The final day of the conference definitely did not disappoint! The impactful conversations and “chat culture” continued, as well as the messages from each of these speakers.
We kicked off with a C-Suite Panel on inspiring action featuring Anthony Jackson, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer with Roper St. Francis Healthcare; Anita Zucker, Chair and CEO with The InterTech Group; and Diana Saillant, Chief Executive Officer with Saillant Language Services, moderated by Dominique Milton, Chief Executive Officer with Carolinas-Virgina Minority Supplier.
The important message throughout this presentation was be intentional. DE&I isn’t something you keep in the shadows, but something that needs to be a meaningful aspect of all that your organization does.
A key to being intentional is starting with something that everyone has in common – we all want to live and work in a place that respects who we are.
LaTisha Vaughn and Audrey KS Lane, Co-Founders with E3 (Educate, Empower, and Elevate), kicked off our next session discussing performative diversity and inclusion.
They discussed an overview of racism in the U.S. and dove into the importance of understanding the current shared narrative and being aware of the narratives you’ve already internalized. We must be willing to be uncomfortable, maintain hope in the face of brutal facts and commit to trusting the process.
Up until now, we discussed a lot about racial equity, but gender equity plays a key part in this broader conversation.
Jamie Tozzi, Owner of Jamie Tozzi LLC, dove into the next session discussing gender equity and the impacts of COVID-19.
One in four women are contemplating downshifting or leaving the workforce due to COVID-19.
McKinsey Global Institute
If this actually occurs, this could have monumental shifts in business and in our GDP. Jamie went on to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on women in the workplace, offered thoughtful questions that help participants think critically about their business and team members and provided ideas designed to improve retention and support women in the workplace.
Wow. What an impactful three days. How do we sum it all up? Bryan Derreberry, President and CEO with the Charleston Metro Chamber, and
Kenya Dunn, Owner of The Power-Filled Woman LLC and DE&I Executive Fellow for the Charleston Metro Chamber, held a fireside chat to discuss where we go from here.
The Chamber’s work is just beginning and I hope that your organization is going to join us on this journey. Stay tuned for our DE&I Resource Guide! This will be a comprehensive guide of DE&I resources, contacts and involvement opportunities.
We want to continue to hear from you – how are your organizations doing? What do you need help with? Let us help! Thank you for spending three days journeying with us to make our region a better place to live, learn and earn.
Special thank you to our sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor
Premier Sponsors
First Horizon Bank
Ingevity
South Carolina Federal Credit Union
Technology Sponsor
eGroup :: Technology Solutions for Serious Competitors
Session Sponsors
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Dominion Energy
Floyd Lee Locums
Morris Financial Concepts, Inc
