We've been working on this project since January when we asked you to help us shine a light on the leaders and future leaders of color who are making a positive contribution to the economic and social fabric of our west suburban businesses and nonprofits.
You submitted hundreds of nominations.
Then we leaned on an eminent panel of judges to curate our final lists, in partnership with Colette Phillips and Get Konnected!
As you’ll see, we have many remarkable individuals in our communities doing many remarkable things.
We urge you to tap both lists for board members, C-Suites executives, team leaders and conference speakers. We hope the media will leverage these lists for thought leaders and expert commentators.
And we urge you to become their customers.
ļ»æPlus, remember that those honored are just part of the story: Everyone here is connected to a larger network of individuals who may be just who your organization is looking for.
We have another objective too
We also want these our lists to spark deeper conversations. Nearly three years after many employers made bold pledges to support diversity, equity and inclusion following George Floyd’s murder, it’s appropriate to wonder, and worry, if we’ve lost some momentum.
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Don’t see any, or many, names here from your industry sector or representation from some of our region’s top employers? It’s possible we overlooked someone.
It’s also possible it signifies a deeper shortcoming.
So while our lists serve as a celebration for how far we've come. They're also intended to be a reminder about how far we need to go.
