The Resource Key

We don’t talk about how we define safe spaces based on circumstances… Sometimes a safe space is not defined the same. A safe space could be defined based on your expectations, comfort zones, and other factors based on the individual, group or environment… What does a safe space mean for you? 1.To be able to show up with no judgments. 2.To be able to show up and express unfiltered thoughts. 3.To be able to show up and express unfiltered thoughts aligned with a specific topic. 4.To be able to show up and express thoughts aligned with society norms. 5.To be able to show up and no one expresses anything, only listens. I just defined 5 different safe spaces and none of them were the same. Maybe you have a different definition, things to consider when we are talking about what makes a safe space… [Image Description: pink background with white text “WE DONT TALK ABOUT”] #Workplace #SafeSpaces #Work #Leader #Leadership #CEO #Employee #DEI #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #EmployeeWellbeing #HealthAndWellness #CSuite #TheResourceKey #GoBeyondTheTraining #MakeAPositiveImpact #Community The Resource Key

It’s more than a training it’s a conversation. An early start at 8am facilitating a 2 hour training discussing “Disability Etiquette and Inclusion in the Workplace” at PA Workforce Development Association 40th Annual Conference.” We shared openly and honestly. No one said “How could you not know that… We actively listened to each other. No one said “Well that’s not what we are talking about… We shared information and resources that worked for us. No one said “ Well we don’t use that resource… And this became the start of creating a space where people started to feel comfortable sharing, engaging, and didn’t have to feel like they had to have the right answer every time, we learned together, we listened… Thank you to PA Workforce Development Association for having this conference, Sarah E. Kirwan, MSPA and Julia Barol, MEd, CESP thank you because this would not have been possible without you two extending invitation. And to my 8am group thank you for the space that you helped to cultivate in 2 hours for a meaningful and engaging training that started as a conversation. [Image Description 1: A collage from the 40th Annual PA Workforce Development Conference. Top photo: Group picture of attendees smiling in conference room from Disability Etiquette and Inclusion in the Workplace training. Below top photo from left to right image 2: screen displaying text “PWDA 40th Annual Conference “Disability Etiquette and Inclusion in the…, 8:00am-10:00am, Empire A, Hershey Lodge.” Image 3: promotional poster with a message about discovering new strategies and tools to enhance workforce development. Image 4: sign with arrow and text “PWDA Conference.” Image 5: sign with information about Workforce Development Conference.] #PAWorkforceDevelopmentAssociation #PAWorkforceDevelopment #PAWorkforceConference #PAWorkforce #GoBeyondTheTraining #Workplace #Employee #CEO #CSuite #Workforce #Hiring #WorkPlaceCulture #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #Disabilities #DEI #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Accessibility #TheResourceKey #InclusiveImpactBranding #Community

Featured in Bold Journey. I talked about all things related to family, work ethic, working across 10 different industries, collaborating with different tech startups, with one securing over $20 million in funding. Bold Journey would describe so much of my life not only for my career, but on a personal level as well. Quote from my interview for Bold Journey: “My work ethic, deeply ingrained from childhood thanks to my parents’ teachings, evolved significantly when I started my own family, shifting my view on time and boosting my commitment to work. I adopted an early-rising routine to improve productivity and manage my responsibilities across family, work, and health. My varied career across hospitality, administration, coaching, consulting, and collaborating with different tech startups, with one securing over $20 million in funding—has further solidified this ethic. Before my entrepreneurial journey, I also worked as a speech-language pathologist, adding to my diverse professional background.” Link to interview: https://lnkd.in/eTMMnRNw [Image Description: Screenshot from Bold Journey interview. Jourdan is wearing red lipstick sitting in a black and white chair at her desk smiling, wearing a black shirt and hat with white text “Chromodiversity™ It’s In Our DNA.” On the shirt there is a QR code under the text. She is wearing a gold key necklace and holding a white mug with text “Inclusion [action] our daily habits.”] #BoldJourney #WorkEthic #CEO #Family #Business #Slpeeps #SpeechLanguagePathologist #Inclusion #TheResourceKey #MakeAPositiveImpact #GoBeyondTheTraining #InclusiveImpactBranding #Community

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” Coretta Scott King I am fortunate to be part of the Association for Enterprise Growth (AEG) community. Our purpose is to support businesses and their owners to help them grow, to create jobs and contribute to the economic growth of the DMV.   The DMV needs all the help we can collectively give. According to the Brookings Institute - the region dropped from #43 to #44 (out of 56 regions) in growth. This unfortunate statistic is despite the massive inflow of federal funds to government contractors who call the DMV home.   The AEG is a vetted organization of elite professionals from many disciplines (tax, law, commercial and investment banking, coaching, consulting, wealth management, insurance, valuation, exit planning, cyber, IT, and many more). Experience shows that business owners may need to engage or hire as many as 25 or more professionals between startup and exit. Our shared values of Give First, Do Great Work, Live Passionately and Have Fun - bind us together.   "Together" is the operative word. We all know the success stories in business. The truth is that success is very hard, and the probability of success is very low. These truths are why we have committed to each other and to the business community to do our part to help the DMV move from #44 to where we should be - towards the top of the rankings for growth. To the quote from Coretta Scott King I would add the word "competence" along with "compassion" when describing all of the people tagged in this post. If you have a skill that can help business owners, share our values, and would like to be a part of this very important movement to help DMV companies grow, create jobs and help our economy - you are welcome to join us. Reach out to me, Mark Haas or Tien Wong to talk about how you may fit into our community! AEG is not alone in our efforts to help. Others who are leading and doing their part are: Jack McDougle, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Bill Tompkins, President and CEO Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation - Maryland, Victor Hoskins, President and CEO Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Ryan Touhill, Director Arlington Economic Development, Jennifer Taylor, President and CEO Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), Troy LeMaile-Stovall, CEO TEDCO, Kimberly Gayle Co-Interim CEO and Kevin Fryatt, Co-Interim CEO, Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif), Harold Pettigrew, Jr., President and CEO Opportunity Finance Network, Tien Wong, CEO The Big Idea CONNECTpreneur Community, Mark Haas, Co-Founder and CE, Ajay Vinze, Dean George Mason University – Costello College of Business, Anne Khademian, Executive Director The Universities at Shady Grove and many, many others. #DMV #AEG #Growth #44to#1 #Compassion #GiveFirst #DoGreatWork #LivePassionately #HaveFun

Sheila Weaver DMV Chapter of Sports Philanthropy represents, sports organizations, athletes, speech and hearing professionals, kids sports, fundraisers, branding experts, ex-professional athletes, lawyers, non-profit executives, sports league owners, sports program directors, athletic directors, teachers, sports consultants, Coaches, professional athletes, to name a few. Sports Philanthropy Network "Our Time To Play!"

I recently sat down to take the time to read over the Inclusive Representation white paper launched by the Valuable 500 at the World Economic Forum. "The white paper entitled 'Nothing About Us Without Us: The path to sustained progress and accountability in inclusive disability representation'. Link to read: https://lnkd.in/e3h4RrCA It is comprehensive and I added it to my list of resources to continue referencing back to... At the end of reading the whitepaper these were the collective takeaways for me: 1. Current State and Call to Action: It is important to continue to understand the current state of disability representation and accessibility, identifying gaps and areas for improvement. 1.Current State and Call to Action is paired because understanding the current state is part 1, but part 2 is to move to action. Organizations and individuals choosing an action to commit to based on current state to make changes towards a more inclusive and accessible society. 2. Co-Creation: Collaborating with people with disabilities in the creation of content, products, and services to ensure we are not building on behalf of, but we are creating together. 3. Community: Building community goes beyond the workplace, it is in all areas of society. 4. Comprehensive: Taking a broad approach that considers all aspects of disability and inclusivity across all areas of society, these areas are interconnected. 5. Cohesive: Ensuring that efforts to improve disability representation and accessibility are consistent and integrated across an organization's practices, not just in one area. 6. Consistent: Maintaining a steady commitment to inclusivity over time, rather than one-off initiatives. 7. Cross Branding: Leveraging brand partnerships to amplify inclusivity, accessibility and authentic representation, reaching wider audiences, and moving to action. 8. Cross Collaboration: Working across industries and sectors to share best practices, resources, and learnings to advance disability inclusion more effectively. The Resource Key #AuthenticRepresentation #TheValuable500 #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #Disabilities #DisabilityRepresentation #Business #Organization #Marketing #Communications #Accessibility #DEI #Diversity #Equity #CrossCollaboration #Collaboration #CEO #CSuite #CommunityBuilding #WhitePaper #Inclusion #TheResourceKey #InclusiveImpactBranding #GoBeyondTheTraining #Community