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What Makes a Great Diversity and Inclusion Speaker?

Writer's picture: TaChelle LawsonTaChelle Lawson


So your company needs a D&I (diversity and inclusion) speaker. How do you choose a diversity speaker that can speak to your audience and fit your company’s needs? Or, more importantly, how do you find a unique diversity speaker who can connect with your employees without repeating the same story as other speakers?


1. Great diversity speakers tell everyone’s story.

Diversity and Inclusion speakers tell not just their personal stories, but the story of diversity. While many speakers do share their personal stories and how their experiences have shaped their perspectives, it’s also important to acknowledge other types of diversity. Diversity includes race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. If hiring someone to speak about the topic (and not their personal story), ensure they do just that.


2. Great diversity speakers know their stuff.

It’s not enough to share their story- do they know how diversity impacts businesses? Diversity speakers should have more knowledge than the average person about D&I, so understanding the impact of diversity is equally as important as their story. Diversity speakers should have complex data to back up their points. After all, people lie. Numbers don’t.


3. Great diversity speakers have proper qualifications.

Don’t hire someone just because of their race- race isn’t a qualification. The critical difference between an average diversity speaker and a great one is that they are generally great speakers. They have dynamic and engaging presentation styles and are great storytellers. More importantly, they have the credentials to back them up. DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) Certificates, programs, and degrees exist. Look at qualifications, speaker reels, and presentations to determine their legitimacy.


If you’d like to meet a great diversity speaker that checks all these boxes, check out TaChelle Lawson. TaChelle has certifications in D&I from Cornell University and Dartmouth and owns her own DEI strategy company. You can watch her speaker reel here.


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