Workforce equity celebrated; leaders honored at Women’s Chamber event | NONPROFIT REGISTER
COLORADO WOMEN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Denver
News: State Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Murugan Palani, director of business diversity for the Denver Public Schools, were honored when the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of Women in Business breakfast.
Michaelson Jenet was recognized for her commitment to promoting an equity-focused agenda at the state legislature. At the same time, Palani was named the 2024 CWCC State of Women in Business Chamber Champion award. The award honors his work to advance women in business and women-owned businesses while increasing supplier diversity in the Denver Public Schools.
The Feb. 29 breakfast at Infinity Park Event Center in Glendale also included a keynote address by Wema Hoover, a global expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) operations.
Hoover has led global DEI divisions for companies that include Google, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Bristol-Myers Squibb and maintains that leveraging diversity, equity, and inclusion is critical when it comes to activating employee engagement, building diverse talent pipelines, and harnessing cultural competence to connect and interact with customers and clients in ways that strengthen business performance.
Simone D. Ross, the CWCC’s chief executive officer, echoed Hoover’s beliefs by pointing out that “A thriving women’s economy results in a thriving economy for all. If we can work together to operationalize workforce equity, we can drive change and increase return on investment while making economic mobility available to the entire workforce.”
The 400 guests at the breakfast included business executives, small business owners and legislators committed to seeking parity, flexible work options and economic equity in the workforce, particularly as they pertain to women of color.
About the organization: The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce is a member-based 501(c)6 nonprofit whose mission is to provide women with opportunities that better the community and economy, promote equity in the workplace and help women grow their businesses and their careers. Its vision is to make Colorado the No. 1 state for women in business.
Website: cwcc.org
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McBoat Photography {ol start=”1”}{li}Murugan Palani, director of business diversity for the Denver Public Schools, accepts the 2024 Chamber Champion award from CEO Simone D. Ross.{/li}{/ol}
McBoat Photography Keynote speaker Wema Hoover discussed the benefits of workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.