Summit will tackle topics such as financing for minority-owned businesses, diverse hiring practices, improving supplier diversity, and creating more accessible workplaces

Lansdowne, VA – On October 12^th, the Loudoun Chamber will present its inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Summit, featuring Keynote addresses by Jason Wright, President of the Washington Commanders, and Rick Wade, Senior Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
 
Titled “Building a More Equitable Loudoun Economy,” the half-day summit will also feature panel discussions focused on the challenges facing minority-owned businesses while offering expert insight to help every organization improve its diversity and inclusion performance.
 
Presented by the Chamber’s DEIA Committee, the summit will be held at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne, from 7:30 am to Noon.
 
“This Summit will feature outstanding national and local leaders who understand the value of diversifying our workforce, customer bases, and suppliers to gain an advantage in a rapidly diversifying market, like Loudoun. Every business and nonprofit leader that attends this Summit will access the knowledge and the experts they need to improve their DEIA performance, to reach new customers, talent and suppliers,” said Chamber President Tony Howard.
 
Jason Wright, who Co-Chairs the Greater Washington Partnership’s Inclusive Growth Strategy Council, will kick things off with his keynote address. After one of two-panel discussions, Rick Wade will take the stage to discuss the U.S. Chamber’s leadership to support small and minority-owned businesses, including through its Equality of Opportunity Initiative (EOI).
 
In between those keynote addresses, there will be a panel discussion on “Inclusive Capital and Sourcing,” led by Visit Loudoun CEO Beth Erickson and featuring Loudoun Economic Development Director Buddy Rizer, BCT President & CEO Alice Frazier and Tim Holtz, Sourcing Director, Stryker Spine.
 
The DEIA Summit will conclude with a panel discussion on “Inclusion in the Workplace,”  moderated by Angela Mitchell, of ARM Consulting. Joining her for this panel discussion are: Threase Baker, from Abbtech; Sam Clarke, of Equality Loudoun; Christopher “CJ” Gross, of Ascension Worldwide, and; Lisa Kimball, from The Arc of Loudoun.
 
The “Building a More Equitable Loudoun Economy” summit is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, including:
 
Signature Sponsor: Google
Spotlight Sponsor: Inova Loudoun Hospital
Diversity Sponsors: Northwest Federal Credit Union and You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia Summit Sponsor: Loudoun Department of Economic Development
Equity Sponsors: Backflow Technology and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties
Accessibility Sponsor: The Arc of Loudoun
Panel Sponsor: L. Jackson Associates
Inclusion Sponsors: ARM Consulting and CEO Consulting Group
Photography Sponsor: Blue Lion Multimedia.
 
Learn about registration, the event timeline, and more event information on the Chamber’s website: www.LoudounChamber.org/events.