KINGSTON, R.I. – May 22, 2024 – The University of Rhode Island College of Business and Tribe Academy will host the inaugural Inclusive Innovation Conference Wednesday, June 5, on URI’s Kingston Campus, convening about 200 of the region’s corporate, startup, nonprofit and education innovators to discuss how to build a more inclusive future.

“URI’s College of Business serves as a connecting point for innovation on and off-campus,” said Christy Ashley, associate dean of the College of Business. “We are sponsoring the inaugural conference to launch an annual tradition that brings together people from different sectors who are thought leaders and stakeholders in inclusive growth. We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and solutions-based societal change.”

“Our aim is to bring together a diverse group of leaders and professionals from many sectors to exchange ideas on how we build the innovations, technologies, and workforce of tomorrow,” said Nishita Roy-Pope, founder and chief executive officer of Tribe Academy, a Rhode-Island based startup focused on education, career and professional development and consultant on URI innovation programs with the 401 Tech Bridge RISE-UP program. “To shape our future economy, we need to get everyone involved and support them. We know there are great ideas everywhere. How do we make sure that those folks are being elevated, heard and given access? How do we make sure those who are in positions of influence to hire, invest and develop organizational strategy understand the important role they play in ensuring that people of diverse backgrounds are part of those changes?”

The Inclusive Innovation Conference will feature numerous keynote speakers, panel discussions and breakout sessions that place inclusion at the center of the conversation across industries, public and private sectors, and within the C-Suite. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in URI’s Memorial Union Ballroom. For ticket options and more details, visit the conference’s event page.

Alison Bologna, an award-winning journalist with WJAR-TV, Channel 10, will lead off the morning keynote speakers. Bologna, who is founder of the Pine Street Project, will discuss the urban revitalization initiative that converted a former Pawtucket mill into a mixed-use building that includes affordable housing and commercial space for social enterprises, such as a cafe owned and operated by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Other keynote speakers will include: 

• Silvermoon LaRose, assistant director of the Tomaquag Museum, on inclusiveness and Indigenous communities.
• Carlos Dominguez, senior director of innovation and technology at DEPT, on making products and experiences more inclusive.
• Ezenwayi Amaechi Ejribe, professor at Johnson & Wales University and founder of a startup that works with women entrepreneurs and provides microloans to lift up entire communities.
• And Florcy Morisset, a technology leader and strategist with Accenture, on the role of robotics and the future of work.

The conference also includes two mainstage panels that will explore inclusive leadership in the public sector in the morning, and the business case for inclusion featuring industry leaders in the afternoon.  “It’s important we have these challenging and courageous conversations, especially with the pressure a lot of organizations and companies are facing with what is happening with diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the government level,” said Roy-Pope. “We need to reinforce that inclusion matters; it’s not optional. There is a plethora of data that shows it drives innovation, makes the customer experience better, and matters to the bottom line.”

Along with networking time and a partner and vendor expo, attendees will be able to choose from six breakout sessions that cover a wide range of topics – designing inclusive systems, investing in and empowering diverse startups, and future technologies in the morning; and health care for all, developing an inclusive workforce, and women in leadership in the afternoon.

Along with Associate Dean Ashley, panelists will include URI Trustees Cortney Nicolato, president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island, and Yahaira “Jay” Placencia, senior vice president and private client advisor with Bank of America Private Bank; URI College of Business Dean Sean Edmund Rogers; Emerson Foster, a URI alumnus and head of human resources at a U.S. business unit and people advisory group at Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Markeisha Miner, vice president for community, equity, and diversity at URI; Lisa Ranglin, president and CEO of Rhode Island Black Business Association; and Christian Cowan, executive director of the URI Research Foundation.

The conference’s wide range of topics should attract an equally wide mix of attendees and panelists from different industries and sectors who can share their own insights, innovations, and challenges while hearing from others.

“The conference is targeting mid-career and leader-level people who are in a position of influence within their organizations,” said Roy-Pope. “The goal is that attendees will feel inspired from hearing from a broad set of voices that don’t always share the same stage or occupy the same spaces. I truly believe that by breaking down industry silos, attendees will feel empowered to take action in their organizations and understand that there is a community of people who are navigating the same challenges and can support them.”

The conference, she added, will not “sugar-coat” how hard it is to drive inclusion, fostering discussion that candidly looks at the challenges. But attendees will walk away with tangible guidance on how to act.

“There will always be a lens in all panels of very practical advice,” she said. “You should be inspired but you should know what to do next. It’s nice to talk about this but if you don’t have the tools or resources on what to do next, then we’re just talking.”

About Tribe Academy

Tribe Academy is a Rhode-Island based startup committed to education, career and professional development, with a special focus on supporting high growth sectors and underrepresented groups. Through its innovative programs and services, it has empowered more than 1,000 students, professionals and innovators. Past and current partners and clients of Tribe Academy include Nike, Amazon, Dell Technologies, Amica Insurance, RIHub, 401 Tech Bridge RISE-UP, IGT, University of Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Half-Full LLC, Mathworks, Hanover Insurance, Waters Corporation and High Purity New England. To connect with Tribe Academy, email [email protected].