FUTURE FLUENCY

Our Day 2 morning general sessions addressed the theme of Future Fluency and the question: What must we do to be knowledgeable about the future and keep pace with change so our inclusion solutions are not outdated by the time we implement them? 

Facing Forward: The Need for Disruptions, Part 1

Presenters: Armida Ascano, Trend Hunter  |  Raafi-Karim Alidina, Frost Included  |  Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

Change is happening more rapidly than ever before, and from this day on will never happen more slowly. Change is impacting our climate, workforce demographics, economies, and social currency. What does it take to disrupt business as usual, get ahead, and keep pace with change?

Real Talk: Getting at the Root of Tensions that Divide Us

Panelists: Linda Chavez  |  Dan Collison, First Covenant Church of Minneapolis  |  Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, BET News  |  Naseem Yasin, Shell UK
Moderator:  Mary-Frances Winters, The Winters Group, Inc.

Globalization brings opportunities to work with a vastly diverse group of people. Yet social tensions across ethnicities and interest groups worldwide continue to heighten, with a demonstrated need to protect and preserve cultural identities against the idea of a melting pot society. A moderated dialogue will get at the roots of these tensions, and raise the question: what we must untangle in order to leverage the potential of our collective impact in shaping the future?

Sponsored by KPMG

NEW PERSPECTIVES

We went bold for our Day 2 afternoon general session with some “real talk” amongst those with varying points of view across multiple topics. With the New Perspectives theme, we wanted to look at how to expand the narrative: how do we honor the history of our individual and collective experiences and invite new perspectives with the goal of moving forward together to inform the future?

Real Talk: Getting at the Root of Tensions that Divide Us

Panelists: Linda Chavez  |  Dan Collison, First Covenant Church of Minneapolis  |  Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, BET News  |  Naseem Yasin, Shell UK
Moderator:  Mary-Frances Winters, The Winters Group, Inc.

Globalization brings opportunities to work with a vastly diverse group of people. Yet social tensions across ethnicities and interest groups worldwide continue to heighten, with a demonstrated need to protect and preserve cultural identities against the idea of a melting pot society. A moderated dialogue will get at the roots of these tensions, and raise the question: what we must untangle in order to leverage the potential of our collective impact in shaping the future?

Sponsored by KPMG

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Local. Global. Glocal? Our Day 3 closing general session looks to whole-world sensibilities and responsibilities, and asks, “How can we ensure our practices and solutions meet local needs while exercising a global sensibility and responsibility?”

Don’t miss the amazing spoken word and dance performances also included in this “glocal” presentation.

Global Citizenship: Not One Story

Presenters: Adel El-Huni, Katalyze  |  Antoine Hunter, Urban Jazz Dance Company  |  Zahna Simon, Zahna Simon Dancers  |  tony the scribe  |  Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre

“Think global, act local” is a phrase often thrown about when organizations adopt what they believe to be a global citizenship mentality. But what does that mean? Better understanding the impact of our actions in a global context requires stretching our knowledge of adversities we can’t even imagine, let alone experience.

Keynote speaker, former banker, and future focused thought leader Adel El-Huni shares a story of deep learning that has come from straddling two worlds—the Middle East and the American Midwest. He is joined onstage by performance artists who open our senses in ways that deepen listening around what it takes to engender global citizenship in ourselves and others.

What is an Invention Sprint?

Innovation is increasingly important to designing workplace solutions that work for all, not some. We invited Onova co-founders Helen Yin and Victor Li to The Forum on Workplace Inclusion 32nd annual conference: Facing Forward to help unlock the power of open innovation by engaging participants in an “invention sprint.”

Universal Innovation: Invention Sprint Presentations

Presenters: Victor Li, Onova  |  Helen Yin, Onova

During the day of Wed., March 11 at The Forum 2020 Conference, teams of college students and diversity executives combined their most innovative thinking to design solutions for future-focused challenges. Then on Day 3 workshop session, teams engaging in the design challenge competed by presenting the outcome of their work to Forum participants and judges who will determine the winning solution.

The winners of the invention sprint were then presented at the Day 3 Closing General Session.

UNIVERSAL INNOVATION

We explored how to find better solutions to meet expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion needs. But bringing innovative solutions to meet universal needs is pretty challenging right? Especially when we’re dealing with multiple dimensions of diversity.

What is an Invention Sprint?

Innovation is increasingly important to designing workplace solutions that work for all, not some. We invited Onova co-founders Helen Yin and Victor Li to The Forum on Workplace Inclusion 32nd annual conference: Facing Forward to help unlock the power of open innovation by engaging participants in an “invention sprint.”

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Here’s a chance to hear from The Forum’s Executive Director Steve Humerickhouse and Augsburg University (The Forum’s host organization), and watch awardees of our long-standing Diversity Awards honored on stage.

Facing Forward: A Message from Augsburg University’s President

Augsburg University’s President Paul C. Pribbenow, Ph.D welcomes participants to The Forum on Workplace Inclusion 32nd annual conference and its inaugural year at Augsburg University.

Hospitality is Not Enough: An Institutional Journey from Diversity to Inclusion to Equity

Augsburg University’s President Paul C. Pribbenow, Ph.D, shares the story of Augsburg’s journey with its many concrete implications for policy and practice, including efforts to make higher education more accessible to diverse students, internal work to build intercultural competencies, and governance strategies that position Augsburg as a thought and practice leader in the DEI space.

New Voices, New Visions: The Future of IDEAS from Next-Gen Leaders

Presenter: Dan Egol, Inclusion NextWork

Millennials and Generation Z represent the two most diverse generations to ever live. Yet, just because many of us have come of age personally and professionally amongst peers representing differences of various kinds, it does not mean we are inherently more inclusive. In fact, it is exactly because each of us brings such nuanced and complex identities, perspectives and experiences that our generations require a more expansive vision of DEI.

Unified Work: The Business Value of Hiring People with Disabilities

Presenters: Peter McDermott, MDI Inc.  |  Kristie Armbruster, MDI, Inc.

This presentation lays out the business case for why people with disabilities are an untapped and value-added solution to your workforce needs, and what to consider when implementing a process to hire more people with disabilities.

If you love “TED Talks” – then the Spotlight Series is for you!

The Spotlight Stage is a platform for 20-minute presentations featuring points of view on trending topics that challenge status quo thinking.

New Voices, New Visions: The Future of IDEAS from Next-Gen Leaders

Presenter: Dan Egol, Inclusion NextWork

Millennials and Generation Z represent the two most diverse generations to ever live. Yet, just because many of us have come of age personally and professionally amongst peers representing differences of various kinds, it does not mean we are inherently more inclusive. In fact, it is exactly because each of us brings such nuanced and complex identities, perspectives and experiences that our generations require a more expansive vision of DEI.

Create an Inclusive Culture by Having Accessible Digital Properties

Presenters: Aaron Cannon, Accessible360  |  Michele Landis, Accessible360

This presentation explores what the legal requirements and standards are for digital accessibility. Also, learn how to start creating a culture and practice of digital accessibility at your organization.

What Are We Afraid Of? Leaders Disclosing Disability

Presenter: Ashley Oolman, Lifeworks

Discover more about the relatively recent phenomenon of executives publicly disclosing their disability and how this, among other factors, could be the catalyst to help break down misconceptions and stigma preventing people with disabilities from making their way to the top.

Building Safe Spaces for Millennials of Color

Presenters: Josuel Plasencia, Forefront

By 2025, more than 75 percent of the workforce will be millennials, and over 50 percent of millennials are people of color. Organizations that want to hold a “talent competitive advantage” must learn how to bridge the gaps between senior leaders and millennials of color. This presentation shares best practices that will help organizations attract, retain and advance top talent from different backgrounds—and remain employers of choice.

Understanding Racialized Trauma from Past to Present

Presenter: Kamyala Howard, WE’RE DIVINE LLC

This presentation explores the impact of historical and inter-generational trauma and racially evoked PTSD. Viewers have the opportunity to lean into the unknown areas of discussion (discomfort) and content, that are often avoided, to cultivate transformation and growth.

A.C.T. Inclusively™: Re-Pattern Bias in the Brain

Presenter: Shannon Murphy Robinson, BrainSkills@Work, LLC

Did you know that biases are malleable in the brain? Exciting new research is showing that due to the brain’s plasticity, we can consciously intervene to re-pattern the brain’s responses to differences and biases. This presentation introduces a practical framework, A.C.T. Inclusively™, designed to re-pattern biases and foster higher levels of engagement across differences.

Building LGBTQ+ Inclusive Workplaces: LGBTQ+ Employees and Allies Facing Forward Together

Presenter: Scott Fearing, University of Rochester

With his signature, non-judgmental, approachable and humorous style, Fearing examines the power of the ally through personal stories and offers real-life, practical tips for supporting the LGBTQ+ people in your life.

ABC of Transitions: What Veterans, Formerly Incarcerated and New Mothers Have in Common

Presenter: Tatyana Fertelmeyster, Connecting Differences, LLC

This presentation focuses on the complexity of transitions to identify individual skills as well as systematic approaches that are crucial for engaging important sources of talent—various populations navigating their way back into the workplace. ABC of Transitions stands for Ambiguity, Bias and Culture.

Corporeal Inclusion: Amazon’s Body-Positive Peers Group

Presenters: Kirsten Mitchell, Amazon  |  Jacqueline Themel, Amazon

Conversations about bodies happen all the time, often through a lens of weight stigma and privilege as a result of what type of body a speaker may have. (Think size, race, ability or gender.) There’s a growing social movement for body positivity, and it matters when considering your diversity and inclusion efforts at work.