Summit Fosters Dialogue on Gender Partnership, Trust, Equity in Workplace
“Diversity is about being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
This was a key theme at the 2018 Workplace Summit, a first-ever gathering of business leaders across the Greater Philadelphia Region to discuss gender partnership, communication, trust and equity in the workplace, presented by the Pennsylvania Conference for Women. The quote was shared by keynote speaker Vernā Myers, who is an inclusion strategist, cultural change catalyst, social commentator and best-selling author.
Qurate Retail Group joined this important dialogue and helped make it possible as one of six corporate sponsors, reflecting our long-standing support of women’s advancement and diversity and inclusion.
“We value Qurate Retail Group’s support in uplifting not just women, but people of all races, genders, and backgrounds, and we’re thrilled to share those values,” said Laurie Dalton White, Executive Director of Conferences for Women. Qurate Retail Group’s brands often join these conferences, which are designed to help women further their careers, foster their leadership and channel their strengths.
The 2018 Workplace Summit was held in June at Villanova University, near Philadelphia. Justin Smith, our Vice President of Talent Planning and Acquisition, introduced a panel titled “A Conversation on Navigating the Workplace in a Post #MeToo World…Now What?” He noted that the gender partnership, inclusion and equity are core to our culture, our values and our strategic priorities.
“One of our top strategic priorities is to inspire and engage all of our team members, across all of our geographies and brands,” Justin said. “The only way to do that is to create an internal environment that encourages dialogue, allows us to challenge one another without judgement, and empowers all of our team members to contribute to our collective success.”
Participating in the 2018 Workplace Summit was part of these efforts, said Amber Wynne, our Lead of Diversity and Inclusion. “Events like these serve to educate, invigorate and further connect our team with each other and our local business community,” she said. “They give us incredible knowledge and motivate us to continue pushing our Diversity and Inclusion agenda forward.”