The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is committed to creating awareness about the competitive advantage of having a diverse and inclusive regional business climate through employer education, talent recruitment and procurement.
The benefits of a Diverse & Inclusive workforce are well known and include enhanced innovation, increased competitive advantage, higher employee engagement and improved talent attraction and retention.
However, recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce continues to be a major challenge and priority for our members. In response to our members’ needs, we have created several programs designed to advance best practices and enable employers to leverage diversity for competitive advantage and promote a workplace culture of inclusion and engagement.
Small, peer-to-peer, professionally facilitated groups for Senior Level Executives who are actively implementing D&I programs in their organization. Where leaders can comfortably meet, share experiences, and resolve D&I challenges in a confidential setting.
Designed for business leaders and their staff who understand the benefits of a D&I strategy and are interested in starting or improving a D&I initiative in their organization. This is a comprehensive 2-month, 4 class program for attendees to build a strong foundation in D&I.
Western New York’s first ever Diversity & Inclusion Symposium was presented by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. National experts on D&I shared their knowledge on subjects such implicit bias, building an inclusive culture, and the best practices for D&I initiative implementation.
To better inform our work in this area, the Partnership developed and deployed the WNY D&I Community Assessment. To learn more, visit our web page HERE.
Each year, the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award is given to an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence in their career and devotion to improving the community through serving as role models for other young women. This year’s recipient is Mary Owusu, vice president (partner), director of digital strategy and analytics
Harmac Medical Products, a contract manufacturer of single-use medical devices, employs over 400 people in a neighborhood on Buffalo’s east side. Harmac is a member of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and CEO John Somers sits on our board of directors. Recently, John spoke at our Maximizing the Value of Diversity & Inclusion event about the importance of community in attracting and
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” That is the message Marc Burt has for employers looking to create diverse and inclusive workplaces. Burt – a former vice president of Inclusion and Diversity at Honda North America – shared his experience
