How can we make good intentions lead to the intended impact?
Over the past few years, a number of European companies and institutions have made great strides when it comes to recruiting and hiring a more diverse workforce, advancing equity in the workplace and building a culture that fosters more inclusivity. However, despite their best efforts, sometimes good intentions don't always lead to the intended impact.
This is why this year's Black Women in DEI - Europe event will focus on advising companies across Europe – and around the world – on how to ensure that their good intentions lead to the intended impact, not only for the benefit of their clients and consumers, but also of their employees and shareholders.
Interested in event sponsorship or partnership opportunities? Reach out to Melanie at info@melaniejacobconsulting.com for details.
This event is organised and moderated by:
Melanie Jacob (France)
Melanie Jacob (she/her) is an Inclusive Media Strategist and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Consultant. Through her work, she supports multinational companies – through webinars, workshops, one-on-one coaching, and more! – along their journey towards building more diverse, equitable and inclusive strategies and work environments.
This year's panelists include:
Vivian Acquah (The Netherlands)
As an Inclusive Workplace Wellness Advocate, Vivian Acquah (she/her) advises managers on how to keep their team members engaged, energized, and safe in a sustainable manner. Vivian Acquah is making topics related to workplace wellness & DEI accessible to everyone. She provides people with the right tools, at the right time, to embrace inclusive changes. Vivian motivates people to think consciously and inspires them to take action. She offers workshops and training for companies who want to amplify their diversity, equity & inclusion to infinity, and beyond.
Amarachi Igboegwu (Germany)
Amarachi Adannaya Igboegwu (she/her) is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist. She designs pre-service teacher training courses on implicit bias undergirded by her framework- teaching consciously in culturally diverse classrooms. She aims to help pre-service and in-service teachers in Germany, especially those without much contact with minority communities, to recognize the impact of implicit bias and the mindset switches required to create inclusive classrooms. In her spare time, she writes books on varying topics. The most recent ones are “A Fun Guide to Learning Nigerian Pidgin English in Nigeria, and My Body Belongs to Me- an awareness-raising book on child sexual abuse. She also writes music and sings- mostly folk/jazz.
Chikere Igbokwe (The UK)
Chikere Igbokwe (she/her) is an experienced Executive Recruiter and D&I Activist who is passionate about Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equality and the important role that recruitment plays especially when it comes to recruiting diverse and unrepresented talent. She is on a mission to make organisations more diverse and inclusive and equip them with the confidence and knowhow to be change agents. She is the founder of www.allyship.co.uk - a community for Allies to learn, educate themselves, connect and fully understand the the discrimination faced my Black and Minority groups and Allyship Book Club and www.inclucive.co.uk, a DEI Consultancy. She offers training and workshops for organisations who want to know how to attract and retain diverse talent and change the systematic injustices that some organisations are built on.
Hayley Bennett (The UK)
Hayley Bennett (she/her) is a multi-award-winning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant and Campaigner. Hayley has a background in both anti-racism and corporate DEI and now leads her own consultancy to support business, sport and education. Her passion for inclusion in sport led her to co-found Nutmegs, a growing football community for women of colour and non-binary people of colour.
Naomi Williams (Spain)
Naomi Williams (she/her) is a JEDI-Catalyst and Career Advisor at Esade, and Transformational Coach at Nao Coaching with the objective to actively support those that are looking to change their lives around, whether it be within their career or personal development.
Naomi actively generates and strengthens relationships with corporate partners and career searchers to function as a connector between those looking for a chance and those looking for talent. She particularly is a driving force in creating safe spaces and opportunities for representation of black and brown racial identities on and off University Campus. Creator of the speaker´ series “Esade Talent Bites”, which encourages Black and Brown professionals in leadership roles to share their story and leading practices with early talent, and “The Elephant Talks”; safe spaces where uncomfortable conversations about race, injustice and inequality can be held on campus grounds.
In order to achieve the desired career development Naomi assists clients to gain clarification in their personal goals and overcoming blockages and limiting beliefs. She uses using “Embodiment Coaching Techniques” to focus on effective actions and ensure body-and-mind connections become aligned.
Areas of expertise & interest: international career development in young professionals, international career changes in seasoned professionals, Catalyzing Diversity & Inclusion initiatives in the academic area. Personal Self-discovery and blended families (aka stepfamilies).
