Today, conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become quite trendy across the nation. And although the work has been done for centuries, companies are now more on board than ever with crafting strategies to make sure they remain relevant. The conversation is no longer about WHY diversity is essential; there's enough research out there that demonstrates how it's a business imperative. Instead, the conversation has shifted to HOW diversity work should be implemented in a workplace setting.
The anatomy of diversity is a concept that explores the inner workings and attitudes of an organization's diversity efforts. In this session, we will explore the many ways that companies are feeling, thinking, and doing DEI work and the ways they fail to address diversity holistically. Participants will walk away with insight into 1. how companies across Utah and nationally are approaching diversity within their organization, 2. what an ideal approach would look like and, 3. tips on how individuals can impact their organization and move it in the right direction.
This discussion will benefit those who are either advocating diversity work, appointed DEI leaders, or simply at the very beginning stages of their DEI journey within an organization.
Neelam Chand is an accomplished diversity, equity, and inclusion expert with a decade of experience of embedding multiculturalism into a business strategy and facilitating critical dialogue on systemic change within a workplace environment. She currently works at Zions Bank as an SVP, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, where she provides workshops on topics that include: social justice, tokenism, microaggressions, implicit bias, intersectionality, and women of color in the workplace. When it comes to inclusion work, her philosophy is to "keep it real" and to skip the etiquette of making people feel comfortable. She believes that people must feel uncomfortable to begin the process of empathy and inspire positive change.