This conversation produced such impact and innovative ideations last year, we had to bring it back again! This facilitated closed-door session will give industry C-Suite leaders the opportunity to have confidential peer level conversations and address sensitive, yet critical, topics impacting their organizations and the industry.

Remarks from: Drew Marsh, Chair and CEO, Entergy

Facilitated by: Holly Price, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Co.

Talent Rewire, an initiative of FSG, envisions a future where every individual in the U.S. can realize their full potential through a humanity- and economy-boosting job that provides equitable economic opportunity, stability, and mobility. They are especially focused on such opportunities for frontline employees—particularly people of color and women—through 1) innovating new research, programs, and tools to drive employer systems transformation; 2) scaling learnings to build the capacity of the broader workforce field; and 3) modeling equity and frontline-centered systems change. This workshop will be continued in a Part Two session in Chicago on June 17^th and 18^th.

Speakers: Scotland Nash and Talia Alongi, Talent Rewire

Join us for some lightly structured networking through conversational lunch topics including:

• Hiring justice impacted citizens.
• Leading from the Top: Increasing Access to the C-Suite
• One New Thing We Are Doing Is….
• Building your Ecosystem of Personal & Professional Support
• Accessibility Challenges
• Changing Dynamics of Partnerships w/ Community Based Organizations
• Supporting Title 1 Schools in Adopting Energy Curriculum
• Titles & Terminology

Welcome & Opening Remarks by Cornell Johnson, Director, Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, CEWD

In 2023, an activist campaign was launched to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI, in schools, government, and corporations. The campaign described “diversity” as putting identity above merit, “equity” as forcing an equality of outcomes, and “inclusion” as restricting the opposing discourse from non-historically underrepresented communities. Despite the proven record of DEI to help advance positive outcomes as both a moral imperative and competitive advantage, this campaign has successfully leveraged a three-pronged strategy to destabilize the discipline, which includes a narrative line, policy line, and action line to help persuade a split in public support of its elimination. In addition to the proven benefits of DEI on performance, productivity, and profitability, approximately 6 out 10 citizens believe that a representative society makes the United States a better place to live.  In her prior role as the “People’s Chief Diversity Officer”, Dr. Sesha Joi Moon defined “diversity” as all people, “equity” as fair access to opportunity, and “inclusion” as the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness — yet, despite many practitioners’ non-partisan approach to the discipline, D, E, and I have become some of the most politically divisive letters in the alphabet. During this fireside chat, Dr. Moon will be joined by Cornell Johnson to discuss what went right and what went wrong — and where do we go from here as both corporations and a country.

Speakers: Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, Former Chief Diversity Officer, U.S. House of Representatives, 117th & 118th Congresses, and Cornell Johnson, Director, Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships

Learn how companies that have successfully achieved cultural transformations actually did it. What are the respective cultures of their organizations and what tangible impacts do those cultures yield? During this session you will hear from CEOs that are investing in sustaining this body of work beyond “the moment.” Learn how they are positioning culture driving work to their board and what outcomes they are presenting.

It is no secret that at the end of the day, the name of the game is making money. For a lot of utility companies, how they do that is impacted and regulated by their respective public service commissioners. During this session you will hear from state commissioners on how they are holding utilities accountable to be inclusive of the communities they serve. Where is this critical group of stakeholders placing priority?

Speakers: Commissioner Davante Lewis, Commissioner Emeritus Tim Simon

A new wave of opposition is rolling back initiatives and challenging the progress we’ve made. In this volatile environment, leaders must navigate not only economic uncertainty and evolving workplace dynamics but also a rising tide of resistance to diversity, equity, and inclusion. How do you communicate effectively with employees, customers, and other stakeholders when DEI is in the crosshairs? Join DEI expert Janet M. Stovall, CDE, Founder of Pragmatic Diversity and Global Head of DEI at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and co-author of the Amazon bestseller, The Conscious Communicator: The Fine Art of Not Saying Stupid S**t, for a fireside chat with Courtney Moore, Director, DE&I and Chief of Staff to VP Human Resources at Southwest Gas. In this session, Janet and Courtney will share insights on how leaders can communicate with impact, ensuring their messages align with both their DEI and business objectives. Janet will provide actionable strategies for communicating authentically and inclusively, even amidst controversy. This session is a must-attend for any leader who wants to learn how to effectively – and safely – champion DEI in these critical times.

Fireside Chat with: Janet Stovall, CDE, Founder of Pragmatic Diversity and Global Head of DEI at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and Courtney Moore, Director, DE&I and Chief of Staff to VP Human Resources, Southwest Gas

Please join us for a networking reception following Day 1 of the CEWD Forum. Connect with fellow attendees over local flavors, jazz, and New Orleans–inspired fun at A Night in New Orleans. This relaxed, engaging environment is the perfect setting to build relationships, exchange ideas, and kick off meaningful conversations that will carry through the Forum. Thank you to our networking reception sponsor, Southwest Gas, for making this experience possible!

Remarks by: Drew Marsh, CEO, Entergy, and Southwest Gas, Reception Sponsor

Hosted By:

The dine-around dinners offer Forum attendees the chance to check out some of the area’s unique dining spots. They are perfect for those eager to expand their network and continue the day’s conversations. Individuals will be responsible for their own meal costs.

Date & Time: May 13th, 7:00 PM (following the Forum Reception) 

How to Sign Up: Sign Ups will be released soon.

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early! 

Breakfast! Thank you to our Day 2 Breakfast sponsor, PSEG, for making this experience possible!

Hosted By:

“Pivot” has become the word of the year as companies adjust strategies and terminology related to the business imperatives of diversity yet respect the current political landscape and, in some cases, mandates. Leadership is about courage over cowardice. It’s about standing up for your values, even when it is hard. Armed with research-backed and pushback-proof insights, Julie shares 10 pivots that every leader can make to remain relevant and inclusive in a most certainly increasingly diverse and global marketplace. Leveraging her experience in the classroom as a business school professor and research from her Forbes column, Julie facilitates thoughtful, actionable takeaways so that leaders can lead with clarity through chaos.

Speaker: Julie Kratz, Kelley School of Business Professor, Chief Engagement Officer, Next Pivot Point

The current president has signed over 65 executive orders since taking office on January 20^th, many of which have challenged the way we work and serve the communities across your respective service territories. But what do these executive orders really mean? What can we do without coloring outside the lines? How can we sustain the work that we spent so many years investing in? Hear from attorneys that have spent time gathering these very answers to help guide our next steps as an industry united.

Speakers: Nancy Harvey, New York Power Authority, and Michelle Lopez, Paradigm

Seramount convened over 60 DEI and HR leaders across industries to discuss strategies to expand DEI’s scope, connect with multicultural consumers and diverse stakeholders, and drive bottom-line impact in a rapidly diversifying marketplace. Given the significant demographic shift, both in the US and globally, staying true to our DEI commitments has never been more important. Still, organizations need to innovate, evolve, reframe, and expand their approach in these polarizing times.

How are we going to build the workforce of the future when there is a lack of education around what the challenges are in the next 10/20/30 years to achieve our clean energy goals? How do we educate around generation sources? Inspired by AABE’s Ethics Bowl, join us for this dynamic session featuring local college students as they help us solve pertinent and timely challenges that we face today solving for tomorrow.

Facilitated by: Dr. Alaysia Black Hackett, Founder and CEO, ABH Solutions, former Diversity and Equity Officer for the Secretary of Labor