PuLSE March 21 Forum w/ Blue Cross CEO Keith & DTE Energy President Harris

Tricia Keith, the newly appointed president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Joi Harris, the president and chief operating officer of DTE Energy, two of the region of Southeast Michigan’s most prominent women business leaders, will appear together at an upcoming leadership forum for a discussion on the advancement of women in the national and local workforce and the opportunities for them to make meaningful social impact.

The program dubbed, Women’s Leadership Breakfast Forum, organized by The PuLSE Institute, Detroit’s national and non-partisan anti-poverty think tank, is being held in honor of Women’s History Month on Friday, March 21, from 8-10am at the Colony Club in downtown Detroit. The theme, Women in Corporate and Economic Leadership, will examine the abiding fact that there are not enough women in leadership positions of influence with the resources and decision-making powers to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice.

As a result the forum will delve into the fact that this century’s biggest deficit is the lack of women in top leadership roles across the political and socioeconomic spectrum who could directly influence how resources are distributed in the fight against poverty.

This will mark the first time ever that Keith and Harris have been invited on The PuLSE Institute’s high profile speaker forum which in the past has featured notable leaders and individuals such as: Dr. Gloria Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, Ambassador Ann Derse, former United States Ambassador to Lithuania (2009-2012) and to Azerbaijan (2006-2009); Cynthia J. Pasky, President and CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions; Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, former executive director of NETWORK and 2022 Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award, Gary Torgow, Chairman of Huntington Bank, United States Federal Bankruptcy Judge Mark Randon, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, Jerry Norcia, Chairman and CEO of DTE Energy, Daniel Loepp, former president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Sandro DiNello, former president and CEO of Flagstar Bank, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, former University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans amongst others.

“I am honored to join The PuLSE Institute’s Women’s Leadership Breakfast Forum to discuss the vital role of women in corporate and economic leadership,” said Keith of Blue Cross. “As we work toward solutions to address poverty and inequality, it is critical to ensure that women have a seat at the table where decisions are made. I look forward to engaging in this important conversation and sharing insights on how leadership can drive meaningful change.”

Harris of DTE Energy said, “I’m honored to participate with The PuLSE Institute in exploring how as corporate leaders, we can harness our collective power to create a more equitable and prosperous society for all.”

Attorney Tina M. Patterson, the President and Director of Research at The PuLSE Institute, and one of the few women leading a prominent think tank in the country underscored the essence of the leadership forum.

“The PuLSE Institute is honored to welcome Tricia Keith and Joi Harris as speaker for our Women’s Leadership Breakfast Forum. As a mission-driven institution committed to challenge the inequalities we face in our society, we are deeply committed to the investment of women in leadership roles, as well as elevating the voices of women across a diverse sectors because we recognize that traditionally, these are positions women are not expected to occupy and have been historically excluded from obtaining,” Patterson said. “However, society globally has reaped the benefits when women are vested with greater authority, resources, and leadership to expand essential living components including access to healthcare, cleaner environments, and greater economic opportunities for communities to rise above income limitations.”

Patterson added, “Our Women’s History Month speakers Keith and Harris understand the unique challenges women face in navigating a society built with obstacles to keep them within confined parameters, and their work in their respective organizations are a testament to the realization that when women are conferred with accessible and equitable resources and opportunities to overcome these challenges, our shared humanity grows stronger and our pursuit of an inclusive society for all to thrive becomes within reach.”

Bankole Thompson, the nationally acclaimed journalist and standard-bearer for economic justice issues, whose work on race, democracy and poverty inspired the founding of The PuLSE Institute several years ago, said the Women’s Leadership Breakfast Forum will highlight the critical need for the advancement of women in many facets of our national life.

“Women leaders have led successfully and changed the trajectory of their organizations and institutions towards better and impactful results. Their unique sets of perspectives and experiences which are brought to the fore in various positions have enabled these women leaders to create bold and meaningful changes for the betterment of our communities,” Thompson said. “That is why this conversation taking place during Women’s History Month is so crucial not only in breaking barriers but to see the full spectrum of leadership qualities that women bring to the table.”

Thompson, who is the dean of The PuLSE Institute, a twice-a-week opinion columnist at The Detroit News and host of the weekly national podcast, , added, “Gender equality cannot be achieved without economic justice. The two are mutually inclusive. Because throughout history, women have demonstrated an unwavering commitment for empowering others beyond their own immediate environments. That is why this forum is also about recognizing the fact that women leaders have the propensity to move beyond the narrow confines of corporate leadership and be concerned about the broader community through innovation and compassion.”

Thompson added, “In Tricia Keith and Joi Harris, we have two important leaders committed to social transformation within and outside their organizations and we look forward to engaging them on this timely topic."

Host or Publisher The PuLSE Institute