Session Library
Welcome to the Unstoppable Together on-demand video library, where you can watch session recordings from this year's and previous years' virtual summits.
2023: Summit Series
Equitable Representation in Defense
In order to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable experience across the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce, the DoD has created the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI). This is a committee of prominent non-military leaders, appointed by the Secretary of Defense to provide recommendations on matters and policies relating to improving racial/ethnic diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the military. In this session, the panelists discuss barriers to entry in defense, what organizations can do to dissolve barriers, and how we know we are on the right track, toward equitable representation in defense. (link)
Bridging the Client-Contractor Culture Gap
Cultural humility is about recognizing that we all have more to learn about others. Adopting this kind of mindset is about learning, unlearning, and relearning so that we're able to design solutions and services and make decisions that are more equitable and inclusive for the end users and our teams. In this session we'll define what cultural humility is and how to adopt it, the benefits of this mindset, and ways our panelists have been able to use cultural humility to create more equitable experiences specifically within government services and programs. (link)
Cultural Humility in the Modern Workplace
Cultural humility is about recognizing that we all have more to learn about others. Adopting this kind of mindset is about learning, unlearning, and relearning so that we're able to design solutions and services and make decisions that are more equitable and inclusive for the end users and our teams. In this session we'll define what cultural humility is and how to adopt it, the benefits of this mindset, and ways our panelists have been able to use cultural humility to create more equitable experiences specifically within government services and programs. (link)
2022: Keynotes
Opening: Soft on People, Hard on Systems
A live episode taping of the Unstoppable Together podcast between host and Senior Vice President Jennie Brooks and Dr. Darnisa Amante-Jackson, an educational and racial equity strategist who is committed to the study of culture, innovation, and adult development. This conversation will set the stage for the sub-themes of social and systemic equity over the course of the summit. (link)
Closing: A Conversation with Horacio Rozanski
A candid conversation between Horacio Rozanski, Booz Allen President & CEO, and Maisha Glover, Booz Allen Senior Vice President. (link)
Opening: Creating a More Sustainable Future
A panel discussion between Booz Allen's Chief People Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and member of Booz Allen’s board of directors on the many ways that diversity, equity, and inclusion shows up inside an Environmental Social Governance program and the many benefits to establishing such a platform. (link)
2022: Breakouts
Military Culture of the Future
"Inclusivity will drive innovative solutions…and create a constructive environment in which every person has the space to contribute fully.” These were the words Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released as a “Message to the Force” to all members of the defense community—uniformed and civilian—shortly after his confirmation. Creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive force will require not just continued emphasis on policy and regulatory changes, but perhaps more importantly, cultural transformation to reorient military leaders on how to cultivate teams, create equitable opportunities, and grow the next generation of leaders. In this session, hear from those who have personally experienced the current paradigm and bring unique perspectives on the changes needed to create the kind of culture that will equitably enable the future force. (link)
The Importance of Equitable Language
More employers are looking for employees to bring their full, authentic self to the workplace, but in our interactions we may inadvertently use language that doesn’t allow people to feel welcome, safe, or valued in a work environment. You can’t always know what someone’s experience, state of mind, pronouns, or level of anxiety are by looking at them. In this session, we’ll discuss ideas for creating a more inclusive and equitable workforce and tips for using language that is inclusive, empowering, and demonstrates compassionate acceptance of others. (link)
Using Power Ethically
What does it look like to wield power and privilege in corporate America today? What does it mean to use power ethically? What could it look like in the future? How can we start a conversation that is less about taking power from one group and giving it to another and more about distributing power equitably? Sociologists have categorized power in 5 different ways: coercive, referent, legitimate, expert, and reward power. In this session, we’ll examine those kinds of power to help us better understand the distribution of power in a workplace and discuss tangible ways to shift existing power dynamics into more equitable power sharing experiences. (link)
You Can't Play It Safe: Examining Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is "the belief that you can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation" (HBR). But psychological safety is often mistaken for feeling comfortable. In truth, psychological safety means operating at the crossroads of physical safety and cognitive discomfort. So, what does that mean for our future work environments—especially as work and life become more blurred and our identities, values, and choices are shifted to the forefront of the conversation? It can mean conflict, and this session will explore how to navigate that conflict in order to create a more equitable future for all. (link)
A More Equitable Patient-Doctor Relationship
Often, the idea of creating greater equity within the healthcare industry is approached as a systemic change—and it is—but what about the social aspect? How can we create greater equity within our patient-doctor relationships? Especially within the COVID-19 environment, how has the additional PPE changed the way we interact with our providers? How has telehealth changed our relationships? What can we do before, during, and after appointments that can help us all feel like our needs were truly met? In this session, we'll discuss all this and more with leading healthcare providers from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. (link)
Building Neurodiverse Teams with Specialisterne
The autistic population is an underestimated, under‐utilized resource in the U.S., rich in individuals with tremendous skills in (and unique perspectives of) art, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and more. Cultivating this talent and matching it with meaningful work is not only the equitable thing to do, but is crucial to keeping American businesses at the front lines of innovation. In this session, we’ll hear from leaders at Specialisterne, an organization that works with employers to recruit highly qualified employees, to build neurodiverse teams, and to create inclusive processes, work environments, and cultures. Join this session to learn how to create an equitable work experience for this neurodiverse population. (link)
Stepping Out of Anger and into Empathy
Every day, it feels like there is more and more to be angry about—inequities continue to stack on top of one another with no seeming end in sight. That anger can burn bright, and turn into rage. But it’s not easy to leave that anger at the virtual workplace door anymore. As more and more companies ask employees to bring their whole selves to work, that anger can come along sometimes, too. So how can we show up for ourselves and for one another when these emotions spill into the workplace? How can learn to see emotions, not just anger, as neutral and not necessarily good or bad? In this session, we’ll discuss the equity of feeling our full emotions and how to harness that anger for good. (link)
Rest Equity
Working from home for the past 18 months meant that work is home and home is work. The lines were blurred, and people reported working more hours than ever before. How do we create an environment where we can ask for and get the rest that we need? Furthermore, in today's environment, who gets to rest – and how does that answer change based on race, gender, caregiving, or other factors? Why does the American culture tend to look down on rest? Does everything have to be work hard, play hard? In this session, we’ll discuss what it means to really rest—without the intent of ultimately being more productive—and share ideas for creating greater rest equity amongst our peers. (link)
Equity at Work: What the Research Says
Equity offers the vision of a workplace where every individual has what they need to meet their full potential. In 2020, Coqual completed a report that takes an in-depth look at the “E” in DEI and examines key processes that determine professionals’ career outcomes: performance evaluations, promotions, and pay. Coqual Executive Vice President Julia Taylor Kennedy will present this research, which uncovers the practices that promote feelings of fairness among employees of different backgrounds and provides actionable solutions for companies and their leaders to create equitable workplaces for all. (link)
A More Equitable Career
What does it mean to have a more equitable career? When COVID-19 sent corporate American in remote delivery, it forced organizations to take a hard look at some of the traditional assumptions of at-will employment. Many organizations rose to the occasion and started to question those assumptions and in doing so, discovered many barriers to equity within the workplace. So what have we learned and how can organizations focus less on where we work, but more on how we work? In this session, we’ll discuss how developing equity is critical to the future of work by providing all employees the best chance of success that allows them to participate at their fullest potential. (link)
Bridging the Gap Between Technology & Accessibility
Oftentimes the accessibility piece of technology is an afterthought; companies use ad-hoc or third-party patches to address accessibility; when the better solution, should have been to consider accessibility concerns from the start. Effective communication depends on your message being understood widely as possible including persons with a disability (autism spectrum, to those who are color blind, dyslexic, or are visually impaired). In this session, we will review the importance of accessible communication across industry, using storytelling real life experiences to connect with the audience, practice first steps of creating accessible content, while introducing the 21 Day Challenge, and practical tips in PowerPoint. (link)
How Equity Helps to Make Us Safer
The national security mission is incredibly complex, but the security workforce struggles to diversify its ranks. Because of that, these critical missions—like so many others—are missing out on the breadth of experience and perspective that could be strengthening our national security efforts. There are plenty of systemic barriers to equity that create lack of access and opportunity to this unique work—but barriers we can work to eliminate. In this session, we'll discuss how equity is a critical component of the security workforce—both from a personnel perspective and as a part of the work itself. (link)
Equity & the Customer Experience
In January 2021, when the Equity Executive Order mandated that all federal agencies assess how its policies and programs promote or prevent equity, agencies quickly recognized the gravity of this challenge: untangling and analyzing their roles in long-standing inequities would be no small feat. Simultaneously, customer experience (CX) teams at Veterans Affairs, United States Department of Agriculture, and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development recognized an opportunity to take a human-centered, data-driven, and systems-based approach to identifying ways to promote equity. In this session, we’ll hear from those who are actively working to advance the mission of equity within these government agencies. (link)
Equitable Access to Government Programs
So many different government programs aim to not only improve the lives of American citizens but to create the kind of access and opportunity that means those same government programs may one day no longer be needed. But those government programs can only help those who have access to them. So what role does Booz Allen play—a federal contractor supporting a number of government programs—in creating equitable access to these initiatives? What do we need to examine about the ways in which the American public accesses, engages with, and uses these government programs so that they can actually have an impact? This session will explore the ways in which technology and asking the right questions can help to create more equitable access. (link)
Climate Inequities
What does it mean to solve for climate change with justice in mind? The impacts of climate change are and will continue to fall disproportionately on historically marginalized and low-income groups, women, and girls. A recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that “minorities are most likely to currently live in areas where the analyses project the highest levels of climate change impacts…” This session will focus on climate justice—the inequitable impacts of climate change on different communities, how we can better understand them, and what we might do about them. We will discuss the stories of those affected and potential solutions. (link)
Systems Reform, Not Just Self-Care
Two years after the start of the pandemic, stress and mental health issues have become widespread, with almost half of the nation experiencing a decline in mental health in the past 2 years. To date, much of the conversation has centered on what individuals can do to support their mental health—therapy, exercise, meditation, self-care habits—but increasingly there is a need to examine the role that institutions play and interrogate the institutional stigmas and inequities that may keep people from seeking support and perpetuate mental health issues. In this session, we’ll discuss the ways in which institutions can address mental health and provide equitable access to supports and resources. (link)
Who Gets Access to Clean Water
Water is one of the most basic and critical resource for sustaining life and economies. The delivery of safe, reliable drinking water and the responsible handling and treatment of wastewater are major responsibilities of local government. Recent water-related experiences in Flint, MI, and Jackson, MS, highlight institutional and management challenges faced by marginalized communities. This session explores the impacts and causes for failures associated with water and wastewater utility services and identifies potential solutions, including federal programs, for addressing associated inequities. (link)
2021: Keynotes
True Allies for Inclusive Change
As we connect and act, we’re bound to express or experience microinequities. Join Chris Jarvis from Realized Worth and Jacob MacIsaac from Dalhousie University Security Services openly discuss how to react to these moments with empathy and with the aim of creating more equitable relationships. (link)
The Philosophy of Transparency
How should workplaces think about the relationship between transparency and equity? This Day 3 opening panel will feature Booz Allen’s Chief Legal Officer Nancy Laben and Executive Vice President and retired Army Gen. Dennis Via, moderated by Chief Financial Officer LLoyd Howell, in a conversation about the many aspects of transparency that workplaces of choice will need to consider. (link)
Unstoppable Together: A Conversation with Horacio Rozanski
Booz Allen’s diversity, equity, and inclusion podcast welcomes firm Booze Allen’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Horacio Rozanski. Hear Horacio tell his story of immigrating to the US, his journey at Booz Allen, and learning what equity means to him. (link)
Closing Summit Keynote: Horacio Rozanski
Horacio Rozanski, Booz Allen’s President and Chief Executive Officer, closes the summit as our final keynote speaker. (link)
2021: Breakouts
Best is Not One Size Fits All
Communities thrive when individuals are encouraged and empowered to achieve their own versions of success. Defining what success looks like for us requires self-awareness and self-reflection. Often, it also involves silencing external narratives. The goal of this session is to acknowledge and discuss how definitions of personal “best” can change with time or environment. Success is not a one-size-fits-all concept. (link)
Ethical & Equitable AI
At Booz Allen, we are driving toward a future where advancements in AI are shaped by a set of guiding principles borrowed from human subject research—beneficence, justice, and respect. We are calling for an industry approach where ethics and an equitable approach are not simply tacked on at the end of a solution, but fundamentally drive the approach to this transformative technology. (link)
The Art of Good Listening
We all know listening is important, but when we think about our self-identities, do we include whether we are a good listener? Why or why not? Join this session to explore how we can weave "good listener" into our sense of self, personal stories that share how different cultures value listening, ways we can reward good listening, and how we all can be better listeners on the journey toward creating greater equity. (link)
Yes, You Can Serve on a Board
Have you ever been interested in serving on a board, but felt that you weren’t empowered to do so? Join Matt Gayer from The Catalogue for Philanthropy to learn how non-profit boards work, what opportunities for service exist, how to choose the right board, and how to be a successful board member. You will leave with a better understanding of what board service entails, how you can get involved, and how to make a real difference. (link)
The Inequities of Toxic Positivity
There is often so much pressure to remain positive and optimistic, especially in light of real emotional distress brought on by racial inequities and the pandemic, to name a few. How can we learn to recognize all of our emotions, validate our full range of feelings, and learn to provide equitable space for each of us to feel what we feel? In this session we’ll explore how to feel our full range of emotions through a PacRim regional lens—from the “Aloha spirit’s” emphasis on a positive attitude to the cultural influences of Japanese and Korean valuing harmony over confrontation, how do we navigate being able to express all of our emotions? (link)
What Makes an Equitable Leader
We all know good leadership when we see if, but what does equitable leadership look and feel like? And how can we all strive to be equitable lead- ers in our own rite, regardless of our title or function? In this session we’ll explore which traits make someone an equitable leader and how we can learn to cultivate these behaviors in ourselves every day. (link)
The Perks of Being an Other
Humans share an instinctive tendency to categorize people based on perceived similarities or differences – it’s one of our oldest and most endur- ing survival instincts. In times of heightened stress and insecurity – like moving to a new country or navigating a global pandemic – this instinct to distinguish between “us” and “them” helps us feel more secure and in control of our environment. But, knowing that this is the case, how do we ensure we’re building strong personal and professional networks without “othering” those with perceived differences? (link)
Communicating Across Cultures
Every day, we exist within a Venn diagram of cultures and assumptions. This daily experience informs, influences, and impacts our decisions in all aspects of our lives, from simple things like how we show up, to more complex ones like how we build relationships or achieve our goals. Join this session to hear panelists’ personal stories about their strategies for living the challenge of constant navigation across cultures, geographies, and diverse workplaces. (link)
Diversity in Design
The increased need for inclusive and equitable digital solutions continues to build—both in the private sector and for the federal government. Booz Allen has a front-row seat to these needs through its support of federal agencies who need to transform citizen services and has gained in- credible insight into how to help drive social change in the diversity, equity, and inclusion arena. Learn how our user experience professionals are leveraging the power of our diversity and inclusive design practices to drive equitable solutions for the U.S. citizenry. (link)
What Equity Means to Me
Join this session to hear a number of rapid-fire presentations. Each speaker will have 7 minutes to give a quick, TED-style talk on the theme of what equity means to them. (link)
Self Reflection Through Art
Art is the perfect way to discover more about ourselves and to gain greater insight into how we see the world and our understanding of equity in the world. In this session, native Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos will interactively lead participants through creating an introspective creative art piece, exploring the previous sessions topics. Participants will be provided with a print-ready design ahead of time that will be the foundation of the artwork created. Participants are asked to have that printed paper ready, along with any materials on hand to draw, write, and color with (ball point or fine felt pen, pencil, marker). (link)
What We Can Learn from A Multigenerational Workplace
For the first time in history, there are five generations within the current workforce. Some members have been working in their field for decades, while others are just at the beginning of their careers. What do these different generations need to succeed in a 21st century workplace, especially during remote work, and how do we communicate those needs to our colleagues in our day-to-day work lives? What are the benefits of doing so? We’ll explore these questions through the perspectives of those living and working in the incredibly diverse Middle East and North Africa region. (link)
How Our Relationships Can Change the World
When it comes to race and social equity, it can feel like the only way to connect and act for meaningful change is on a large scale, like participating in a protest, volunteering in the community, or massive fundraising. However, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that there are many ways to connect and act; we just need to adjust our assumptions. In this session we’ll explore how to shift our focus from making more connections to making more meaningful ones, and then taking action through those deeper connections. (link)
The Hard Work of Working Together
We all know the benefits of having and working within diverse teams. But arriving at successful solutions together and being able to meaningfully engage with one another can be easier said than done within diverse peer-to-peer relationships and team environments. In this session, we’ll explore what equitable teamwork looks like through the lens of the incredibly diverse Middle East and North African region, including the extra complicating factor of remote work due to COVID-19. (link)
Microinequities and Their Impact
Microinequities are defined as the everyday subtle, often unintentional interactions or behaviors that communicate a bias toward someone based on some part of their identity. Microinequities—also called microaggressions—disadvantage all recipients in general but can specifically impact the daily lives of people of color. Even though these typically only affect an individual, it is our collective responsibility to be allies against them. This session will explore why that is, best practices for recognizing and diffusing situations where they are displayed, and a call to action for all participants to use their voice as allies against microinequities. (link)
Racial Inequities of COVID-19
COVID-19 has brought many challenges; however, the impacts have been most felt by people of color. In this session, we will explore some of the factors leading to the significant inequities that have resulted in negative impacts for this segment of the American population: employment-based exposure risk (frontline workers); socio-economic complexities that escalate morbidity factors and restrict access to treatment; treatment out- comes; and death rates. During this session, participants will become informed of these disparities, learn ways to make an impact in their communities by using their voices, and be moved to make a collective “call to action.” (link)
Why Equality Isn't Enough
Making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed is incredibly important, but the ways in which those opportunities are afforded are often an exercise of equity. The purpose of this session is to educate our audience on the importance of equity vs. equality, drive an understanding of how this shows up within our communities, and instill a call to action on how an individual and a collective can use their respective voices to fight for equity. (link)
The Caregiver's Dilemma
The lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic acutely illuminated how caregivers of all kinds experience a unique disadvantage personally and professionally. Join this session to learn about the unique inequities facing this population and how we can take better care of our caregiver colleagues and support them on their journey. (link)
Equity Through Art I
Throughout human history, human beings have used artistic expression to convey their stories and life experiences, to express their sense of identity. Stories have the power to move people, to reach at the heart level and open and connect people. As we continue our DEI journey, we called upon employees to submit an original expression of art that conveys a moment of equity or inequity that is tied to some aspect of their identity or multiple aspects of identity. Through experiencing these performances, we anticipate that learning will take place and audience members will be able to reflect on what they are learning about people’s diverse experiences. (link)
Engineering Better Solutions: How Functional Diversity Delivers Differentiation
Research shows team diversity contributes to better outcomes. By bringing together all facets of diversity, including functional skill diversity, we are able to ideate more creatively and deliver differentiated solutions to complex cyber and engineering problems. Join this session to learn how Booz Allen’s analysts, engineers, and scientists harnessed diversity to overcome current client challenges and prepare the team for future challenges. (link)
Education Equity Then and Now
How has educational equity evolved over the years? Join this session to hear from Thurgood Marshall College Fund scholars of past and present to learn what the different generations have experienced and what has changed about education equity and what hasn’t. (link)
Equity Through Art II
Throughout human history, human beings have used artistic expression to convey their stories and life experiences, to express their sense of identity. Stories have the power to move people, to reach at the heart level and open and connect people. As we continue our DEI journey, we called upon employees to submit an original expression of art that conveys a moment of equity or inequity that is tied to some aspect of their identity or multiple aspects of identity. Through experiencing these performances, we anticipate that learning will take place and audience members will be able to reflect on what they are learning about people’s diverse experiences. (link)
Copyright 2023
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