Webinars and Workshops

August Webinars and Workshops

Registration opens on August 1, 2025, and closes at midnight on the day of the webinar.

Supplier Diversity and Economic Impact: Driving Business Growth and Community Development

Speaker:  Greg DeShields, CHE, CDE®

August 13, 2025, at 1:00-2:00 PM ET

In today’s global marketplace, supplier diversity is not just a business imperative—it’s a powerful driver of economic growth and equity. This engaging and interactive session will explore the transformative impact of inclusive procurement practices on businesses and the communities they serve.

Led by diversity and inclusion expert Greg DeShields, this workshop will unpack the core principles of supplier diversity and provide actionable strategies for implementing and scaling programs that support minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Participants will gain insight into the economic benefits of supplier diversity, including innovation, competitive advantage, and job creation.

From Mentorship to Sponsorship - Leveling Up Your Career Growth Ally Actions

Speaker: Sertrice (Grice) Shipley

August 20, 2025, at 1:00-2:00 PM ET

Mentorship is valuable, but sponsorship is the game-changer for career advancement—especially for underrepresented talent. It is an ally action that is often overlooked and underutilized in organizations. In this workshop, participants will explore the key distinctions between mentorship and sponsorship, understand the role of advocacy in professional growth, and learn how to build and sustain impactful sponsorship relationships. Through practical strategies and actionable insights, attendees will gain the tools to become effective sponsors or protégés, fostering a more equitable workplace.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand Sponsorship as an Ally Action: Discuss how inclusion is a behavior, and how sponsorship is specifically tied to allyship.
2. Differentiate Mentorship and Sponsorship: Understand the key differences between mentorship and sponsorship and why sponsorship is essential for accelerating career advancement.
3. Develop Effective Sponsorship Strategies: Learn how to build and maintain meaningful sponsorship relationships that drive professional success and workplace equity.
4. Implement Sponsorship for Organizational Impact: Explore best practices for integrating sponsorship into leadership development and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 
   

Driving DEI & Innovation in the Current Landscape: Lessons from the Front Lines

Speaker: Danette Buie, Ed.D.

August 27, 2025, at 1:00-2:00 PM ET

In this session, Dr. Buie will explore connecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to innovation and business growth is essential for driving sustainable change, requiring actionable strategies, leadership alignment, and the power of diverse perspectives.



Participants take-aways will include:

1. The Connection Between DEI and Business Growth: The session emphasizes the importance of integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into innovation and business strategies, especially in today's constantly changing environment, to drive sustainable change.
2. Actionable Strategies for DEI Implementation: It highlights practical methods for aligning DEI initiatives with leadership priorities, effectively navigating organizational structures, and pushing these initiatives forward, drawing from the speaker's experience across various industries.
3. Debunking Myths and Leveraging Diverse Voices: The session aims to challenge common misconceptions about DEI and provide insights into successful and unsuccessful approaches. It underscores the value of harnessing diverse perspectives to foster meaningful and lasting impact.

Dr. Buie’s approach is both inspiring and pragmatic, ensuring participants leave with clear steps to implement DEI principles in their own spheres of influence.