Transcending the Woke Wave: Firm Change Workshop Session 1

*This is a two-part course. When registering, you are purchasing both sessions. Each session is approved for 2.0 LU credits so participants will earn 4.0 LU credits total. Capacity is limited to promote interactive learning.*

Session 1: Thursday, February 25 
Session 2: Thursday, March 11 

Following the protests across the country and the world ignited by the murder of George Floyd and countless other Black lives at the hands of the police, as well as a global pandemic that continues to disproportionately impact Black and brown communities, came the “woke wave.” Eyes opened to the ongoing devastation caused by white supremacy, systemic racism, and other forms of oppression, none of it new, all of it centuries old and baked into the very foundation of this country. 

Companies that had previously remained silent issued somber and earnest statements declaring that Black Lives Matter and pledging their commitment to antiracism. Even firms that had long been doing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and antiracism work looked at how they could accelerate their efforts. 

Join Co-Creating Inclusion for a two-part workshop designed to guide and support DEI and antiracist leaders and advocates who are committed to creating meaningful and substantive change in their architecture firms. 

Workshop outcomes – Session 1 (Thursday, February 25) 

• Introductions and goals
• Recap of the brainstorming and input from the public program on 1/27
• Creating brave safe space for difficult conversations
• Getting leadership buy-in and building trust 
• Aptitude and appetite for change 

Workshop outcomes – Session 2 (Thursday, March 11) 

• Employee life cycle – hiring, onboarding, retention, and career development
• The work itself – input into the design process, creating boundaries that protect staff, speaking up about social issues
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a value proposition
• Creating a roadmap for long-term momentum and change
• Wrap-up

This workshop is for you if: 

• You are committed to change at your firm but aren’t sure where to start or what to do next 
• You’ve been able to drive some progress at your firm but are exhausted from what often feels like screaming into the wind 
• You want to know how to turn your good intentions into tangible actions and results 

This workshop follows an introductory talk, Transcending the Woke Wave: Creating Long Term Change at Architectural Firms, held in January. Sign up here to receive the recording and slides from the program. Members of the profession in any role, at any level, and in any size or type of architecture firm are welcome. Firms are also encouraged to send several staff members as a team. 

Speakers:

Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick, AIA, Principal and Founder, Co-Creating Inclusion
Pierette Imbriano, Director of Client Services, Co-Creating Inclusion

About the speakers:
Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick, AIA, is Principal and Founder of Co-Creating Inclusion, a diversity, equity, and inclusion firm with a focus on shifting culture and driving equity through strategic consulting, leadership and team development, workshop facilitation, and business integration. Her mission is to help people, teams, and organizations create cultural transformation through inclusion and belonging in order to co-create the conditions where all can thrive and do their best and most fulfilling work. Fitzpatrick is in her element when she has the opportunity to impact all aspects of an organization through an integrated approach that leverages her ability to deal with ambiguity while driving the work forward. She holds a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University and is an MBTI Certified Practitioner and certified leadership coach. Fitzpatrick started her career as an architect with a B. Arch from Pratt Institute. She spent almost 20 years managing workplace strategy and corporate headquarters projects for major global brands for firms such as STUDIOS Architecture, Skonick Architecture, and Gensler. Born and brought up in the UK, Alethea lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her 9- and 11-year-old boys.

Pierette Imbriano, Director of Client Partnerships, works in close collaboration with clients from the first inquiry submitted through to the last report provided by CC to support the development and actualization of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion understanding and practices in alignment with an organizations’s mission, vision, and strategic plan. Imbriano’s focus is on helping organizations realize their full potential while working together to design, deliver, and implement realistic and tangible tools to enhance DEI competencies at all levels to ensure success and sustainability. She works with organizations to create strong teams and facilitates workshops to boost morale and productivity. Having produced broadcast news programs, worked in executive analytical positions for socially responsible institutional investing, and served as the director of marketing departments and strategic development for large human service nonprofits, Imbriano has a deep understanding of the critical role DEI plays in the accomplishments of every industry. She studied Conflict Management and African Studies at Bryn Mawr College, Anthropology at Spelman College, and Public Administration and Organizational Planning at Villanova University and has an Ethnobotany Fellowship, which is the study of environment and cultures, from the University of Alaska.

See full bios here.