Case Studies

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) began within organizations as a grassroots movement to increase representation and culture, both as a means of doing the right thing and as a strategic effort to engage with the broader target demographics of increasingly savvy and intelligent consumers. 

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Yet, DEI professionals have met many challenges on their road to being subject matter experts of inclusion for their companies. The first was that companies simply didn't empower DEI professionals. Often, in the early days, someone was elevated to the role of Director/Chief Officer/Vice President of DEI and expected to succeed without any additional training, mentorship, or resources. It seems that organizations were simply hoping folks of color, women, and LGBTQ+ folks would come pre-conditioned to meet the unique challenges facing diversity and inclusion efforts. 

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Thankfully the landscape has shifted through the earnest efforts of highly skilled experts of DEI and new resources, trainings, and educational programs are available for DEI professionals. 

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However, one of the barriers for those resources is often funding. Therefore, one of the few open-source / free resources that DEI professionals still have available to them are case studies. I am, personally, a big supporter of open source case studies. Firstly, they provide a basis for new, upcoming, and experienced DEI professionals alike to review the methodology of strategy and implementation of a wide breadth of peers. Secondly, case studies provide roadmaps / frameworks for leadership / stakeholders to gain better insight into the thinking and goals of their DEI professionals. Finally, case studies are a great way for individuals to represent their own work and demonstrate their expertise through compelling storytelling.