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Unlocking the Power of DEI: Building Better Programs for Business and People

Diversity and inclusion programs have moved into the mainstream. According to the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., some $8 billion is spent annually on diversity training in the U.S., and positions dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have quadrupled in the past five years. Unfortunately, these efforts have not always resulted in measurable improvements in diversity. Why do DEI programs fail to deliver? Why invest in DEI in the first place? And how can we build better programs to work for business and people?

READ: How to Hire with Diversity in Mind

What DEI gets wrong 

Extensive research, including studies by Harvard and McKinsey, reveals that common DEI tactics — like mandatory diversity training, processes prohibiting discrimination, and a one-and-done mentality — don’t deliver lasting change, and can even backfire, resulting in increased inequity. Changing mindsets and behavior is hard.  

… and why it’s right 

So, why invest the time and money in DEI? Dozens of research studies document the benefits to businesses: Diverse companies enjoy 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee, have 19% higher revenues, and have better anticipation/coping/adaptation skills. They are more resilient during downturns and are 45% more likely to gain market share, 70% more likely to capture new markets, and significantly outperform the S&P 500.   

Diversity matters. In a Diversity & Inclusion Workplace Survey published by Glassdoor in 2020, three-quarters of all job seekers said a diverse workplace was important to them, including 72% of women, 89% of Black respondents, 80% of Asians and 70% of Latinos. Importantly, customers increasingly demand a commitment to DEI: 57% of consumers prefer brands that address social inequalities. 

Although compelling, the financial and operational case for diversity is exceeded by the benefits people and communities experience. Inclusive cultures value and embrace difference, giving workers equitable opportunities to thrive. Employees at diverse companies are more engaged and more productive, have better physical and mental health and reduced absenteeism. With a sense of belonging and a voice, employees are empowered to contribute more.

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

Importantly, DEI builds stronger communities and closes persistent equity gaps. Building diverse workforces through properly implemented DEI programs boosts economic opportunity and prosperity for historically underrepresented groups and cures structural mismatches in the economy that exacerbate talent shortages for employers and reduce opportunity for workers.  

DEI that works: a how-to guide 

Successful DEI initiatives begin with the inclusive practice of learning, measuring and educating: gaining a nuanced understanding of the causes, practices and outcomes of inequity and bias, while understanding the current challenges that affected employees’ experience. To foster listening, successful DEI programs establish equity councils and employee resource groups to build bridges and create community.  

Cultural assessments are critical to establishing baselines for how employees and job candidates experience your workplace. Measure diversity and outcomes in recruiting, hiring, retention, promotions, raises and pay equity. Benchmark against industry and geographic peers to gauge your success. 

Build a more inclusive culture by addressing unconscious or implicit bias, which occurs when individuals make judgments influenced by gender, race, age, or other factors without realizing they have done so. Dozens of bias types have been identified that impact hiring and promotion: For example, identical resumes with white-sounding names receive 50% more callbacks than resumes with Black-sounding names.  

READ: It’s Time to Bridge the ‘Say/Do’ Gap in Diversity and Inclusion

DEI through skills-based hiring 

Businesses can grow their pool of diverse talent through expansive practices in both recruiting and hiring. The first step? Eliminate college-degree requirements and hire for skills. Currently, 86% of Colorado employers say the skilled talent gap threatens their business, but some of this pain is self-inflicted. Recruiters typically use degrees as a quick screening mechanism, disqualifying thousands of capable Coloradans in the process. Consider this: 77% of Colorado’s top jobs post a degree requirement, yet only 30% of Coloradans earn one.  

Instead of relying on college degrees, forward-thinking employers have embraced skills-based hiring, dramatically growing their talent pool and creating a more equitable, inclusive hiring process. According to research from McKinsey & Co., hiring for skills shortens the time to hire, reduces hiring costs, and is five times more predictive of job performance than hiring for education. And it aids retention: Employees without college degrees stay in their roles 34% longer than those with degrees.  

READ: Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace — 5 Benefits of Hiring Neurodiverse Talent

DEI-focused promotion and retention 

Most companies overlook their greatest potential asset in creating a more diverse workplace: their own employees. Other inclusive practices, like career-pathing, upskilling, tracking mobility and skill-based promotion practices help drive retention and ultimately build a valuable future talent pipeline of managers and leaders.  

Two critical underutilized DEI tools that boost retention and drive equity through all levels of an organization are mentorship and sponsorship programs. Having mentors and sponsors who advocated for them is the single attribute shared by people of color who have progressed furthest in the leadership ranks. Mentoring programs boost the representation of Black, Hispanic and Asian-American managers by 9-24 percentage points. 

DEI at work 

ActivateWork is a Colorado-based nonprofit recruiting, training, placement and coaching firm that I’m proud to have founded. Closing the IT talent gap, we provide rigorous, tuition-free IT training for individuals historically underrepresented in the tech industry. We expand the skilled workforce by providing industry-demanded tech training and credentials, like COMPTIA A+ and Network+, and then connect our graduates, who are 70% BIPOC,  to employers who need and want skilled, diverse technologists that their normal HR practices would overlook. For our 40+ employer partners, such as Trimble, Bank of America and Ping Identity, we are both a skilled talent solution and a DEI partner.  

Through our registered apprenticeships in cybersecurity, software development and DevOps, ActivateWork helps IT employers bridge critical mid-skill shortages while enhancing diversity and generating an ROI. Apprentices learn customized skills and competencies specific to their employer on the job, and experience rapid economic mobility. Through apprenticeship, employers that build versus buy talent earn an average $1.47 return for every $1 invested. 

READ: Want to Set your Business Apart From the Rest? Consider Apprenticeship

The Colorado Inclusive Economy Movement 

The profound benefits of DEI to our BIPOC communities and the businesses that hire them are why I founded Colorado Inclusive Economy (CIE), a CEO-led movement of racial equity, diversity and inclusion. CIE is composed of leaders of business, government, education and nonprofits who want to co-create a Colorado that works for all. Founding members include Jandel Allen-Davis of Craig Hospital, Rob Cohen of IMA Financial, Janice Sinden of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and many other community leaders. Altogether, 140 leaders have engaged on a journey to build multicultural, inclusive workforces through authentic DEI programs and practices. By transforming hiring, recruiting, retention, promotion and pay practices, CIE intends to build the employment, income and wealth of BIPOC individuals across the state. 

When it’s done right — through expansive, inclusive, and additive DEI workforce practices — employers can build diverse workforces that solve talent gaps expand the candidate pool and retain and develop diverse talent — improving individuals, communities and Colorado’s economy. It requires dedicated, measurable commitments to common-sense, skills-based hiring practices, building an inclusive community based on communication and understanding, and a shift to apprenticeships, upskilling and mentorship. ActivateWork and Colorado Inclusive Economy are leading the charge toward a diverse economy that works for all Coloradans. 

 

Helen Young HayesHelen Young Hayes is the CEO & founder of Denver-based ActivateWork, a nonprofit recruiting, training and coaching firm that connects employers to a diverse pool of exceptional talent . 

KeyBank Makes $450,000 Grant to Support Food Bank of the Rockies’ Culturally Responsive Food Initiative

Food Bank of the Rockies and KeyBank announced a $450,000 grant from KeyBank at a mobile food pantry hosted by Food Bank of the Rockies last week at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Since its founding in 1978, Food Bank of the Rockies has been a leader in the fight against hunger. The organization serves about half of Colorado and all of Wyoming, providing food and other essentials to over 800 Hunger Relief Partners and through signature programs like their monthly 70-plus mobile pantries.

READ — Rising Food Costs Create Unique Challenges for Hunger-Focused Agencies

The KeyBank grant will aid Food Bank of the Rockies in purchasing fresh and nutritious produce and additional culturally responsive food for partners serving their communities through the Culturally Responsive Food Initiative, which impacts approximately 10,000 households annually in the Metro Denver area. During the next three years, Food Bank of the Rockies plans to scale the program to serve approximately 30,000 households through 10-20 Hunger Relief Partners and their 70 plus mobile pantries.

“The work Food Bank of the Rockies is doing through the Culturally Responsive Food Initiative will change lives in our community by offering nutritious food, and also delivering training to Hunger Relief Partners serving food insecure populations,” said Mike Katz, president of KeyBank’s Colorado market. “KeyBank is proud to help scale this meaningful community program over the next three years.”

In addition to food distribution, the Culturally Responsive Food Initiative offers an Inclusive Capacity Building Program to Hunger Relief Partners, which includes best practices and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for agency staff members and volunteers, an implementation plan for operational changes and capacity building projects, and completion of a six-month progress report detailing participation with the program.

READ — Crafting Your New CSR Strategy for 2023

“Inflation is currently at a 40-year high and is hitting Food Bank of the Rockies’ budget with some staple items costing as much as 70% more than last year. To meet the needs of our neighbors experiencing hunger, we are spending $1.3 million or more on food purchasing every month – more than triple what we were spending pre-COVID,” said Erin Pulling, President & CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies. “We’ve been able to meet the increased demand, thanks to the generosity of companies like KeyBank. Their gift will help fuel our culturally responsive food initiative and allow us to distribute food to our diverse communities while honoring their needs and preferences with respect. We are grateful for KeyBank’s inspired support in answering the challenge of hunger across our communities.”

 

About Food Bank of the Rockies

Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region. Since 1978, we’ve put the power of community to work for our neighbors in need. Through partnerships. Through programs. Through people. Through you. Everything we do is fueled by the support of our community and donors, and 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to distribution. With support from our community, we distribute enough food daily for over 178,000 meals. For more information, visit foodbankrockies.org.

 

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190.1 billion at September 30, 2022. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

Crafting Your New CSR Strategy for 2023

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs took a big hit as companies worked to navigate the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies got a handle on their business affairs, 2022 was the year they were able to ramp up their CSR programs back to full speed or at least consider incorporating a CSR strategy. As we look ahead to 2023, here are some key trends that you should keep in mind to either start or build out your CSR programs.

Using Volunteerism to Rebuild Company Culture

One universal consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic that companies in all industries are facing is the cultural shift that comes from returning to the office after working from home for an extended period of time.

READ — 5 Tips for Building a Strong Company Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment

With hybrid schedules becoming more of the norm, many new people are starting their employment during these hybrid or remote times. This is the perfect time to use volunteerism to help build connections among employees, even for those that are more introverted.

There is nothing like mucking a horse pasture or doing some grueling trail maintenance with fellow colleagues to create lasting connections and camaraderie! Increasing your volunteer programming within your CSR strategy will have a huge benefit, not only regarding those you are helping in your community but internally as well.

Connecting your CSR and DEI Programming

As Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programming continues to remain a top priority for organizations, you can use your CSR strategy to elevate your DEI efforts and create opportunities for your colleagues to engage with diverse communities.

Many companies provide training and educational sessions addressing DEI. Why not add a volunteer opportunity to provide colleagues with a personal way to connect with those in the community? For example, in honor of Black History Month, in addition to hosting our traditional cultural initiatives event, we also hosted volunteers and partnered with Communities in Schools to provide story times with elementary school students to share the influence and contributions of individuals of African descent. Aligning your DEI efforts with volunteer opportunities and charitable contributions to organizations focused on serving diverse communities will strengthen both your CSR strategy and DEI efforts.

Emergency and Disaster Relief Strategy

Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires, mass shootings, hate crimes, wars and a global pandemic … the world is facing a major increase in the number of natural and man-made disasters. Incorporating an emergency and disaster relief strategy will provide your company with the ability to quickly and meaningfully respond to such incidents, rather than taking a more panicked and responsive approach.

Consider which stage of disaster relief to focus on (i.e., preparedness, relief, reconstruction), which type of support to provide (hosting a campaign/event, investing financially, deploying volunteers, pro bono support), where to give, both geographically and frequency (which is particularly challenging), and your alignment with existing disaster relief organizations.

As you craft your strategy, take a look back at how the pandemic shifted CSR strategy (a “disaster” of its own sort) and take note of lessons learned. This is a good time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in the event another major crisis comes along and CSR efforts have to evolve.

READ — How Business Leaders Can Embrace a Multigenerational Workforce

As we wrap up 2022, I hope you and your company plan to incorporate a more robust CSR program as businesses are now back to the new normal. For those just starting their CSR journey, B:Civic, a part of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, is a great local resource. As companies must navigate how to rebuild post-pandemic company culture, an intentional CSR program can be an impactful tool.

 

Jayme RitchieJayme Ritchie is Brownstein’s Community Relations Director.

Native Roots Guest Commentary — Inclusivity in the Cannabis Industry

If you are a woman on an executive team in the cannabis industry, you’ve probably noticed a decrease in fellow female co-workers since the start of 2020.

According to a Special Report from MJBizDaily, the percentage of female executives in cannabis has been on a rollercoaster ride. In 2015, 36% of executive positions were held by women, which dipped to 26.9% in 2017, then back up to 36.8% in 2019 only to drop to a new all-time low of 22.1% in 2021. These numbers are significantly below the national average of females in leadership at all U.S. businesses, which lands at 29.8%. With the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacting women in the workplace, we can safely assume this as a factor.

In an era where societal awareness of social equity needs is growing, as evidenced by recent local legislative changes to foster social equity with cannabis delivery businesses, there still remains significant opportunity for improvement in workplace gender equality. But hiring women isn’t just a task for your DEI checklist – it also makes good business sense.

READ — A budding relationship between cannabis and real estate

Research shows that when you add more women to senior leadership roles, you can expect more significant profits, better customer experiences, heightened social responsibility and higher-quality customer experiences with an emphasis on safety.

As the saying goes, “If you want to change the world, start in your backyard.” As a female executive leader in human resources at Denver-based Native Roots Cannabis Co., a vertically-integrated operator with 20 locations throughout Colorado, I understand personally and professionally why gender equality in the workplace is important – and why positive change is so meaningful. You can’t be what you can’t see.

It is a privilege to work with the star-studded Native Roots executive team that is 57% female. Chief Operating Officer Beth Kotarba received the C-Suite Award from Denver Business Journal, a highly-competitive distinction that recognizes C-suite executives outside of CEOs who have demonstrated vital leadership and business savvy to implement their company’s vision. Kotarba’s accomplishments include guiding the company’s growth in size, complexity and consumer footprint while also implementing policies to expand opportunities for women within the company and creating programs that foster learning, teamwork, and employee appreciation. She also led the implementation of environmentally conscious practices and technology, and served an instrumental role in 30% revenue growth over the past five years.

READ — TARRA: A New Way for Women to Work

Chief Sales Officer Denise DeNardi was selected this year as an Outstanding Woman In Business from the Denver Business Journal. Rising above in a highly competitive nomination process, honorees were appraised by an editorial panel based on nominees’ leadership within their organization and industry, career accomplishments and community involvement. De Nardi is one of only two women from the cannabis industry honored this year. In her role at Native Roots, De Nardi develops ongoing strategies and oversees performance for multiple revenue channels. Under her leadership, the company increased its top line revenue to ensure margin protection; developed and implemented an internal sales structure to achieve company objectives; and embraced a company culture that champions continuous experimentation to drive growth, elevate the brand experience and enhance customer engagement.

Achieving these notoriously competitive recognitions is a challenge, with only the most talented of executives being named. Securing recognition of two with female executives in the cannabis industry for a mainstream highly-esteemed regional business honor signals a shift in both the perception of the industry and gender in leadership.

Gender workplace changes are also happening outside the executive team. Production and management, two departments historically staffed by male employees, are now more balanced after hiring or promoting qualified female candidates. This includes roles such as bay manager, head grower, facility manager, director of supply chain and senior manager. These changes happened with the mentorship and guidance of the executive team supporting talented female staff looking to advance.

Working in your “backyard” is a start; driving change in your community comes next. Our executive leaders are passionate about advancing the industry towards success. De Nardi teaches a 10-week course at The Color of Cannabis, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping people of color enter, thrive and advance within the industry. DeNardi and Kotarba are also mentors with the Marijuana Industry Group in a program established to promote diversity and inclusion in the Colorado cannabis industry by fostering relationships between social equity entrepreneurs and established cannabis business leaders.

While we are proud to have covered some ground on this journey, we are just getting started. We must continue to engage with our community, community partners and industry partners around the incredible opportunities the cannabis culture can provide all individuals, regardless of gender identity. Our goal is to have a culture of diversity and inclusion that threads through everything we do. The only way to make this happen is to ensure people of all backgrounds are represented. We are committed to the journey.

Do you want to see more change in your workplace? Creating a committee – women in business; diversity, equity and inclusion; social justice; accountability – is a good start to harness like-minded individuals looking to drive change. Plant the seeds of change now, and you will see your “backyard” grow with the fruits of your labor.

 

Adria HeadshotAdria Hamberger is the vice president of human resources at Native Roots Cannabis Co., Colorado’s largest privately-owned vertically-integrated operator with 20 dispensary locations in the state. She brings 25 years of management experience to her role. At Native Roots, she leads the team that develops and maintains company culture, creates HR plans and strategies, implements talent strategies and provides insight around people initiatives. 

How to Hire with Diversity in Mind

The benefits of having a diverse workplace are undeniable. In addition to exposing your brand to the greatest number of consumers and increasing revenue, diversity and inclusion leads to better job performance as well.

In fact, diverse companies are thirty-five percent more likely to perform better, while diverse teams are seventy percent more likely to break into and capture new markets.  

But before you can embrace diversity in your work environment, you must first take a hard look at your company’s culture. You can expect job seekers to demand transparency. They will want to see more than just statements that say your company is promoting a diverse workplace.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than seventy-six percent of job seekers and new talent are looking for a diverse workforce in their place of employment.  

Be ready to show the initiatives your company has taken to embrace diversity through hiring.

Unsure of how to update your hiring processes to be more inclusive and diverse? Here’s how:  

 EDI vs. DEI: Why Leading With Equity Matters 

 The idea of implementing policies and programs that encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion in your organizational and business practices isn’t a new concept.

Known as DEI, this process is meant to detail the action companies plan to take to promote DEI. But it is critical that an importance be placed on equity as well. Instead of leading with diversity, leading with equity has been shown to improve business performance.

This concept is known as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Even in the most diverse and inclusive companies, people from different backgrounds run into roadblocks. Leading with equity means understanding these roadblocks and giving your employees the tools they need to overcome them.  

Whether there are non-inclusive business policies in place, or assumptions made about their capabilities, failure to lead with equity can cost them, and your company. Without the ability to be engaged and supported in their work, how can they be expected to reach their full potential?   

EDI helps to ensure that your company’s inclusion initiatives are well understood and well-intentioned. Potential talent who place an importance on diversity in the workplace when job searching are more likely to respond to this approach.  

Considerations for In-Office Roles 

First let’s take a look at in-office roles. Despite the fact that many companies have continued to offer remote work opportunities, there is something to be said for in office roles. And there are going to be many people looking for opportunities for diversity when taking on office roles as opposed to C-Suite positions.  

One of the best ways you can start your hiring with diversity processes off on the right foot is by thinking about where you’re going to advertise the positions you’re trying to fill. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Are there inclusivity-driven organizations or programs in your area? What about colleges and universities near your company location? They may have alumni networks where you can post the job opportunity.   

You want to be thinking like the talent you want to hire. If you were someone looking for a diverse workplace, where would you turn to find job opportunities? When you can answer this question, you’ll know exactly where to start your search for diverse talent.  

 Hiring For the C Suite 

Among the highest level executive roles within a company are the elite positions known as the C suite. Diversity when hiring for the C suite is critical. But the sad fact is that despite the fact that we’re well into 2021, hiring for the C suite is far behind when it comes to inclusion and diversity. While almost seventy percent of executives say that diversity is an important issue, over forty percent of their managers say that they are just too busy to prioritize diversity in the workplace.  

 People with diverse backgrounds are passed over for these coveted roles, despite being some of the most qualified candidates for the position. The hard truth is that white males are often promoted far earlier in their careers, and this cuts off the most diverse candidates from potential job opportunities at the corporate executive level.  

To address this problem within your own company, you need to figure out how you can revolutionize your company’s C suite diversity. Maybe you want to implement a fair promotion program, for example. Or have considered a mentorship program. It may be in your company’s best interest to reach out to your employees directly. Surveys are a great tool that give staff the chance to voice their concerns, how they feel, what they like, what they don’t like, and what they need from you as their employer.  

Make sure to take a hard look at how your company has promoted from within historically to see where changes can be made. You can’t be a leader in EDI if your C suite consists entirely of middle aged, white males.  

The Truth About Hiring for Diversity 

 When you are hiring people to work for your company, there is usually a one-track focus of how they can help your company be successful. But when you’re starting to put thought into hiring with diversity in mind, there’s more. When your company is hiring vendors and contractors in particular, this is your opportunity to give back to your community and support those who are most diverse. You have a chance to support small and medium business workers and people who are deserving of fair consideration.  

In practice for thirty years,  April D. Jones is the founder and CEO of the Jones Law Firm, PC. Ms. Jones leads a powerhouse team of practitioners that have helped thousands of families and individuals through high-level family law legal services.  Currently, she is leading the Sam Cary Bar Association in a second term as President (2005 and 202.) April obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley. She earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. Ms. Jones is a member of the California State and Colorado State Bars and is a 2021 recipient of the Denver Business Journal “Outstanding Women in Business Award.”   

Diversity in Higher Education

Diversity on college campuses enriches a student’s educational experience as they learn from people whose culture and beliefs are different from their own, but recruiting students of color and making sure their college experience is a fulfilling one takes some effort.

And as businesses increasingly seek diversity in their ranks, it’s important for universities to produce qualified graduates who can meet that demand.

“It’s important for us to increase our diversity to provide the pipeline of students for businesses,” said Joyce McConnell, president of Colorado State University.

But many students don’t understand how to navigate the system, beginning with enrolling in a university and securing financial aid, and finding work-study programs that won’t impede their coursework while covering some of their expenses.

“While Colorado’s stats show an equity gap for diverse students even before the pandemic, during the pandemic we’re seeing those equity gaps exasperated,” McConnell said. “Some of that equity gap is caused by lack of access to broadband and internet.”

In terms of recruiting diverse students, CSU has selected high schools it’s identified as having significant diversity or location isolation — they may be more rural or have a high rate of poverty. It sends staff into those schools to recruit and advise students on their options for a higher education.

“We work with a lot of foundations that really want to support first-generation and diverse students coming into college,” McConnell said.

Once students are on campus, CSU has programs that will help them succeed. It establishes learning communities where students who have similar needs and backgrounds live together and take the same courses. The university provides academic support in areas where it knows there may be some weaknesses.

“STEM students may have more difficulty as they try to navigate math,” McConnell said. “What we’d like to do is expand these services to other people.”

New-student orientation is a critical piece to ensuring success for the University of Colorado Denver’s minority population, said Alana Jones, the institution’s vice chancellor of student success. Orientation covers living and learning opportunities as well as financial aid and scholarships.

“We meet the students where they’re at,” Jones said. “Every student has a different need and different support requirement.”

Located on the Auraria Campus, the university offers a number of work-study programs through a centralized career center that encourages students to think about their career pathways. Through its third-party partner Single Stop program, UCD also helps students find additional support such as grants or housing.

“A diverse campus is integral to our identity,” Jones said. “We want to create a welcoming environment for all students. It’s part of a true educational and experiential journal for students to have interactions with a diverse population.”

Metropolitan State University, also located on the Auraria Campus, largely serves the Hispanic population and doesn’t have a large percentage of out-of-state students compared with other four-year institutions. Metro State spends a lot of time making sure its students have access to financial aid and ensuring they have connections and guidance to enroll.

“Over 50 percent of our students are first generation,” said Cynthia Baron, MSU’s associate dean for equity and student engagement.

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The University of Colorado Boulder has partnerships around the state that help to academically and socially prepare middle and high school students for college. The programs provide enrichment activities for about 1,500 students and their families each year, said Andrew Sorenson, a university spokesperson.

“A key audience for these efforts are first-generation scholars and students who live in geographically diverse communities,” Sorenson said. “The programs have had great success: 99 percent of program participants graduate from high school, 90 percent go to college, and 76 percent attend a four-year college. About 73 percent of these students graduate from CU Boulder each year.”

Getting students onto campus is the first step, but ensuring they graduate presents another set of challenges. The University of Colorado-Boulder, which hosts a variety of recruitment events each year, provides an array of academic success programs to support students from low-income backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.

The Diverse Scholars Program in CU’s Leeds School of Business, for example, is designed to empower and equip diverse students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel as scholars, individuals and business professionals. The program’s four pillars of academic achievement, educational excellence, professional development and community building ensure students have the opportunity to be both learners and leaders during their undergraduate experience.

There’s also the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s BOLD Center, which is committed to creating a diverse environment. Its programs promote the recruitment, retention and development of engineering students.

But for all the efforts Colorado’s higher education institutions are making, it’s still difficult for some students from diverse backgrounds to fit into the system, said Travis Heath, a professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Universities, he said, need to change their systems if they are to truly serve diverse populations.

“Just diversity isn’t enough,” Heath said. “Nothing can exist outside the infrastructure in which it was created,” Heath said. “You have to create new infrastructure.”

Business leaders form group to address inequities

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Dax Craig had heard the stats before—the “business case for diversity, equity and inclusion” that shows companies that are racially and ethnically diverse are more likely to outperform their competitors, make decisions faster, collaborate better and be more innovative.

Then came 2020, and the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and others—and the nationwide protests that followed. Suddenly everything Craig—president and co-founder of Denver-based Pie Insurance—had learned about racial inequities came into sharp focus.

“All the events of the past year—the George Floyd murder, the Black Lives Matter protests—made me realize, ‘Oh my god, this is real. I need to pay attention to this.’” Craig says. “In the past, it didn’t affect me. It wasn’t part of my worldview. Sadly, those events really opened my eyes to the issue and I started looking into it, diving into, ‘What’s going on here? Why is this happening? ’I realized it’s actually a real problem, but it is solvable.”

Craig started talking to other business leaders in Denver and beyond and found they were equally troubled by the headlines around racial injustice and inequities. Together, they formed Colorado Inclusive Economy (CIE), a new organization aimed at increasing the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the state’s business ecosystem.

“When everybody enjoys the fruits of the economy, it’s the right thing to do,” Craig says. “We need to build a fair system. What we’ve all learned—what we should have known but didn’t know—is that the system isn’t fair. So how do we make the system fair? When the system—the business system, the political system, the justice system—is fair, everybody has a chance to be part of it. It’s such an amazing life we live here in Colorado, and we want everybody to share in it. Not just the outdoors, because that’s free, but the business side of it and the economic side of it, too.”

With leaders on board from JPMorgan Chase, Janus Henderson, Four Winds Interactive, Pinnacol Assurance and more, CIE is committed to recruiting, hiring and promoting employees of color; transforming corporate cultures to embrace and support inclusivity; and investing in education and workforce development to create a more inclusive and skilled pipeline of talent.

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“There’s a role for human resources in this, but what’s been missing is real CEO-level, president-level commitment to this work.” — Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis, president and CEO of Craig Hospital

“The intent is really to get as many companies as we possibly can together to create 10,000 jobs in 10 years,” says Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis, president and CEO of Craig Hospital and a founding leader of CIE. “There’s a role for human resources in this, but what’s been missing is real CEO-level, president-level commitment to this work.”

In addition to working together and offering support and toolkits on their website, inclusiveeconomy.us, Colorado Inclusive Economy members are working on the issue in their respective workplaces as well. For Dax Craig, that means completely reworking the way job openings are written, posted and shared.

“We make it a point to have a diverse set of candidates for every job before it goes to the interview panel, then we also make sure the interview panel is representative of the people who are looking for interviews, so we have this ecosystem that’s diverse,” he says. “You’ve got to actively recruit people and actively look at your job descriptions and get outside of your comfort zone from an experience standpoint. You can’t put a narrow box experience, because if you do, only people from that very narrow box are going to apply. And often those are not underrepresented folks. You have to expand your thinking.”

The business case for that? It’s simple, Craig says—better relationships with customers and potential customers.

“Our customers are small business owners—the average one has eight employees. That is an incredibly diverse group of people,” he says. “White men aren’t the only ones that start businesses. Lots of businesses are started by immigrants and minorities. We want our people to actually look like and represent our customers.”

Diversity In Biz Lyndia Garcia
Lydia Garcia, who has worked with some of the most prestigious theatres in the country, was hired in 2019 as the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ first-ever director of equity and organization culture.

At the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, meanwhile, president and CEO Janice Sinden—another CIE founding leader—is taking dramatic steps to address the issue, hiring Lydia Garcia as the organization’s first ever director of equity and organization culture and looking at everything from show selection to the usher experience to make the center more welcoming to patrons from underrepresented backgrounds.

“We’re leaning in hard and looking at all of our systems and figuring out where we were already doing things, where we had to stop doing things, and what were the things we needed to work toward,” she says. “What is that usher experience when you’re a Black family that walks into a predominately white audience? How are you treated? How do you feel in that space? When you get into artistic decision-making and what you put on a stage and the stories you’re telling—does that reflect community? Does it marginalize a community, or does it lift a community up?”

It’s a conversation the Denver Center has been having for a while now, Sinden says, especially as the Denver metro area moves closer and closer to becoming a minority-majority community.

“By 2030, we will have a less-than 50% white population,” she says. “It should be an expectation that our business and our audiences look like our community. It feels like a moral obligation that those who have had privilege and continue to have privilege need to make space for everyone.

“We have been really excited about this work for a number of years, so to be able to join with other organizations—for-profit, nonprofit—and share best practices and build an inclusive economy is an honor,” Sinden continues. “We get so far in these boxes of what we think we need—we have no idea how big and bright the world is if we just think a little bit differently.”

How leaders can better support black employees

As our cities and towns become quieter and the protests seem to be dwindling, it’s easy to think that America has moved on from the social and racial justice movement of a few weeks ago, and shifted its entire focus back to COVID-19.

But don’t be fooled by the perceived calm that has developed over the past few weeks. Just last month, the international news reported that protests were occurring on three of our seven continents. That kind of passion doesn’t simply disappear.

The racial battle being fought today is ultimately about power and policy. Who has the power and who do the policies benefit? And, why don’t they benefit all of us equally? There’s no easy fix or 10-point plan to rapidly correct something that began 400 years ago and is still being cultivated.

However, there is one place where rapid change can happen, where diversity, equity, and inclusion can be real more quickly: The American workplace. We know that most companies are quite agile when they need to be and, as such, are well equipped to make change happen.

I, for one, am counting on business leaders to lead the way. In the meantime, here are some thoughts on how they (and you) can get started.

  1. Recognize that the time for reaction is in the rearview mirror. It’s time for response and time to keep the commitments you or others made in the heat of the moment.  There will be public scrutiny and your response as a leader and a company will have wide-reaching repercussions.

  2. Keep talking and listening. In the world of corporate and business communications, there is a saying about the importance of leaders sticking to a message, “When you get tired of saying it, your employees are just starting to get it.”  Usually, this applies to slogans or key messages that CEOs think they’ve said ad nauseam and are ready to throw out in favor of new messaging. Messages of anti-racism, equality, and inclusion, followed by action, never gets old. Keep the conversation going and listen more than you talk.

  3. Understand that this is not a diversity issue; it’s a systemic racism issue that has been built into our systems for hundreds of years. I encourage you to look at your policies, practices, and processes to identify and root out any instances of bias. Use a third party if necessary.

  4. Put your white privilege to work. Keep in mind that “privilege” does not mean wealth in this context; it means advantage.  Put your white advantage to work to call out racism when you see it; when you vote; and in all that you do. Make anti-racism and diversity business priorities and business values.

  5. Lead by example. There is no better way for a CEO to underscore commitment than through their own behavior change. If you’re wondering what behavior changes you might need to make, I encourage you to take the Harvard Implicit Association Test. It’s a simple test that helps determine if you are subconsciously racist.

As a leader of a company, or just simply as a human, the best way to encourage change is to start with ourselves. Learn as much you can and what it means to be anti-racist today; then take a visible stand.

Many people of all races are unaware of the ways Black people have intentionally been held back by policies of white supremacy. Saying you’re non-racist or your company is inclusive means virtually nothing in these times—especially if there isn’t visible evidence. These terms have become a business pablum.

People—your peers, your colleagues, and your employees—need to hear and see your anti-racist action. And, you can take action without becoming an activist. Be an example for others to follow.

Dsc 3037 (1) (1)Charlene Wheeless is a black woman, mother, renowned communications expert, author, and speaker with more than three decades of experience in corporate communications. After serving 15 years in C-suite positions, Charlene revamped a 120-year old company and has developed compelling communication strategies.