Profiles in Diversity Journal’s
Innovations in Diversity Award Recipients for 2023
(in alphabetical order)

Innovation. It’s what happens when aspiration and inspiration meet commitment and hard work, and turn powerful ideas into exciting realities. Innovations in diversity and inclusion show us possibilities that can transform workplace, cultural, and social landscapes across the globe. Innovative thinking invites us, as individuals and organizations, to embrace a new and better future.

Profiles in Diversity Journal is proud to share this year’s ambitious—and sometimes revolutionary—innovations in diversity from some of the world’s most successful and respected companies, including leaders in law, real estate, cosmetics, and retail. They are truly taking diversity and inclusion to a new level.

Please explore and enjoy the creative ideas featured on the following pages. One of these exciting innovations in diversity may be your organization’s best next step.

2023 Innovations in Diversity Award Winners

• Dechert LLP – Pro bono advocacy challenges Philadelphia housing discrimination – Year Introduced: 2022
• Enact Mortgage Insurance – Expanded Nontraditional Credit program
• Epiq Global – Cultivating Inclusion: An Epiq Culture – Year Introduced: 2021
• Freddie Mac – Develop the Developer – Year Introduced: 2020
• Genentech – Belonging at The Table – Year Introduced: 2021
• HCA Healthcare – Lighting Pathways: The HCA Healthcare Scholars 365 Program – Year Introduced: 2021
• Landing International Inc. – BeautyFluent – Year Introduced: 2022
• Norton Rose Fulbright – Diversity Councils: The Minority Equity Council and the WiN Council – Year Introduced: 2022-2023
• New York Life – New York Life Cultural Ambassador Program: Fostering Inclusion and Belonging – Year Introduced: 2021
• The Winters Group – Engaging in Bold, Inclusive Conversations^® Facilitator Certification Program – Year Introduced: 2018
• Union Pacific Railroad – Living Library – Year Introduced: 2023

Company: Dechert LLP
Innovation Title: Pro bono advocacy challenges Philadelphia housing discrimination
Company Website: www.dechert.com
Year Introduced: 2022

Executive Summary

Dechert, a global law firm, has successfully challenged housing discrimination in Philadelphia through its pro bono efforts to fight for fair housing rights in cases involving discrimination against low-income tenants.

Last year, a Dechert pro bono team partnered with the Public Interest Law Center to represent the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania (HEC), the nation’s oldest fair housing organization. After conducting an investigation into Pro-Managed LLC, one of Philadelphia’s largest landlords, HEC found that Pro-Managed had been refusing to accept housing choice vouchers (also known as “Section 8 vouchers”) in predominantly white neighborhoods while advertising their acceptance in majority Black neighborhoods.

In December 2022, Dechert and HEC filed a charge with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations alleging that Pro-Managed’s practices violated the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance (FPO) by discriminating based on source of income. This practice was found to disparately impact prospective Black renters, thus also violating the Fair Housing Act (FHA).

Almost immediately after the charges were filed, the parties reached a settlement agreement under which Pro-Managed, its owners, and related entities acknowledged that their policy and practice violated the FPO and FHA. As part of the settlement, the parties agreed to submit a consent order to the Court requiring Pro-Managed to advertise that they accept and encourage the use of housing choice vouchers at all of their rental portfolio properties, adopt written policies regarding compliance with fair housing laws, and receive training on compliance with fair housing laws.

“Our involvement highlighted how quickly the legal system can result in concrete successes for people in need,” said Dechert partner Steven Bizar, who led the Dechert team. “Pro-Managed’s website was updated essentially overnight to correct its discriminatory practices.”

Philadelphians who use housing choice vouchers face steep barriers in their search for safe and affordable housing. A study by the Urban Institute revealed that 67 percent of the city’s landlords refused to accept the vouchers, a rejection rate that rose to 83 percent in low-poverty neighborhoods.

Shortly after its success in the Pro-Managed case, Dechert was asked by the Public Interest Law Center to take on another housing discrimination case, this time on behalf of Jennifer Cooper, a 44-year-old Philadelphian with disabilities who had a housing choice voucher. Ms. Cooper faced discrimination from OCF Realty, ne of Philadelphia’s largest real estate companies, when it refused to rent any of its 3,000+ properties to her. After a six-month investigation, HEC found that OCF Realty consistently refused to rent to voucher holders who could afford advertised rents. Dechert and HEC filed a complaint with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations on Ms. Cooper’s behalf last August.

“Dechert’s partnership with the Public Interest Law Center and its pro bono involvement with the HEC has already led to increased protections for low-income tenants in Philadelphia,” said Suzanne Turner, head of pro bono at Dechert. “While residents using housing choice vouchers continue to face discrimination, we will continue our fight to protect their fair housing rights.”

Company: Enact Mortgage Insurance
Innovation Title: Expanded Nontraditional Credit program
Company Website: https://enactmi.com/

Executive Summary

While expanding its DEI efforts, Enact Mortgage Insurance sought out areas where it could commit capital with the goal of helping to bridge the minority homeownership gap. After much research, credit invisibility was found to be an issue where Enact could have a positive impact. Credit invisible individuals have limited credit history which makes it difficult to form a score, making it harder to get a home loan. Enact found that the issue of credit invisibility disproportionately affects minorities because many are unbanked or underbanked.

To help minority buyers, Enact decided to focus on mortgage insurance eligibility and pricing for nontraditional credit (NTC), which allows those with limited credit history to use other obligations such as rent payments, utility bills, etc. to evaluate a person’s credit.

Benefits and Positive Changes of the Initiative

To decide fair pricing and guidelines for NTC borrowers, Enact needed to understand how these buyers performed. Historically, the mortgage industry has aligned these borrowers with the lowest FICO tranche – 620 – by default. So, any mortgage insurance, loan-level price adjustments, etc. were linked to that low score and resulted in a higher cost. Based on our data, Enact found that NTC loans performed more like loans with a mid-600s score. As a result, Enact updated our pricing and guidelines to align to a 680 credit score, materially reducing their mortgage insurance premiums and opening up more opportunities for homeownership.

The expanded guidelines also now allow manufactured homes, which again expanded homeownership access by increasing affordability and housing options.

What Makes This Initiative Unique?

Enact was the first mortgage insurance company to begin pricing NTC borrowers at a 680 credit score and not a 620. Additionally, it is unique for the guidelines to allow manufactured homes as these products were historically limited to site-built single-family homes, which often come with a higher price tag and limit options for home buying families.

Indicators of Effectiveness

Since updating the pricing and guidelines, Enact has seen a higher proportion of loans with NTC borrowers. The fact that lenders and borrowers are taking advantage of this opportunity is a primary indicator that Enact’s work is effective.

Enact is also having more conversations with lenders and the broader industry who want to learn more about nontraditional credit and begin offering it to their communities. Simply bringing awareness to the issue of credit invisibility is another key indicator of success for Enact, as the goal of the product was to expand homeownership access and to help close the minority homeownership gap across the housing industry.

Growth and impact

For minority communities, this product is driving homeownership growth. Homeownership helps with wealth building and contributes to stronger communities. For lenders, using NTC helps create another pipeline of business to help them grow.

Impact

Credit invisibility disproportionately impacts minority households. Many of these communities are unbanked or underbanked for various reasons.

Company: Epiq Global
Innovation Title: Cultivating Inclusion: An Epiq Culture
Company Website: www.epiqglobal.com/en-us
Year Introduced: 2021

Executive Summary

As a leading alternative legal services provider, Epiq distinguishes itself in a unique industry by serving prominent clients, including 93 of the Am Law 100, half of the Fortune 100, nine of the top 10 U.S. banks, seven of the top 10 U.S. insurance companies, five of the top five U.S. health insurers, four of the top five global pharmaceuticals, and six of the top 10 global tech companies.

We recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach to DEI will fail. We value our employees as the heartbeat of our organization, understanding that their engagement is pivotal to our success. Inclusion is at the core of our engagement strategy, and we take pride in our innovative DEI program. This program encompasses employee resource groups, inclusive policies, comprehensive employee education, targeted leadership development, transparency, and access to senior leaders.

Our goal is to cultivate inclusion through intentional change management that leaves no employee behind. As a result of our work, we have achieved the following:

• Launched an award-winning ERG program with six Employee Resource Groups: API@Epiq, Black@Epiq, Gente@Epiq, Epiq Belonging, Epiq Pride, and Epiq Women.
• Completed the U.N. Global Compact Gender Equality Program
• Participated in the U.N. Roundtable discussion on male allyship alongside corporate and world leaders.
• Launched our educational podcast “DEI is Epiq”.
• Senior leadership, H.R., and ERG leaders completed a mandatory monthly interactive Inclusive Leadership training program.
• Introduced our Annual DEI Report with transparent demographic data and annual programming and commitments details.
• Our employees undergo a progressive educational roadmap year with complimentary leadership development, ERG programming, and on-demand educational resources.
• In 2021, we focused on foundational DEI concepts; in 2022, our theme was Cultivating Inclusion and featured education on gender and pronouns in the workplace.
• In 2023, we’re thrilled to partner with legal innovators Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow, leveraging their influential book, “Say The Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity Diversity and Justice.” Yoshino holds the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professorship at New York University School of Law, while Glasgow is the Founding Executive Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. This collaboration empowers our employees to champion allyship in the legal industry and beyond.
• Elevate the voices of our employees through regular listening sessions with senior leaders to gather feedback and guide strategy.
• Provided eight hours of paid volunteer time for employees to give back to our communities.
• Established a Trans Resource Committee to review benefits, policies, and procedures to support employees and their managers throughout their transition.
• Pay transparency and compensation education as we work towards pay equity initiatives.

As a result of our efforts, we have seen the following outcomes:

• Reduction in voluntary turnover of POC by 11.27 percentage points
• 6 percentage point increase in response to “Epiq has created an environment where people with diverse backgrounds can succeed.”
• Improved employee engagement and retention by 7 percentage points among ERG members.
• 3.5 percentage point increase in women in the global workforce
• 2.08 percentage point increase of POC in the U.S. workforce

Company: Freddie Mac
Innovation Title: Develop the Developer
Company Website: freddiemac.com
Year Introduced: 2020

Executive Summary

What makes this program or initiative unique?

In 2020, Freddie Mac introduced Develop the Developer — an innovative program inspiring reinvestment and development in historically underserved communities. The program started in Omaha, Nebraska and expanded to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2021, followed by Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2023. It is currently being expanded into other underserved markets in the U.S.

Through this program, Freddie Mac addresses critical national housing challenges including:

• Gaps in knowledge and critical skills for aspiring real estate developers.
• The disproportionate lack of representation of women and Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) developers within the single-family and multifamily development industry.

What was the purpose or goal?

The real estate development profession lacks Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and women developer representation, hindering access to an industry that generates $203B annually. Furthermore, less than 1% of real estate developers in America are Black or Hispanic. Providing a gateway to education and resources for BIPOC community members with 0-3 years of experience in real estate development meets a critical need to encourage equitable professional development in an industry with a diverse representation gap.

In addition, this program stimulates equitable and community-centric affordable housing supply. We have collaborated with educational partners to build robust training curriculums and to assemble technical assistance for emerging developers through standardized Develop the Developer Academy training opportunities in targeted markets. The Academy leads intensive cohorts providing training in foundational development and financing instruction, technical assistance, community connectivity and access to funding sources for emerging developers.

What are the benefits and positive changes of this program or initiative?

Developing new developers that live in the neighborhoods they work in helps to foster better relationships with community stakeholders and preserves the historical and cultural attributes of the community. In addition, providing education and resources to emerging BIPOC and women developers supports both professional development that spurs economic opportunities and increases the community’s chance to gain investment in areas that have experienced long-term, perpetual disinvestment.

What are the indicators or metrics that demonstrate the innovation is effective?

We track the demographics of enrolled participants, graduation rates, number of participants that move forward to start development projects, and access to funding. Thus far:

• We have held nine cohorts — enrolling 94 new developers with a 100% graduation rate.
• 83% of graduates self-identified as a minority and 63% self-identified as women.
• 53% of developers have launched single-family residential development projects yielding 197 new affordable housing units — 72% are in formerly redlined areas, 77% are in majority-minority communities.
• Developer graduates have received over $32M in grant and subsidy dollars and obtained over $100M in financing to develop new affordable properties.

How is it driving growth and if so in what areas?

The Develop the Developer Academy is helping community members remove barriers to access capital. Developer graduates have obtained guidance and technical assistance to secure funding through various sources, including grants, loans, angel investors, and foundations that support minority-owned businesses and encourage economic progress. This program and its participants drive economic growth by creating housing units that may not have otherwise been developed in their communities. Many worked on vacant land lots that have been undeveloped for decades.

Who does it impact?

The Develop the Developer program is impactful to historically underserved communities of color and related stakeholders who are mission-driven to provide affordable, dignified housing to support a stable housing system in America. Our goal is to continue to expand access to the program and empower a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce to support and revitalize our communities of color.

Company: Genentech
Innovation Title: Belonging at The Table
Company Website: https://www.gene.com/
Year Introduced: 2021

Executive Summary

What makes this program or initiative unique?

Tamicka James, head of D&I for Genentech’s largest business unit (Commercial, Medical and Government Affairs), established and hosts an internal video program called, “Belonging at the Table,” which can be described as the Rachel Ray show meets D&I. The producers pair food—something most everyone loves—with discussions about “belonging” with top chefs who each have powerful stories and backgrounds. Specific Genentech employees are handpicked from the robust network of employee resource groups to participate and ask candid questions to the chef, such as, “I struggle with coming to work and being my true authentic self. I feel like I’m fighting stereotypes every day; how do you show up as your authentic self?”

What was the purpose or goal?

The goal is to foster a sense of belonging, which is one of Genentech’s 2025 Diversity and Inclusion commitments, because Genentech believes that diversity and inclusivity are business advantages. Tamicka’s approach to diversity with her workforce is based on the idea that ‘Belonging Begins With You,’ meaning we all have an important role in building a sense of belonging with colleagues through both daily interactions and strategic plans.

What are the benefits and positive changes of this program or initiative?

Each episode features a different chef and is filmed at restaurants across the U.S. The show taps into people’s affinity for food, exploring a wide range of cultures and talking through diversity topics that are critical, yet aren’t discussed often in the workplace. By addressing these topics head on and allowing the chefs and employees to share personal, emotional stories, employees build a deeper understanding of other people’s perspectives in a way that’s memorable and meaningful and shifts their interactions and behaviors in a sustainable way versus a one-time conference room training session.

What are the indicators or metrics that demonstrate the innovation is effective?

This program targets “Fostering Belonging,” one of three of Genentech’s D&I 2025 Commitments, by advancing an inclusive culture through new insights and unique approaches. As a result of this program and other innovations, Genentech has been recognized as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity.

How is it driving growth and if so in what areas?

The program targets and lifts up Diversity Network Association (DNA) groups, the employee resource groups that represent a variety of affinities from the disability community to veterans to the next generation of leaders. The DNA groups have grown, with over 13 groups and hundreds of sub-chapters.

Who does it impact?

Belonging at the Table is available to Genentech CMG’s 6,000 U.S. employees, in addition to the remaining ~7,000 employees at Genentech who can view it on the company portal. It lifts up underserved communities by allowing employees the chance to have meaningful conversations about how to belong and include others. For example, employees have a safe space to connect with people who have similar experiences and can ask questions like, “Going through my childhood looking white in a bilingual elementary school in New Mexico, I’ve often felt outside of my community because of my lighter complexion and how people react when I share my ethnicity. I’m anxious when I think about joining or about attending Latinx events today. How can I feel more comfortable?”

Company: HCA Healthcare
Innovation Title: Lighting Pathways: The HCA Healthcare Scholars 365 Program
Company Website: www.HCAHealthcare.com
Year Introduced: 2021

Executive Summary

HCA is one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers with 182 hospitals and other centers of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Our generous and creative college aid program is dedicated to building a diverse pipeline of healthcare professionals by giving $10 million over three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). HCA’s student scholarships, funds for expanding a nursing faculty, student internships and more are helping to ensure that HCA Healthcare Scholars and other healthcare graduates and undergraduates will be part of our country’s robust healthcare system.

HCA is trying to address a very urgent problem in medicine. Primary care doctors are in short supply, particularly diverse healthcare providers, and according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the US already has a shortage of registered nurses which is expected to grow as Baby Boomers age and decline. Meanwhile, nursing schools across the country are struggling to find enough professors.

HCA is using its history of strategically partnering with organizations, particularly Black and Hispanic colleges, to help build a diverse healthcare workforce. For instance, we have made generous donations to several HBCUs. We recently gave $1.5 million to Fisk University for students seeking nursing degrees; $1.5 million to Tennessee State University for undergraduate and graduate school students seeking careers in healthcare and computer science and $1.5 million to Florida International University’s nursing and health sciences college to help expand its faculty. We also gave $750,000 to The University of Texas at El Paso, the leading Hispanic serving university, to create multiple graduate degree opportunities.

And there’s more. The HCA Healthcare Scholars program selects outstanding undergraduate and graduate students at Tennessee State University, for example, for scholarships, mentors, seminars and career guidance.

This is a long term strategy to build a more diverse healthcare workforce by collaborating with institutions that are working hard to educate much needed nurses, researchers, doctors and hospital administrators. And it’s already working.

Attendees at a recent HCA Healthcare showcase at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a historically black university, said the scholarships allowed them to focus on their education so that they could successfully complete their classes. In the coming years, we hope these university partnerships will pay off at hospitals and clinics around the country.

Company: Landing International Inc.
Innovation Title: BeautyFluent
Company Website: landinginternational.com
Year Introduced: 2022

Executive Summary

Since 2016, Landing International has been at the forefront of transforming the beauty industry into a more conscious, inclusive, and empowering space. Leveraging the power of technology, Landing has pioneered a path that levels the beauty retail playing field, enabling small beauty brands to compete on equal footing with multinational corporations that have historically dominated the industry and promoted narrow and exclusive definitions of beauty.

In 2022, Landing unveiled BeautyFluent, an innovative education app that revolutionizes how gender-inclusive, female-owned, and minority-owned beauty brands connect directly with beauty advisors. These advisors are the frontline ambassadors who interact with customers daily at prominent retailers like Ulta and JCPenney.

For inclusive brands with limited budgets, competing for the attention of beauty advisors can be a daunting challenge. Often, they struggle to gain a foothold in retail, resulting in a loss of brand diversity that diminishes the beauty landscape’s richness and inclusivity. BeautyFluent addresses this disparity by making retail training more affordable for smaller brands and more empowering for beauty advisors. This commitment ensures a future where everyone, regardless of background, sees themselves reflected in the brands available in stores.

One of BeautyFluent’s remarkable features is its ability to empower consumers to support companies that align with their social values. Whether a customer desires products from a Black-owned company, a female founder, or a vegan brand, BeautyFluent simplifies the process. It equips beauty advisors with the tools to search by brand values and guide customers toward products or brands that align with their ethical beliefs.

The positive impact of BeautyFluent is multifaceted. First and foremost, it empowers consumers to make informed choices that align with their values. This aligns perfectly with Landing’s mission to foster a more accepting beauty culture. Additionally, it has significant benefits for brands. BeautyFluent provides exposure and accessibility in a hyper-competitive market, enabling brands to thrive. Furthermore, it fosters the growth of beauty advisors, enhancing their confidence and knowledge, ultimately leading to increased sales.

Over the past year, Landing International has experienced a remarkable 70% increase in revenue, projecting an anticipated revenue of $21 million for 2023. These financial milestones underscore the platform’s effectiveness in driving growth. Simultaneously, the user base of BeautyFluent has seen exponential growth, further validating its crucial role in the beauty industry’s evolution.

With their new partnership, JCPenney and BeautyFluent are making brand education more accessible and empowering for beauty advisors across the country. Now available on JCPenney’s in-store iPads, BeautyFluent makes education more accessible for its monumental assortment of hyper-inclusive brands – many of which are small and minority-owned. It’s a testament to BeautyFluent’s transformative power in fostering innovation, representation, and responsibility within the beauty industry.

In summary, Landing International’s BeautyFluent is more than just an app; it’s a transformative force that redefines beauty norms and promotes diversity and inclusivity in the beauty industry. It drives positive change, fosters innovation, and impacts various stakeholders in the beauty ecosystem, contributing to a more accepting and diverse beauty culture.

Company: Norton Rose Fulbright
Innovation Title: Diversity Councils: The Minority Equity Council and the WiN Council
Company Website: https://nortonrosefulbright.com/en-us
Year Introduced: 2022-2023

Executive Summary

What makes this program or initiative unique?

Norton Rose Fulbright prioritizes a culture that values authenticity, collaboration, client service and an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. After the success of the Racial Equity Council (REC), which was tasked with improving the experience of Black personnel, leaders used it as a model to continue transforming our existing affinity groups focused on racially and ethnically diverse personnel and women to create the Minority Equity Council (MEC), serving all of our racially and ethnically diverse personnel, and launch the Women in Norton Rose Fulbright Council (the WiN Council).

What was the purpose or goal?

The MEC serves all of our racially and ethnically diverse personnel with a mission to improve the experience of diverse personnel and advance racial equity throughout the firm.

The WiN Council is intended to elevate the work of the Women in Norton Rose Fulbright Network (WiN). WiN is composed of women in US firm offices, dedicated to building and maintaining an accessible, dynamic and inspirational Women’s Network. The WiN Council aims to take this network to the next level by advancing growth and development opportunities for all women at the firm.

What are the benefits and positive changes of this program or initiative?

Together with the REC and the firm’s diversity networks, the MEC plays a key role in identifying improvements we can make in recruiting, retaining and promoting diverse lawyers and business services professionals at the firm.

The WiN Council works closely with firm management to select and implement long term strategic initiatives designed to move the needle in the areas of lawyer recruitment, retention and promotion. It will also examine the evolving roles of business services professionals in today’s work environment and explore new pathways for their success and advancement.

What are the indicators or metrics that demonstrate the innovation is effective?

We are seeing the needle move through combined efforts of our councils and diversity networks. In 2022, female representation on the firm’s Management Committee increased to 44%, more than double the industry average, while racial and ethnic diversity rose to 33%, more than quadruple the national average. During the past three summer associate classes, 17.8% of participants have been Black, more than three times the percentage of Black lawyers in the US. So far in 2023, Black staff compose 15% of the firm’s new business services professionals and 17% of those who have been promoted.

How is it driving growth and if so, in what areas?

It is imperative that we recruit, retain and advance diverse professionals. To contribute to growth and a positive workplace culture, we launched the Business Services Mentorship program in May, pairing mentees with mentors to develop the next generation of leaders. The year-long program helps boost skills, confidence and career goals of mentees by using the vast and invaluable resources of the firm, providing reflection and meaningful connections for all involved.

Who does it impact?

While the road to equity will be long and arduous, we are primed to affect real and lasting change for our diverse and female personnel with the full support of firm leadership. The firm has committed resources to in-house programming to combat bias, including a speaker series to educate all firm personnel on topics related to equity and implicit bias training for all hiring managers.

Company: New York Life
Innovation Title: New York Life Cultural Ambassador Program: Fostering Inclusion and Belonging
Company Website: www.newyorklife.com
Year Introduced: 2021

Executive Summary

In 2021, New York Life created the Agency Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion division, which will forge the partnership between the Agency (our field force) and The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center for Awareness and Advocacy.

What makes this program or initiative unique?

Agency DEI’s first major initiative took shape in 2022 with the creation and rollout of its Cultural Ambassador Program, which is being piloted in several field offices across the country. The goal of the program is to strengthen cultural competency and advocacy for inclusion and belonging in New York Life’s more than 100 general offices (GOs) across the country by appointing agents in each office who in partnership with their local managing partners will further advance company DEI objectives at a local level.

What was the purpose or goal of the program and the benefits?

The Cultural Ambassador program will position our GOs at the forefront of key DEI initiatives and further advance company DEI objectives on a local level. The impact the program will have in increasing cultural competency will assist in deepening relationships with our colleagues, clients, and the communities we serve. The Program will also align our values of humanity and integrity at New York Life, with our processes, behaviors, and everyday interactions which will encourage more interest in an agent career and boost retention.

Who does it impact and how is it driving growth?

The Cultural Ambassador role is an appointed position, acting as an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the GOs across the country. They facilitate alignment between company objectives, local management efforts and field force implementation, forging an environment of continuous learning and building cultural competence in the workplace.

Cultural Ambassadors are appointed by the Agency Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion division for a term of two years, and undergo continuous training in DEI core concepts. The goal of the term limit is to create development opportunities for other DEI advocates in the GOs and to allow for broader perspectives. The term limits also expand the population of agents who receive formalized diversity training from Agency DEI and can serve in this leadership role.

What are the indicators or metrics that demonstrate the innovation is effective?

The Agency Diversity, Equity & Inclusion division continues to build its foundation and programmatically operationalize the strategic pillar of cultural competency in our GOs. The training program has received positive feedback from participants. It encourages introspection and the examination of biases, fostering a greater awareness of potential blind spots. This self-awareness is seen as a valuable aspect of the program. Additionally, participants have shared that they believe the program not only aligns with the institution’s values but also has the potential to attract a broader pool of candidates, which can ultimately benefit the institution by expanding its client base.