Breaking Barriers: Outdoor Concerts and Accessible Event Planning
Leah Barron, Programs Director, Accessible Festivals
March 2024

Facilitated by a representative from Accessible Festivals, Breaking Barriers: Outdoor Concerts and Accessible Event Planning was a 90-minute virtual workshop that shared how participants can create joyous community destinations for all—including those with seen and unseen disabilities.

 

RESOURCES

Outdoor Concerts and Accessible Event Planning Resource Guide (Click to download)

Social Narrative Guide from Levitt AMP Sheboygan (Click to download)

Breaking Barriers: Outdoor Concerts and Accessible Event Planning: Webinar Recording (Passcode Lr*30h*F)

 

Leah Barron, MAT, RYT 200 is the Programs Director for Accessible Festivals, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that music and recreational activities are inclusive and accessible for all people. Leah is also the co-founder of Inclusion Festival, a music and wellness festival thoughtfully designed to be sensory-friendly and accessible, and she is the Director of Online Programs for Circles of Communication, an integrative therapy service provider that specializes in supporting neurodivergent teens and adults. Leah is a special education teacher and registered yoga teacher with experience working in a variety of settings including public schools, private studios, home-based instruction, and virtual class instruction. She is passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga and recreation with individuals of all ages and abilities.

Unleashing the Power of Intergenerational Collaboration
Shawn Johnson, Founder, Strategies for Generational Inclusion
November 2023

This presentation, by Strategies for Generational Inclusion, uncovered the reasons for differences in experiences, perspectives, and values across generations. Attendees were given the opportunity to reflect on their own identities, deepen their empathy for other generations, and learn how to leverage leadership styles and skills from all ages.

RESOURCES

Unleashing the Power of Intergenerational Collaboration: Webinar Presentation

Unleashing the Power of Intergenerational Collaboration: Webinar Recording (Passcode: z$w3iWtZ)

 

Shawn Johnson, founder of Strategies for Generational Inclusion, is a passionate speaker, trainer, and consultant. Some of her clients include the Association for Talent Development, Ryder Systems, Inc., Institute for Management Accountants, and Capstone Business Resources. She is a member of the Association of Talent Development and the John Maxwell Team, a Certified DISC Behavioral Analysis Consultant, and has completed courses in Positive Psychology. Shawn has a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Nebraska and spent several decades as a sales and marketing professional in various industries. In 2019, she decided to pivot and pursue her passion for leadership development. She found it easy to connect with “emerging leaders” from younger generations and began to research the ways each generation thinks about leadership. She uses her research and real life experience to help organizations be “generationally inclusive,” which gives them a true competitive advantage.

Understanding and Interacting Respectfully with the Trans and Nonbinary Community
Gabrielle Claiborne, Co-Founder, Transformation Journeys Worldwide
Linda Herzer, Co-Founder, Transformation Journeys Worldwide
September 2023

Created by Transformation Journeys Worldwide, Understanding and Interacting Respectfully with the Trans and Nonbinary Community was a 90-minute virtual workshop that allowed attendees to reflect upon and work towards a greater understanding of how to interact respectfully with Trans and Nonbinary individuals.

 

RESOURCES
The Genderbread Person: Words to Know (Click to download)

Understanding and Interacting Respectfully with the Trans and Nonbinary Community: Session Slideshow (Click to download)

Understanding and Interacting Respectfully with the Trans and Nonbinary Community: Session Recording (Passcode: BM.Q6L?s)

 

Gabrielle Claiborne (she/her/hers), is the co-founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce’s Trans & Gender Expansive (TGX) Initiative, as Co-Chair of the Trans Affairs Committee on the City of Atlanta’s LGBTQ Mayoral Advisory Council, and as Secretary of the Out Georgia Business Alliance and chair of their TGX360 Employment & Entrepreneurship Initiative. In 2022, she received the Georgia Diversity Council’s LGBTQ Leadership Award, and in 2020 she published her memoir, Embrace Your Truth: A Journey of Authenticity. In 2019, the Atlanta Business Chronicle acknowledged her as their Diversity & Inclusion “Outstanding Voice” Award recipient as she delivered a TEDx talk for Centennial Park Women TEDx. In 2018, Gabrielle was honored as the Georgia Small Business Administration’s LGBT Small Business Champion Award recipient in recognition of her efforts in advancing LGBT business ownership and her work has been featured in Forbes and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Linda Herzer (she/her/hers), is the co-founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide. Linda is a strong advocate for the trans community, a seasoned curriculum developer, experienced trainer, and author of The Bible and the Transgender Experience: How Scripture Supports Gender Variance, a ground-breaking book with insights that have brought her invitations to speak and preach throughout North America. She has served as co-facilitator of support groups for transgender youth and adults, and their parents and spouses and she currently offers coaching for gender diverse people and their loved ones. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Georgia Diversity Council’s LGBTQ+ Ally Award for her advocacy work in the LGBTQ community.

Understanding Intersectionality in Relation to Racial Equity
Amikaeyla Gaston, Co-Executive Director, World Trust
May 2023

Created by World Trust, Understanding Intersectionality in Relation to Racial Equity was a 90-minute virtual workshop that allowed attendees to reflect upon and work towards a greater understanding of intersectionality and how it connects with equity.

 

RESOURCES
Agreements for Multicultural Interactions (Click to download)

Becoming an Anti-Racist Org (Click to download)

Equity and Empowerment Lens (Click to download)

Microaggressions (Click to download)

Perspectives of Privilege (Click to download)

Strategic Questioning: Practice Roles (Click to download)

Strategic Questioning: Short Version (Click to download)

Strategic Questioning: Additional Short Version (Click to download)

 

Amikaeyla Gaston, Co-Executive Director of World Trust, is a performer, public keynote speaker, educator, and author. She unlocked her self-expression while recovering from a near fatal hate crime, and now travels the world extensively as a cultural arts ambassador for the State Department, bringing together artists and healers to promote healing and wellness through the arts and activism. Her international program of public dialogue allows those from different traditions and nationalities to gather and address issues concerning communities at large, and has been utilized by the Department of Health & Human Services, USAID, The American Psychological Association, SAMHSA, and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees.

Engaging in Difficult Conversations in the Workplace
Jenna Shellman, Senior IDEAL Consultant, Archbright
April 2023

Created by Archbright, Engaging in Difficult Conversations in the Workplace was an engaging 90-minute virtual workshop designed to build consciousness and impart strategies on how to navigate challenging situations when discussing complex matters. Along with EDI-related topics, the session focused on navigating the nuances of day-to-day conversations in the workplace and in your community.

 

RESOURCES
Participant Guide (Click to download)

 

Jenna Shellman (she/her), is the Senior IDEAL (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and leadership) Consultant at Archbright and the main facilitator for Engaging in Difficult Conversations. Jenna has over 15 years of experience in the workplace, with a master’s degree in Education and Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Her background prior to becoming  a DEI Specialist is in education, recruiting, sales, and corporate management. Jenna is passionate about DEI work because she wants to be a voice for those who are often underrepresented and a coach for those who are ready to learn, engage, and transform. Jenna’s vision is to help organizations create workplace environments that are inclusive and equitable of all social identity groups. Her approach to DEI is to lead with compassion, build perspective, focus on progress over perfection, and support transformation.

Equity-Centered Community Design: Centering Community Members as Experts
Antionette Carroll, Founder, President and CEO, Creative Reaction Lab
November 2022

Created by Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB), Equity-Centered Community Design is an award-winning creative problem-solving process based on equity, humility-building, and integrating history and healing practices. The process addresses power dynamics and co-creating with the community to achieve sustained community health, economic opportunities, and social and cultural solidarity. As Levitt venues and concerts sites are positioned to catalyze positive change in communities, this session detailed how this framework focuses on a community’s culture and needs so participants could gain tools to help dismantle systemic oppression and create a future with equity for all.

 

RESOURCES
ECCD Field Guide (Request to download)

Antionette Carroll is the Founder, President and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating and deploying youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting Black and Latinx populations. Within this role, Antionette has pioneered an award-winning form of creative problem solving called Equity-Centered Community Design (named a Fast Company World Changing Idea Finalist). Through this capacity, Antionette has received several recognitions and awards including being named an Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, Roddenberry Fellow, Echoing Green Global Fellow, TED Fellow, ADCOLOR Innovator, SXSW Community Service Honoree, Camelback Ventures Fellow, 4.0 Schools Tiny Fellow, St. Louis Visionary Award Honoree for Community Impact, and Essence Magazine Woke 100.

The Hidden Biases of Good People: Implications for Individuals and Organizations
September 2022

As a follow-up to his June 2021 session, Dr. Bryant T. Marks, a national diversity expert and Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity (NTIRE), returned with this deep-dive session discussing how the known and unknown biases we hold toward others influence our judgments, behaviors, and decisions—both at the personal and organizational levels. During Dr. Marks’ engaging and interactive workshop, participants explored how individuals could change their personal biases to address biases in organizational behaviors and practices, and learned the three-phase approach to managing and reducing implicit bias via NTIRE’s AAA model—Assessment, Awareness, Action, which provides a step-by-step description of addressing organizational bias to take an evidence-based approach to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

RESOURCES
The Hidden Biases of Good People: Managing and Mitigating Bias (Presentation)

 

Reverend Dr. Bryant T. Marks, Sr. is a minister, researcher, trainer, award-winning educator, and former member of the Obama Administration. He is the Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity and a tenured professor of Psychology at Morehouse College. Between 2017 and 2021, Dr. Marks provided implicit bias training to over 100,000 employees and volunteers in law enforcement; city, county, and federal government; corporations; education; and healthcare.

Accessible Event Planning
Leah Barron, Programs Director, Accessible Festivals; Co-founder, Inclusion Festival
May 2022

In building community through the power of free, live music, Levitt venues and concert sites can be a beacon to help end the stigmatization of having a disability by more intentionally incorporating accessibility values into event operations—to foster a greater sense of belonging for all abilities and identities so every concertgoer can enjoy a safe, inclusive and amazing experience at Levitt concerts. The Accessible Event Planning session provided an in-depth discussion sharing best practices and tips for welcoming and interacting with disabled guests in a respectful, caring manner.

RESOURCES
Accessible Event Planning (handout)

Going to a Concert at The Musikfest Café: A Social Story

Inclusion Dining & Jams Recap Video

Sample Image Description

Accessible Festivals website

Inclusion Festival website

RAMPD: Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities website

Accessible website tools:
AccessiBE overlay

Recite Me

Leah Barron is the Programs Director for Accessible Festivals, the co-founder of Inclusion Festival, a special education teacher, and a registered yoga instructor with experience working in a variety of settings including public schools, private studios, and home-based instruction. Leah is committed to improving the quality of life and access to community resources for people of all abilities through direct service and event planning.

The Manifestations of Systemic Oppression
Jonny Altrogge, Facilitator/Consultant, True North EDI
March 2022

As a society, our understanding of race and racism operates primarily on an interpersonal level. However, organizations committed to racial equity must have a more complex understanding of the ways that racism manifests at multiple levels from the individual to the societal, and thrives in systems, practices, policies and beliefs within and outside of their organizations.

RESOURCES
Protocols (presentation)

Housing Segregation and Redlining in America (NPR’s “Code Switch”)

Lens of Systemic Oppression (article)

Lens of Systemic Oppression (PDF)

Americas Enduring Caste System

Black Futures: An Ode to Freedom Summer

Jonny Altrogge is a Facilitator/Consultant with True North EDI, a Black-owned consulting and professional development firm that operates within the diversity, equity and inclusion space. While continuing his own learning, Altrogge offers facilitation, educator training and DEI coaching to support others on their journey towards understanding what justice, equity, diversity and inclusion mean in our ever-evolving world and communities. He believes that organizational advancement and achievement begins with understanding one’s self and finding ways in which we can grow as individuals. As an outdoor professional, Altrogge advocates for greater diversity in the outdoor industry and accurate representation of POC in the outdoors in order to positively influence and encourage youth of color.

Creating and Maintaining a Culture of Inclusion
Kimberly B. Lewis, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of East Texas; Owner, Motivational Muse, LLC
November 2021

Reaching out to people who may be different than yourself can be a bit intimidating, but this is a necessary skill for business and organizational leadership. This engaging workshop highlighted how to recruit, partner and invest in diverse communities. Participants were led in “safe space” discussions and in role playing exercises to help them gain the confidence needed to engage authentically with under-tapped and under-represented audiences.

RESOURCES
Creating and Maintaining a Culture of Inclusion (recording)

Creating and Maintaining a Culture of Inclusion (presentation)

Kimberly B. Lewis is the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of East Texas and the owner of Motivational Muse, LLC. She has more than 20 years of executive level nonprofit and business experience—17 of which has been leading Goodwill agencies. She joined Goodwill Industries of East Texas (GIET) in 2013. Prior to joining GIET, she led Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area, headquartered in Huntington, W.V. for 10 years.

Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture
Kerrien Suarez, Executive Director, and Rebekah Gowler, Senior Director, Content and Stakeholder Engagement, Equity in the Center (EiC)
October 2021

During the first session, Equity in the Center (EiC) provided training on the Race Equity Cycle framework for organizational transformation. The second session took a deeper dive into operationalizing equity and included breakout group discussions designed to support the definition of specific priorities and action steps to build a Race Equity Culture.

RESOURCES
Appendix B: Glossary

Race Equity Cycle Pulse Check

How to Get Started Resources

Race to Lead: Revisited

Native Land

Equity in the Center – Video Case Studies

Awake to Woke to Work (AWW) Resource List

Kerrien Suarez is the Executive Director of Equity in the Center (EiC). Her focus on diversity, inclusion and equity developed through work with Surge Institute, Camelback Ventures, EdFuel and National Black Child Development Institute, where she supported emerging and established leaders and social entrepreneurs of color. A management consultant with over 20 years of experience, Kerrien led engagements to refine programs and scale impact for national nonprofits, including The First Tee and AARP Experience Corps, while at Community Wealth Partners, where she also coached grantees of the Annie E. Casey, Wells Fargo and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations on issues ranging from organizational capacity and sustainability to place-based collective impact.

Rebekah Gowler is the Senior Director, Content and Stakeholder Engagement, at Equity in the Center. She has over eight years of experience leading racial justice and health equity initiatives in the public sector, and has an MSW and MPH from Boston University. Previously, Rebekah led the development of the Racial Justice and Health Equity Professional Development Series at the Boston Public Health Commission, a training program for all agency staff. In that role, she managed various staff teams and consultant relationships to develop a foundational two-day workshop for all BPHC staff, and served as one of the staff facilitators.

Based in Washington, D.C., Equity in the Center (EiC) works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems in the social sector to increase racial equity. EiC envisions a future where nonprofit and philanthropic organizations advance race equity internally while centering it in their work externally. EiC works with organizations across the country through convenings, working sessions, coaching, and partner trainings.

Addressing Implicit Bias
Reverend Dr. Bryant T. Marks, Sr., Founder and Chief Equity Officer, National Training Institute on Race and Equity
June 2021

Despite our best intentions, we all have biases and are susceptible to stereotypes. Implicit biases live deep in our subconscious and provide information on almost every facet of our lives. In this session, Dr. Marks led a highly engaging and interactive discussion on how implicit bias manifests itself in ourselves and our organizations, and how we can change our personal and organizational behaviors and practices.

RESOURCES
Addressing Implicit Bias
Additional Reading

Reverend Dr. Bryant T. Marks, Sr. is a minister, researcher, trainer, award-winning educator, and former member of the Obama Administration. He is the Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity and a tenured professor of Psychology at Morehouse College.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Toward Interdependence
Cathleen Antoine-Abiala and Annoj Bhandari, Facilitators, True North EDI
May 2021

This illuminating session set the foundation for integrating equity, diversity and inclusion into organizational practices. Through reflective, authentic, and action-oriented conversations around a deeper examination of EDI language, this workshop unpacked each concept in isolation and discussed their interconnectedness. Concepts included identifying tokenism, superficial change, and other risks associated with “diversity.” Participants explored what prioritizing EDI looks like for them as individuals and within an organizational context.

RESOURCES
EDI Series_Summary

EDI Series_What DEI is Not_Word Cloud

EDI Series_What DEI Is Word Cloud

EDI Series_Your Growing Edge Questions

Facilitated by Cathleen Antoine-Abiala and Annoj Bhandari of True North EDI. True North EDI was founded on the belief that organizational and institutional change can only happen through deep and informed reflection on the ways in which identity, history, and power intersect and impact our lives. We facilitate across spheres to support organizations in making meaningful connections between people and ideas, reflection and action, and past, present, and possibility. Through workshops, coaching, and consulting, we support professional communities in the design and development of human-centered practices, policies, and cultures that allow for and promote the possibility for each individual to show up and thrive as our whole and authentic self.

Understanding Implicit Bias & Practicing Equity and Anti-Racism
Christine Margiotta, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Los Angeles
February 2021

What does it mean to practice equity and to be anti-racist? This session unpacked the complexity of white supremacy and white privilege in the United States. We discussed how these dynamics can show up in ourselves and in our work, and what we can do to build a concert series that is more inclusive of our communities.

RESOURCES
Equity in Center Awake-Woke-Work 2019

Awake Woke Work Webinar Slides

White Supremacy Culture — Tema Okun

Land Acknowledgement Toolkit – The California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center _ Palomar College American Indian Studies Department

Additional EDI Resources

Understanding Implicit Bias & Practicing Equity and Anti-Racism (recording)

Practicing Equity and Anti-Racism (presentation)

Christine Margiotta is passionate about channeling our collective power to create enduring justice and community. As Executive Director of Social Venture Partners Los Angeles, she brings together nonprofit, community, and foundation leaders to fuel systemic transformation, facilitating mutual learning, deep connection, and synergistic collaboration. Christine launched SVP’s Systems Change Accelerator to bolster early-stage social justice initiatives and Anti-Racism for White People to support leaders in championing racial justice.