What's next for DEI? How to make workplaces more inclusive of everyone

What's next for DEI?

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders to reverse federal policies around diversity, equity and inclusion. The most recent order signed last month prohibits DEI activities in private companies that contract with the federal government. Some states have also passed anti-DEI legislation and many private companies have pulled back on diversity initiatives.

So, where does this leave efforts to create workplaces that are more inclusive and fair?

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about how DEI is evolving and what it takes to create workplaces that work for everyone.

Guests:

• Stacey Gordon is the founder of Rework Work, a leadership strategy and consulting firm, and author of “UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work.” They are based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

• Lily Zheng is a consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area who works with leaders to create inclusive workplaces. They are also the author of several books, including "DEI Deconstructed," "Reconstructing DEI" and "Fixing Fairness."

• Milton Dodd is the executive director of the Forum on Workplace Inclusion, a Minneapolis conference on May 27-28 for organization leaders, human resource managers, Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders and others working on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Dodd is also president of Infinity Systems, a Minneapolis consulting company specializing in organizational alignment and inclusive workplace cultures.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.