Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Time: 8:00 am – 1:45 pm
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Binghamton

 

Register

A Moment in Our Shoes

A supplementary half-day conference building upon our DEI programming. This event will focus on the lived experiences of individuals in our community and ways to create inclusive workplaces to increase productivity, development, and beyond.

The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce is committed to creating awareness about the competitive advantage of having a diverse and inclusive regional business climate through programs like the DEI Conference.

Event Goals

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”
Mahatma Gandhi

  • This conference will continue the conversation of DEI in our business community
  • The business community will learn the value of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace
  • Business partners will have the resources to kickstart their own DEI Initiatives
  • Attendees will know how to initiate difficult conversations surrounding DEI
  • Learn from the lived experiences of people in our community
  • Attendees will be able to foster partnerships with other companies and organizations to begin the next steps toward DEI initiatives
  • Will meet local leaders of DEI Initiatives to use as sources for future planning

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Conference 2023

2023 Event Schedule

8:00 – 8:20 a.m.

Registration, Networking

8:20 – 9:20 a.m.

Breakfast & Opening Session

KEYNOTE: A Moment in Our Shoes- The Impact of Bias on the Workforce

Dr. Lisa Harris

Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer Excellus Health Plan

9:20 – 9:35 a.m.

Break

9:35 – 10:35 a.m

4 Facilitated Breakout Sessions: Part 1

Lived Experiences

These will be facilitated discussion sessions where facilitators briefly share Lived Experiences (based on session topic) of facing different challenges, microaggressions, and unconscious bias in the workplace. ‘How they feel, how they deal, and where they are now’. We recognize that not all experiences are the same for people identifying in different parts of our community, and so there are no blanket fixes to the challenges faced. We can encourage a more individualized approach to be taken for a more equitable & inclusive workplace environment. Facilitators will guide open discussions to end on an empowering note, to encourage attendees to leave with tools to adjust practices, policies, and personal mindsets.

Facilitator Group #1:

Transgender and LGB Community

Nuci Pedraza

Prevention Navigator

Communities of Color Program; Southern Tier AIDS Program

Danny Ceballos

Executive Coach/ Consultant/ Trainer

UNLEASHED Consulting, Inc.

Facilitator Group #2:

Neurodiversity & Reentry After Incarceration

Paul Weckel

Binghamton Regional Administrator

Pathstone

Facilitator Group #3:

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Community

Alisa Davis (2)

Lisa Davis

DEI/Volunteer Coordinator

Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP)

Facilitator Group #4:

Racism, Gender, & Marginalized Groups

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Sulaiminah Burns

Founder

Support Black Business 607

10:35 – 11:00 a.m.

Break

11:00 – 12:00 p.m.

4 Facilitated Breakout Sessions : Part 2

Lived Experiences

Facilitator Group #1:

Unhoused Community

Micheal Johnson

HOST- Senior Housing Specialist

Southern Tier AIDS Program

Shakeema Brown

Housing Care Manager

Housing Opportunities of the Southern Tier

Southern Tier AIDS Program

Facilitator Group #2:

Ageism- Young & Established Professionals

Gene M. Swartz

Senior HR Business Partner

United Health Services

Vikki Collazo

Vikki Collazo

Director Youth Employment/Volunteer Engagement

Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference

Facilitator Group #3:

Overcoming Ableism

Alycia J. Harris

Career Counselor

Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc. (AVRE)

Laura Williams

Vision Rehabilitation Services Manager

Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc. (AVRE)

Facilitator Group #4:

Reentry from Substance Use & Incarceration

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Amanda Lewis

Harm Reduction Services Supervisor CASAC-2, CRPA

Addiction Center of Broome County, Inc.

Christopher Scott

Christopher Scott

Certified Peer Advocate

Addiction Center of Broome County, Inc.

12:00 – 12:25 p.m.

Networking Break

12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Lunch

1:00 – 1:45 p.m.

Closing Panel- 2023 DEI Cohort

Naima

Naima Kradjian

CEO

Goodwill Theatre, Inc.

Meggan Taylor

Ombudsperson and Employee Engagement Specialist

United Health Services

Gina Lovaglia

Human Resources Generalist

Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York

Tara Mills

Human Resource Business Partner

The Raymond Corporation

Kendra Pickett

Culture & Inclusion Specialist

Visions Federal Credit Union

Our sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

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Inclusion Sponsor

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Lunch Sponsor

Visions logo

Closing Session Sponsor

ibm-logo

Supporting Sponsor

security-mutual-logo

Supporting Sponsor

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Scholarship Sponsor

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Breakout Session Sponsor

HNM-LOGO-JULY-2022

Breakout Session Sponsor

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Breakout Session Sponsor

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Breakout Session Sponsor

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Creative Sponsor

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Audio/Visual Team

Blackfern Media

Event Photography