In a two-plus hour program featuring nearly two dozen speakers, CEW’s annual DEI Forum, titled From Intention to Impact, celebrates accomplishments, provides fresh data, and speaks to what’s next in building a more inclusive industry and workplace.

The complimentary virtual event, taking place October 18 at 12 p.m., kicks off with a Keynote Panel led by Jessica Cruel of Allure, who will lead a discussion on how glass ceiling breakers like herself continue to navigate their careers and pave the way for progress. Joining Cruel, the first Black Editor-in-Chief of Allure, is Carla Vernon, the first Afro-Latina CEO of a publicly traded company (The Honest Co.), and Nyakio Grieco, Co-Founder of Thirteen Lune and beauty brand Relevant. The panel will dive into their pivotal career moments and the three key pillars of DEI:  allyship, sponsorship, and mentorship.

The conversation by Cruel, Vernon, and Grieco perfectly sets up a spotlight on the significance of inclusive leadership practices. Presented by leading C-Suite talent search firm, True Search, Keri Gaven, Co-head of the Diversity Practice, will speak to strategies to attract and retain diverse talent, and the positive impact it has on fostering innovation and meeting the evolving needs of the beauty market.

One of the most exciting moments of the day will be the debut of a new company that is looking to help brands uncover inclusivity gaps in the workplace.  SeeMe Index, founded by ex-Googlers by Asha Shivaji and Jason Klein, utilizes responsible AI that helps formulate a roadmap to improve one’s overall inclusivity quotient. The founders will share industry insights by identity dimension (such as skin tone, age and gender expression, to name a few) and show where the beauty industry is excelling and where they have the largest opportunities to drive inclusion.

Diversity is more than race and gender. It also includes representing marginalized groups and making sure they are part of the decision-making process. To drive this point home, Google executives KR Liu, Head of Brand Accessibility and Fleur Massena, Global Account Executive, discuss how beauty companies can expand inclusion through inclusive design, marketing, representation, and storytelling. 

Navigating one’s career as a person of color has its own set of unique challenges. The Forum has curated a panel of beauty leaders to talk about how they’ve excelled in their careers, including their highs, lows, and pivots. The panel, featuring executives from LOVED01, Live Tinted, P&G Beauty, and Tatcha, will be moderated by Karen Chambers, CEW’s DEI Task Force Chair.

Reporting on the investment landscape is Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, Founder and CEO, BrainTrust and BrainTrust Fund. Bracken-Ferguson will dive into markets of the future, why inclusivity is now table stakes for beauty brands, and next steps for brands.

In another big moment for the Forum, cultural intelligence agency sparks & honey has curated one of its famous culture briefings specifically for the program. Contributing to the discussion are sparks & honey’s Terry Young, Davianne Harris, Mary Wood, and Joon Park who will talk on research from the group’s Responsible Marketing Index, and will explore the cultural headwinds and tailwinds shaping the complexities surrounding the future of work, generational behaviors, and the beauty industry through the lens of DE&I.

To sign up for CEW’s complimentary DE&I Forum 2023: From Intention to Impact, please click here.