Learn from our speakers as they share insights and perspectives on various DE&I topics.
WGU’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) team hosts the Advance Equity Speaker Series (AESS) as part of our commitment to change lives for the better by advancing equity and expanding access to opportunity. Our monthly webinar series features guests who share insights and perspectives on various topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Recordings from each session are posted on this page after the event.
January 2024
Defining Colorism and Its Impact in the Workplace
January 25, 2024 at 11 am MT
What is colorism? How does colorism manifest within the workplace? Join us for a conversation with Dr. Sarah L. Webb who will define colorism, explain the systemic impact of colorism across cultures and across sectors of society, and share strategies for meaningful and sustainable action against colorism. Dr. Webb is the founder and owner of Colorism Healing. She has written and contributed to several academic and non-academic articles, presented at numerous conferences, and been featured on regional NPR stations, Forbes.com, TEDx stage, and other outlets.
Dr. Sarah L. Webb
Indigenous in Plain Sight: Disrupting Stereotypes Through Art
Join us for a conversation with Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe), a nationally and internationally recognized multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans painting, performance, filmmaking, and spoken word. As an artist, activist, and educator, Gregg creates work that examines American history, colonialism, and popular culture through a Native lens. Through his diverse artistic practices and lectures, Gregg challenges stereotypes and offers thoughtful perspectives on representation, identity, and the complex relationship between past and present in American society. Gregg has delivered two TEDx talks, and his works have been featured in prestigious institutions, including the Denver Art Museum, RedLine Gallery, and The Smithsonian Institution.
Date: November 21, 2024
Time: 11:00 am MT
September 2024
Believe in Your Ability to Succeed
Date: Thursday September 26, 2024
Time: 11 am MT
Join us for a conversation with Linda Alvarado who is a community leader, education advocate, CEO of Alvarado Construction, and National Women’s Hall of Famer. When Linda was rejected for a landscape laborer position for being a woman, she began a lifelong quest to prove them wrong and find success in construction. She would go on to found and run Alvarado Construction, one of the United States’ fastest growing construction companies. In addition, she became both the first Hispanic and first woman to own a Major League Baseball team.
Previous Webinars
October 2024
Visioning the AI-Empowered Future of Work
Join us for an enlightening session with Nichol Bradford, SHRM’s Executive in Residence for Human and AI Enablement. Nichol will share her insights on the future of work, focusing on how responsible AI implementation can empower human talent and potential to build better workplaces and fuel an enlightened society. We will also explore how to mitigate risks like bias and pilot AI ethically, ensuring that workforce experiments with generative AI systems enhance skills, capacities, and well-being, resulting in solutions that benefit lives more broadly.
September 2024
Believe in Your Ability to Succeed
Join us for a conversation with Linda Alvarado who is a community leader, education advocate, CEO of Alvarado Construction, and National Women’s Hall of Famer. When Linda was rejected for a landscape laborer position for being a woman, she began a lifelong quest to prove them wrong and find success in construction. She would go on to found and run Alvarado Construction, one of the United States’ fastest growing construction companies. In addition, she became both the first Hispanic and first woman to own a Major League Baseball team.
August 2024
Finding Empathy Through Our Difference
Join us for an insightful conversation with Atia Abawi, an award-winning journalist and celebrated author. As a former correspondent for CNN and NBC, Atia brings a wealth of experience from the front lines of global conflicts, highlighting the critical importance of recognizing humanity in everyone. Atia will share her personal experiences from living abroad and the people and places she covered. Through these stories, Atia aims to encourage a deeper understanding and mutual respect, prompting us to find common ground even in our differences. Atia is the author of “A Land of Permanent Goodbyes” and “The Secret Sky” and has received numerous accolades including The George Foster Peabody Award and The duPont-Colombia awards.
July 2024
How Do You Define Yourself?
Join us for a conversation with Lizzie Velasquez, a global motivational speaker, YouTube personality, anti-bullying activist, and author. Born with a rare congenital condition that prevents her from gaining weight, Lizzie has faced unimaginable bullying and adversity throughout her life. Instead of letting it define her, she turned her experience into a powerful message of self-acceptance, kindness, and resilience. Her story has been featured on Katie Couric, The Today Show, The View, Huffington Post, Associated Press, MSN, and Yahoo. She is the author of Dare to Be Kind and executive producer of the award-winning documentary based on her life, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, which chronicles her journey from cyber-bully victim to global anti-bullying activist.
June 2024
When We Rise: My Life in the Movement
Join us for a conversation with Cleve Jones who is an LGBTQ+ activist and author of When We Rise. He will share his 50-year journey to becoming a hero of the LGBTQ+ community. Cleve has given a voice to the voiceless, organized the struggling and disenfranchise and inspired activists with his life stories of driving history-making change. Beginning with the electrifying atmosphere of 1970s San Francisco, Cleve will walk us through the Gay Liberation Movement, his mentorship by legendary activist Harvey Milk, the terrifying early years of the AIDS pandemic, and his own rise to the forefront of activism as co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and AIDS Memorial Quilt. He was recognized as a Champion of Change by President Obama and portrayed in an Oscar-winning film.
May 2024
Dispelling the Myth of Asians as a Model Minority
Join us for a conversation with Lela Lee who is an actress, writer, and creator of the comic strip “Angry Little Asian Girl”. She will share her story, experiences, and dispel the myth of Asians as a model minority. Asian Americans blame the media, but who or what is really to blame for this myth? Lela will look at online criticism and activism in Asian America and whether the collective “face” of Asians in America is really ready to break the model minority myth.
April 2024
Future of Work: Strategies for Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
In today’s workplace, there are four generations: Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z. Join us for a conversation with WGU’s multigenerational workforce about generational diversity. Our panelists will share their generational experiences, perspectives about workplace dynamics, and strategies for working with a multigenerational workforce.
WGU Panelists: Antonette Burroughs - Strategic Partnerships Manager, Nate Schwartz - Internal Communications Rep., Larissa Scott - Enrollment Supervisor, Emilia Valle, Sr. Manager - Program Mentoring, School of Technology
March 2024
Women’s History Month: A Conversation with WGU Women in Leadership
Join us for a conversation with four WGU women in leadership who work toward equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our panelists will share their experiences, career insights, and what we can do to combat bias and empower women in the workplace.
WGU Panelists:
Linda Battles - Regional Vice President, South, Debbie Fowler - Senior Vice President, Academic Delivery , Mitsu Frazier - Senior Vice President, School of Business
We Welcome Your Feedback
Contact WGU's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) team for more information.
