Inclusion Equals founder Kimfer Flanery-Rye met up with our EVP of People Operations Terry Rice on the Learnapalooza 7 stage to talk about sustainably incorporating DEI into your workplace model with a focus on systems change. The pair spoke about how everything from brand to people to policy should be influenced by DEI standards and practices.

The event, hosted in Bellevue, WA on October 7th, was an opportunity for Kimfer and Terry to dig into the scope of the DEI work they’ve done at Lions & Tigers to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture from the inside out.

“I was deeply honored when the co-founders of Learnapalooza asked me to be a closing keynote. When that ask came, I wanted my talk to be titled, ‘DEI: Beyond Learning and Development’ even though I knew I’d be in front of over 150 Learning and Development industry folx. You cannot approach DEI without deeply looking at the systems that create the systemic issues and that starts with business strategy, policies, brand, and more,” Kimfer said. “Also, when you’re surrounded by over 150 people who are in the Learning and Development industry, you find yourself surrounded by innovative learning approaches. I thought a fireside chat style would be perfect as a closing keynote after a full day of learning. That thought made me immediately think about Lions & Tigers to join me on the stage. I couldn’t be more thrilled have Terry Rice, my client, to help moderate the conversation.”

Photo by Alex Quetzali