📽️ Event: Ask Us Anything DEI by the Institute for Sustainable Diversity & Inclusion (ISDI)
🗓️ When: Thursday, March 6, 2025
⏰️ Time: 10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
📍️ Where: Zoom. Register here.
DEI Under Fire
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are under attack. That’s not a rhetorical flourish, it’s a reality we must face together. Across industries, DEI programs are being downsized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. At the same time, workplace polarization is rising, with studies showing that incivility and distrust between employees have reached historic levels, impacting engagement, retention, and overall productivity. The question isn’t whether DEI is needed, the data proves it. The question is how we sustain and evolve DEI in a way that makes it indispensable, even amid resistance.
On March 6, 2025, ISDI is hosting a live “Ask Us Anything” event, a space for open, honest dialogue about the future of inclusion. This is not another scripted panel discussion. It’s an opportunity for DEI professionals, HR leaders, and executives to bring their most pressing questions and engage in real-time with practitioners who are shaping DEI strategies today. Whether you’re navigating pushback from leadership, rethinking inclusion efforts in your organization, or simply seeking clarity on what’s next, this session is designed to provide actionable insights, reinforce ISDI’s commitment to sustainable DEI progress, and foster collective resilience in the face of uncertainty.
The State of DEI in 2025: Where We Stand
Over the past months, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have faced unprecedented challenges. Legislative rollbacks in multiple states have restricted corporate DEI initiatives, while political discourse has fueled skepticism about the role of DEI in business. Many organizations, feeling the pressure of economic headwinds, have de-prioritized or outright dismantled their DEI programs, citing a perceived misalignment with core business objectives. But here’s the reality: companies that abandon DEI are not just making a moral misstep, they’re making a strategic one. The research is clear, diverse leadership teams outperform competitors by up to 35%, and organizations that fail to prioritize inclusion risk falling behind in both talent retention and market innovation.
Beyond corporate strategy, workplace incivility is rising, costing U.S. businesses $2.7 billion per day in lost productivity, absenteeism, and disengagement. This isn’t a theoretical concern, it’s an operational crisis. Employees are demanding inclusive workplaces where they feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute. And yet, one of the most overlooked dimensions of DEI, disability inclusion, remains largely unaddressed in mainstream efforts. Accessibility isn’t an add-on; it’s a fundamental business imperative. As we navigate this changing landscape, organizations must recognize that DEI isn’t just about representation, it’s about building workplaces that enable every employee to succeed. That’s why conversations like the one we’ll have on March 6, 2025 are more critical than ever.
The March 6, 2025 Event: What to Expect
Most DEI discussions are carefully curated, scripted, and filtered through corporate messaging. This one won’t be. ISDI’s “Ask Us Anything” event is a truly interactive, unscripted conversation, an opportunity to bring your toughest DEI questions and get direct, unfiltered answers from leading experts in the field. No pre-packaged responses, no surface-level talking points, just a real-time exchange of ideas designed to equip you with practical solutions for sustaining DEI efforts amid growing challenges.
We’ll be joined by renowned DEI leaders, including Effenus Henderson, Amelia Ransom and Eddie Pate, who bring decades of experience in corporate diversity strategy, disability inclusion, and leadership development. Together, we’ll tackle some of the most urgent topics facing organizations today: how to keep DEI initiatives alive amid budget cuts and political pushback, how to counter DEI resistance in the workplace, and how to frame DEI as a business imperative rather than a social obligation. We’ll also explore the often-overlooked intersection of disability inclusion and DEI, ensuring that accessibility remains central to diversity conversations. With 74% of employees expecting workplace tensions to escalate in 2025, organizations can’t afford to wait, this is the moment to adapt, strategize, and lead.
Addressing the Pushback: Overcoming DEI Resistance
Let’s be clear: DEI is not a political trend, it’s a business imperative. Yet, in today’s charged climate, DEI initiatives are increasingly met with skepticism, misinformation, and outright resistance. The most common myths? That DEI is a costly distraction, ineffective, or at odds with meritocracy. In reality, the data overwhelmingly supports DEI’s value: companies with diverse leadership teams outperform competitors by up to 35%, and organizations that foster inclusivity see higher innovation, retention, and employee engagement. As for meritocracy? True meritocracy cannot exist without equity, if systemic barriers are ignored, talent remains untapped. DEI is not about lowering the bar; it’s about removing obstacles so everyone has a fair shot at success.
For DEI to survive, leadership must see it not as a checkbox, but as a strategic driver of business success. That means shifting conversations away from ideology and focusing on measurable business outcomes. Leaders respond to data, so use it: show them how inclusive teams drive revenue, reduce turnover, and improve decision-making. And don’t let DEI remain a siloed initiative, embed it into leadership KPIs and performance evaluations to ensure accountability. This is not the time to retreat. It’s time to equip ourselves with the tools, language, and strategy to make DEI unshakable.
Moving Forward: A Call to Action
The conversation doesn’t end on March 6, 2025, it starts there. This event is your opportunity to bring the biggest DEI challenges to the table, get real-time insights from industry leaders, and walk away with practical strategies to move inclusion forward in your organization. Here’s what you can do right now: register, invite decision-makers from your company, and prepare your toughest questions. And don’t keep this conversation to yourself, share what you learn with your teams. Spark dialogue. Challenge assumptions. Push for DEI to remain a business priority, not a sidelined initiative.
The future of work belongs to organizations that embrace diversity as a competitive advantage. Companies that invest in long-term DEI strategies today won’t just weather the challenges ahead, they’ll lead their industries in the next decade. DEI isn’t a passing movement, it’s the foundation for sustainable success. Join us on March 6, 2025 and be part of the movement that ensures workplaces remain places of equity, opportunity, and innovation. Mark your calendars, this isn’t just another webinar. It’s a moment to shape the future of inclusion.
” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “
Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation
Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here
Connect With Me:
Website: https://drkirkadams.com
Email: kirkadams@drkirkadams.com
Phone: +1 (206) 660-1363
Subscribe: https://drkirkadams.com/subscribe
Facebook: https://drkirkadams.com/facebook
LinkedIn (Individual): https://drkirkadams.com/linkedin
LinkedIn (Company): https://drkirkadams.com/linkedinpage
Mastodon: https://drkirkadams.com/mastodon
Medium: https://drkirkadams.com/medium
RSS: https://drkirkadams.com/feed
X (Formerly Twitter): https://drkirkadams.com/x
YouTube: https://drkirkadams.com/youtube
Address: 140 Lakeside Avenue, Suite A, Seattle, Washington 98122-6538