Loading Events

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Is DEI dead? Rationale For and Against

January 29 @ 13:00 - 14:30
D&I in the Workplace poster on the topic Is DEI Dead

Our Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace series is a global platform dedicated to fostering open conversations and learning around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces and communities worldwide. Since 2020, these monthly sessions have brought together professionals, leaders, and advocates from across the globe to explore best practices, share personal experiences, and discuss actionable strategies for creating more inclusive environments. These free, virtual sessions serve as a space for collective growth, critical reflection, and meaningful dialogue on DEI’s evolving role in society.

We are beginning 2025 with a topic that is more relevant than ever: Is DEI Dead? Rationale For and Against

As organizations across industries grapple with changing societal expectations, economic pressures, and political polarization, the relevance and future of DEI initiatives are under scrutiny on a global scale. In this climate of increasing pushback against DEI initiatives, from budget cuts to critiques of their effectiveness, the question looms large: is DEI as a framework for change still relevant? Critics argue that DEI has become a checkbox exercise, stripped of its transformative potential, while advocates contend that it’s more critical than ever as organizations navigate systemic inequities and social tensions.

This month, we confront the hard truths and polarizing opinions around DEI:

  • Is DEI failing, or are we failing DEI?
  • How do organizations strike a balance between accountability and impact?
  • What does the future of workplace equity look like in the face of resistance and fatigue?

This session is designed to provoke thought, spark dialogue, and inspire action. We’ll explore:
✔ The arguments for and against DEI’s relevance and effectiveness.
✔ How external forces—economic pressures, political polarization, and social movements—are reshaping DEI efforts.
✔ Innovative approaches to creating authentic, systemic change beyond traditional DEI frameworks.

DEI has been a focal point in workplaces over the past decade, but the rise of terms like “DEI fatigue,” political backlash, and doubts about measurable impact have challenged its trajectory. Join us as we tackle these critical issues head-on, offering space for constructive debate and shared learning.

This session is for professionals, leaders, and changemakers who arere navigating the complexities of DEI, whether as advocates or skeptics.

Speakers to be announced soon!

Join us for this digital discussion on January, 29, 2025 at 13.00 CET by RSVP-ing below.

 

RSVP HERE!

 

Chisom Udeze

Founder of Diversify, Diversify Consult, HerSpace & The Annual

Chisom is an Economist, a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategist, and a 3 times founder of impact driven companies. She has over 14 years of experience working with organizations like the European Commission, The United Nations, ExxonMobil and The Economist Group. Chisom is analytical and a data enthusiast. She is passionate about interrogating the cross-sectoral relationship between society’s inhabitants, resources, production, technology, distribution and output. She efficiently and effectively unlocks complex systems, interprets data, forecasts socio-economic trends and conducts research.

Having lived and worked in 7 countries across 3 continents, she is highly adaptable to different circumstances and people, and thrives in uncertain environments.

As the founder of Diversify and Diversify Consult, Chisom and her team work with companies, institutions, governments and civil society to develop sustainable DEIB strategies and embed measurable diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and society. In addition, in 2022, Diversify launched the Diversify Nordics Summit, the largest conference in the Nordics that gathers cross-sectoral stakeholders to amplify DEIB in the Nordics and beyond.

In 2020, she founded HerSpace, a diverse and inclusive co-creation community for all genders, with particular focus on women and non-binary people. In 2022, HerSpace launched HerTech, Women in Tech incubator, for women-led companies, with a focus on the inclusion of diverse founders. 

Chisom is a thought-leader in DEIB and a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness. She writes often on DEIB and justice related topics, some of her work is published on Forbes.

Skip to content