LINC

Learning | Inclusion | Networking | Community

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Leadership Reflections – Being in Community 

By: Katelyn Mack, President and COO of LINC

I joined LINC in February inspired by our work to create a more welcoming and inclusive Lehigh Valley. In the last year, I have been proud to witness our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Roundtables reach over 250 people from over 80 organizations in and around the Valley. In concert with our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council we launched our DEI Community in April, and currently have over 200 registered users accessing our DEI Resource Portal. 

When we launched the DEI Community, we tested a hypothesis: that organizations care about advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and fostering belonging in their workplace, yet lack the connections, the resources, and the information to get started or to take the next step.  

The DEI Community aims to be a resource to organizations on their DEI journey. We call it a Community because since LINC was founded in 2015, we have learned the power of community and of connections: 

  • To make people feel welcomed and cared for.  
  • To bring people from diverse backgrounds together. 
  • To catalyze meaningful action and positive change. 

Community is at the heart of LINC.  

LINC does not have all the answers. None of us do. In this space, we are a connector, offering a network of resources and people willing to share ideas, dialogue on critical issues, and provide expert coaching, training, and consultative support to advance the work. This means we rely on the relationships with and among each of you to make this Community strong and thrive. 

It’s our goal to support you, your leaders, and your employees in taking the steps needed to develop, implement, and refine your DEI strategies and plans. And we need your help. Here’s how we hope to connect with you in the coming months: 

  • Share DEI-related events and activities that you’re attending. We highlight events in our Monthly DEI Updates and want to spotlight where our DEI Community members will be so others can join!  
  • Submit resources (articles, videos, podcasts) We are always looking for new resources and topics that made you go ‘Wow! I hadn’t thought about that before’ or ‘I had no idea!’ Submit your ideas here. 
  • Stay engaged! How? 
    • Use one of our Resources as a connector or discussion starter at an upcoming team meeting.  
    • Reach out to LINC with a question or challenge so we can link you with someone who can help you solve the problem. Email dei@linc-lv.com  
    • Give us feedback on something you liked or want to see! Book club? Social meet-up? Discussion topic? Speaker? We are open to your ideas. 
    • Sponsor a LINC event such as a DEI Roundtable.  

We hope to see our DEI Community numbers climb in 2023 – reflecting that more and more employers across industries, sizes, and geographic footprint are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organization. 

Thank you for choosing LINC as a partner on your journey. 

In community,