After a full day of thought provoking sessions and Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing hospitality, now is the time to unwind, relax, and elevate your Philadelphia experience.

Sponsored by:

Introduction: Jonathan Lovitz, Senior Vice President, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

Welcome: Nina Vaca, Chairman & CEO, Pinnacle Group

Opening Remarks: Greg DeShields, Executive Director, PHLDiversity

City Remarks: Sheila Hess, City of Philadelphia Representative

Remarks: Edith P. Mitchell, MD, MACP, FCPP, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology; Director, Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities; Associate Director Diversity Affairs Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health

Award Presentation: The 2nd Annual Philadelphia Diversity & Inclusion Award will be presented to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) due to the organization’s longtime mission to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights, eliminate race-based discrimination, and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

Armchair Interview: Cid Wilson, President and CEO of Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) by Nina Vaca, Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group.

HACR is one of the most influential advocacy organizations in the nation representing national Hispanic organizations in the United States.

Closing Remarks:  Jeremy Jordan, PhD, Associate Dean, Temple University School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management

Sponsored by:

The Academic Think Tank is specifically designed for deans, directors, research faculty, and diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) practitioners to discuss ideas and to make recommendations regarding the latest corporate strategies and best practices, accessing a diverse talent pipeline, and producing diverse and inclusive performance metrics, as well as curriculum and staff development. 

Welcome: Richard Englert, EdD, President, Temple University

Opening Speaker: Richard Lapchick, PhD, Endowed Chair and Director, DeVos Sports Business Management Program, University of Central Florida

Accessing & Creating Talent Pipeline: 

Facilitated by: Dr. Erinn Tucker, PhD, MBA, MS, CDMP, Faculty Director, Global Hospitality Leadership Master’s Program, Georgetown University

Session Introduction by: Bill Hertan, Managing Director, TRI Partners, Inc./Florida Diversity Learning Series

Industry Experts:

Sulaiman Rahman, CEO, DiverseForce

Toya Lawson, Partner, Bridge Partners LLC

This session is designed to bring together deans, faculty, human resources and those involved in recruiting, engaging and developing talent.  We will discuss the challenges of access and opportunity for diverse talent as well as strategies to cultivate and activate talent within our institutions and organizations.  Best practices, organizational culture and forward-thinking initiatives will be the focus of this session.

Diversity Performance Metrics: Implications for Academia and Industry:
Facilitated by: Dr. Patrick McCay, PhD, Stanley and Fanny Wang Professor of Human Resource Management, Temple University Fox School of Business

Session Introduction by: Shawn Murray, Assistant Professor Tourism & Hospitality Management School of Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, & Hospitality Management, Montgomery County Community College

Industry Experts:

Franne McNeal, President & CEO, Significant Business Results LLC

Yvette Donado, President & CEO, Diversity & Inclusion Strategists, LLC

This session is designed to bring together academia and industry to discuss the implications of diversity metrics on ROI and performance.  In this day and age of information, gathering the analysis of data used to predict and influence institutional strategies is big business. Academia and industry are often called upon to produce metrics about staff representation, development and successes.  What are the implications of this information? How can this information be best used to effect change? How industry and academia can work together in the production and analysis of such processes will be our focus during this session.

Curriculum Development & Staff Development:

Facilitated by: Victor Younger, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, The School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University

Session Introduction by: Debra Blair, EdD, Associate Professor, Temple University School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management

Industry Experts:

Pamela Barnett, PhD, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, La Salle University

Devin Halliday, Founder & Chief Belonging Architect, Rudiment Solutions LLC

This session is designed to discuss and share best practices around diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum and staff development in both academic and organizational settings.  How do we bridge the gap between instruction and practice for current and future leaders? This session will provide an opportunity to share your expertise around curriculum content, execution strategies and evaluation. We will also delve into successful staff development strategies that recognize, honor and capitalize on our diverse talent base and help build inclusion for all.

Sponsored by:

Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Talks will feature live performances by diverse voices of engaging and charismatic speakers focused on the power of diversity, equity and inclusion to change lives and ultimately, the world.  These talks expose new ideas that are supported by concrete evidence and are relevant to a broad, diverse audience.

• Session 1
  Matrix of Intersectionality & Implicit Bias:

  Facilitated by: Nicole R. Robinson, PhD, Founder & CEO, Cultural Connections by Design, LLC

  Session Introduction and Contributor: Chantelle Fitzgerald, Founder & CEO, Mindset Strategies

  Moderated by: Johnathan Lovitz, Senior Vice President, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

• Session 2
  Millennial Engagement, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion:

  Facilitated by: Brandi M. Baldwin, PhD, Founder & CEO, Millennial Ventures Holding Company

  Session Introduction by: Alissa Carpenter, Multigenerational Workplace Expert & Owner, Everything’s Not Ok and That’s OK

  Moderated by: Kelly Meerbott,  Principal/Leadership Coach/Speaker/Author, YOU: Loud and Clear

• Session 3
  Gender Diversity and Pay Equity:

  Facilitated by: Sheryl L. Axelrod, Esq, The Axelrod Firm

  Session Introduction by: James Barrood, Advisor, Tech Council Ventures, Jumpstart Angels

  Moderated by: Margaret Spence, Founder & CEO, C.Douglas & Associates, Inc.

• Session 4

  Connecting Communities & Companies: Engaging Your Community Leaders

  Moderated by: Ajamu Johnson, Vice President, Procurement, Comcast NBCUniversal

  Session Introduction by: Stephanie Robertson, JD, Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

  Panelists:

  Keith Leaphart, DO, President & CEO, Replica Creative

  Jannie Lau, Executive Consultant

  Varsovia Fernandez, Executive Consultant

Welcome to Philadelphia, the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing and the 2020 Philadelphia Diversity and Inclusion Conference. Stop by registration to receive your conference materials. Our team is ready to assist with all your conference registration needs. Additionally, you will find information about things to see and do while you visit Philadelphia – the birthplace of democracy and a city that embraces diversity.