One of the most frequent questions we receive — and try and answer at Holistic — is “Who is doing it well?” It’s always been really informative to hear the good ideas others have. After all, as we say, there’s no IP in inclusion. This feature will highlight creative ideas from other companies. Check out the whole list here or submit your own suggestion below.

Many people are turning to books, podcasts, movies, and other means of education to learn how to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into their everyday lives. But Loyola University Chicago (LUC) is implementing a project to educate executives on how to implement these very values into their companies.

TL/DR; The Quinlan School of Business is training executives how to successfully execute DEI initiatives in the workplace using a myriad of resources and skilled individuals.

Who: Loyola University of Chicago's Quinlan School of Business
What’s the big idea💡: With faculty, coaches, and guest speakers, the Quinlan School of Business is organizing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Institute to enhance the way executives carry out DEI initiatives in their businesses. They will organize a cohort of leaders seeking to make a commitment to enact strong DEI policies in their company by attending sessions over the course of 9 months. In the end, these executives will receive a DEI certificate, and the knowledge they gain will be put to use at their companies to develop a DEI strategy in the workplace.
Why it works: Using four full-day coaching sessions and four individual coaching sessions, the faculty, coaching staff, and guest speakers will instruct the executives on what specific initiatives they can implement in their companies to develop a DEI strategy, based off of the strategies their companies often use. They seek to promote meaningful, lasting change through understanding the relationship between business and society, the importance of fair leadership, the functionality of business strategy, and the relevance of leveraging diverse talent.
(Not so) Hidden value: Higher education is oftentimes a stumbling block that can contribute to systemic inequality; it is a system ripe for improvement. Universities and graduate programs must work to break down the barriers that have been in place for ages, and using conventional education as a tool to increase DEI initiatives will also help combat systemic discrimination.

Executives and company leaders can apply now through July 24, 2020 here. To see what else the Quinlan School of Business is doing to change the game, check out their LinkedIn and Facebook.

We are proud to say that Holistic’s very own Tanjia Coleman is a co-facilitator for this cohort.

Written by Hayley Mirabile