OMAHA, Neb., October 7, 2022 – The Greater Omaha Chamber hosted the 4th annual Conference on Opportunity, Diversity and Equity on Thursday, October 6. The Conference was held at the CHI Health Center and in-person for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was impressed by not only the turnout, but the active participation by all attendees at this year’s Conference. The people that showed up at the CHI Center ready to make a difference are what made this a successful event. This is a great step forward on Omaha’s path to positive change in our community and I can’t wait to see the progress we’ve made at next year’s Conference,” said Dell Nared, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Greater Omaha Chamber.
Almost 800 individuals pre-registered for the event, which sought to empower attendees to transform their workplace for the better and equip them to take action and break down the barriers to equality. The event was headlined by special guest speakers Janet Stovall and Jeff Raikes.
Janet Stovall is a global speaker, facilitator, writer and consultant who helps businesses dismantle systemic inequity, especially where it intersects with race. As the Global Head of DEI at NeuroLeadership Institute and founder of DEI consultancy, Pragmatic Diversity, Janet brings deep expertise around DEI communications practices and principles that drive change and build culture in large, complex organizations.
Jeff Raikes is the former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led the foundation’s efforts to promote equity for people around the world. As co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, Jeff currently works toward a just and inclusive society where all young people have the support they need to reach their full potential.
Attendees left the Conference with inspiration from 16 breakout sessions, ranging from: Incivility at Work: Insights and Best Practices, Creating a Road Map for Disability Inclusion Workplace Practices, and Seeing Color in Corporate among others.
At the conclusion of the event, the date for next year’s conference was also announced for October 20, 2023.
About Greater Omaha
Greater Omaha is a No. 1 ranked up-and-coming-tech hotspot, a “top 10 best place to live on a $60,000 salary” and one of the “best cities for young professionals” according to SmartAsset. Greater Omaha is home to more than 30 communities and nearly 1 million people.
About the Greater Omaha Chamber
The mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and a prosperous region through visionary leadership and collaboration.