DEI Community Forum Series: Leading through Racial Tension: How Companies are Supporting their Employees During Racial Unrest - July

Kari Heistad is the CEO of Culture Coach International and the DEI Boxx. She has been working in the space of diversity, equity and inclusion for more than 25 years. Her clients have spanned industries, sectors and sizes. Through her work she seeks to make diversity applicable and approachable for all employees, engaging them through a process of positive curiosity about the world and others. She has spoken before more than 18,000 people through presentations, keynotes and conferences and she has developed hundreds of DEI tools, models and resources.

More can be learned about her work at: CultureCoach.biz and DEIBoxx.com

Su Joun (she/her/hers) is the Principal of Diversity@WorkplaceConsulting Group LLC  (http://www.diversityatworkplace.com) that specializes in innovative, implementation-focused,no-frills Diversity & Inclusion training and consultation.  Su is alsoan adjunct professor at Suffolk University where she teaches Global HumanResources Management, Organizational Behavior and Career LAUNCH classes.

She was the Vice President of Talent, Diversityand Inclusion at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) where she ledthe enterprise diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition, performance managementand leadership development, and associate engagement teams.  In addition to expertise in Diversity &Inclusion and talent management, she has held leadership roles in IT & operations,marketing, sales and call centers in various organizations and industries. Su hasalso founded and operated a publishing company. This breadth of experiencesenables her to fully understand and “speak the language” of the variousbusiness areas and leaders allowing for true partnership to champion Diversity& Inclusion goals and programs.

Su received her MBA from Suffolk University andher MS in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University.

Her thought-leadership on Diversity &Inclusion and talent overall has been showcased in the Skillsoft video libraryand on the Urban Update.  She has presented to various audiences suchas the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, NAAAP, CFO Roundtable, UMASS Centerfor Collaborative Leadership, NEHRA, HUBweek, General Assembly, Skillsoft Conference,Design Museum Boston Workplace Innovation Summit, Northeastern University Open Classroomand the Boston Bar Association. 

Mayers is Founder and CEO of Inspiration Zone LLC (IZL), a strategic consulting firm specializing in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy, Brand Management and Thought Leadership.  She is known for helping clients integrate D&I and multicultural insights to provide value-driven, innovative solutions that position brands for success in the global marketplace. Prior to launching IZL, Mayers led large-scale initiatives at Fortune 500 companies and large not-for-profits such as Blue Cross Blue Shield MA.  A trusted advisor and confidante, Mayers uses her influence to position others for success.  In addition to her consulting practice, she motivates and inspires audiences through her keynotes and workshops on inclusive leadership, strategic networking, personal branding, and women’s leadership.

Mayers’ board service includes her appointment by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, to the MassHire State Workforce Board; her appointment by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh to the Boston Women’s Workforce Council and she serves as a corporator on the board of Eastern Bank.  Mayers previously served on the boards of The Boston Club, the U.S. Small Business (SBA) Federal Advisory Board and Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) where she served as Board Chair.

A networking expert, her popular books, The Guide to Strategic Networking and A Black Woman’s Guide to Networking have received international acclaim.  Mayers is the recipient of numerous awards including the Gwen Ifill Trailblazer Award from Simmons College, Women of Influence recognition from the Boston Business Journal(BBJ),  The GK 100 Most Influential Leaders of Color Award (Founder’s Choice) from GetKonnected, Diversity Leadership Award from the Boston Business Journal, Hispanic-American Chamber award, Women Worth Watching award from Diversity Journal, The Sojourner Truth Business Leadership Award and the Leading Women’s Award from The Girl Scouts of Eastern MA.  She has been featured in TV and print media including WHDH, WCVB, CBS, Advertising Age, Boston Business Journal and The Boston Globe.

A native of Barbados, West Indies, Mayers is a graduate of Simmons University where she earned her MBA and Northeastern University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.  She is the mother of two daughters and is married to her husband of 28 years, Darryl Mayers.

As a speaker, trainer, global thought leader, and business owner since 1987, Carole Copeland Thomas moderates the discussions of key issues affecting our global marketplace. She has her pulse on the issues affecting working professionals and consults with industry leaders on a regular basis. From speaking at the Federal Highway Administration, SHRM, State Street Corporation, Verizon, Cargill, and Monster Worldwide to interviewing experts around the globe, Carole knows how to analyze the dynamics of a changing marketplace.

Outreach To Worldwide Issues
Carole served as an adjunct faculty member for Bentley University for a decade, and has spoken throughout the United States, London, England, Canada, India, El Salvador, Australia, South Africa, and Kenya. She co-founded a non-profit international organization with nine other women as a result of a 2005 trip to Kenya. The group returned to Kenya in November 2007 for humanitarian projects and to host their first International Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. Her current humanitarian activities are focused on Southern, India, aiding women and children in the region.

Multicultural Symposium Series
Carole is the founder of the Multicultural Symposium Series, a multiyear events initiative and online campaign developed for the advancement of multicultural issues. Carole is an active blogger and social media enthusiast using various technology platforms to enhance her business development activities.

Radio Talk Show Host & Executive Coach
Carole is the host of “Focus On Empowerment” a weekly issues-oriented radio talk show. With more than 17 years experience, the program a few years ago migrated to Internet radio on Blog Talk Radio. www.blogtalkradio.com/globalca...
For three years Carole's Personal Empowerment Tips were heard daily on Boston’s WILD 1090 AM Radio. Her one-hour call in radio talk show, "Focus On Empowerment" was heard every Friday morning on the station. Carole's syndicated radio tips were broadcast in 10 US cities, and were sponsored by Marshalls the nationwide off-price retail store. Her radio talk show continued on WBNW-1120-AM-Boston through 2009 and transitioned to Blog Talk Radio in 2010. Carole also served as the Executive Coach for the Essence Magazine Leadership Summit.

Active In Community and Civic Affairs
Carole is the past Tri-State Social Action Coordinator for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the current Chair of the Multicultural Committee for the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau. A lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, Carole served as Past President of the Boston Chapter and Past National Vice Chair of the organization. Carole is also the past Diversity and Inclusion Forum Chair for the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA). She is a 20 year member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the past president of NSA New England.

Education and Continued Learning
Carole graduated with honors in 1975 from Emory University. She entered graduate school in 1983 (on a Martin Luther King, Jr. academic fellowship), and received her MBA degree from Northeastern University in Boston.
She received her Certified Diversity Meeting Professional Designation, CDMP, from the International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals in 2011. Her most recent designation was awarded in 2015: Certified International Tour Manager, CITM, from the International Guide Academy. She tied as the top student of her graduating class.

Mother & Grandmother
Carole is the mother of three children: Dr. Lorna Thomas Farquharson (husband Jerome), Michelle Thomas Monteiro (husband Alberto), and the late Mickarl D. Thomas, Jr. She does her best to spoil her granddaughters Julianna Gwendolyn Farquharson and Gabrielle Jaeda Farquharson.