Racial Equity and Economic Development (REED) Committee

If racial and gender gaps were closed, the GDP of Connecticut from 2005 to 2019 would have increased by $39B annually in earnings, employment, hours worked and educational attainment.  – Fed Reserve Bank Communities, 2021

The MetroHartford Alliance seeks to normalize social and racial equity in economic development.  The Racial Equity and Economic Development Leadership Committee (REED) was formed in 2020 to provide education and support to the business community in collaboration with experts and local organizations to implement equitable opportunities that strengthen and elevate our businesses and community partnerships in the Greater Hartford Region.

To help the MetroHartford Alliance progress racial equity in economic development by increasing issue awareness and developing impactful programming that results in concrete action.

1. Business community education/Diversity awareness
   • Create awareness and opportunities to implement action
   • Keep the conversation going through various communication channels (webinars, podcasts, articles, etc.)
2. Minority and Women Business Enterprise Certification and Development Support
   • Invest in our local socially or economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and small businesses
   • Help create fair access and greater growth opportunities by competing for contracts.
   • Provide technical support and assistance in partnership with our local non-profit organizations and corporations. Design, build and promote tools for them and try to eliminate and streamline barriers, including access to capital.
3. Healthcare Supplier Diversification
   • Help MWBE’s gain greater access to hospital supply chains by identifying opportunities, points of access, processes, and advocates (in partnership with the CT Health Council)

4. Board Diversification
   • Create awareness about the lack of racial and gender representation on boards in government, non-profit organizations, and corporate boards.
   • Connect diverse leaders with resources that facilitate participation on boards

About this event

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
January 18, 2021

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential for business success. How do we measure them and how do they fit into an organization’s overall culture and employee value proposition? On this episode of Pulse of the Region, Amy Stern, Managing Director, Research and Strategy, BI Worldwide, and Jay Williams, President, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, discuss these issues and uncover aspects of diversity and inclusion that we aren’t yet talking about.

Racial Equity & Economic Development Committee
January 21, 2021

This week’s Pulse of the Region will focus on the MetroHartford Alliance (MHA) Racial Equity and Economic Development Leadership Committee. Guests Raina Giddings, MHA Senior Director of Investor Relations; Kel Thomas, Attorney The Hartford and Chair of Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (HYPE); and Dr. Duncan Harris, CEO Capital Community College will discuss the committee’s goals and it’s first event, which will take place January 28.

Elevating Diverse Talent Within your Organization
May 7, 2021

This week, we’re getting the pulse about elevating diverse talent within your organization. Guests are David Hopkins, President and CEO of Urban League of Greater Hartford and MHA Racial Equity and Economic Development Committee member; Djuana Beamon, Chief Diversity Officer at People’s United Bank; and Joshua Hollander, CEO of Horton International.

The Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• Closing the racial and gender gaps in Connecticut could increase GDP by almost $39B annually
• McKinsey’s – Delivering Through Diversity report
• Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter |Catalyst
• How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation
• Pew Research Center:  Women and Leadership, Public Says Women are Equally Qualified, but Barriers Persist
• The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2020: Millennials and Gen Z’s hold the key to creating a “better normal”

Inclusive Work Culture

• 10 Point Commitments to Fight Racism and Social Injustice | Stanley Black & Decker
• Lincoln Financial Strengthens Commitment to Advance Racial Equity: 8 Point Plan
• Making Room: Reflections on Diversity & Inclusion in the Future of Work | Cognizant
• Empowering Women to Thrive Through Sponsorship | Cognizant
• The Hidden Value of Culture Makers |Accenture
• 8 Best Practices in Changing Your Culture |CIO

HR, Talent Recruitment & Employee Retention

• The New Leadership Playbook for the Digital Age | MIT Sloan Management Review & Cognizant
• 10 Recruiter Strategies To Improve Diversity And Inclusion In Hiring | Forbes
• Is Artificial Intelligence: The Key To Recruiting A Diverse Workforce?

·       Market Watch: Workplaces of the future will be multi-generational

• Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities: Business Training Institute

Implicit & Unconscious Bias

• Unconscious Bias, Implicit Bias, and Microaggressions: What Can We Do about Them? | ABA
• How IT leaders can effectively address systemic racism | CIO
• White Supremacy Culture Article
• How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
• Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
• The Memo, Minda Harts

Video Resources 

• Travel and embrace Diversity to become a better person (18 mins)
• Want a More Just World? Be an Unlikely Ally (10 mins)
• Segregated by Design (17 mins)
• Black Wall Street – Tulsa Massacre (9 mins)