On April 5, 2022 at the Plaza in New York City, the New York Urban League will launch its Champions of Diversity Awards into a new era. The ceremony, which NYUL has hosted as a breakfast since 2004, has been reimagined into a dynamic half-day conference that will bring together thought leaders, experts and trailblazers in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. NYUL is honored to have as the Champions keynote speaker the President of the American Civil Liberties Union and Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, Deborah Archer. The companies being honored for their leadership and commitment to an inclusive and equitable future include Blackstone, Citi Group and Etsy.
The conference will include symposiums throughout the morning on topics such as The great Resignation; Corporate Responsibility – Beyond Statements and Hashtags; and Leading While Black and Brown. To add even more gravitas to the day, the conference will be chaired by NYUL Board member and Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for D. E. Shaw, Maja Hazell.
"New York Urban League is truly excited to chart a new and exciting path forward for our Champions Awards, remarked NYUL President and CEO, Arva Rice. “And to introduce the reimagined Champions with such an incredible lineup of industry leaders committed to DEI could not be more ideal.”
The Champions Awards are considered to be one of the highest accolades for public and private organizations committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. The new half-day schedule is designed to promote richer thought-provoking experiences and deeper engagements among all in attendance. “As an organization, we [NYUL] are poised to take the gold standard of DEI awards to the next level," said NYUL Board Chair, Ward Corbett. Corbett continued, "We anticipate the Champions conference in its new format to be a remarkable and informative experience for individuals and corporations from across industries.”