Bingham Fellows 2021Belonging: Building a Culture of Inclusivity

Our city, like our country, continues to grapple with the legacy of racism and bias. We have debilitating income and wealth inequality, and we are geographically and often socially segregated. These inequities, particularly those faced by the Black community, have led to a lack of diversity in leadership positions in our major institutions and employers.

U.S. businesses spend nearly $8 billion each year on ‘diversity and inclusion’ trainings and initiatives, but the needle isn’t moving. Why? Because hiring diverse talent by itself does not create an inclusive culture where all people can thrive. That requires a sense of belonging.

When employees feel like they belong, their companies experience a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days.* Institutions who create cultures of belonging build diverse leadership pipelines at all levels, creating psychological safety on teams that allow everyone to reach their full potential.

Increasing belonging inside organizations is critical, but in order to truly address wealth inequality, the business community must reach out across Louisville to ensure inclusivity is a valued part of our identity. If we are to affect the physical and social segregation that holds us back, everyone must learn to communicate across differences. We need to hold ourselves accountable to making real change, making sure we are properly defining and measuring success along the way.

This is where you come in. We know our community is filled with leaders who are ready for change and are willing to step up and be part of the solution. Leadership Louisville Center’s Bingham Fellows program will gather these leaders from every sector to examine these issues and make an impact. A diverse group will be selected for the Class of 2021 to study root causes of racism, connect with leaders in the arena of diversity and inclusion, learn how to communicate across differences, and research identified solutions.

They will examine and amplify the work that is already underway in our community, including the work of the city, the collective petition, “A Path Forward for Louisville,” the work of GLI’s Business Council to End Racism, and inside employee resource groups (ERGs) within organizations. The class will create safe spaces to learn and grow amongst themselves, and ultimately form project teams to take action and help create the best version of Louisville for everyone.

*BetterUp, September 2019 study

Watch a Recording of our Info Session Here:

 

Prefer to talk to a member of our staff to learn more?

Bingham Fellows 2021 Program Calendar

January 28, 2021  Orientation
February 24, 2021 Opening Session Day 1 (mandatory)
February 25, 2021 Opening Session Day 2 (mandatory)
March 23, 2021
April 15, 2021
May 20, 2021  Retreat Day 1 (mandatory)
May 21, 2021  Retreat Day 2 (mandatory)
June 24, 2021
July 22, 2021
August 26, 2021
September 23, 2021
October 21, 2021
November 18, 2021
December 9, 2021
January 20, 2022  Project Launch Event

Please reserve these dates in case any of the above dates need to be canceled:

June 25, 2021
September 2, 2021