Inclusion in Action: CNBC Opportunity Forum
Creating an inclusive economy goes well beyond the workforce; it’s about expanding opportunities so more people can have the ability to achieve success. The Inclusion in Action: CNBC Opportunity Forum examines strategies and initiatives for organizations that create equity and opportunity not just for employees but also customers, clients, suppliers and the broader community to create lasting change.
Follow our relevant editorial coverage on cnbc.com/inclusion.
Tracee Ellis Ross continues to skillfully navigate the entertainment industry as an award-winning actress-producer-creative. Ross can currently be seen starring in Season 7 of ABC’s Emmy, SAG, NAACP, Critics Choice, Golden Globe nominated and Peabody-winning comedy series “Black-ish.”
For her role as Rainbow Johnson in the series, as a comedic leading actress, Ross has received numerous individual accolades including winning the Golden Globe Award in 2017 as well as six NAACP Image Awards. She also garnered four Primetime Emmy nominations and two Critics Choice Award nominations. Ross was honored by Women in Film in 2017 with the “Lucy Award for Excellence in Television and at the 2016 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood luncheon with the “Fierce and Fearless” award. Most recently, she joined the ranks of Victoria Beckham and Gwen Stefani in receiving the “Fashion Icon Award” at the 2020 People’s Choice Awards.
Ross recently signed a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature under her production company, Joy Mill Entertainment. The company will be based at the studio and produce content across all platforms. Joy Mill Entertainment is committed to amplifying multilayered stories that reframe assumptions about how we see ourselves and each other.
Ross also executive produced the new ABC series “Mixed-ish” -- the prequel to “Black-ish” -- about Rainbow as a young girl. Ross will also star and serve as executive producer in the adult animated comedy, “Jodie.” “Jodie” is a series spinoff based on MTV’s iconic “Daria” franchise in which Ross will voice the title character, Jodie.
Previously on television, Ross starred on the hit sitcom “Girlfriends” which ran for eight seasons and earned her eight NAACP Image Award nominations with wins in 2007 and 2009. Ross also earned the NAACP Image Award for her work in "Reed Between the Lines," which she also produced.
In addition to her roles in television, Ross can currently be seen in Focus Feature’s “The High Note,” starring opposite Dakota Johnson – which released on VOD in May 2020. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the comedy is set among the talent, fame and fast-paced world of Hollywood’s music scene. In the film, Ross delivers stunning vocal performances of five different songs, including a duet with Kelvin Harrison Jr. called “Like I Do,” and the film’s first single “Love Myself.” This notably marks the first time Ross has released a song, highlighting her dynamic voice in her role as recording artist Grace Davis. This multifaceted performance earned her a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
Ross serves as the CEO and Founder of PATTERN —a haircare brand she created for the curly, coily and tight-textured masses, that has taken the industry by storm since its launch in 2019. In 2020, PATTERN won the ALLURE Best of Beauty 2020 Award for its “Hair Pick,” the ELLE Future of Beauty Award for its “Intensive Conditioner,” the ESSENCE Best in Black Beauty Award, the MARIE CLAIRE Beauty Game Changer Award for its “Leave-In Conditioner,” the NEWBEAUTY Award for its “Hydration Shampoo” and the GLAMOUR Beauty Award for “Best Pro Shampoo and Conditioner for Curls.”
The brand, which supports organizations and programs that empower women and people of color, is currently available online at patternbeauty.com, as well as ulta.com. Pattern launched its Phase 2 collection in June 2020, which included over 15 new styling products, tools, and kits for curly, coiled, and tight textured hair. In February 2021, PATTERN launched Phase 3, which includes the PATTERN Scalp Serum and PATTERN Treatment Mask.
Ross continues to use her voice and vast social influence to advocate for joy and self-acceptance and invites her more than 10 million social media followers to join her quest for inclusivity and equity. In line with her passion for social justice and advocacy, she recently facilitated night two of the 2020 Democratic National Convention serving as a guide for the evenings program in support of the nominations of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. As a co-founding signatory of the Time’s Up movement, Ross is actively involved in working towards the goal of creating safety and equality in the workplace. In April of 2018,
Ross opened at the TED Conference, the first black woman to do so, with an important speech about the wisdom of women’s fury. In November 2017, Ross gave a powerful speech that went viral about dismantling expectations and claiming your own life at Glamour’s Women of the Year Summit. She also moderated the second stop of Michelle Obama’s book tour in Los Angeles on behalf of her memoir “Becoming.”
Additional television credits include “Portlandia,” “Grown-ish,” “Broad City,” “Five”, “Private Practice,” “CSI," and “LIFE Support”. Her feature film credits include "Hanging Up" with Jennifer Connelly and Marcia Gay Harden, and Tyler Perry's "Daddy's Little Girls.” Her theatre credits include turns in “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” on stage in New York and Los Angeles.
Ross was awarded an honorary degree as Doctor of Fine Arts by her Alma mater, Brown University in 2015.
Ross currently resides in Los Angeles.
Maria Contreras-Sweet is an American businesswoman, banker and civic leader who served on President Obama’s cabinet as the 24th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The U.S. SBA provides business owners with capital through government-backed loan guarantees, a complex international counseling network, and by directing to them 23% of the federal procurement spend. The SBA manages the world’s largest fund of funds and the largest seed fund in the world.
Ms. Contreras-Sweet was the Founder and executive chairwoman of ProAmérica Bank. Prior, she managed a private equity firm and earlier served as the California cabinet Secretary of Business, Transportation, and Housing. Ms. Contreras-Sweet is the recipient of five honorary doctorate degrees, including from her alma mater Cal State University, Los Angeles and Tufts University. The Maria Contreras-Sweet Public Policy Impact Award was established in her honor for her efforts to expand entrepreneurship around the world and deepen democracies. She is currently serving on the board of The Bipartisan Policy Institute.
PLEASE NOTE: she is referred to as a member of President Obama’s cabinet or the 24th Administor of the US Small Business Administration. You are welcome to add: President and CEO, ContrerasSweet Companies.
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., is the Steven A. Tananbaum Distinguished Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the Immediate Past President and CEO of TIAA. Prior to joining TIAA, Mr. Ferguson was head of financial services for Swiss Re and Chairman of Swiss Re America Holding Corporation. Mr. Ferguson is the former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System. He began his career as an attorney at the New York City office of Davis Polk & Wardwell and was an Associate and Partner at McKinsey & Company. Mr. Ferguson is a member of the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He serves on the boards of Alphabet, Inc.; Corning, Inc.; Blend, Inc.; and International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. Mr. Ferguson is also active as an advisor and board member with various private fintech companies. He serves on the boards of The Conference Board, the Institute for Advanced Study, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and other non for profits. Mr. Ferguson holds a B.A., J.D., and a Ph.D. in economics, all from Harvard University.
As Co-CEO, Mellody is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of Ariel Investments outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ariel Investment Trust—the company’s publicly traded mutual funds. Prior to being named Co-CEO, Mellody spent nearly two decades as the firm’s President. Outside of Ariel, Mellody is a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy. Her leadership has also been invaluable to corporate boardrooms across the nation. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation, and is the incoming Chairman of Starbucks, effective March 2021. She is also a director of JPMorgan Chase. She previously served as Chairman of the Board of DreamWorks Animation until the company’s sale and was also a long-standing board member of the Estée Lauder Companies. Mellody’s community outreach includes her role as Chairman of After School Matters, a Chicago non-profit that provides area teens with high-quality after school and summer programs. Additionally, she is vice chair of World Business Chicago; co-chair of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art; and a board member of the George Lucas Education Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Mellody is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees, and serves on the executive committee of the Investment Company Institute. Mellody earned her AB from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy. In 2019, she was awarded the University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented annually to a Princeton graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service. She has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College, and the University of Southern California. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Influential People” in the world.
Agenda subject to change
1:00pm ET
Creating an Inclusive Economy
Business leader Mellody Hobson sits down for an expansive discussion on how to rethink inclusion beyond hiring practices and policies; from setting standards within boards, to partnering with small businesses and creating opportunities within communities. Hobson will share her experiences and strategies to achieve a more inclusive environment.
Mellody Hobson, Ariel Investments co-CEO and President; Starbucks Board Chairwoman
Interviewer: Sharon Epperson, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent
Watch the full interview
The Board Imperative
As more firms announce they will no longer invest in companies without it, board diversity is beyond just a smart idea, it’s a business imperative. This session looks at how companies should approach their search and what makes a successful diverse board.
Roel Campos, Former SEC Chairman and Latino Corporate Directors Association Chair
Tandra Jackson, KPMG Vice Chair, Growth & Strategy
Interviewer: Tyler Mathisen, CNBC “Power Lunch” Co-Anchor & Vice President, Events Strategy
Watch the full interview
Inclusion and Small Business: Challenges and Opportunities
Small business has often been regarded as a pathway to success and financial independence in many communities. The pandemic has hit small businesses particularly hard, and minority small business owners faced added challenges making their survival even more fragile. Here we look how the public and private sector can partner with small business to increase opportunities for success for more people.
Maria Contreras-Sweet, Small Business Administration Fmr. Administrator; Contreras-Sweet Enterprises Principal
Interviewer: Kate Rogers, CNBC Reporter
Watch the full interview
Creating an Inclusive Business Ecosystem
Tracee Ellis Ross: while best known as an actress, director and producer is also the CEO and Founder of hair-care brand Pattern Beauty, sold at Ulta beauty stores and in Birchbox subscriptions. Ross has also been named Ulta’s Diversity and Inclusion Adviser. We will speak to her about how and why she started Pattern, and how brands can be more proactive about committing to have more diverse suppliers and vendors, and what impact that has on inclusion in the complete business ecosystem.
Tracee Ellis Ross, PATTERN CEO and Founder
Interviewer: Rahel Solomon, CNBC General Assignment Reporter
Watch the full interview
Caregiver Crisis: A Bold Plan to Get Women Back to Work
Women – particularly women of color, have been overwhelmingly disenfranchised during the pandemic, due to both their greater share of responsibility during the current childcare and schooling crisis, and their representation in negatively affected industries. Now, the public and private sectors need to rethink the way working mothers are included in the workplace. Reshma Saujani wrote The Marshall Plan for Moms to help mothers get back to work and explains how it will help the economy overall.
Reshma Saujani, Girls Who Code Founder and CEO
Interviewer: Ylan Mui, CNBC Reporter
Watch the full interview
The Big Picture: One-on-One with Roger Ferguson
Roger Ferguson is one of the most prominent Black executives in finance. He is former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors for the U.S. Federal Reserve System and has been the CEO of TIAA since 2008, which he has grown from about $435 billion to approximately $1.2 trillion assets under management. He will retire from that role at the end of this month. He sits down to talk about his career, his thoughts on how inclusion has evolved and what more still needs to be done, plus the role business and government need to play to create lasting change.
Roger Ferguson, TIAA President & CEO
Interviewer: Sharon Epperson, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent
Watch the full interview
3:00pm ET
While companies are pledging millions of dollars to the cause of racial equality, there is also a recognition that money and platitudes are no longer enough. Sustainable, systemic change is needed.
We’ll discuss the quantitative and qualitative metrics and data that can inform diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
This live virtual event will focus on practical solutions with results that are measurable, transparent and sustainable for corporate leaders to put into action in their organizations.
Registration is closed for the Inclusion in Action Forum. Please email events@cnbc.com with any questions, and check out other upcoming events.
SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 counties, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally.