST FLOOR PARSONS LOUNGE
WORKSHOPS
INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP: UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
As we engage and lead more diverse teams, it is important for us all to work and collaborate effectively. More importantly, we need to empathize and understand our different value systems and behaviors that may not be our cultural norms. Understanding the framework around cross-cultural communication is an essential aspect of working together. Cultural dimensions examine people’s values in the workplace and the effect they have on their behaviors. Ultimately, shaping how we show up to others. Once you are aware of cultural dimensions, you can adjust your style and become a more inclusive leader.
Unpacking the lies we tell ourselves about our behaviors and thoughts that uphold white supremacy culture. At best, these lies make us feel good about our DEI efforts and at worst make it impossible for justice to be centered.
MY DEI: UNDERSTANDING MY ROLE IN ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts (DEI) are more than an organization’s goals outlined on paper. DEI is more than a select committee’s responsibility. DEI and related efforts to foster inclusive environments are shared responsibilities that are heavily influenced by personal beliefs and lived experiences. This session will provide opportunities for participants to acknowledge how race, culture, and other intersecting identities impact professional DEI responsibilities, particularly amid a volatile socio-political context. Participants will be challenged to speak their truths, explore individual biases, and engage in meaningful dialogue so they can push through personal ideologies to influence change. Collectively, ideas for sustaining a culturally diverse and inclusive professional environment will be generated to spark a renewed commitment to DEI goals.
QUAN SCHNEIDER Altria
FATIMA SMITH FMS Speaks
A LITTLE WHITE LIE
BASEMENT BALLROOM
CASSANDRA STANLEY VCU School of Education
3RD FLOOR PARLOR NORTH
1ST FLOOR BLUE ROOM
Equity Supporters DEI SYMPOSIUM
