We have an opportunity, in a post-pandemic world, to create new norms to help each other truly thrive. We can take action, now, to ensure our practices and behaviors promote equitable environments. We can create an equitable company, and world, where everyone is valued for who they are, and their contributions.
It’s not just collective action toward a better future, but we have the ability to make elegant, efficient changes that will start to improve the human experience across our organizations.
What is J.E.D.I?
J.
JUSTICE- Break down societal barriers to allow every individual to lead a life of fulfillment, agency, and dignity. We all share the same rights.
E.
EQUITY- Provide every individual and community with access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. Not everyone faces the same advantages or barriers.
D.
DIVERSITY- Invite and embrace our differences to allow individuals to pursue their interests and enrich the greater community. In a fair society, everyone is welcome.
I.
INCLUSION- Create a sense of belonging by making sure under-represented individuals and communities feel valued, heard, and respected. Center and amplify those voices.
Jennifer Aaker
General Atlantic Professor and the Coulter Faculty Fellow at Stanford Graduate School of Business - Author, Humor, Seriously, The Dragonfly Effect, Power of Story
A behavioral scientist and author, Jennifer is a leading expert on how meaning and purpose shape the choices individuals make, and how time can be spent in meaningful and unconventional ways. Jennifer is a highly sought-after speaker on the application of behavioral science to help companies and leaders positively impact human well-being through technology, business practices, story, and purpose-driven leadership.
Stacy Brown-Philpot
Founding Member, SoftBank Opportunity Fundy
A $100mm fund established to invest in Black, Latinx, and Native American Founders. Stacy Brown-Philpot spent nearly a decade heading online sales and operations at Google, joining TaskRabbit in 2012. It was there where
she led the successful acquisition of the company by the Ikea Group in 2017. Brown-Philpot sits on the board of directors for HP Inc., Nordstrom and Black Girls Code and is passionate about creating diverse and inclusive opportunities, especially in the black community.
Maria Colacurcio
CEO, Syndio
Colacurcio is CEO of Syndio, a SaaS startup helping companies around the world create an equitable workplace for all employees, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. Prior to Syndio, she co-founded Smartsheet.com, which went public in 2018, and spent three years at Starbucks, one of the first Fortune 50 companies to go public with pay equity results. Having started her career working on congressional campaigns, she has a long history of mission-driven work, and a compassionate and competitive attitude to spur change.
Colacurcio serves on the board of the nonprofit Fair Pay Workplace and has been named by Goldman Sachs Builders + Innovators Summit one of this year’s 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs. A total shoo-in for Hamilton, she holds a BA in History and Political Science from Whitworth University, where she minored in music and studied vocal opera.
Steph Curry
2x NBA MVP, CEO of SC30, Founding Member, Penny Jar Capital
Long before the talk of pay equity reached a fever pitch, Stephen was an advocate for gender and racial pay equity. He penned a personal essay for The Players Tribune explaining his passion and dedication to the issue. Today, Syndio announced an investment from Penny Jar, a fund anchored by Stephen.
Selected 7th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry is a 3-time NBA Champion, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, six-time NBA All- Star, and, with over 2,480 3-pointers made, ranks third on the NBA’s all-time 3-point field goals made list.
Beyond the court, Steph has built a legacy in business. In 2017, Stephen led the inaugural NBA Players Technology Summit, which brought together top leaders in the technology, venture capital and sports communities to exchange ideas and share expertise. Since then, Stephen has launched SC30 Inc., with an aim to create new opportunities that dismantle industry norms across brand partnerships, media, investments and philanthropy. In addition, Stephen also leads Unanimous Media, a multimedia company that produces television, film and digital content centered around family, faith-based and sports storytelling. Stephen and his wife, Ayesha, have two daughters, Riley and Ryan, and a son, Canon.
Gayle King
Author, Broadcast Journalist, CBS News
King is co-host of "CBS Mornings." An accomplished television journalist, she interviews top newsmakers and delivers original reporting to "CBS Mornings” and all CBS News broadcasts and platforms. She is also editor-at-large of Oprah Daily and hosts a live, weekly radio show titled "Gayle King in the House" on SiriusXM.
Since joining CBS News in 2011, King has conducted revealing and news-making interviews with world leaders, political figures, and celebrities; landed exclusive and competitive interviews; taken on a number of high-profile assignments; and anchored multiple prime-time specials. She has received numerous awards for her extensive work as a journalist, including three Emmys. In 2018 she was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and in 2019 she was selected for the TIME 100, Time Magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The mother of a daughter, Kirby, and a son, Will, she currently resides in New York City.
Fern Mandelbaum
Managing Director, Emerson Collective
Fern Mandelbaum is an entrepreneur, coach, investor, and educator and currently serves as a Managing Director at Emerson Collective, where she leads early-stage investing into mission-driven startups.
In addition, Fern is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she created and teaches courses such as Entrepreneurship from Diverse Perspectives, POWer – Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset and Equity by Design – Building Diverse and Inclusive Organizations.
Prior to Emerson Collective, Fern was the co-founder of Vista Venture Partners, an early stage venture firm, and of Skyline Products, a toy invention firm that was acquired by IDEO. For over 25 years, Fern has worked with CEO’s to help them be inclusive leaders, refine their business concepts, recruit and develop their management teams, and build more diverse and inclusive organizations.
Laurene Powell Jobs
Emerson Collective
Laurene Powell Jobs is founder and president of Emerson Collective. Based in Palo Alto, California, with a strong presence in Oakland, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC, Emerson Collective uses philanthropy, impact investing, and promoting policy solutions to reimagine some of society’s most calcified systems and create new possibilities for individuals, families, and communities. Emerson’s mission centers on advancing immigration policies, preserving the environment, reenvisioning the future of high school, and ending gun violence in Chicago. Powell Jobs serves as board chair of the XQ Institute and College Track, a college completion program she founded in 1997 to combat the alarming achievement gap among students of color. She also serves on the Stanford University board of trustees and the board of Chicago CRED. She is co-owner of The Atlantic, Anonymous Content, and Concordia Studio. Powell Jobs earned her bachelor’s degrees in political science and economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
John Rogers
Chairman, Co-CEO, Ariel Investments
In 1983, John founded Ariel Investments to focus on patient, value investing within small- and medium-sized companies. Early in his career, John’s investment acumen brought him to the forefront of media attention and culminated in him being selected as Co-Mutual Fund Manager of the Year by Sylvia Porter’s Personal Finance magazine as well as an All-Star Mutual Fund Manager by USA TODAY.
John’s professional accomplishments extend to the boardroom where he is a member of the board of directors of McDonald’s, NIKE, and The New York Times Company. He also serves as vice chair of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago. Additionally, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. In 2008, John was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus or alumna whose career embodies a commitment to national service.
Bracken Darrell
CEO, Logitech
As president and chief executive officer of Logitech, Bracken is responsible for Logitech’s strategy for growth and profitability, for the vision for the brand as well as for the company’s operations. Bracken joined Logitech as president in April 2012, and assumed the role of chief executive officer in January 2013.
Bracken brings to Logitech more than twenty years of experience in business management and brand management in successful global consumer companies, including Whirlpool, Procter & Gamble and General Electric. Under Bracken’s leadership, Logitech announced a carbon transparency commitment and became the first consumer electronics company to commit to providing carbon footprint labels on product packaging across their entire portfolio. Logitech called on companies in every industry to join in this mission.
Eric Yuan
CEO, Zoom Video Communications
Eric Yuan founded Zoom in 2011 to deliver happiness and
bring teams together to get more done in a frictionless video environment. Under Eric’s leadership, Zoom was one of the highest-performing tech IPOs of 2019. Prior to founding Zoom, Eric was corporate vice president of engineering at Cisco, where he was responsible for Cisco's collaboration software development. Eric was one
of the founding engineers and vice president of engineering at Webex. Eric has been named one of the Most Powerful People in Enterprise Tech by Business Insider. In 2018, he was named the #1 CEO of a large US company by Glassdoor and EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Northern California. Also in 2019, he was added to CEO, Zoom Video Communications Bloomberg 50, as a leader who changed the game in global business.
Past Salon Participants
(a sampling)
Jennifer Aaker
Stacy Brown-Philpot
Maria Colacurcio
Stephen Curry
Gayle King
Fern Mandelbaum
John Rogers
Bracken Darrell
Eric Yuan
Past Salon Participants
(a sampling)
Gayle
King
Jennifer
Aaker
John
Rogers
Stacy
Brown-Philpot
Maria
Colacurcio
Fern
Mandelbaum
Stephen
Curry
Bracken
Darrell
Eric
Yuan
Kevena Hammond is an illustrator and graphic designer living in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio,and growing up in Houston, Texas. Art has always been a big part of her life, Kevena’s grandmother was a painter, allowing art into her life at an early age. After graduating with a degree in Digital Media from the University of Houston, she moved to NYC in 2012. Her work focuses on children’s books, current events, animals and pop culture influences. In June 2021, she became a Brooklyn Public Library Black American Library Card Finalist.