Description

Moderator:



Anne Partington
Director of Entrepreneurial Services, SPARK East Innovation Center & Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Lead, Ann Arbor SPARK

Anne works with public/private sector partners and companies to promote inclusive economic opportunity while mentoring high tech companies to scale and commercialize in her role as an entrepreneurial services leader.

A veteran of the automotive industry, Anne has over 20 years of global leadership experience at FCA (Stellantis) and General Motors across purchasing, program management and product development engineering as well as a deep bench in corporate training experience in purchasing strategy, culture building and transformational leadership.

Anne is trained in diversity and inclusion, is a certified Professional Innovator, serves on CADIA’s board of advisors, and the 2021 Women In Mobility Board. Anne was honored to be selected as a member of the 2020-2021 Washtenaw County Champions for Change cohort - working collaboratively to drive racial equity and inclusion along institutional and societal lines.



Keynote Address:
The vast majority of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) research and initiatives focus strictly on diversity. The narrow focus on diversity is due partly to the illusion that measuring diversity is easy, and partly to the fact that inclusion has been difficult to define, let alone measure. In this talk we present a novel approach that makes inclusion measurable, and links it to both employee satisfaction and organizational performance. We will demonstrate an engaging, interactive way of measuring inclusion and we will share sample results from various organizations. We will also discuss a number of other benefits that measuring inclusion offers relative to measuring representational diversity. 

Speakers:

Paolo Gaudiano
President of Aleria Research, Chief Scientist of Aleria, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the NYU Stern School of Business.

These activities combine Paolo's decades of experience in business, technology and academia, to transform how people think about diversity and what they do about it, with the ultimate goal of making our society more inclusive and equitable. Paolo is a Forbes contributor on Diversity & Inclusion, has written for and been interviewed by a number of other media outlets, and is a sought-after public speaker. He holds degrees in Applied Mathematics, Aerospace Engineering and Computational Neuroscience, and is the recipient of numerous awards including a Moonshot House Fellowship from the Kravis Center for Social Impact (2019), a Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research (1996), and a Neuroscience Fellowship from the Sloan Foundation (1992). He was a tenured faculty member at Boston University and has also taught at Tufts University and CCNY before joining NYU.

Lisa Magill
Co-Founder & CEO of Aleria

Co-Founder & CEO of Aleria, passionately tackles real-world problems with innovative and impactful solutions. After several years in the financial services industry, Lisa gained extensive entrepreneurial experience holding key positions on the founding teams of funded and acquired technology startups. Over the years she has been recognized for her commitment to community and the impact of her efforts focused on mentorship, education and creating opportunities for women and marginalized communities. Currently she leverages her passions and expertise to help take the guesswork out of diversity & inclusion as Co-Founder and CEO of Aleria.

Panelists Discussion, Moderated by Anne Partington:
Ms. Partington will lead a conversation with our panelists as they share their journeys to create a more diverse and equitable workforce.

Tina Schuett
Head Brewer, Co-owner of Rare Bird Brewpub

Tina is one of only a few female brewers in Michigan and has been brewing for over 15 years. She has owned Rare Bird since its inception almost 7 years ago.
Tina is the Founder and President of Pour For More, a non-profit that raises funds for other Traverse area non-profits through the food and beverage industry. She is also a part of the Northwest Michigan Community Development Foundation which strives to bring transformational change to a 10-county area in NW MI.
When she is not working Tina enjoys traveling, cooking, sailing, and always has a construction project in the works. 
 

Matthew McClellan
Director of Human Resources, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

Matthew has been dedicated to the Human Resources profession for the past 15 years.
Mr. McClellan has worked in the corporate sector, Native American Indian tribal governance, and directly in the hospitality industry for the past 9 years with Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. Matthew graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, focusing his major in Human Resources.
He is a proud member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and is actively involved in Traverse Connect's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee.
When he is not working, Matthew enjoys spending time with his two daughters, golfing, boating, and doing any kind of little outdoor project/activity where he can soak up the fresh air and sun.


Dan Buron
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer 
Goodwill Northern Michigan

Goodwill Northern Michigan’s Executive Director brings more than 20 years of leadership experience with Goodwill organizations across the country. He has proven success in building innovative community partnerships to meet the challenges of a community.

Long a fan of the Grand Traverse region, Dan moved here with his wife and two daughters in 2016. In 2019, Dan completed the Ironman 70.3 Traverse City Triathlon, raising money for Food Rescue as part of the Charity Challenge. His Goodwill career was inspired by his sister, Special Olympics Athlete Karen Buron.

Closing Speaker:
A Call to Action: Why it Matters!
Together, we will learn how to flex when confronted with our Core Values as it relates to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Gain a better understanding on how our actions today will impact future generations - What will the legacy be we leave behind? Discuss how the region becomes a welcoming, affirming and fully inclusive community - where others want to call home...Look at how DE&I impacts the overall bottom-line - creating a space and place where everyone can grow, prosper and succeed!


Tedi R. Parsons, CCC, CEC, CPC
President & CEO, Michigan Diversity Education Center (MiDEC)

Tedi Parsons serves as the President & CEO of the Michigan Diversity Education Center (MiDEC), a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. MiDEC serves as global change-agents by providing quality diversity education and training programs, empowering community service, engaging in meaningful and impactful dialogue and serving as good stewards to dismantle the systems of inequities, privilege, and injustice for the underrepresented and underserved.
Tedi brings his professional experiences with a strong background in human resources, operations, facilities management, professional training, education and development, along with a life-long passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to MiDEC. In his role as the President & CEO, he is responsible for the strategic vision and day-to-day operations of the organization, including fundraising, brand identity and communications, community engagement and creating and implementing high-quality and effective professional education and training programs, which are used to educate, encourage and empower others. Since 2011, over 6,500 individuals have taken part in professional education and training programs he has created.

Prior to MiDEC, Tedi has held positions as Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Vice-President of Operations & Human Resources, Facilities and Operations Manager, a n d Executive Administrator. He received his certification in Purchasing & Procurement after attending the University of Wisconsin ? Madison, School of Business and holds designations as a Certified Career Coach (CCC), Certified Executive Coach (CEC) and Certified Professional Coach (CPC). Currently, Tedi is enrolled at the prestigious Institute for Diversity Certification, working on receiving his Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) designation. Additionally, Tedi holds certifications in ergonomics, facilities management, and human resources.
Tedi provides many hours of volunteer service and mentoring, along with strong commitment to using his privilege and skills in service to others. Tedi resides in Delhi Township, Michigan.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor