
35th Annual Conference
March 27-29, 2023
Diversity Executive Forum
The Diversity Executive Forum (DEF) is uniquely designed by and for senior diversity executives who are looking to rigorously explore contemporary challenging business imperatives with their peers.
Date & Time
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
11:45am – 2:45pm CDT
Cost
$1,000
Includes access to full 3-day conference.
Participation
Invitation only
Registration includes participation in DEF as well as the full three-day Forum annual conference. This year’s conference is April 5-7, 2022 and is HRCI and SHRM Continuing Education Credit (CEU) eligible.
Speakers
Maureen Berkner Boyt, Founder & CEO, The Moxie Exchange
Madeline Borkin, Vice President, Membership Development, Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp)
Cheryl Kern, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, MillerKnoll
Solving for X: Real-Time Discovery of DEI Next Practices Through Interactive Design Thinking
Iterating on current DEI strategies has the potential to yield incremental gains, yet current state challenges call for “10X” progress today. At this year’s Diversity Executive Forum (DEF), leaders holding responsibilities for scalable DEI impact within their organizations will anchor learning around three research-based DEI next practices and meta trends, hear workplace experiences directly from employees, and learn how MillerKnoll—now one of the largest and most influential modern design companies in the world—is implementing innovative ideas to catalyze change.
This fast-paced session will engage participants in three design-thinking sprints to leverage the hundreds of years of experience and wisdom in the room. The result? Innovative, future-focused ideas made tangible and actionable.
Learning Outcomes
- Explore three DEI ‘next practices’ that companies in the top 10% have implemented to achieve high-performance outcomes
- Learn how to use design-thinking principles to drive DEI innovation
- Discover “X” best practices currently being used by your peer executives and (at minimum) three next-practice prototypes designed by the group
Program Outline
Introductions
Overarching Theme: Reasoning & Background
Listening Strategies: Insights, In Practice
Design Sprint Breakouts
Readout / Rapid Share
Intentional Connectivity: Insights, In Practice
Design Sprint Breakouts
Readout / Rapid Share
Inclusive Leadership Behaviors: Insights, In Practice
Design Sprint Breakouts
Readout / Rapid Share
Integration Sprint Breakout
One next practice, fusing the three sprints
Wrap Up & Rapid-fire Prototype Share

What is DEF?
Expert presenters and facilitators are invited each year to host a space for equitable and open dialogue where all participants can exchange personal and professional best practices around the most timely and relevant demands of diversity and inclusion work.
DEF is not intended to sell practitioners on a plug and play strategy, rather it holds space for rigorous dialogue and fluid exploration. DEF is a place where senior practitioners find value in their own and others’ dedicated commitments to the work of DEI.