Indianapolis Business Journal

Welcome to IBJ’s third annual installment of Business Cares: Diversity & Inclusion. As we all know by now, this is a topic that deserves our ongoing attention and action all year long. That certainly will be the case in the pages of IBJ and at ibj.com in the weeks and months ahead.

Joining IBJ, 77 companies have taken a leadership role to support this special section of the paper, where you will find commentary on the importance of a diverse, inclusive community and the many benefits that flow to companies with diverse workplaces and work teams.

In our 2020 special Diversity & Inclusion section you will find the following features:

• On the occasion of Indiana Black Expo’s 50th anniversary, we have an interview with IBE President and CEO Tanya Bell Mckinzie about race relations, economic equality and the important work her organization continues to do in Indianapolis and throughout the state.
• Jasmin Shaheed-Young, the founder of educational equality advocate RISE INDY, talks about her family’s legacy of fighting for justice and her group’s mission: seeing that all children have access to a quality public education.
• A year after Central Indiana Community Foundation rededicated itself to racial equality and economic justice, CICF’s Vice President of Opportunity, Equity and Inclusion, Pamela Ross, offers a list of steps you and your organization can take to fight racism.
• David Barrett, chairman, president and CEO of the Gene B. Glick Co., discusses the role that safe housing and wrap-around services can play in freeing our neighbors from racial discrimination and economic despair.
• You’ll find other columns about the importance of diversity and inclusion from partners at the law firm Krieg DeVault LLP, IUPUI Chancellor Nasser Paydar, and the leaders of the Indiana Latino Institute, Child Advocates and the labor-management cooperative Quality Connection. And, courtesy of CICF, you’ll find a list of books, podcasts and other resources you can use to educate yourself on issues of race and economic inequality.

Thanks to the 77 companies and organizations that sponsored this effort. Their investment helps provide for a diversity and inclusion awareness campaign throughout the month of July via print, digital and e-newsletter platforms.

This campaign will highlight the importance and benefits of providing a diverse workplace that allows all staff members to feel welcome, have equal opportunities to advance their careers and move up in the organization to “earn a seat at the table” and to prosper as a result of their efforts.

Please look for the next installments of IBJ’s Business Cares series: Breast Cancer Awareness in the October 2 issue and Heart Health Awareness coming Jan. 29, 2021.

Thanks for supporting IBJ and the companies featured here as we all work together to take leadership roles in supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

If you get a chance to thank these fine organizations for their support, I know they would appreciate it.

• Advanced Accelerator Applications
• Allison Transmission
• American Structurepoint
• Barnes & Thornburg LLP
• Bose McKinney & Evans
• BOSMA Enterprises
• BOSMA Visionary Opportunities
    Foundation
• Browning Investments
• Central Indiana Community Foundation
• Charles Schwab
• Child Advocates
• Children's Bureau, Inc.
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis
• CNO Financial Group, Inc.
• ComerNowling
• Cook Medical
• Corteva Agriscience
• Curran Architecture
• Damien Center
• Delta Dental
• Dentons Bingham Greenebaum
• Duke Realty Corp.
• Eskenazi Health
• F.A. Wilhelm Construction Company
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
• Fifth Third Bank
• First Internet Bank
• FirstPerson
• Fishers Maas Howard Lloyd
    & Wheeler P.C.
• Franciscan Health
• Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C.
• IBEW 481 (Quality Connection)
• IEDC
• Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
• Indiana Farmers Insurance
• Indiana University
• Indiana University Health
• Indiana Youth Institute
• Indianapolis Art Center

• Indianapolis Colts
• Indianapolis Public Library
• IUPUI
• Ivy Tech Community College
• Katz Sapper and Miller
• Krieg DeVault LLP
• Lev
• LUNA Language Services, Inc.
• Merrill
• Moser Consulting, Inc.
• Navient
• NCAA
• Northwest Mutual Life
• Northwest Radiology Network
• Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak
    & Stewart, P.C.
• Old National Bank
• OneAmerica
• Pacers Sports & Entertainment
• Purdue University
• Purdue University Krannert School
    of Management
• Quarles & Brady LLP
• Regenstrief Institute
• Regions Bank
• Republic Airways
• Roche Diagnostics Corporation
• Salesforce
• Scannell Development LLC
• Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson
    & Feary, P.C.
• Smallbox Consulting
• Springbuk
• STAR Financial Bank
• Strada Education Network
• Straticos
• Talevation
• TCU
• The Arc
• The Orchard School
• Vectren

Thanks again to our Business Cares sponsors and thanks to our readers for supporting this effort to promote Diversity & Inclusion.

Greg Morris
Publisher