Virtual Breakfast for Champions - Qualified & Evolving: Reimagining Workplace Equity in a Changing Landscape
Wednesday, January 28, 2026 (8:30 AM - 10:00 AM) (PST)
Description
This virtual Breakfast for Champions session will be presented by Shari Dunn, author of the book Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work. Using Qualified as a foundation, the session explores how competency assessments, hiring practices, and organizational culture can unintentionally create barriers for employees of color, especially during times of challenging economies.
We will examine the current state of DEI-B in the workplace and highlight what is still possible, practical, and impactful for shaping opportunity, advancement, and belonging.
Participants will learn how to:
- Strengthen equity efforts, supported by actionable approaches emphasizing clarity, fairness, transparency, and culture-building for organizations.
- Move equity forward in this challenging economic time.
- Build fair, resilient, and inclusive systems that support our workforce today and into the future.
This session is for HR professionals, senior leaders, managers, directors, and DEI-B and organizational culture managers.
Meet our speaker
Shari Dunn is the CEO of ITBOM LLC, a strategic consulting firm specializing in equity-centered leadership and communications. She is the author of Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work (HarperCollins), shortlisted for the 2025 SABEW Best in Business Book Award. A former attorney, journalist, and nonprofit CEO, Shari’s work has been featured in TIME, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. She is known for turning complex social dynamics into clear, actionable insight.
Breakfast for Champions