Join us for a conversation with Leah Smiley, CDE®, Founder and President of the Society for Diversity. This multi-million-dollar education technology firm specializes in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) certification and next-generation management strategies. Leah will join us to talk about the shift we are starting to see around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)—for organizations, employees, customers, and investors—particularly through a multi-generational lens.
With five generations in the labor market and stock market today, each with different perspectives, expectations, and priorities, we are starting to see fractures in the link between ESG, DEI, culture, and profitability. From a multi-generational perspective, younger generations demand ESG and DEI, while older generations insist that it’s unnecessary. Both ESG and DEI are smart business moves, but backlash awaits companies that do not effectively connect business operations and strategies with ESG and DEI activities.
In this session, we will look more closely at ESG—what it is and why it’s so contentious now. We’ll also look at what it means to the different generations, and how that ties into bottom-line performance.
Learning Objectives:
- Define Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and why it’s so controversial
- Evaluate the link between ESG, DEI, and sustainability efforts
- Identify generational differences in how ESG influences employee and investor expectations
- Outline strategies to communicate results and improve your performance with the different generational groups
Jina Etienne, CPA, CGMA, CDE®
Etienne Consulting
Human-Centered Leadership Consultant | Speaker | Trainer
[email protected]
(301) 778-5510
Jina Etienne, CPA, CGMA is a speaker, storyteller, and consultant who helps individuals and organizations unlock the power of authenticity, trust, and connection. With more than 30 years of experience in the accounting profession and business leadership, she brings a unique, deeply human approach to leadership development and culture-building.
Her work focuses on the intersection of leadership, belonging, and emotional intelligence, equipping people with the awareness and tools to lead with clarity, empathy, and intention. Known for blending professional insight with personal storytelling, Jina makes complex ideas accessible and relatable. She helps professionals at all levels show up more fully as themselves—both in their work and in their lives.
Leah Smiley, CDE®, is the Founder and President of the Society for Diversity Inc., a global Education Technology (EdTech) firm that specializes in next generation management practices and professional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Certification. As a LinkedIn “All-Star”, Mrs. Smiley has facilitated hundreds of presentations for more than 10,000 professionals and executives around the world, as well as consulted with over 100 organizations. The Society for Diversity was recognized twice on the 2022 and 2023 Inc. 5000 listing as one of the fastest growing companies in the Midwest.
With more than 15 years of experience in the DEI field, as well as 25+ years as a master of training and organizational development, Mrs. Smiley is considered to be a DEI industry thought-leader. Through the Society for Diversity's subsidiary, the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)®, Mrs. Smiley has helped thousands of DEI leaders achieve their dreams 50+ U.S. states and over 30+ other countries by conferring the industry-recognized Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® credentials. IDC is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and is currently pursuing accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Further, the Society for Diversity has registered IDC’s extensive catalog of intellectual property with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Mrs. Smiley's work has been featured on international and national radio and television programs, as well as in Forbes, Fortune and Entrepreneur Magazines. Additionally, her work has been reported in the USA Today, Huffington Post, Business Insurance, The Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Business Journal, Indiana Minority Business Magazine, Associations Now, Franchising World Magazine, MEA Magazine, The Lexington Herald Leader, The Philadelphia Tribune, The Philadelphia Business Journal, Naples Daily News, The City Sentinel, Lee and Low Books, and more. She was also quoted in "The Inclusion Revolution Is Now: An Innovative Framework for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace" by Maura G. Robinson and published by iUniverse.
Smiley has a blended family and lives in Indianapolis with her husband, whom she met while they were both political science majors at Hampton University. She also holds a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® designation from the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)®.
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