2022 Conference Videos
Our 34th annual conference Solving for X looked ahead to a new decade and the challenges it brings business and industry locally and globally. The videos below explore key themes from the 34th annual conference like Future Fluency, Global Citizenship, Universal Innovation, and New Perspectives.
2020 Conference Videos
Our 32nd annual conference Facing Forward looked ahead to a new decade and the challenges it brings business and industry locally and globally. The videos below explore key themes from the 32nd annual conference like Future Fluency, Global Citizenship, Universal Innovation, and New Perspectives.
Main Stage General Sessions
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What must we do to be knowledgeable about the future and keep pace with change so our inclusion solutions are not outdated by the time we implement them?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?
Facing Forward: The Need for Disruption, Part 2
Keynote Presenter: Tony Hunter, Revolution Enterprises, TWH INC.
Panelists: Raafi-Karim Alidina, Frost Included | Armida Ascano, Trend Hunter | Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Moderators: Victor Li, Onova | Helen Yin, Onova
A leader of companies and advisor for 30+ years, Tony Hunter provides practical leadership lessons on strategy and organization-driven reinventions. He has navigated massive disruption throughout his career as CEO, strategist, and advisor. Most notably, during his time at Tribune, he led transformational efforts as CEO of Tribune Publishing and Publisher of the Chicago Tribune.
Tony’s presentation ends with a panel discussion lead by two moderators.
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?
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.
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.”
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.
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.
2020 Diversity Awards
Presenter: Steve Humerickhouse
Awardees:
Destiny Xiong, FRIEND OF THE FORUM
Subha Barry, WINDS OF CHANGE AWARD
Scott Fearing, WINDS OF CHANGE AWARD
Melanie Muñoz, POWER THE FUTURE
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.
Spotlight Sessions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Reversing the Ostrich Approach to Diversity: Pulling Your Head out of the Sand
Presenters: Patricia Jesperson, EmployeeEXP | Dr. Amy Tolbert, ECCO International
Join us as the Ostrich rolls with five simple concepts for inclusive leadership found in the book “Reversing the Ostrich Approach to Diversity: Pulling Your Head out of the Sand.” In this fast-paced session, our friend the Ostrich introduces you to the Ostrich Wheel concepts that can easily be put to use for understanding inclusion from a personal, team, leader or organizational perspective.
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.
Collective Intelligence: A New Paradigm for Inclusion
Presenters: Sebastien Meyer, The Zone | Dr. Sarah Froning Nodarse, Language and Culture Worldwide (LCW) Save & Exit
This Spotlight session offers a new perspective on the well-established idea that organizations should encourage bringing the whole self—all social identities and cultural backgrounds—to work. While laudable, the whole-self approach is limited because it assumes some level of inclusion already in the culture: Who would feel comfortable expressing marginalized identities otherwise?
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.
Leveraging Technology to Advance Gender Equity
Presenter: Miloney Thakrar, Mind the Gender Gap, Inc.
This presentation highlights examples of how technology can be leveraged to advance gender equity in the workplace, and offers insights into some of the promising practices, lessons learned, and key challenges as it relates to using technology to improve gender equity among employees.
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.