Diversity Speaks
A DEI Webinar Series for Leaders
This series of webinars provides information to help you build and execute effective DEI strategies and promote an equitable and diverse workforce that is reflective of today’s world.
Want to know the secret sauce for a best-in-class employee resource group (ERG) program? Natasha Ray is excited to share the ingredients. Centered in her ultimate goal of creating a better tomorrow for humanity, she strives to create a container for all DEIB champions to pour into through partnership as a community.
Natasha is fueled by her commitment to lifelong learning and advocacy for change, and her role at Guild is the perfect incubator. She holds the title of Senior Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Engagement Manager at Guild, a pioneering education technology startup dedicated to creating economic mobility and opportunity for America's workforce. She has cultivated and elevated ERGs from inception to a thriving industry-leading program. Operating within the dynamic landscape of Guild, Natasha has gleaned invaluable insights and lessons that have produced tangible outcomes. From directing ERG budget spend back into historically excluded groups and communities to evangelizing and actioning on a comprehensive compensation and recognition strategy, and from aligning ERG leadership roles in the marketplace to facilitating a learning and development track specifically for cosponsors, Natasha is excited to share these and other practices that have led to award-winning results.
Natasha holds a B.A. from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, and she has furthered her expertise with a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University.
In recent years, corporations and organizations across the nation developed and intensified their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). However, some now question whether recent legal and social developments could have a dampening effect on DEI programs. Tune in on December 13 from 3:00-3:30 p.m. to hear Stacy Hawkins, professor of law of Rutgers Law School, share strategies that broadcasters may consider as they continue to execute their DEI initiatives.
Professor Stacy Hawkins is an award-winning teacher and scholar. She teaches courses in constitutional law, employment law and an original seminar on diversity and the law at Rutgers Law School. As a recognized expert on employment law and diversity, she has given testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and has been interviewed or quoted in various news outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, CNN, CNBC, NBC, The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, Courier Post, Law 360 and Philadelphia Magazine.
As founder and CEO of Conscious Equality Incorporated, Karen Craggs-Milne works with corporations, governments and NGOs around the world to deliver on their equality mandates. Her 23 years of international experience has led her to impact social justice on a global scale. An Obama White House-recognized Gender Equality Changemaker (2016), a Canadian Top 100 professional (2020) and a Top 25 HR Innovator (2022), Cragg-Milne’s work has contributed to more than half a billion dollars’ worth of international programs and social justice initiatives.
In this session, Craggs-Milne will masterfully weave personal and professional stories together to share the principles that underpin a Conscious Equality approach to doing DEI work. She will also go through her unique four-part Conscious Equality framework, which she developed using key insights gathered from two decades of global social justice work across multiple sectors. The framework provides a practical approach to assessing your DEI work and building on your current efforts in a meaningful way. It helps answer the question "why haven't we made more progress to date on DEI, gender equality and other related initiatives in our organizations?" and offers some key considerations that all DEI initiatives would benefit from. You are sure to see DEI from a very new perspective that will leave you with new ideas and ways of doing this work.
Sacha Thompson is the founder of The Equity Equation, LLC, a boutique inclusive culture consulting and coaching firm based in the Washington, DC area. With 20+ years of experience within the education, non-profit and tech industries, Sacha’s work is about removing barriers or providing support to achieve equity. She helps her clients by filling the gap between where they are now, and where they want to be. Clients will reach their highest potential by identifying where growth is desired and setting goals & objectives while holding themselves accountable. She was most recently featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and is a contributor on MSNBC’s The Cross Connection. Sacha is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach, Certified Professional Diversity Coach, Maslow Certified Leadership Coach and 4 Stages of Psychological Safety Certified Coach. Sacha received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology, concentrating on Cultural Diversity & Ethnicity and a Master’s in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from The College of William and Mary. She has also acquired her Masters of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University, where she focused on management and marketing.
In this session, Sacha Thompson will walk through the 4 Stages of Psychological Safety and position leaders to understand how psychological safety impacts inclusion efforts. Broadcasters will walk away with tangible ways to increase psychological safety and will learn tactics that can be implemented immediately.
Jessica Miller-Merrell is the founder of Workology, a workplace resource for HR, recruiting professionals and business leaders. The site was listed twice as a top 75 career resource by Forbes magazine. Miller-Merrell is also the president and CEO of Xceptional HR, a human capital strategy and consulting agency, and is listed by Forbes as a top 50 social media power user. Because of her industry expertise and knowledge, Miller-Merrell’s opinions and expertise are sought after and sourced by publications including The Economist, Forbes, CIO Magazine, CBS, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Society for Human Resources Management’s (SHRM) HR Magazine. Her new book, “Digitizing Talent: Creative Strategies for the Digital Recruiting Age,” was published in 2023 by SHRM.
In this session, HR leader Jessica Miller-Merrell will share timely advice broadcasters can immediately apply to their business strategy and offer tips for managing differences and creating an environment where employees of any generation can thrive.
