Harnessing intersectionality to unlock diversity in innovation

A study published by Harvard Business Review highlighted the importance of diversity for driving innovation and market growth. The study focused on the benefit of inherent diversity, the diversity traits we’re born with, and learnt diversity that we gain from our experiences.

Our event will feature a variety of guest speakers. They’ll be sharing their thoughts on how we can attract diverse talent and create the right workplace cultures - so every voice is heard.

These are critical steps companies need to take to keep their workforce engaged and to unlock the innovation offered through diverse perspectives.

Join us to explore:

• What intersectionality really means and how it can benefit your team
• How to adopt inclusive hiring and onboarding practices
• Developing people leader skills to harness innovation

Join experts from Leeds Building Society to discuss how to address the gaps and barriers in the workplace, promote diversity and pave the way for innovation.

Taking place during National Inclusion Week, the discussion will incorporate race, disability, gender, neurodiversity and more. The event will also run as part of National Inclusion week.

Our event will feature guest speakers and will involve thought-provoking debate on the following:

• Inclusive hiring practices
• How to foster inclusive workplace cultures
• The impact of diversity on innovation
• Addressing implicit biases
• How to support underrepresented groups
• Neurodiversity

It will be followed by an open Q&A session and will include a broad representation of inclusive employers. There’ll also be time for networking in an informal setting, with refreshments provided for everyone to enjoy!

• Hannah Short - Senior Inclusion & Diversity Consultant, Leeds Building Society

Hannah Short is a Senior Inclusion & Diversity Consultant who focuses on fostering an environment where all colleagues can be seen, valued and at their best at Leeds Building Society. As part of her role at LBS she supports the day-to-day management of the colleague based forums, mental health first aiders and menopause champions as well as broader I&D activity such as facilitating training, creating opportunities to celebrate moments that matter to our colleagues and highlighting opportunities to be inclusive by design.

With a background in financial services, having starter her career in mortgages, Hannah believes that inclusion and diversity is everyone's responsibility and is a fundamental part of any successful organisation, no matter the size.

Hannah holds a first-class degree in Education from Cardiff University, where her love for advocacy began, and has received several awards for her advocacy both in her professional and person life.

Outside of work, Hannah spends time volunteering with the Leeds Angels of Freedom and Bliss Cavalier Rescue.

Hannah lives in Leeds with her husband and two dogs, and when not working or volunteering can be found curled on the sofa with a good book.

• Amy Cockram - Club Executive, AND Digital

Experienced leader having worked both agency and client side. With a background in strategic planning with a focus on digital I have experience leading high level client relationships and guiding teams through impactful digital transformation projects. I am recognised for developing relationships and effective ways of working across a wide variety of teams and disciplines

• Coutney Swaby - Disability Busiess Parnter, Business Disability Forum

Courtney joined Business Disability Forum in 2014. Courtney’s proven strength is in his ability to build and manage different types of relationships at all levels of a business. He has extensive experience in listening and understanding the needs of organisations and being able to impart his knowledge of disability as it affects business. The organisations he works with often comment on how visible Courtney’s passion is for the inclusion of disabled people and that “you sometimes have to treat people differently to treat them fairly”.

Courtney specialises in supporting organisations within the finance, emergency services and law enforcement, IT, and insurance sectors. He is also a member of the accessibility and passenger stakeholder group for London City airport.

His previous role was with an organisation that looked at the accessibility of websites. Courtney is a qualified mentor and is trained in counselling.

Courtney has spoken at events on disability in BAME communities and on businesses getting the foundations of disability inclusion in place. He is also a regular attendee at WharfAbility, a network of corporate professionals across London who are engaged in the disability inclusion in business agenda.

Outside of work, Courtney is the frontman for a covers band, The Love Handles.

• Amy Thabethe - Inclusion and Wellbeing Advisor, Business in the Community

Amy is an Inclusion and Wellbeing Advisor at Business in the Community (BITC) and works with BITC members across a range of private and public sectors to help them make progress on their diversity, Inclusion and wellbeing objectives.

Amy is very passionate about the value of diversity, Inclusion and wellbeing from a personal and ethical perspective. She has supported the development and delivery of a wide range of ED&I workshops, programmes, as well as larger projects which require in-depth subject matter knowledge and an understanding of the bespoke nature of delivering this work for organisations facing their own unique challenges.

Amy has a background in the legal recruitment sector. In her previous role, she independently championed and implemented a full ED&I strategy, building a programme for change which introduced data collection and analysis, staff awareness initiatives, advertising content review and analysis, and positive action changes.

Amy has also gained life experience insights through travel and living abroad for many years amongst other cultures. She also holds valuable personal experience and perspectives through being in a multi-cultural, multi-racial and bi-lingual family.

Amy is extremely passionate about communicating the importance and value of diversity Inclusion and wellbeing in business, and institutions and understands the intricate nature of the support required to help organisations achieve the changes they wish to see.

Host or Publisher Leeds Building Society