National Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed each October to commemorate the many contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy, as well as to encourage discussion on key topics such as accessibility. The Vynamic DEI community met in observance to discuss disability, accessibility, and ableism in the workplace and beyond.

Vynamic’s healthcare sector communities came together with Roots To Revolution for a cross-sector discussion on the integral role DEI plays in our client work. After learning the complex history of factual events like Medical Apartheid in America and how public policies have impacted BIPOC, our Heads of Sector hosted a round-table session on how these topics manifest within the five sectors of healthcare. The actionable goal was to ensure this conversation continues into client work to bring maximum value to our clients.

The DEI community gathered for “Examining Privilege” – an informational discussion about each of our relative privilege, how to talk about it, and how to use it to increase equity on our teams, with our clients, and in our communities.

Vynamic’s DEI team recently conducted workshops titled “A Guide to Vynamic’s Gender Inclusion and Affirmation Policy” for all Vynamic account teams. This policy exists to ensure the safety, comfort, and healthy development of trans and gender non-conforming team members, while maximizing team members’ experience. This series was aimed to not only educate, as it is important that our full team have foundational understanding of gender and gender identity, and but also to provide an open space for Vynamic’s team members to ask questions, share experiences, and advance in our collective allyship journey. Everyone is respected and celebrated at Vynamic!

Last week the Vynamic DEI community gathered with Camille Leak from Real Talk & Brave Spaces for a facilitated conversation on Straight, White Men in the Age of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, including discussion on the wide range of feelings that may result from increased attention placed on DEI, realizations experienced by straight, white men throughout their DEI journey, and what is expected of those seeking to be allies.

The Vynamic DEI community met to talk about the health impact of loneliness at an individual and systemic level, causes for increased loneliness in today’s society, populations affected disproportionately by loneliness, and structural solutions to loneliness.

In honor of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the Vynamic DEI community gathered to discuss what cross-cultural communication is, why it’s important, how communication differs across cultures, and how this translates to the global work that we do.

This month the DEI council hosted a thoughtful conversation around what it means to be Latino/a/Latinx, how this identity shows up in the workplace, and what true belonging looks like for a Latino/a/Latinx individual.

In honor of International Women’s Day, the Vynamic DEI team hosted two speakers for a panel discussion on maternal health disparities – Kassandra Margetis, LCSW-R, former Manager of Mental Health & Strategic Partnerships at the NYC Bureau of Maternal, Infant & Reproductive Health and Kendra Mitchell, an MFA candidate in the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC and currently working as Associate Producer on Maternity, an upcoming short film highlighting the black maternal mortality crisis.

Vynamic celebrated Black History Month with the theme of “What You Didn’t Learn in History Class”. Each week featured educational content and virtual coffee chats lead by members of our DEI Council anchored around three key themes – Life (Health Justice), Liberty (Social Justice), and The Pursuit of Happiness (Economic Justice).

With the holidays approaching, some may find themselves encountering family members and friends whose political views differ from their own. The Vynamic team discussed ways to tactfully and authentically engage in those conversations.

In advance of Halloween, the DEI team offered some brief education followed by discussion on how expanding one’s horizons and demonstrating appreciation of a culture is different from cultural appropriation. The team also discussed ways to talk to kids on what is an appropriate way to dress up as someone they admire for Halloween (i.e., musician, athlete, historical figure).

As team members continue to navigate the work-from-home environment, Vynamic hosted Bonnie St. John, a best-selling author, public speaker, and former Paralympic skier. NBC Nightly News called Bonnie “one of the five most inspiring women in America”. Bonnie shared her personal journey, the lessons she learned about inclusion and resilience, and how individuals can become more inclusive and resilient in the face of challenges.

Each month, the DEI community hosts a meeting to educate team members on various topics related to diversity and provide a space for open and safe discussion. In August, Vynamic team members learned about various stigmas attached to specific age demographics and generations, how they impact relationships at work, and what individuals can do to improve intergenerational working environments.

In early June, protests broke out around the country and an incredible movement kicked off to collectively combat racism. The DEI team hosted a discussion on how to keep the momentum of this movement going and what actions individuals can take to continue to better themselves, their teams, and their communities.

For World Autism Day, Vynamic team members learned about neurodiversity, explored how it has evolved throughout the years, and shared their own experiences on how it has touched their lives.

In a time of chaos, confusion, and general uncertainty, Vynamic hosted Stacey Joseph, a Philadelphia-based DEI practitioner. She guided the team through a series of reflections to not only recognize the unspoken effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their own lives but on the lives of their local, often underserved communities as well.