By Wayne Ford, Community Advocate

“We must learn how to live together…or perish as fools.”

    – Martin Luther King

With the noteworthy events that have happened recently in Virginia, Hollywood and Washington DC related to women’s rights, black rights and human sensitivity in all respects, the tone of conversations and the future direction of our country is rooted in Washington D.C. Over the past generations, the environment in Washington has been very divisive. For all Americans, this is a teachable moment. In the history of our country, this is the moment when all equity points have come center stage at the same time.

Martin Luther King said, “We must learn how to live together…or perish as fools.” A century earlier, President Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These words ring truer today than when these revered leaders spoke them. As Americans, we cannot miss the opportunity we have at this critical moment in time to recognize the value and significance of one another. Humanity in all its forms and variations comprises humans. Our leadership needs to capture this opportunity to unify our citizens, regardless of race, gender, or beliefs.

We are all prejudiced in some form or fashion. Each one of us needs to make mindful decisions regarding how we view the world and approach our interactions with one another. This is a pivotal point and time for diversity and inclusion.

Millennials, and members of Generation X and Y, have seen enough discord that they are beginning to lay the foundation for making the world color and gender blind. After the horrific shooting at a Florida high school, the young people who witnessed the politicizing of the gun control issue that resulted in the deaths of their classmates and friends reached a point when they had heard enough from adults. They chose to represent themselves and coordinated a trip to Washington to be heard. They made it clear that their voices will again be heard through the ballot boxes come election time. After the tragic killing in Ferguson, Missouri, the Black Lives Matter movement was established. Their efforts have made it clear that young black people of today think much differently than the ones that marched and protested years ago. These young voices provide hope that times are changing.

Specific to the workplace and how it will evolve, there is no doubt in my mind that one day there will be no need for equity awards or for having these types of conversations regarding inclusiveness. I truly believe that equity from all perspectives will become a common denominator for future generations. It is time to let the younger generations elevate our expectations for how to lead and cultivate mutual respect for one another. With their vision for the future, we are poised to move beyond stereotypes and discrimination. We need to treat all humans as humans.

By Marisol Hughes, WilsonHCG

Awareness of diversity and inclusion, and the importance of equity, in business is no longer an issue. The #MeToo movement in 2018 highlighted the severity of gender discrimination and harassment that some female workers still face. However, despite this increased awareness, the creation of a truly inclusive environment is something that many businesses still need to work on.

Attaining a diverse workforce can be accomplished by reaching a certain representative number, but inclusion is about the feeling people get when they are in the workplace. It’s about fostering an environment of dignity and respect, regardless of differences, rather than emphasizing individual characteristics. Businesses need to welcome all, not just ensure they’ve hit a quota. It truly is the company culture and can’t be faked.

Diversity, inclusion, and human equity must become a mindset—not merely an initiative. To be effective, these ideas must be ingrained across the entire workforce. Leadership teams are aware that environments with increased diversity are vital in order for every individual to grow and thrive. However, many companies are still struggling to fully implement inclusive cultures. The only way to fix this is to ensure that change comes from the top down and is driven by cultural mentoring and training.

Workplaces are more like communities now largely due to changes in demographics. For example, mixed generation workplaces are now the norm. Gen-Z and millennials (those between 18 and 35 years of age) are working with baby boomers (individuals born between 1945 and 1965), and all have experiences unique to their generations. The key here is that the generations are working together, rather than simply alongside each other. They are sharing knowledge and experience, and there’s no longer a feeling of “them” and “us.” This means businesses truly are allowing individuals to thrive.

Another way to make workplaces more inclusive is to offer flexible working practices. Women are 22 percent more likely than men to cite flexible work arrangements as a very important factor when considering a job, and those aged between 36 and 45 are the most likely to do so, according to LinkedIn’s latest Global Talent Trends report. It’s not just about working moms either. Flexible working practices benefit all types of people, including those caring for elderly or ill relatives, military spouses, and people living in rural areas.

Companies need to create inclusive, equal, positive, and sustainable environments that inspire talent to flourish, regardless of age, gender, education, disability, religious beliefs, race, or social background.

Unconscious bias is, however, fast becoming an issue because of the rise of intelligent technology in talent acquisition. Much of the technology used in talent acquisition claims to reduce unconscious bias, but this is simply not the case. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) is supposed to think and act as we do—and that’s the problem. Intelligent systems can, and do, adopt human prejudices.

It’s taken a long time to achieve the current state of diversity and inclusion in the workplace (and there’s still plenty more to do), it would be a shame if all the progress that has been made over the last few years were to be diluted or lost. HR leaders need to educate recruitment teams about unconscious bias and the destructive impact it can have, as well as the importance of constantly validating results to identify the presence of bias in the process. Continuing to build an awareness of bias in recruiting and hiring is essential, as is educating our leaders about its inevitable presence in human nature.

By Diane E. Lifton, Hughes Hubbard and Reed

After law school, I joined a big firm in New York City and quickly discovered the love of my professional life: product liability, the perfect combination of science and law. Product liability, though, resembled the Wild West, so much so, that when I joined my second firm six years later, everyone referred to the experienced trial attorneys that made up the product liability practice as “the Cowboys.”

Needless to say, the promotion of women was not one of their priorities, and there were virtually no people of color at any level. I saw two paths—walk away from private practice altogether, or stay, fight my way to partnership, and take on the inequities in opportunity and in leadership. I decided to stay and fight, beginning with joining my then-firm’s hiring committee and focusing on building as diverse a summer program and fall class as possible.

In 2000, when I joined Gibbons PC as a partner in the litigation department, I became a member of the existing (and very active) Women’s Initiative, ultimately becoming part of its Executive Council. Through that experience, I began to understand the critical role that affinity groups could play in the advancement of diverse attorneys. As a first-time partner, I also began to see the association between the “origination” of new client relationships and the law firm power construct.

When I joined Hughes Hubbard & Reed in 2008, I became involved in the Women’s Roundtable, eventually serving as a co-chair. Our programs, led by a panel of in-house counsel, have addressed many topics over the years, including setting and achieving professional goals, business generation, sexism in the profession, financial health, and the expectations of our clients.

In 2015, I became a co-chair of the firm’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, which we expanded through the addition of associates and counsel throughout the firm. We created a Mentoring Task Force to provide oversight and accountability to our mentoring program to provide associates with additional support in their advancement at the firm. Our Asian, Latino, Black, and LGBTQ Attorney Affinity Groups have expanded, and recently were joined by an Interfaith Attorney Affinity Group. Our 2018 summer program and incoming fall class are 35 percent diverse.

Still, in 2017, nearly twenty years after my journey into the world of diversity and inclusion initiatives began, a Vault/MCCA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report concluded that the profession had stalled, with women making up only about 20 percent of equity partners, people of color 3 percent or less, with even fewer equity partners self-identifying as LGBTQ. (2017 Law Firm Diversity Survey Report, available at https://www.mcca.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Women-Leaders-in-the-Law.pdf) (last visited on Feb. 22, 2019).

In January 2019, more than 170 general counsels and chief legal officers wrote an “Open Letter to Law Firm Partners,” demanding that firms hire, retain, and promote diverse associates to “reflect the diversity of the legal community and the companies and the customers we serve” or risk losing their in-house clients’ business. (“GCs’ Open Letter To Firms Serves As Ultimatum On Diversity,” Law360,” https://www.law360.com/articles/1122640/gcs-open-letter-to-firms-serves-as-ultimatum-on-diversity) (last visited Feb. 24, 2019).

The future of diversity and inclusion in law firms lies with some of the same fundamentals firms put in place in the 2000s—building a pipeline of diverse associates, providing opportunities for their growth and advancement, and supporting our clients with talented diverse teams. But we need more. We need a revolution in the way we think about the objective, a shift in the paradigm so that diverse attorneys become leaders with the power to shape the future of private practice both in corporations and at firms.

First, the bet-your-company litigation and deal work has to come directly from in-house counsel to diverse attorneys, because having clients that generate revenue will always be central to having power in the business of law. Company boards of directors and CEOs must become more diverse, and they, along with their in-house legal teams, have to call and email diverse lawyers and give them their “bet-the-company” matters, or we will continue to lose ground.

Don Prophete and Nathaniel Lampley, Jr., two Black men who are law firm equity partners and trial lawyers, wrote compellingly of their frustration with pronouncements like those set forth in the “Open Letter” in light of the silence of their phones, despite their many accomplishments. D. Prophete, “A Black Partner Responds to GCs on Law Firm Diversity,” The American Lawyer (Jan. 30, 2019) (available at https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2019/01/30/a-black-partner-responds-to-gcs-on-law-firm-diversity/) (last visited Feb. 24, 2019); N. Lampley Jr., “The Diversity Discussion: Big Law Partner Shares His Experiences to Help Change the Norm,” Law.com (Feb. 2, 2019) (available at https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2019/02/07/the-diversity-discussion-big-law-partner-shares-his-experiences-to-help-change-the-norm/) (last visited Feb. 24, 2019).

Second, lasting change cannot occur until senior management at both corporations and law firms recognizes implicit bias and ensures that diverse attorneys do not struggle in isolation. As commentators have noted in response to the Nextions, LLC study, regular training and close monitoring of associate hours and assignments, are critical to overcoming implicit bias in how work is assigned and reviewed. See, e.g., E. Hoover, “Confronting Implicit Bias: What Law Firms Can Learn from Starbucks,” Before the Bar, May 29, 2018 (available at https://abaforlawstudents.com/2018/05/29/confronting-implicit-bias-what-law-firms-can-learn-from-starbucks/) (last visited Feb. 24, 2019). Even that, though, is not enough. Partners and senior management at companies must reach out to create one-on-one connections with diverse associates, and sponsor them for key opportunities for advancement.

Last, we can achieve greater results if those attorneys who contribute to a more diverse business through training, mentoring, sponsorship, and creating opportunities for advancement receive recognition for that work, reflected in their compensation. Firms and their company clients often seek support in their partnerships for Diversity and Inclusion initiatives by describing them as “good for business” but do not explicitly acknowledge and reward such activities. Everything law firms do to prepare diverse attorneys for success as accomplished lawyers and firm leaders IS our business.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not represent the views or opinions of HHR.

By Judith Michelle Williams, SAP

Fostering a diverse workforce is essential in order to innovate and drive prosperity in today’s fast-paced corporate world. Building an inclusive culture doesn’t begin with simply “doing the right thing.” Instead, it starts with making it hard for employees to do anything but the right thing. Taking a dynamic, top-down approach, when it comes to diversity and inclusion efforts, is key to maintaining an inclusive culture. By leveraging data, closely monitoring and measuring success, and investing in key talent, today’s best leaders and companies are more equipped than ever before to foster an innovative, inclusive workplace amid rapid cultural shifts. Here are three ways leaders can take their D&I initiatives to the next level:

Setting Attainable Goals

To drive real change, leaders must assess the current state of diversity and inclusion, and map it to their long-term goals. Often the first step in approaching a successful D&I strategy is to take an honest look at where you are and compare that to where you want to be. The power of technology such as artificial intelligence to organize, analyze, and correlate diverse sets of data allows today’s forward-thinking leaders to set attainable goals and achieve real outcomes.

Inspiring Future Leaders

Today’s biggest companies were once startups, and some of today’s most influential leaders are the brilliant entrepreneurs behind them. Another key way to curate a diverse ecosystem is to pay it forward to underrepresented founders. While intelligence is equally distributed in the population regardless of background or experience, opportunity is not. At SAP, we invest in some of the most cutting-edge startups in the B2B space. The SAP.iO Foundries program has accelerated nearly 100 early-stage software startups, more than 30 percent of which are founded or led by women or other minority entrepreneurs. An essential ingredient of building a diverse and inclusive environment is to create a place where all people have the same opportunity to be their best selves—despite gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. This investment in innovation is priceless.

Driving Economic Success

Diversity isn’t just good for business, it is good business. According to a report from McKinsey (Diversity Matters by Vivian Hunt, Dennis Layton, and Sara Prince), companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. When considering the elements of an inclusive, intelligent enterprise, diversity needs to be top of mind. To enhance the culture of an organization, Listening to what employees at every level are saying is vital. One way organizations can strategically do this is by creating community and funding employee network groups.

D&I efforts go far beyond building programs and “talking the talk.” To drive change, organizations must “walk the walk” and drive structural, organizational interventions. By promoting behavioral changes that lead to inclusion, leaders are able to create clear accountability with measurable goals for everyone. With these practices in place, I expect it will be a very different technology landscape in five to ten years—one that is rich with diversity and fueled by exceptional ideas.

By Satra Sampson-Arokium

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

    – Maya Angelou

For some, inclusiveness is just a vague state of mind. I can tell you from experience, though, that inclusiveness is very much an active endeavor.

After two years as director of diversity and inclusion at Dechert LLP, and three more years in the same role at another global law firm, I’ve learned to embrace the personal and professional challenges that come with my position—challenges that can fulfill and frustrate in equal measure.

When I joined Dechert in 2017, I found a forward-thinking firm that was already trending in the right direction. I could see the firm valued creativity and innovation, and recognized the value of a more diversified workforce. Even before I came on board, an internal task force had been formed that developed a series of concrete recommendations to better realize Dechert’s commitment to diversity. All the firm needed was someone who knew how to implement and expand upon the task force’s recommendations.

Two years later, I’m proud of what Dechert has achieved: a partner-led Diversity and Inclusion Committee; affinity groups to support and address diversity and inclusion-related issues for our Asian, Black, Latino, LGBT, and veteran lawyers; a global women’s initiative; and an LGBT Allies Program; as well as workshops, networking events, and recruiting and training initiatives.

This year, Dechert scored a perfect 100 in the Human Rights Campaign survey of the best law firms for LGBT for the sixth year running. It was also named one of the 2018 Best Law Firms for Women and Top 100 Companies for Women, and made the 2018 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index. To cap it all, Dechert Heroes, an affinity group for military veterans and their families, was named one of the Top 10 Innovations in Diversity by Profiles in Diversity Journal.

What is the biggest challenge facing Dechert’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion? Beyond the simple daily rigor of working with our affinity groups and global women’s initiative—finding ways not only to help each of them, but to help them find ways to work together—it’s the hard fact that demand still far exceeds supply. Like many other law firms, our most significant challenge is retaining some of our best lawyers, due to the intense competition for diverse legal talent.

For me, the future is all about increasing momentum, with a particular focus on three key areas—recruiting more diverse talent, expanding partnerships with the firm’s clients and communities, and continued development of the firm’s talent.

In a large, successful firm like Dechert, which is both multidisciplinary and multiregional, it’s easy for its people to become siloed from each other. One benefit of my line of work, by its very nature, is that it is unbounded within the firm, involving and integrating everyone—lawyers and business service professionals. Having the opportunity each day to work with so many different people in so many different places can be both exhilarating and exhausting—usually both at the same time! But it is never dull.

I like to think what I do not only advances us toward our goals of diversity and inclusion, but also encourages the openness and collegiality that are so important for a thriving firm—qualities that are particularly valued at Dechert. I try to keep in mind a simple truth Maya Angelou once stated so well: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Gary A. Smith, CoFounder, IVY Planning Group

It’s always difficult to strike the proper balance whenever I’m asked questions like, “What is the state of…” or “Are we making progress?” Asking “Are we there yet?” and “Should we be doing better?” weighed against “But look how far we’ve come,” leave us questioning our own sensibilities regarding whether the glass is half empty or half full. So progress notwithstanding, I’ll talk about where I think we are right now.

I think we are at a critical inflection point—a unique moment in time, not so much connected to the past or the future. It’s a place that is a perfect storm that must be managed for the particulars of right now. There are questions we must answer in order to evaluate our current state.

I write this piece as a diversity practitioner. I have the luxury of being able to compare the progress of many organizations from the private sector, the public sector, across industries, business to business (B2B), and business to consumer (B2C). So to be fair, I don’t live inside these organizations. I don’t live and die with the successes and failures of any one place, but of many places. So my thoughts are the result of comparison, analysis, and assessment of what seems to often work and what seems to never work, which elements contribute favorably to success and which elements consistently hinder progress.

Diversity and Inclusion impact the workforce, the workplace, and the marketplace. As a place to start, it’s important to understand that the data tells us that by all three standards, there are consistent inequities. The workforce is underrepresented with regard to people of color at all levels, the workplace environment isn’t experienced consistently by all employees (age, tenure, gender, race, ethnicity, function, etc.) and the marketplace produces inconsistent experiences across different groups of people. That’s the state of D&I. If you accept that this is true, the conversation should then shift to answering the question, “Why is this true?”

The answer is that people explain our diversity and inclusion progress, or lack of it, based on the belief that diversity equals less than. If the talent doesn’t exist, then how could we hire them? Of course their engagement scores are lower—they don’t fit in. If our customers come from different socio-economic levels, is it even a reasonable expectation that they would have the same experience? These are all variations on the “less than” theme.

Compare that to a belief that the talent does exist, but we don’t choose them or they don’t choose to work here, or that we evaluate fit against a narrow standard defined by the people who designed the fit factors in the first place, or that affluent customers of color don’t experience the marketplace in a way that is consistent with the way their white peers experience it.

Regardless of socio-economics, the customer experience is different based on the package. When we misdiagnose the problem based on unconscious or conscious bias, we implement the wrong strategies and solutions to solve the problem. Our willingness to allow that flawed diagnosis to live is the state of D&I.

The next consideration in the state of D&I is the shift from outcomes to programs. How do we allow the general counsel to position risk management as a business strategy? When did the risk of solving the problem start to outweigh the risk of allowing the problem to exist? If Human Resources exists to ensure the equitable treatment of all human capital, then why are the inequities so prevalent? Why is “reverse discrimination” a thing to worry about more than discrimination? Why is the organization more focused on the reactions of white men than the harm being done to everyone else? Because we don’t want to track real progress against agreed-to metrics that measure outcomes, we implement programs designed to keep everyone happy. Why have a diversity council that supports diversity occasionally, when you can make every system that functions every day do their job? That’s the state of D&I.

Earlier I referenced progress against agreed-to metrics. Where is the expertise to create the strategies necessary for success? Where are the accountability programs that match the way other business systems operate? Where will the talented internal practitioners come from who know what to do and how to drive institutional change? I don’t question the passion and commitment of the people I encounter, but there has to be more capacity building if we’re going to advance diversity and inclusion. That’s the state of D&I.

How have we allowed the use of language to become so inaccurate? Diversity and Inclusion matter. Equity may matter even more. So how do we subtly shift the conversation to one of inclusion and diversity when we don’t even have adequate representation to be inclusive of? I get it, inclusion without diversity is easier. We’ve always known how to be inclusive…UNTIL DIVERSITY SHOWED UP. Let’s keep ourselves honest in how we use the language. If you really want diversity of thought, pay attention to the people you let into your organization. That’s the state of D&I.

Despite the challenges and the frustrations, I remain optimistic and hopeful. Because when I encounter business executives who are presented with a plan of attack that resembles the way they lead and run their organizations, they engage. The state of D&I is personal; it’s a contact sport that must be played by serious people. I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with the next generation of serious players who want to advance the state of D&I. After all, we know what to do.

By Wanda Brackins, Head, RBC Wealth Management—U.S. Diversity and Inclusion

When I consider the current state of diversity in business today, I’m reminded of something Tom Sagissor, president of RBC Wealth Management–U.S., wrote in a message to employees last year:

“An inclusive culture that promotes diversity in thought and perspective is imperative in today’s world, and it makes good business sense. While we have always believed in the importance of diversity and inclusion, believing isn’t enough. It’s time for action.”

For RBC Wealth Management—U.S., diversity and inclusion have been fundamental corporate values for many years. And I know we’re not alone in this. Studies show that more and more organizations are instituting diversity programs in the workplace because there’s a proven business case for it. Diverse and inclusive organizations are successful because their employees feel they can bring their whole selves to work. That fosters innovation, which leads to a high level of performance.

RBC Wealth Management—U.S., like many organizations, has long offered training, resources, and opportunities for employees to participate in and advance diversity and inclusion. We’ve provided support to our employee resource groups, as they build connections among the employee population and raise awareness of diverse groups. While these efforts are key to employee satisfaction and retention, they don’t necessarily lead to increased diversity representation.

That’s why it’s time to do more. We need to go beyond what has been done in the past if we want to truly make a difference in the future. One of the ways we’ve found we can best do that is by leveraging our executive leadership.

More than anyone or anything else in an organization, it’s our executives who can help move the dial on diverse representation and inclusion. It’s our executives who can step in, set bold goals, and lead by example. Their leadership from the top can filter down to create change in an organization.

Accountability is also important. If we really want to create an inclusive workplace and a diverse workforce, talk isn’t enough. Our leaders have to hold themselves, and others, accountable to the goals that we’re setting. We need to treat diversity just as we treat any other business priority, even if that means having difficult conversations or asking tough questions about where, why, and how we fall short.

At RBC Wealth Management—U.S., we recently saw what can happen when executive leadership is committed to advancing diversity. In 2018, we placed an emphasis on recruiting more women to financial advisor and branch leadership roles. Tom and our other executives embraced this goal, and made a concerted effort to support it throughout the year. They reinforced key messages on a regular basis. They celebrated creative ideas, like a special video campaign supporting a new recruitment process. And most importantly, they helped establish new accountability measures for branch leaders, who were evaluated on their efforts to increase diverse representation in their offices.

As a result of both the leadership and the new system of accountability, we successfully grew the number of women branch directors by 50 percent and substantially increased the number of female financial advisors at the firm. The number of women we hired in 2018 was more than any prior year, and double the amount we hired in 2017.

We certainly can’t rest on those results, though. I believe the success of that women’s recruiting initiative shows what’s possible when we place an emphasis on diversity, and when executives help lead the way. We hope to build on the success of that initiative this year, employing some of the same tactics to make a substantial increase in the number of people of color we recruit. And I’m looking forward to partnering with our executive leadership to see what we can accomplish.

Investment and insurance products offered through RBC Wealth Management are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency, are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank or any bank affiliate, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

By Deborah L. Plummer, PhD

Almost two decades ago, I began a journey of exploration into the nature of cross-racial friendships after a conversation on a walk with my sister-friend Yvonne. She asked why I had so many white friends. I wondered why she didn’t. I thought most people were more like me than her in that respect.

As an academic and a diversity professional, my curiosity led me to facilitating focus groups to discuss the topic and administering friendship surveys across the United States. I found out that not only was I the outlier in having friends across racial lines, but I also understood why it was so challenging to have cross-racial friends.

Most Americans are racial isolationists, living in racially segregated neighborhoods and having racially segregated social patterns. As a result, our friendship patterns reflect America’s racial divide and the tensions created by that divide. They also reflect hope for future racial harmony, which is why I have continued to study this topic for 20 years and why I wrote Some of My Friends Are….

The book investigates how factors such as leisure, politics, humor, social support, faith, social media, and education influence our friendship choices. I offer three conditions for obtaining and maintaining cross-racial friendships: first, understanding yourself as a racial being and your racial-identity resolution process; second, examining your racial lifestyle choices—where you live, shop, and worship, the organizations you belong to, your support systems, where you vacation, who you buy services from, and so on; and third, recognizing and acknowledging modern forms of racism and unconscious bias as they plays out in your life and within the institutions where you engage.

I have three little hopes and one big hope for this book. My first little hope is that it stirs up authentic racial discourse and leads to more empathetic, enlightened conversations about race. The second is that it prompts readers to examine their own friendship patterns and foster more cross-racial friendships or that it deepens their current cross-racial friendships. The third little hope is that reading the book causes people to think about how they might be contributing to the deep racial divide or supporting the lessening of it.

My big hope is that the book carves out a better path toward a more enlightened future of improved race relations and, ultimately, heals our deep racial divide. It’s a light-one-candle approach, and I believe it can be effective. Racial equity happens one cross-racial friendship at a time.

Sherry Chris
President and CEO

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC
Headquarters: Madison, NJ
Business: Real Estate
Website: www.bhgre.com

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) LLC, a leader in lifestyle real estate, strives to set the standard for ethical conduct in the real estate industry. This commitment is expressed through the company’s core values— Passion, Authenticity, Inclusion, Growth, and Excellence (PAIGE), which provide a foundation for exemplary success:

• Passion, to stimulate energy to a higher level of inspiration and emotion
• Authenticity, to be exactly what we claim to be
• Inclusion, to embrace all people and ideas
• Growth, to have increasing influence
• Excellence, to consistently exceed expectations

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has built a culture upon a set of stated core values that network members follow in their personal and professional lives. This includes participating in several events throughout the year with nonprofits, such as the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, the Asian Real Estate Association of America, and the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Professionals. BHGRE also raises money for New Story, a nonprofit organization that provides new homes in Ahuachapán, El Salvador.

BHGRE awards professionals across the company’s network annually with the Next PAIGE award. Winners are affiliated Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate independent sales professionals and brokerage staff members under the age of 30 who have successfully demonstrated a commitment to excellence at work and through community engagement.

In addition to being an ardent supporter of diversity and inclusion, Sherry Chris, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s president and CEO, is well known for the kind of innovative thinking, next-generation consumer insights, and idea sharing that help to move the industry forward. She is a frequent speaker at real estate and technology conferences, and serves on the NAR Real Estate Services and Asian Real Estate Association of America Education Foundation advisory boards. Sherry is also chair of the national board of directors for the nonprofit organization Rebuilding Together and a member of the advisory board for New Story, a certified 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds safe homes and transforms slums into thriving communities in developing countries.

Roshan N. Rajkumar
Partner and Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair

Bowman and Brooke LLP
Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN
Business: Legal Services
Website: www.bowmanandbrooke.com

Bowman and Brooke, LLP believes the excellence its clients expect is best achieved by building a team of professionals who reflect a broad range of orientations and interests, as well as diverse personal backgrounds. Committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse talent, the firm’s goal is to be a workplace of inclusion and collegiality.

In 2018, the firm initiated Expanding Our Perspectives, a program to connect firm members—attorneys and staff— through speaker presentations with table talk discussions; extended the Affinity Mentor program to all thirteen Bowman and Brooke locations; and received the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2018 Top Performer and Compass awards—a recognition given to the Council’s most active member corporations and law firms.

Bowman and Brooke has set as its key goal the retention of all diverse attorneys across all its offices. Other important goals include the following:

• When recruiting summer law clerks, lateral attorneys, and lateral practice groups, interviewing at least 50 percent diverse candidates
• When recruiting for any open non-attorney position, interviewing at least 40 percent diverse candidates
• Re-establishing the Women’s Affinity Group to better connect the firm’s female attorneys (nearly 45 percent of all firm attorneys)
• Establish Affinity Attorney Groups across the firm that focus on specific areas of diversity, including veterans/ active military, LGBTQ, and mothers
• Start conversations across all Bowman and Brooke offices that permit honest, candid discussions about how each employee can feel more included, through the Expanding Our Perspectives program
• Create more sponsorship and allyship programs throughout all 13 offices in order to expand inclusion and a realistic pathway for associates to become partners

In March 2017, firm partner Roshan Rajkumar took over as head of Bowman and Brooke’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which comprises 17 members in 13 offices across the United States. He brought new ideas and energy to the Committee and continues to do a remarkable job in this role.

Rajkumar is also involved in the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers. A strong proponent for law students, and other students, he always makes time to talk with them about the legal profession.