Convenience Store News & Altria Launch New Platform for Diversity & Inclusion Discussion
NATIONAL REPORT — To facilitate engagement in diversity, equity and inclusion among all convenience store industry stakeholders, Convenience Store News is partnering with exclusive underwriter Altria Group Inc. to launch a new industrywide initiative. The platform is a multi-touch digital and print program that will focus on the business case for c-store retailers and their supplier partners to place a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion (D&I).
The first phase of the program rollout has already begun. Modeled after the successful Top Women in Convenience Advisory Board, CSNews has started to form a c-store industry Retailer D&I Advisory Board. The board currently consists of representatives from companies that have exhibited strong diversity among their leadership. Derek Gaskins of Yesway, Elisa Goria of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc./Circle K, and Treasa Bowers of 7-Eleven Inc. are the charter members. Watch for announcements of additional members over the next few months.
The platform will officially launch on June 15 with a special webcast during which CSNews Editorial Director Don Longo will be joined by Gaskins; Jayson Council, a thought leader on diversity and an associate faculty member at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies; and Altria's Danielle Holloway to discuss:
- Why is diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) important in our industry?
- How do you maximize DEI?
- What's missing from current best practices?
- How important is philanthropy and community activation?
- From a futurist standpoint, what's next?
- What do we need to know about DEI that we don't know now?
- Where is a good starting point?
- How do we self-diagnose?
- How can we leverage data?
- What are some areas that we can control, micro and macro, to create change?
To attend this free webcast, click here for registration.
In addition to a series of educational webcasts, the new CSNews D&I Platform will include guest columns in the print magazine from D&I experts, as well as a virtual online networking conference to be held later this year.
"We believe this new platform will result in real innovation, engagement and action that will improve the convenience store industry," said Longo.