How can we advance true inclusion and equity in the Workplace?
2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States. Only 10 short decades ago, women were finally acknowledged as individuals whose voices were worth hearing and respecting in elections. But as we celebrate this moment of progress, we must also explore the work that remains to be done.
The first luncheon in our 2020 Social Innovation Luncheon Series, “How can we advance true inclusion and equity in the Workplace?,” will feature speaker Liji Thomas. Utilizing her experience leading diversity and inclusion practices for some of the largest corporations in the world, Thomas will explore the current disconnects between investment vs. outcome in D&I as well as spotlight how we might look at inclusion systemically. She will share her personal story coupled with insight into how best-in-class institutions can approach diversity and inclusion for long-term sustainable success. “Inclusion is the leadership conversation of the 21st century, and companies will either move beyond playing an optics game or become irrelevant in an increasingly complex, volatile, and diverse world,” says Thomas.
This first lunch in the 2020 SILS series will lay a fundamental groundwork for our conversation through the year! Do not miss this candid look at how far we have come in inclusion and how far we still have to go towards achieving true institutional equity with Liji Thomas!
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
11:30am – 1:00pm
Liji Thomas is the Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Southern California Edison (SCE), the largest subsidiary of Edison International, a Fortune 250 company at the forefront of driving the clean energy future for the state of California. Prior to joining SCE, she helped build an award-winning diversity and inclusion strategy for Southwest Airlines and served as a consultant to several Fortune 500 companies. Liji has 20+ years of experience across business strategy, audit, compliance, risk management, and HR/diversity and inclusion functions. She has also worked internationally overseeing cross-functional corporate compliance and risk management in the mortgage banking industry and lobbied on Capitol Hill for an increase in low-income housing for women and children. Liji is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and holds Master’s degrees in Finance, Accounting, and Information Technology Management and Consulting in addition to CPA, CIA, CRMA, and SHRM-CP designations. She is a former Jesuit Volunteer and a graduate of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2017. In her spare time, she is involved in Kanarys, a Dallas-based technology startup and contributes to various civic and charitable causes.