GUIDING PRINCIPLES

We will:

• Act on what we can uniquely do  as business leaders, while at the same time engaging and supporting other community efforts with deference to existing knowledge, credibility and experiences.   

• Meet one another, our individual organizations and our community partners where each sit on the spectrum of activities that build diversity, equity and inclusion.    

• Thoroughly understand the interplay between equity and economic development, and use that knowledge to help rectify Columbus’ racial wealth gap and inequities.  

• Operate with a sense of humility and an enduring commitment to the values of Columbus Way, recognizing that we must aspire to extend its benefit to the entire community.    

• Commit to driving both near- and long-term change.   

STEERING COMMITTEE

The steering committee includes the co-chairs of each workgroup, and advises the Partnership's advancement of DEI-focused strategies. 

In pursuit of the shared vision to make Columbus the most prosperous region in the U.S., the Columbus Partnership is developing a new plan to address its role in realizing this community-wide aspiration. The emerging plan will place focus on three dimensions that together contribute to prosperity: Growth, innovation and equity.

The Partnership’s DEI Steering Committee is focused on the development of strategies that are specific to the equity-building dimension of the plan. This work is underway now.  

Steering Committee

Co-Chairs
Mike Kaufmann
Curt Moody

Members
Tanny Crane
Sandy Doyle-Ahern
Francie Henry
Dr. Steve Markovich
Alex Shumate
Adam Weinberg

INDIVIDUAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION 

Purpose: Elevate the membership’s level of awareness and conviction to act on the individual level, as a means to influence mindsets and behaviors that will drive change.

This workgroup supports programming, workshops and other member-focused activity in order to: 

• Create a shared baseline of racial literacy across members of the Partnership.  

• Provide members with a solid grasp of the history of racism in Columbus and the racial equity landscape that exists here today. 

This is accomplished by: 

• Holding group trainings and workshops for Partnership members. 

• Hosting speakers who bring diverse perspectives and thought leadership on advancement of equity. 

• Creating DEI-focused curriculum for new Columbus Partnership members.  

• Building relationships between Partnership members and local leaders working on DEI.  

Recent and Current Activity 

The Individual Awareness and Education Workgroup hosted a three-part series with Dr. Robert Livingston in June of 2021. Partnership members, along with leaders from within their organizations, participated in a dialogue focused on the concepts in Dr. Livingston’s book, The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations. The sessions with Dr. Livingston engaged more than 200 participants.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT   

Purpose: Turn the mirror on ourselves, through examination of and action on what we can affect within our own organizations. 

This workgroup will determine policies and practices to emulate, change or enact in order to build more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.  

This is accomplished by: 

• Working with members to understand existing organizational strategies for linking diversity, equity and inclusion to their mission and core principles.  

• Working with members to inventory articulated goals, scorecards or measurable results. 

• Demonstrating how diversity drives stronger creativity, innovation and relationships.  

• Identifying training opportunities and resources to reduce bias and educate employees. 

• Empowering an open share of information on DEI across the membership as a means to learn from one another.

Recent and Current Activity
Through qualitative and quantitative survey and one-on-one interviews, the Partnership is currently researching the baseline of DEI-focused activity that exists within the membership. Information collected will be used to help build a framework of recommendations to enact or change within Partnership organizations.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS  

Purpose: Lend the Partnership’s collective support and influence to uplift and support existing DEI initiatives in the Columbus Region.

This workgroup recommends key areas for Columbus Partnership engagement. 

This is accomplished by: 

• Cataloging current and emerging efforts in the Columbus Region that advance DEI. 

• Evaluating which community efforts have needs that intersect with the Partnership’s objectives, and the types of support that the Partnership can uniquely provide.  

• Forming small groups of members to act on driving change through those specific partnerships. 

Recent and Current Activity 

The Community Partnerships workgroup has been meeting with community-based organizations to learn more about existing efforts and potential collaborations.  
 
The Columbus Partnership has invested in the African American Leadership Academy (AALA) in order to support a second cohort of the AALA Signature Program that will begin in January 2022. 
 
Several Partnership members also participated in Ready2Earn, a comprehensive summer work readiness training and work experience program for youth ages 16-18, offered by Franklin County and the Columbus Urban League.