Between a global pandemic, a reinvigorated social and racial justice movement, and a contentious presidential election, 2020 has been a year of historic change. We brought Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leaders together recently for a virtual conversation about the current DEI environment. Read on to hear from Bethany Hartley, our Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity,…
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Sept. 25, 2020) — The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership (Regional Partnership) is pleased to announce the hiring of Sarah Kovich, who joins the economic development organization as the Executive Assistant and Office Manager. In this new role, Kovich will be responsible for providing a wide range of office management and…
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A Brief History of D&I Diversity and inclusion efforts emerged in the 1960’s in the military and higher education. Businesses began using diversity training in the late 1980s and throughout the ’90s as protection against and to settle civil rights suits. What began as a response to civil rights lawsuits has evolved into a solid…
A perfect storm started brewing across the nation at the end of May 2020, just as Americans were beginning to become restless after months of being isolated due to COVID-19. But while many storms have the potential to blow over, this one was different. Lightning struck on Monday, May 25, when another black man in…
Read More “From Checking the Box to Real Change: Shifting to an Inclusive Culture”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 12, 2020) – On Monday, U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) participated in Congressional Startup Day with the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. They discussed how entrepreneurs in the region are navigating business during a global pandemic, as well as how they have experienced the entrepreneurship ecosystems. “As a Main Street entrepreneur,…
