Operationalizing Racial Equity: Lessons from Multiple Sectors

Racial equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) are increasingly important topics of discussion in institutions but where to begin and how to start operationalizing REDI can be overwhelming. Join this program if you are curious about how to implement REDI in your institution and want to learn how others engage in it from the business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy sectors. You’ll hear from the alumni of Racial Equity Action Institute (REAI) and take away some tips, tools, and frameworks to help you and your institution make progress.

Join us to:

• Hear experiences, stories, and lessons from multiple sectors on operationalizing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI)
• Gain insight into how to make the case for REDI in your institution
• Learn about the successes and challenges of implementing REDI in different sectors
• Hear about the Racial Equity Action Institute as an opportunity to learn, network, and gain support to integrate REDI
• Hear from the REAI 2020-2021 cohort about their experiences organizationally and personally

Target Audience

This program is open to members of Catalyst, Northern California Grantmakers, and Southern California Grantmakers.

If you require any accommodations to fully participate in this program, please contact [email protected].

Speakers

Erwin Acox (he/him), Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Tides

Erwin is Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Tides in San Francisco. He has more than 20 years of experience working with executive leaders to foster positive change in complex organizations. Currently, Erwin is leading Tides’ diversity, equity, and inclusion journey, advising organizational leaders through culture shifts that create positive employee experiences. His DEI practice is focused on identifying the root causes of organizational inequities, and educating organizations on sustainable approaches to address them. Erwin leans into approaches that help community members feel valued and respected, and where the organization can realize its full potential. His main focus is to foster more just, equitable, and human-centered organizations. A veteran of the United States Army, Erwin holds master’s degrees in business administration and training and development, as well as a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, all from Roosevelt University in Chicago. He is a native of Chicago, who now lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughters.

Jaimi Cortes (she/her), Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Marin Community Foundation

Jaimi has been committed to the nonprofit and philanthropic sector her entire career, amassing a wealth of knowledge in nonprofit development, grantmaking, organizational development, and board leadership. Currently a Senior Philanthropic Advisor at the Marin Community Foundation, Jaimi partners with individuals to help achieve meaningful, strategic, and impactful giving opportunities that align with their values and interests. Prior to MCF, Jaimi consulted for a $130M startup foundation, developing grantmaking systems and supporting program evaluation, outcomes measurement, and financial analysis. She was also a senior-level program manager at the Women’s Foundation of California engaging nonprofits, donors, private funders, and community members to strengthen efforts addressing gender justice and economic wellbeing. Originally from Los Angeles, she has previously worked for First 5 LA and PHFE Management Solutions, which focused on education equity and youth development. Jaimi was the first in her family to graduate from college and received her BA in women’s studies and political science at UCLA and MBA from Pepperdine University. She is an active member of the UCLA Alumni Scholarship Committee and serves on the board for her local library. In response to the devastating 2017 California fires, Jaimi became an on-call disaster responder for the Marin chapter of the American Red Cross. The mother of a dynamic 7-year old, Jaimi is focused on raising her as a strong, independent, and joyful human being.

Alice Y. Hom (she/they), Director of Equity and Social Justice, Northern California Grantmakers

Alice is a community builder invested in bridging diverse and overlapping communities for social change. As the Director of Equity and Social Justice, Alice will focus on racial equity with an intersectional lens that brings multiple issues, communities, and sectors together to build on the common good. Before joining NCG, Alice was a Soros Equality Fellow where she created a podcast and a digital archive on activism by LGBTQ People of Color. Prior to that, Alice worked as the Director of the Queer Justice Fund at Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

She serves on the boards of California Humanities and Borealis Philanthropy and on the Advisory Council for the Conscious Style Guide. Alice is a historian with a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, a MA from UCLA, and BA from Yale University. In her spare time, you can find Alice working on her podcast, Historically Queer, or enjoying the culinary delights of restaurants and bakeries with friends and family.

Lisa Parson, City Manager’s Lead for Equity and Community Recovery, City of Santa Monica

Lisa has close to a decade of experience working as a lead on high-impact inter-sectoral projects in the public sector. Prior to becoming City’s Lead for Equity and Community Recovery, she was the project manager for Santa Monica’s Wellbeing Index, a data-driven tool that measures how communities are really doing and where equity gaps exist. She began her career in public service as the district liaison to a State Assemblymember in New York City where she worked on issues ranging from an outbreak of youth violence, the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, and the closing of a level 1 trauma center, before moving on to be a writer for the 72 Democratic members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and also worked in homeland security and emergency management in Los Angeles. Throughout her career, Lisa has placed an emphasis on developing data-driven, innovative solutions to public challenges, and the Wellbeing Index and her work in Equity and Community Recovery is the culmination of those efforts.

Kinman Tong (he/him), Partner, Moss Adams LLP

Kinman Tong is currently a partner at Moss Adams LLP and has practiced public accounting since 2003. Kinman serves a diverse spectrum of not-for-profit and governmental entities, providing assurance and consulting services to educational institutions, research organizations, foundations, community health centers, international non-governmental organizations, social welfare organizations, and ancillary health care entities. His passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has encouraged him to help launch several business resource groups (BRGs) at Moss Adams, including PRiDE, Latinx, and Asian BRGs. He currently serves on the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, with a mission is to foster an inclusive and diverse culture where everyone feels they belong. Kinman is excited to be a part of 2020-21 REAI. He hopes to continue on his learning journey and build on the intersectionality of his passions for not-for-profit and DEI. Kinman is a CPA and a proud alum of the University of California, Berkeley – where he continues to give back and serves on the Berkeley Haas Alumni Council and the Center for Financial Reporting and Management.

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