Speaker: Steven N. Branch, Sr. Associate Director DEI X CDO, MIT Sloan School of Management
Please state your name and where you work.
Steven N. Branch: Hey, what's going on? This is Steven Branch. I represent the MIT Sloan School of Management. I am the Senior Associate Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion within the Career Development office.
Why did you enroll in the NACE Inclusive Excellence Certificate program?
Steven N. Branch: Myself and some of our team took and took a part of helping to build out some of the quantitative and qualitative questions that will help build out the Inclusive Index of Employers. So, being a part of this certificate program is something that we were very interested in. Not only does it help, you know, spread by having our organization be a part of it, but also we can take some of these concepts back and really apply them to our organization. So as a DE&I professional, I, I found it to be very, you know, insightful, the knowledge gaps that I have in certain areas are, are definitely getting filled. Most importantly around data and insights and how to take a data-driven approach to some of the work that we're doing.
What did you enjoy most about the experience?
Steven N. Branch: I enjoy taking the time to go through this opportunity with other colleges, professionals who are up and down organizations, either with either less experience or more experience than myself. So hearing it in a case study and going through those concepts with other professionals giving differing and diverse points of view and perspectives was really valuable to myself as well as being with the employers. You know, hearing them speak directly about some of their practices and their challenges and opportunities for success in the future. So thought it was very, very great to be in the space with other professionals.
What should others know about the program?
Steven N. Branch: I believe others should know that this program gives you an opportunity to either start with a baseline of understanding, to move objectives forward if you are newer to the space. But I also think it offers an opportunity for those who are practitioners in the space to take some of these strategies and advance it forward in, in the organization, whether it's embraced or it's new. So I really think it's powerful for both beginning, you know, earlier in your career, as well as being a, you know, established professional with the work.
