CEDWC hosts an annual Equality at Work conference that delves into a wide range of workplace-related topics. The conferences attract dynamic audiences that include industry professionals in addition to Temple University students, staff, and faculty.

Voices of Pride

On April 1, 2022, CEDWC hosted our first Equality at Work conference.  Equality at Work 2022: Voices of Pride was a day-long conference focused on LGBTQIA+ issues in the workplace.

The conference was originally conceived by three Fox undergraduate students — Sean Boyer, BBA ’22, Stephen Fiora, BBA ‘23, and Maggie Luong, BBA ‘23— who expressed a need for both education and community building around LGBTQIA+ issues in the business world. In addition to three panels and a keynote, the day included an opportunity for students to connect with local LGBTQIA+ friendly employers.

Panel 1: Being Out in the Workplace (Strategies, Employee Rights, Employer Responsibilities)

• Moderator: Jeffrey Boles – Professor of legal studies, Fox School of Business
• Alex Reed – Professor of legal studies, University of Georgia
• Prof. Lee Carpenter – Professor of law, Beasley School of Law
• Kate Fitta – Principal, Burren Green, LLC
• Debbie Franklin – Career marketing research professional

Panel 2: Transgender Workers and Transitioning at Work

• Moderator:  Debra Blair – Professor and Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, STHM
• Heath Davis – Professor of political science, Temple University College of Liberal Arts 
• Marcus Iannozzi – Founder & Principal, Message Agency 
• Katie Krasky – Associate, Goldman Sachs 
• Lily Zheng – DEI Consulting

Keynote: Beth Brooke - Former Global Vice Chair - Public Policy, EY

Panel 3: Personal Stories: Obstacles, Successes, Advice – Alumni Panel

• Moderator: Katie Gerst – Professor of Marketing, Fox School of Business
• Hieu Tran – Marketing Director, Small & Specialty Group Benefits, MetLife
• Jay Driggers – Chief Experience Officer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
• Lawrence Williams – Risk Assurance Manager, PwC
• Chloe Harris – Recreation Leader, Eastwick Regional Playground, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
• Liz Janczewski – Program Coordinator, Temple University College of Liberal Arts

Closing Speaker: Celena Morrison – Executive Director of LGBT Affairs, Philadelphia Mayor’s Office

Equitable Advancement: Closing the Leadership Gap for Employees of Color

On April 28, 2023, we hosted our second annual Equality at Work conference titled Equitable Advancement: Closing the Leadership Gap for Employees of Color in partnership with the City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The half-day conference brought together DEI (and related) professionals in the public, private, and non-profit sectors to discuss the leadership gap for workers of color (and particularly for Black women) and opportunities for public-private partnerships in this area.

Panel 1: Personal stories from mid-level employees who had experienced the leadership gap

• Moderator: Azaria Keys – Assistant Director, CEDWC
• Eugenia Fitzhugh – Administrative Specialist Supervisor, City of Philadelphia
• Lisandra Garcia – Clinic Branch Manager – Philadelphia, Emancipet
• Shannon Henry – Mortgage Operations Manager, Houwzer

Panel 2: Senior executives strategically working to close the gap in their respective organizations

• Moderator: Curtis Gregory – Assistant Professor of Instruction, Fox School of Business
• Dwaine Duckett – SVP and Chief HR Officer, Penn Medicine
• Sharmain Matlock-Turner – CEO, Urban Affairs Coalition
• Mecca Mitchell – SVP and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Burlington Stores, Inc.
• Josie Pickens – Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, City of Philadelphia Office of the Mayor

Keynote:

• Moderator: Leora Eisenstadt – Founding Director, CEDWC
• Loren Hudson – SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Comcast Cable 

Impact Summit: AI and the Future of Work

On June 7, 2024, CEDWC collaborated with the Fox School of Business' Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) and Translational Research Center (TRC) to host the Impact Summit: AI and the Future of Work. This high-profile conference was designed to provide attendees with comprehensive insights into the benefits of AI implementation, while also addressing important considerations and potential risks. The event, which garnered significant attention and positive feedback, featured four distinguished panels covering various aspects of AI's impact on the future of work.

Session 1: Latest Research about the Effects of AI on Equity and the Workplace 

• Moderator: Leora Eisenstadt – Founding Director, CEDWC
• Stephanie Creary – Assistant Professor of Management, and Faculty Fellow of the Coalition for Equity and Opportunity, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business
• Ellen Goodman – Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School
• Prasanna Tambe – Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions (OIDD), University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business

Session 2: Thinking through AI Uses & Consequences for Workplace Culture 

• Moderator: Charisse Dean – Managing Director of US ESG Social Strategy, KPMG
• Karima Bryant – Chief Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Officer, Kyndryl
• Benjamin Harvey – CEO and Founder, AI Squared
• Timothy Fair – Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Burlington Stores, Inc.
• Hojjat Salmasian – Vice President and Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Session 3: AI Innovation & Ethics in the Global Marketplace

• Moderator: Ram Mudambi – Professor of Strategy, Temple University’s Fox School of Business
• Pawan Anand – Director and Engagement Partner - Communications, Media & Entertainment, Ascendion 
• Jan Kietzmann – Professor of Innovation and Management Information Systems, University of Victoria (Canada)’s Gustavson School of Business at the
• Subodha Kumar – Chair Professor of Statistics, Operations, and Data Science and the Founding Director of the Center for Business Analytics and Disruptive Technologies, Temple University’s Fox School of Business

Session 4: Training to Thrive in the AI Workplace

• Moderator: Konstantin Bauman – Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, Temple University’s Fox School of Business
• Lilach Mollick – Director of Pedagogy, Wharton Interactive
• Jenn Nyiri – Vice President of Enterprise Accelerated Development, Comcast NBCUniversal
• Paul Pavlou – Dean, University of Houston’s C. T. Bauer College of Business