Inclusion Summit: Advancing Workforce and Workplaces

The Inclusion Summit: Advancing Workforce and Workplaces will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore tools and resources that support inclusive economic growth, a stronger workforce and more welcoming workplaces. 

Keynote Speaker:  

Dr. Papia Debroy is Chief Impact Officer at Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit organization sparking a national movement for the 70+ million U.S. workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs), rather than a bachelor’s degree. As Chief Impact Officer, Debroy oversees Opportunity@Work's employer networks, research, data analytics, platform partnerships, and product and tech capabilities. 
A quantitative social scientist by training, Debroy has published research in the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Her expertise on skills and the labor market has been featured in The New York Times and NPR’s Marketplace, among others. She has also delivered Congressional Testimony before the U.S. House and Committee on Education and the Workforce on “Competencies Over Degrees: Transitioning to a Skills-Based Economy.”



Inclusion Summit: Advancing Workforce and Workplaces Agenda

10:30 - 11 a.m.: Registration & Check-in 

11 - 11:10 a.m.: Opening Remarks 

• Jenae Sikkink, Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Inclusive Strategies, Greater Des Moines Partnership 
• Tiffany Tauscheck, President & CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership

11:10 a.m. - Noon: Keynote Speaker 

• Papia Debroy, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro & Chief Impact Officer, Opportunity@WORK 

Noon: Networking Lunch

12:30 - 12:50 p.m.: Fireside Chat: Building Career Pathways with The Legacy Project: Career Ready Collective 

• Students from Avenue Scholars Des Moines 
• Students from iJAG 
• Marcy Baker, Vice President, Sammons Financial Group (Moderator)

12:50 - 1:30 p.m.: Workforce Readiness Accelerated: Building Talent through Alternative Routes 

• Vivian Barcelo, Employee Experience & Inclusion Manager, Bankers Trust 
• Dr. Tim Laurent, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Mercy College of Health Sciences
• Kaity Patchett, Executive Director, Capital Crossroads (Moderator)

1:30 - 2:15 p.m.: Partnerships to Support Talent Acquisition Strategies 

•  Almardi Abdalla, Vice President Family and Workforce Programs, Oakridge Neighborhood 
• Kay Maher, Program Coordinator, DMACC Workforce Training Academy 
• Kimberly Bustamante, Director of Human Resources, Goodwill of Central Iowa 
• Nicholas Wuertz, Director of Refugee Services, LSI 
• Mak Suceska, Director Global Neighbors (Moderator)

2:15 - 2:30 p.m.: Networking Break 

2:30 - 3:15 p.m.: Accessible Work Environments for Integrated Employment 

• Bettina Dolinsek, Digital Accessibility Analyst, Nationwide 
• Marcela Hermosillo-Tarin, Division Human Resources Director, Discovery Senior Living 
• Amy Markham, Disability Workforce Manager, Iowa Workforce Development 
• Kay Oskvig, Member Attorney, Whitfield & Eddy Law 
• Daniel Van Sant, Director of Disability Policy, The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement (Moderator)

3:15 p.m.: Closing Remarks