Kristin Bower Consulting

The Why and the How

The Business Case for Diversity & Inclusion

Organizations that are diverse and inclusive are more creative and innovative, have employees that are more engaged, have a better understanding of local and global markets and have a stronger financial bottom line that those that aren't.

A 2015 study of 366 organizations by McKinsey found that those organizations that were gender diverse had stronger financial returns than those that weren't by 15%. The same proved true for ethnically diverse organizations - they outperformed by 35%.

Wherever you are on your diversity & inclusion journey, I can meet you there and help you along the path with a customized strategy, training and tools to meet the unique needs of your organization.

Cultivate Inclusion

Diversity alone is not enough. An awareness and understanding of biases, assumptions, beliefs and values of different diversity groups and cultures - intercultural competency - is a crucial partner to diversity. This is what gets you to inclusion. Here is how I can help you:

* Set the tone for your business and lay the foundation for diversity & inclusion with training for your Board members, people leaders and employees on intercultural competency and unconscious bias.

* Take a snapshot of your organization with a diversity & inclusion review.

* Provide training for your employees and people leaders on mental health, resiliency and psychological safety in the workplace.

* Create employee resource groups and gather rich feedback from your employees.

* Increase your representation of employees within diversity groups and better meet the needs of the customers and clients that you serve.

I can help you with all of these things and more.

Let's Start Now

With two decades of experience helping organizations create inclusive, engaged workplaces, and collaborating with organizations such as the Conference Board of Canada, the BC Centre for Ability, the Presidents Group and the Mental Health Commission of Canada, I bring expertise, thought leadership, integrity, commitment and passion to the work that I love to do.

An award-winning Diversity & Inclusion professional, I studied human resources at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and Diversity and Inclusion at the University of British Columbia. My career has allowed me to work in the full employee life cycle: attraction and recruitment, employee retention and recognition, and employee departures. The past five years have been spent in the areas that I am most passionate about, inclusive diversity and workplace culture.

I am also a frequent speaker at conferences across North America, have been featured on CBC Radio and Roundhouse Radio, and a writer whose work has been published in Visions magazine and the Good Money blog, among others.

Services

Consulting Services

Not sure where to start or even how? I can help you assess where your organization is at through a diversity review and build a strategy that will help you to reap the rewards of inclusion.

Some of the areas of focus in which I can guide you and your organization are: building your business case; engaging members of your organization at all levels;

increasing representation of diversity groups through a customized recruitment and retention strategy; creation of employee resource groups and diversity councils; and adoption of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Training

I provide customized, engaging and accessible learning experiences for your employees, leaders and board members.

Topics include:

intercultural competency, unconscious bias, #metoo and the modern workplace, power & privilege, mental health awareness & resiliency, and psychologically safe & healthy workplaces.

Speaking

I have had the pleasure of speaking to audiences across North America on a variety of D&I topics such as the business case for D&I, unconscious bias and bias mitigation tools, intercultural competency and mental health awareness.

A frequent collaborator with both the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Conference Board of Canada, I am always excited to share my knowledge and introduce people to new perspectives.

Testimonials

Alona Puehse, Chief Operating Officer, The Open Door Group

Genuine, collaborative, progressive, brave, talented, inspiring – all words that come to mind when I think about Kristin. I’ve had the good fortune to work with Kristin on a number of projects primarily relating to community impact and diversity and inclusion. She’s my go-to person when it comes to engagement projects around diversity and inclusion, particularly when working with the business community. Her dedication to share her own expertise and experience, while also creating an environment that is open to learn, develop, and encourage new ways of looking at things is impressive.

Amazing public speaker, genuinely committed to building success through diversity and inclusion, forward-thinking brainstormer, and all-round fabulous gal - Kristin is a talent that anyone would be fortunate to work with/learn from.

Eric Bulmash, Vice President Operations, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

I had the pleasure of working closely with Kristin when we led our diversity and inclusion work at Vancity. Kristin is a tireless supporter of inclusion and human rights. She is articulate, able to shift viewpoints and a force in the diversity and inclusion world. One of the things I respect the most about Kristin is that she is a true community leader, advocate and force to be reckoned with! I'd work with Kristin again in a heartbeat.

Charles Boyer, Sr Network Manager, The Conference Board of Canada

I’ve worked with Kristin on a number of events with The Conference Board of Canada. Kristin speaks knowledgeably, confidently and passionately about both workplace mental health and diversity and inclusion. I look forward to continuing to work with Kristin in supporting workplace health in Canadian workplaces.

William Azaroff, CEO, Brightside Community Homes

Kristin’s approach to diversity and inclusion is wise, thoughtful and thorough. She is an inspiring leader whose perspective is extremely valuable. She is an excellent speaker who approaches her work with authenticity and veracity. I always enjoy working with Kristin and learn a lot every time I do.

Jeff Bos, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, the Non-GMO Project

When our organization decided to take the first meaningful step on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey, we turned to Kristin to help guide the way. Through a series of accessible, inclusive and creative consultations with our HR leaders, Kristin helped us reflect and be ready to engage our team in this critical work together. Kristin then facilitated an all-day staff retreat where her wisdom, experience and humor opened the door to a common understanding of the diversity, equity and inclusion space. By creating a safe and inclusive space we started to find our place in this work together. Through our partnership, Kristin helped inspire an organizational-level commitment to exploring opportunities to integrate D,E&I practices into our day-to-day interactions, our HR policies and our mission-driven work in the world. We are deeply grateful for Kristin's guidance and would recommend to anyone looking to begin their D,E&I journey to reach out and start the conversation with her.