Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Putting Knowledge into Action

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team.

This series is designed by Diversify to centre Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. We look forward to seeing you!

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Putting Knowledge into Action

For over a year now we have been having conversations about various themes, concepts and elements of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). The New Year presents an ideal time to discuss how we go about putting these ideas into practice. As the saying goes, “Action speaks louder than words.”

Our first Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace session for 2022, will explore where  and how to begin. Are you in leadership role and responsible for enacting strategic change? Are you an employee who would like to see measurable progress at your workplace? Or would you like to make a conscious effort, on a personal level, to assess how your actions might contribute to the ripple effect that springboards a positive and sustainable DEIB culture?

The conversation will explore the following points and more:

• Why are you embarking on this journey? Why now?
• How should you begin enacting change to foster and sustain DEIB in your workplace?
• What should be considered when creating a DEIB strategy?
• What goals should be incorporated into the strategy?
• What are the incentives and the risks?
• How can accountability be integrated to ensure the strategy comes to fruition?

We look forward to engaging with you, as we collectively commit to ACT, where DEIB in the workplace is concerned.

This event is FREE to attend. Please register below to receive the zoom link.

Speakers:

Lawrence Akpore

Lawrence Akpore is a Nigerian American citizen. His background is in Chemical, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering. He holds multiple academic degrees including a Bsc., Msc. and an MBA. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Organizational Management at Harvard University (class of 2022). He also holds various certifications including Lean Train the Trainer and 6 Signma Greenbelt/Blackbelt.Lawrence has held various management and leadership positions at companies such as General Electric, 3M and Georg Fischer. Currently, he is  the Director of Business Excellence at Takeda. Takeda is a leading science-driven biopharmaceutical corporation with headquarters in Japan and the U.S. Lawrence enjoys an active lifestyle. He has a blackbelt in Karate, enjoys hiking, scary movies and spending time with his family. He is married to a fellow Engineer, and has a spirited and inspiring 4 year old daughter.Lawrence is passionate about engineering, efficient business processes, and unlocking the cross-functional benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We are excited to have Lawrence as a panelists and look forward to learning how he intentionally creates space for diversity and inclusion at Takeda.

Chisom Udeze

Chisom is an Economist, Organizational Design and DEI Strategist, and a 3 times founder with over 12 years of experience working with organizations like the European Commission, The United Nations and ExxonMobil. Chisom has an analytical mind and works to interrogate the cross-sectoral relationship between society’s resources, production, distribution and output. She is adept at efficiently and effectively unlocking complex systems, data management, forecasting economic and social trends, and thrives in uncertain environments.

As the founder of Diversify, Chisom works with companies, governments and civil society to facilitate measurable diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and society. In 2020, mid-pandemic, she founded HerSpace, a diverse and inclusive co-creation community for all genders, with particular focus on women-led companies and mothers. She is a thought-leader in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness.

Astrid Sundberg

Astrid Sundberg is Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Oda, Norway’s leading online grocery retailer. She has 2 decades of experience in director level leadership roles within the people and talent arena. Astrid is a pioneer of the employee experience as well as passionate about advocating for women in the workplace with a background in the start up and scale up climate.

Astrid is a positive advocate of workplace diversity for understanding, accepting, and valuing differences between people as well as an ally for gender equality. She’s a regular speaker and contributor at conferences and summits across The Nordics, The UK and other parts of Europe.

Moderator:

Zuzana Warden

Zuzana has a professional background in social work, international development cooperation and project management. Her experience from working with marginalized groups stretches across a number of countries. Besides volunteering with various groups such as homeless people and marginalized members of the Roma minority, she coordinated inclusive empowerment projects aiming to support women and persons with disabilities from rural and slum areas via training in entrepreneurship and vocational skills. As a Project and Research Manager at Diversify she continues to broaden her expertise within organizational work and operation, with high focus on monitoring and evaluation and project management.