Podcasts and videos

Public Lecture Program Event on 10 June 2024

Recently there has been a surge in popular voices in social media stating that DEI is bad for business. There has also been a significant reduction in investment in diversity and inclusion by some of the world’s largest firms.

In this talk Grace Lordan outlined the logic behind these arguments, along with the conditions that cause diversity to be problematic for business growth. In contrast, Grace demonstrated the conditions that are needed to reap the rewards from diversity in business.

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Online Roundtable on May 23 May 2024

The term 'WEIRD' stands for "Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic", representing a mere 12% of the world's population, yet dominating the narrative in research and DEI conversations. Our aim was to shift the focus towards a more global perspective on DEI, moving beyond the confines of the Americas and Western Europe. Our panel consisted of a diverse group of experts, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. The goal of our facilitated discussion is to explore the significance of moving beyond a focus on WEIRD countries in research as well as global organisations. They delved into the reasons why this shift is crucial and discuss potential strategies for achieving it.

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with Protiviti on 1 February 2024

A new study by The Inclusion Initiative in partnership with Protiviti will focus on ‘what matters’ in driving productivity and talent retention across generations. This event highlights the findings of our preliminary report, drawing on data from more than 1,400 employeets in Finance, Technology and Professional Services. This report shows that firms can do more to harness the benefits of multi-generational teams and highlights tangible, inclusive work practices that drive productivity across generations.

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Public Lecture Program Event on 6 November 2023 

In the event, Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, explored overlooked stories of exceptional women in economics. Drawing from her unique perspective as both a woman and an economist, she uncovered the challenges they faced and the broader societal impact when their contributions were undervalued. Participants joined Rachel Reeves for insights, discussions on these remarkable women, and her vision for an inclusive economic future. This event inspired action towards a more equitable economy.

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Public Lecture Program Event on 27 June 2023 

Gavin discussed various aspects of the racial wealth gap, including the historical and structural factors that have contributed to its persistence, the impact of policies and practices on wealth accumulation among different racial groups, and the role of institutions and individuals in creating and perpetuating these disparities. Drawing on his research and experience, Gavin offered a solution-based framework for addressing the racial wealth gap.

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LSE Festival Event on 14 June 2023

In this session, we covered the changes to the workplace owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential changes we expect to see in the future, and the UTOPIA framework, which we developed for the future of financial and professional services.

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Event hosted by The Inclusion Iniatiative and The London Stock Exchange on 27 April 2023

Speakers: Sophia Dancygier (Leader in Finance), Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, (Redington, Mallowstreet & 10000 Interns Foundation), Katherine Gansallo (London Stock Exchange Group) Stephen van Rooyen (Sky)

Chair: Arlene Mc Dermott (London Stock Exchange)

This event celebrated the launch of our new research grant, in collaboration with the UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the University of Warwick and the University of Sheffield, exploring the link between diversity and productivity. This is your chance to get involved in this innovative project, you can expect a fantastic discussion with a panel of senior leaders from the City of London, to learn something new. You can find out more about the work we are doing from our website.

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Event hosted by The Inclusion Initiative on 7 March 2023

Speakers: Dr Claire Crawford (UCL), Belton Flournoy (Protiviti), Dr Aliya Hamid Rao (LSE), Daniel Jolles (LSE Inclusion Initiative)

Chair: Dr Grace Lordan (LSE Inclusion Initiative)

Weak productivity in Britain is an acute problem. Explanations have included insufficient necessary skills, an overinvestment in unnecessary skills at the university level, capital shallowing and too little creative destruction. In this webinar we explore a different explanation.

We ask whether a failure to recruit and operationalise diverse talent is an underlying root cause of slow growth. Join Grace Lordan where she discussed with a panel of experts the theory and evidence behind the diversity and productivity link. 

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Public Lecture Program Event on 10 November 2022

Catch up on this event where the speakers discussed the change in human rights policies overtime and the impact of these changes on the workforce. This is a time where the rights of all protected groups are being eroded – to note just two examples, the overturning of Roe vs Wade and the cancellation of the UK’s Safe to be Me landmark LGBT+ summit after an uproar over changes to the planned conversion therapy ban. What can civil society do to fight back against what appears to be an inexorable tide?

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Open Door, Open city session on October 14 2022

Vincent Keaveny is the 693rd Lord Mayor of the City of London. He is currently a member of the Policy & Resources Committee and the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Sub-Committee. He is also a Governor of the City of London School. Vincent is Co-Chair of the HMT & BEIS Socio-Economic Diversity Taskforce.

During his discussion with Karina Robinson he discussed his work on the Socio-Economic Diversity Taskforce, the challenges of dealing with the cost of living crisis and the importance of equality, diversity and inclusivity in the city of London.

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Public Lecture Program Event on June 29 2022

Ann Olivarius is a pioneer of the women’s rights movement, instigating change politically, legally, and in the workplace, creating a world where women are safer and more equal in the UK and the USA. She is a trailblazing feminist lawyer who has made tackling sexual harassment and discrimination her life's work. Join Grace Lordan in her conversation with Ann Olivarius as they look back on the progress that women have made over the last 50 years.

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Event hosted by TII on 16 June 2022

During this event they will discuss Julia’s role in advocating for the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people and minorities in the workplace. Julia will also talk about being the first ‘out’ gay CEO of the iconic LSE, why she is not afraid to insist that City executives and non-executives should be paid more, and why the UK should fall back in love with financial markets.

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Public Lecture Program Event on June 6 2022

As investor interest in ESG (environmental, social, governance) grows, we considered what components of “S” should be prioritised and measured, delving into how the sector could evolve as “S” measurement becomes more sophisticated. 

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Event hosted by The Inclusion Iniatiative and Special Olympics on 5 May 2022

Speakers: Special Olyympic Athletes Kiera Byland, Nyasha Derera, Kester Edwards, Heidi Mallet

Chair: Dr Grace Lordan (LSE Inclusion Initiative)

This discussion included The Inclusion Initiative in collaboration with the movement of Special Olympics for a panel discussion with Special Olympics Athlete Leaders. During the event, the panellists discussed the current work of Special Olympics in support of individuals with intellectual disabilities, on and off the playing field.

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Hosted by Systematic Risk Centre and NUS Risk Management Institute on 23 November 2020

Speakers: Jon Danielsson (SRC/LSE), Peter Giger (Zurich Insurance), Mohit Joshi (Infosys), Grace Lordan (LSE Inclusion Initiative), Sneha Sanghvi (Westpac Banking Corporation)
Chair: Lutfey Siddiqi (LSE & NUS RMI)

Featuring C-suite and senior risk practitioners along with LSE’s Jon Danielsson and Grace Lordan, this panel will take stock of the risk management challenges of 2020 and lessons learnt for the future. Are we framing and approaching risk in the right manner? What has worked and what has not in 2020? What are the practical challenges where the rubber hits the road, and what can academia help with?

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