The 9th Annual Inclusion Summit will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the FFA Enrichment Center at the Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny Campus with the option to join virtually. The event's theme is ''Equity in Action,'' and attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about what equity means and discover tools and resources to build equity-centered practices, systems and organizations. 2021 SUMMIT AGENDA 7:15 a.m. — Registration opens Additional speaker and session details will be unveiled in the upcoming weeks. 8:00 a.m. — Opening and welcome 8:15 a.m. — CEO DEI Panel discussion Suzanna De Baca, President, Business Publications Corporation Dr. Angela Franklin, President and CEO, Des Moines University Grant Kvalheim, CEO and President, Athene Holding USA TBA Moderated by Jay Byers, President and CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership 9:15 a.m. — Break 9:45 a.m. — Opening Keynote: James Wright 11:00 a.m. — Building a Race Equity Culture, “Awake to Woke to Work” | Kerrien Suarez (she/her/them), Equity in the Center 12:15 a.m. — Inclusion Award Luncheon 12:45 p.m. — Closing Keynote: Kenji Yoshino, Director, Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, New York University 2:00 p.m. — Closing Remarks For more information about the Summit, click here. ... read more

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month People with disability make up 12.6% of the U.S. population and 11.8% of Iowa’s population. Iowa’s unemployment is at 3.9% but the unemployment rate of persons with disability is at 9.1%(Source: Iowa State Data Center). Research has proven that companies who prioritize inclusion of individuals with disabilities are four times more likely to outperform their competitors and have 28% higher revenues. People with disabilities are often overlooked because of the stigma that comes along with their disabilities, but employers who abandon these stereotypes will gain highly skilled employees with substantial motivation and valuable skillset because of their diverse backgrounds and experience. Presenter: Becky Curran Kekula TEDx Speaker, motivational speaker, passionate Disability advocate Becky received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College, where she gained a passion for influencing authentic portrayals of people with disabilities in the media and society. Becky currently serves as Employment Chair of Little People of America (LPA). She’s also a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) at Arizona State University, Positive Exposure, and Verizon’s Disability Advisory Board. She delivered her first TEDx Talk in 2014 and her second in 2021. Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. She stands 4 feet tall. Both of her parents and older sister are “average” height. Her parents always taught her to keep a positive outlook, no matter how harsh the outside world may be. She grew up participating in sports such as sailing, skiing, soccer, and swimming, amongst her ''average'' height peers. When people ask her if she likes being a little person, she always has the same answer. ''I never want to change but I want the way the outside world reacts to my difference to change.'' ... read more

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Make It OK is community campaign to reduce stigma by starting conversations and increasing understanding about mental illness. We need your help to stop the silence on mental illness in Iowa. Sign up to join us as a Make It OK Ambassador. Anyone can become a Make It OK Ambassador - you do not have to be an expert on... ... read more

Make It OK is community campaign to reduce stigma by starting conversations and increasing understanding about mental illness. We need your help to stop the silence on mental illness in Iowa. Sign up to join us as a Make It OK Ambassador. Anyone can become a Make It OK Ambassador - you do not have to be an expert on... ... read more

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In 2014, the unemployment rate for veterans was 25% higher than the nonveteran rate according to SHRM. Service members often struggle to correlate military experience with civilian job descriptions and sometimes deal with negative perceptions about their abilities and mental health. In 2020 the jobless rate for all veterans increased to 6.5 percent. Many organizations are looking to hire more veterans to utilize their expertise and experience. Join this webinar to understand veterans, their issues, strengths, opportunities, best practices, practical tips to successfully attracting and retaining veterans and their spouses in the workplace. Veteran?s Inclusion in the Workplace, best practices Amanda Banks and Tim Perkins (15 mins) Panel Discussion (60 mins) Julia Rose, Veteran, Department of Veterans Affairs, LGBQT+ Diversity Coordinator April Keating ? Spouse of a Veteran, Entrepreneur Shane Sawyer ? Veterans, IowaWORKs, Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist Katie Eppers, Athene, Employer best practices at Athene Moderated by Jathan Chicoine, Home Base Iowa Program Manager for State and Strategic Initiatives 15-minute questions and quick summary of key takeaways. ... read more