Apologies for the late send. I hope you’ll think it was worth the wait.
Race and inclusion were an important part of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in D.C. today. You were missed, but your presence was felt.
We kicked off the day with a morning panel on The New Rules of Inclusion, starring four incredible women: Jess Lee, Partner, Investments, Sequoia Capital; Cindy Robbins, Executive Vice President, Global Employee Success at Salesforce; Sandra Phillips Rogers, Group Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Toyota Motor North America and Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. I’ll have a link and more thoughts, tomorrow.
Later in the afternoon, things got real when Ann-Marie Campbell, Executive Vice President, U.S. Stores, The Home Depot, Inc., Thasunda Duckett, CEO, Consumer Banking, JP Morgan Chase and Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments took the stage to help explain why there are so few black women in executive ranks in the Fortune universe. It was a real-life version of The Black Ceiling, a moving discussion of what is holding black women back, even as white women find traction in inclusion efforts.
It’s worth noting that Campbell is now the only black woman on the MPW list this year.
“Inclusion is not just a professional thing, it’s a me thing” Campbell said. She encouraged leaders to explore their own social circles and befriend people of different races and backgrounds, noting that you can’t have open conversations about many of the issues affecting your employees and your peers without a diverse friend group.
“We know a lot more about you than you know about us,” Hobson said. She challenged leaders to make the effort and the investment to learn about women and minorities.
“You need opportunity, but you also need to be in a culture where you can be heard, you can be understood, and you can be embraced,” Duckett said. “The highest level of diversity is perspective.”
“Inclusion is not just a professional thing, it’s a me thing” Campbell said. She encouraged leaders to explore their own social circles and befriend people of different races and backgrounds, noting that you can’t have open conversations about many of the issues affecting your employees and your peers without a diverse friend group.
“We know a lot more about you than you know about us,” Hobson said. She challenged leaders to make the effort and the investment to learn about women and minorities.
“You need opportunity, but you also need to be in a culture where you can be heard, you can be understood, and you can be embraced,” Duckett said. “The highest level of diversity is perspective.”
Enjoy.
Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit continues until tomorrow afternoon! Follow live here.