We’re Partnering with TIED Leadership Roundtable to Expand Denver’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts 

Partners to Hold ‘Virtual Voices, How Did We Get Here? Part Two’ on Feb. 18

The Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation and TIED (Talent, Inclusion, Engagement & Diversity) Leadership Roundtable announced today a new partnership to further engage individuals in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, led by the business community, with the ultimate goal of expanding this conversation in the region. The collaboration between these organizations will cultivate a community of Denver leaders with an increased commitment to DEI in both their personal and professional communities.

“We are inspired by our partnership with TIED to broaden our efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in Denver’s business community,” said Dan Lewis, executive director of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. “It is vital for our leaders to participate in discussions surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion on both individual and organizational levels. Partnering with TIED will better enable us to facilitate those discussions.”

Both TIED and the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation share a commitment to growing a community of inclusive leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and experience in leadership to improve our region.

“Partnering with the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation made a lot of sense for our organization,” said Monica Williams, president and co-founder of TIED. “We can combine our expertise working with organizations that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion with the Leadership Foundation’s programming to reach a wider audience to increase the impact of our work.”

By combining TIED’s organizational expertise with the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s work to develop leaders that reaches over 5,000 alumni, the two organizations will foster leaders who can impart positive change through systems and organizations. While inclusive leadership is a tenet of Leadership Foundation programs, TIED’s proven track record of working within organizations to advance DEI efforts will significantly expand this work.

The partnership’s first collaboration is a new special series of Virtual Voices focused on DEI. Virtual Voices is a free event that is open to the community. It started at the beginning of the pandemic to create an environment where leaders can learn about a variety of topics, including the focus of the first session of 2021, the history of racism in the United States. Future discussions will range from understanding systemic racism to solutions for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

The next Virtual Voices event is Thursday, Feb. 18 with moderator Dr. Tom Romero, interim vice chancellor for diversity equity and inclusion at the University of Denver, Hasira “Soul” Ashemu, founder and chief visionary officer at Righteous Rage Institute, and Magdelana “Maggie” Red, co-founder of EquityIs.org and Equity Labs. Attendees will examine Denver and Colorado’s long struggle to come to grips with the region’s racial history that still impacts the region today.

This Virtual Voices is the second of the series. Future sessions will look at systemic change, individual change and collective impact. A full recap of the last Virtual Voices: How Did We Get Here? Part One is available here. TIED and the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation aim to create a space that provides context on the local and national history of race and racism over the next several months.