Navigating Diversity & Inclusion at Your Firm: A DEI Knowledge Exchange

Over the last few years, the structural engineering community has increasingly recognized the importance of advocacy for the inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented groups. Individual engineering firms have pursued an array of actions to “solve” the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) problem: by hiring external consultants, providing wage transparency, marching in parades, and more. The most common “solution” firms turn towards when supporting DEI is to create an internal DEI organization. This DEI group, or groups, is often the touchpoint of real change in the office – from providing a safe space for challenging conversations to pushing for equity in all forms, such as pay and benefits. However, conversations and initiatives formed within an internal DEI organization will often just stay within the firm. This leads to the valuable lessons learned in one firm being continually relearned as other firm’s form their own DEI groups.

SEAoNY Diversity invites you to join our DEI Knowledge Exchange for firm-based DEI groups. Participating groups will share a brief presentation summarizing how the group functions within their firm and discussing their firm’s recent DEI initiatives. The presentations will be followed by a networking session for all attendees. This is an in-person only event.