Job growth is looking up in Cincinnati, and the region is ripe for even more.
"In the last year, we created 29,000 new jobs, ahead of the growth in most of our peer markets," says Chris Kemper, PR director at the
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.
A host of variables have spurred our region's growth, including a talented workforce, a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, a reasonable cost of living and an innovative culture that permeates large institutions to small startups.
But there's one area that's proven to boost the bottom line that more Cincinnati companies can tap into: diversity and inclusion.
Companies that encourage diversity—in hiring, in suppliers, in board appointments and in investment—are among the world's fastest growing. In fact, a 2011
Forbes study found that 85 percent of 321 large companies (with at least a half-billion dollars in annual revenue) believed diversity played a vital role in fostering innovation.
Cincinnati businesses will get a chance to learn more about the perks and importance of inclusion. The real dollars and sense of growth through diversity is the topic of
The Diversity Leadership Symposium 2012. The morning event is co-hosted by
Vision 2015 and
Agenda 360, the region's strategic planning organizations.
"Our overall goal is to discuss diversity and inclusion as a way to drive business growth," says Kemper.
It's a timely topic as our country—and therefore consumers—becomes more diverse and our economy is increasingly global, with buyers and sellers connecting across countries.
The conference's featured speaker is Andres Tapia, international thought leader on diversity and inclusion, president and CEO of
Diversity Best Practices and author of
The Inclusion Paradox.
The symposium is Dec. 12 at the
Duke Energy Convention Center downtown, registration starts at 7:30 a.m, and the symposium ends at noon. The cost is $110 per person, or $150 for a cocktail reception on Dec. 11 featuring Tapia. You can register on the
Cincinnati Chamber website.
Diverse by Design: Meeting the Talent Challenge in a Global Economy, a report commissioned by Agenda 360 and Vision 2015, will also be unveiled at the event.
The symposium wraps up with simultaneous sessions. Attendees can pick one of the following:
- Workplace: Attracting and Retaining Diverse Talent
Panelists will share best practices in creating and maintaining employee resource groups to engage and retain a diverse talent base. - Marketplace: Minority Business Investment as a Strategy for Increasing Inclusion
Learn how diversity spending can advance a company’s diversity and inclusion efforts while also having a ripple effect in the community. - Marketplace: Creating a More Inclusive Community
Panelists will share strategies for cultivating a welcoming community outside of the workplace to increase diverse talent retention for the region.
By Feoshia Davis
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