Why participate?
On the evening of May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, is apprehended by police officers as a suspect for passing a forged $20 bill. A white police officer pushed George Floyd to the ground and for 8 mins and 46 seconds placed his knee on the back of George Floyd’s neck. He struggled to catch his breath and gasped that he could not breathe. Almost nine minutes later, George Floyd went silent for the last time in his life. His silence was heard around the world.
Overnight, things changed in the United States – sort of. George Floyd was but one of a string of deaths, murders, of unarmed Black men, women, and children at the hands of white police officers due to the excessive use of deadly force. What changed was the silence – people, black, white, and other people of color took to the streets and are still demanding change. Physical violence is just one of the many ways that structural racism operates in our society.
We see adverse outcomes related to racism in every facet of human life including, but not limited to, education, employment, human services, criminal justice and healthcare. Many are saying that the day of “reckoning” with our institutional and societal racism in the United States has finally come, but what does “real” look like?
Co-Creating an Equitable Future is a five-session virtual workshop series that will explore the various facets of racism, its background in America, and much more.
Workshop sessions will take place virtually via Zoom from 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. and will be facilitated by Erica Merritt (CBB 2008), Equius Group LLC, and Adele DiMarco, Yinovate.
Cost
$500 For-profit sector individual
$350 Nonprofit/government/small business sectors individual
$2,000 Organization (up to 5 attendees)
Contact Rachel Ciomcia with questions.
- Fall 2021 Schedule
October 12, 2021
The Making of AmericaNovember 9, 2021
Internalized and Interpersonal RacismDecember 14, 2021
Institutional RacismJanuary 11, 2022
Moving Toward EquityFebruary 15, 2022
Ready, Set, Act! - About Erica Merritt + Equius Group
Erica Merritt
Clients describe Equius Group Founder, Erica Merritt as a gifted facilitator, skilled coach and stellar leadership and organizational development expert. A Gestalt-trained professional, Erica has extensive experience leading and designing organizational development initiatives, designing, and facilitating leadership program and navigating complex environments. She competently moves through environments ranging from community rooms to classrooms to board rooms.
As a trusted consultant and coach, she builds capacity in leaders to grow personally, develop professionally and transform organizations. By skillfully creating space to explore challenging and new dialogue, Erica allows for heightened self-awareness and experimentation with new behaviors that lead to powerful breakthroughs. She is a valued partner in her client’s growth and success who is equipped with an inclusion mindset, equity lens and powerful set of expertise.
Erica holds a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Public Relations from Ursuline College and a Master of the Arts Degree in Psychology with a certification in Diversity Management (NTL) from Cleveland State University. She also holds coaching certifications from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and the Center for Credentialing Education.
As an engaged community member, Erica serves on the Cleveland International Film Festival Board, Applewood Centers Board and is a Sustaining Member of the Junior League of Cleveland. She is also a member of the Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2008.
Equius Group, LLC
Equius Group, LLC is an organizational development firm whose work is to support organizations, communities, teams, and individuals in becoming healthy, connected, and whole. We have been working in the social change space for twenty years have been doing racial equity work since 2012.
Equius consultants approach all projects with an equity lens and work to support their partner organizations to do the same. We have a history of working with foundations, government entities, non-profits, academia, corporations, and social change initiatives. We are most excited to work with organizations that focus on social good, maintaining a thriving organizational culture and being financially prudent to ensure the organization’s long-term health and commitment to the community.
- We have deep expertise in the following areas:
- Racial Equity
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Leadership Development and Program Design
- Change Management
- Organizational Assessment
- Individual and Team Coaching
- About Adele DiMarco + Yinovate
Adele DiMarco, MA, MBA
Adele is the founder and lead steward of Yinovate Coaching & Consulting. With a background in Neuroscience, Anthropology & Organizational Behavior, Adele’s passion is igniting and fanning the flames of the innovative spirit in people who are leading change. As a master coach and facilitator, her strength is working with groups, supporting them to lead transformational change within themselves and the communities and companies they serve.
Using frameworks and processes grounded in Systems Theory, Emotional Intelligence, Neurobiology, Universal Law, Gestalt Systems Theory, Organizational Behavior, Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Racial Equity and Appreciative Inquiry, these projects range from inspirational speaking engagements, to one on one and group executive coaching, to facilitating team-led culture change, to the design and delivery of transformational leadership development experiences.
She has co-launched three social change initiatives in Greater Cleveland: SOMO (Social-Emotional) Leadership; Prism©, a leadership development series on race, power and privilege and cross-racial relationship building; and City Repair, a neighbor-led empowerment, community-building and beautification process. Her clients have included The Cleveland Leadership Center, Case Western Reserve University, Beaver Excavating, Parker Hannifin, Neighborhood Connections, The Thea Bowman Center and Goldfarb- Weber Creative Media.
Yinovate
Yinovate is a consulting and coaching company whose work is to support positive change in the world by sharing the Science and Universal Law of Success & Growth with Leaders and their teams. We believe the most powerful change starts with ourselves and in our own backyards. With strength and experience in Strategy, Culture, & Leadership, Yinovate lives to support purpose-based people to be more productive, collaborative, innovative and impactful.
The Co-Creating an Equitable Future series is sponsored by: 