Colorado Companies Uniting Against Racism
Dear Colleagues,
As a society, we must have zero tolerance for racism.
As business leaders, we have a defining role to play. We fervently believe that we must champion what’s right and stand for justice. We have been taking this time to really listen – and learn – and determine steps we can take as leaders. We believe we owe it to our employees, our clients and shareholders and to each other – as human beings – to help make our businesses and communities real examples of inclusivity and equality. We are acutely aware that many of our companies are just starting to address the inherent inequalities and the need for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and true partnerships with the Black community. Regardless of where we are on the journey, we do know the difference between right and wrong.
It is with this in mind that we hope you will join us in solidarity to stand up and act against racial injustice. Together we can serve as active allies and not bystanders. We will advocate for the fair and equal treatment of Black people by our criminal justice and economic systems. Together we can confront inequality and demand diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do.
We ask that you join us today in our efforts to advance racial equality, as a unified coalition of CEOs standing against racism, by signing this online pledge.
Together, here in Colorado, we can foster a more inclusive society. Together we can start to dismantle our society’s systems and institutions that reinforce racial biases and systemic racism.
We understand that words are just that, and we will be measured by our actions. By committing to this cause, you agree to join our efforts to:
Listen
- Listen to understand the needs of your internal and external stakeholders and work together to advance equity
Learn
- Educate yourselves and educate and equip your employees to advance equity in the workplace
Lead*
- Improve practices for recruiting, hiring and advancing employees of color in your company
- Encourage diversity in our partnerships and business relationships, and encourage your partners and vendors to embrace diversity in their workforce
- Donate funds to support organizations addressing racial injustice and advancing equity
- Vote and encourage your employees to vote as well
- Actively work with and support minority-owned businesses in your community
- Join and partner with community-based organizations advancing racial equity
Alongside B:CIVIC, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Denver Partnership, we are compiling resources for Colorado companies to deliver on these commitments, including a multi-year initiative to strengthen the talent pipeline and improve the hiring, advancement and economic mobility of disadvantaged communities in our state in partnership with Prosper Colorado and Inclusive Economy.
We will all be held publicly accountable in making changes. Six months from now, each of us will be required to report on our actions; that information will then be shared by B:CIVIC.
Conflict is hard, but the only way we know to deal with it is to confront it directly – not out of anger or to defend our actions, but out of a desire to improve, to be better, to make change. This isn’t somebody else’s problem – this is our problem.
Please contact us directly if you would like to find out more. With your help and by standing together, we can lean into our courage. We can find solutions together. Starting today.
Sincerely,**
Jandel Allen-Davis, President & CEO, Craig Hospital
Kelly Brough, President & CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Robert Cohen, Chairman & CEO, The IMA Financial Group
Tami Door, President & CEO, Downtown Denver Partnership
Laura Love, Founder & Chief Cultural Officer, GroundFloor Media | CenterTable
Paul Washington, Market Director of the Rocky Mountain Region, JLL
*We understand companies might not be able to take all the action steps at this time and encourage companies to take as many action steps as feasible initially.
**Roles and organizations of signers at time of pledge launch in July 2020.
Companies that have taken the pledge**:
**Roles and organizations of signers at time of pledge launch in July 2020.
Mark Cornetta
President & General Manager, 9NEWS
Qaisar Khan, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Interventional Cardiologist, Endovascular Medicine, Advanced Heart and Vein Center
Melissa Rosas
President, Apex Design
John Hayes
Chairman, President & CEO, Ball Corporation
Raju Patel
Senior Vice President; Market Executive & Denver Market President, Bank of America
Sarah Hogan and Cori Streetman
Principals, Barefoot PR
Jeff Ronsse
Managing Partner, BKD CPAs & Advisors
Rich Benensen
Managing Partner, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Art Aaron
President & COO, CAA ICON
Dan Kobler
Partner, Campfire Digital
Walt DeHaven
Vice President and General Manager, CBS4
John Roble
President, Mountain States, Cigna
Crissy Fanganello
President & CEO, City BuildHer
Paul Collier
Founder & Principal, Coeffect
Ted Ott
President, Colorado Barricade Co.
Everette Freeman
President, Community College of Denver
Julie Klein
Principal, Confluence Sustainability
Joe Conroy
Chairman & CEO, Cooley
Jandel Allen-Davis
President & CEO, Craig Hospital
Ashley Matuska
Owner, Dashing Maids
Kristin Lentz and Chad Williams
Managing Partners, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
Helen Drexler
President & CEO, Delta Dental of Colorado
Pamela Meade
President and CEO, Designs for Learning
Chris Frampton
Managing Partner, East West Partners
Traci Lounsbury
CEO & Owner, Elements
Pip Cousins
Principal & Co-Founder, Elevate Momentum
Pete Dignan
Principal, Ever Better, PBC
Bruce Fowler
Managing Director, Fairfield and Woods P.C.
Dustin Whistler
Principal, Forte Commercial Real Estate
Shanda Vangas
Principal, Fourth Wave Strategies, LLC
Chris Harrison
CEO, FullContact
Lisa Beauchamp
President, Global Security Solutions
Mary Keith Floyd
Principal, Goodbee & Associates
Brad Preber
CEO, Grant Thorton, LLP
Laura Love
Founder & Chief Cultural Officer, GroundFloor Media | CenterTable
Sue Reilly,
President, Group14 Engineering, PBC
Peter Arch
General Manager, Gymshark USA
Sylvia Young
President & CEO, HealthONE
Kathy Holmes
President, Holmes Consulting Group
Kirsten Benefiel
CEO, HSS
Robert Cohen
Chairman & CEO, The IMA Financial Group
Erica L. Tarpey
Director, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe
Mark Reilly
West Regional President, JE Dunn Construction
Paul Washington
Market Director of the Rocky Mountain Region, JLL
Drina Quintana
Owner & Founder, JunkyFunk Designs LLC
Aaron Clark
Founder & CEO, Justice Reskill
Sam Kasparek
Managing Partner, Kairoi Residential
Michael Ramseier
Regional President, Kaiser Permanente
Gretchen Rosenberg
President & CEO, Kentwood Real Estate
Andy Roberts
Managing Partner, Kittredge Ventures
Mike Bearup
Denver Officer Managing Partner, KPMG
Doug McNeill
CEO, Laradon
Mark Beese
President, Leadership for Lawyers
John Wetenkamp
Director of Operations, LoDo District, Inc.
Nancy Kristof
Owner and President, Message Matters
Janine Davidson, Ph.D.
President, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Gavin Hattersley
CEO, Molson Coors Beverage Company
Gene Hodge
Vice President, General Manager, Mortenson Denver
A. Gray Clark
President, Muller Engineering Company
Martha Weidmann
Co-Founder & CEO, NINE dot ARTS
John Couzens
President, Rocky Mountain Region, Northern Trust
Bob Deibel
President & Owner, OfficeScapes Group
K.J. McCorry
President, Officiency, Inc.
Jim Johnson
Shareholder, Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC
Joel Christensen
Founder & CEO, Parkwell
Vince DeRose
President and CEO, PEAK Resources, Inc.
Dax Craig
Co-Founder & President, Pie Insurance
Phil Kalin
President and CEO, Pinnacol Assurance
Justin Pless
Founder & Attorney, Pless Law Firm
Ryan Beiser
Regional President, PNC
Jennifer Evans
Office Managing Partner Denver, Polsinelli
Ellen Valde
Denver Office Managing Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Les Sweeney
CEO, Professional Assist Corporation
Jesus Salazar
Co-Founder, President & CEO, Prosono
Dan Igoe
Partner, Pure Brand
Mark Windhager
Founder & CEO, RedPeak
Alison Oyler-Mitsch
Owner, Refresh Studios
Rhys Duggan
Principal, President and CEO, Revesco Properties
Kirk Mielenz
CEO, RevGen Partners
Rick Kinning
Chairman, CEO & President, RK
Richard Lewis
Founder & CEO, RTL Networks, Inc.
Walter Isenberg
Co-Founder, President & CEO, Sage Hospitality Group
Lydia Jumonville
President & CEO, SCL Health
Lora Ledermann
Founder, CEO & Creative Director, Scream Agency
Rusty Brown
Principal, Semple Brown Design
Susan McFaddin
President, Seven Generations, LLC.
Binh Diep
General Manager, Denver, Slalom
Robert Niichel
Founder & CEO, SmartTab
Gary Kelly
Chairman of the Board & CEO, Southwest Airlines
Keith Porter
Principal, SPA Risk LLC
Kristin Friedman
President, Sportsfan and Sock Em’
Stan Clauson
Principal & President, Stan Clauson Associates, Inc.
Bruce O’Donnell
Principal, STARBOARD Realty Group
Kate Lyda
Principal, Staro Insights
Navin Dimond
Founder, President & CEO, Stonebridge Companies
Charles Woolley II
President, St. Charles Town Co.
Lori Fox, Maren Stewart and Tamra Ward
Principals, Taloma Partners
Tim Bradley
CEO, Teatulia Organic Teas
Chris Woods
Founder & CEO, Terrapin Care Station
Rich Harris
President, The Harris Law Firm, P.C.
Alex Cooper
Founder & Executive Director, The IronCEO
Lisa Jasper
Co-Founder and CEO, Thought Ensemble
Richard Rogers
Regional President, Travelers Insurance Southwest Region
Hassan Salem
Head of Commercial Banking, U.S. Bank
Steve Rendle
Chairman, President & CEO, VF Corporation
Nancy Lindo
Owner, Viewfinder Photography
Keith Lobis
SVP, Region Bank President, Wells Fargo Bank
Carla Dore
President & CEO, Workplace Resource
Chris Cabrera
Founder & CEO, Xactly Corporation
Ben Fowke
Chairman of the Board & CEO, Xcel Energy
Mike Zoellner
Managing Partner, ZF Capital
Community organizations that have taken the pledge:
Carina Martin
CEO & Founder, A Precious Child
Gino Greco
Regional CEO, American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming
Linda Groah, MSN, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, FAAN
Executive Director & CEO, AORN
Noel Ginsburg
Founder & CEO, CareerWise Colorado
Lindsay Lierman
Executive Director, CASA of Adams & Broomfield Counties
Cris White
Executive Director & CEO, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
Renny Fagan
President & CEO, Colorado Nonprofit Association
Mike O’Donnell
Executive Director, Colorado Lending Source
Frannie Matthews
President and CEO, Colorado Technology Association
Maria Fabula
President & CEO, Community Resource Center
Erin Atwell
CEO, Community Shares of Colorado
Janice Sinden
President & CEO, Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Kelly Brough
President & CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Lorii Rabinowitz
CEO, Denver Scholarship Foundation
Bert Vescolani
President & CEO, Denver Zoological Foundation
Tami Door
President & CEO, Downtown Denver Partnership
Sean Sweeney
President & Founder, Flag Steward
Erin Pulling
President & CEO, Food Bank of the Rockies
Elycia Cook
President & CEO, FRIENDS FIRST
Leanna Clark
CEO, Girl Scouts of Colorado
Heather Lafferty
CEO and Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver
John McMurtry
Executive Director, Lake County Community Fund
Beale Tejada
Board President, Lincoln Hills Cares Corporation
Sandra Mann, PsyD
CEO, Maria Droste Counseling Center
Teva Sienicki
CEO, Metro Caring
Christine Benero
President and CEO, Mile High United Way
Joanne Kelley
CEO, Philanthropy Colorado
Burke Fishburn
Executive Director, Posner Center for International Development
Cindy Eby
Founder and CEO, ResultsLab
Bob Adwar
President, River Deep Foundation
Rob Smith
CEO, Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute
Colleen Kazemi
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Denver
Javier Alberto Soto
President & CEO, The Denver Foundation
Michael Leccese
Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Colorado
Sue Glass
President & CEO, YMCA of Metro Denver
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, we welcome the participation of local branches.
Companies that sign the pledge will be asked to report their commitments to action in 6 months, starting January 2021. Actions do not need to be completed in the 6-month time frame. We are encouraging companies to devise/refine their commitments to action within that time frame.
Companies are pledging to listen, learn and lead in addressing racism.
We understand companies may not be able to pledge to take all the action steps outlined and execution of the pledge will vary by company. Companies are encouraged to commit to as many of the actions, as feasible, and a minimum of one action per category (listening, learning, leading) that aligns with your company’s goals and progress to date.
This work is a journey and will take years to implement strategically.
B:CIVIC will elevate the collective commitments to action. There will not be an individual scorecard or report published, by company. Our goal is to celebrate the collective commitments (roll-up trends) and highlight a few best-in-class stories. (e.g. The details of each pledge will not be published). The pledge content will also guide the resource development we work with partners to provide the community to support those goals.
Companies pledging to Colorado Companies Uniting Against Racism are committing to develop some action steps, over the next 6 months, for their companies to combat racism by listening, learning and leading more effectively.
Colorado Companies Uniting Against Racism is a CEO-initiated pledge-to-action supported by B:CIVIC, an organization of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. (The Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, along with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, are leading the Prosper Colorado initiative.)
Companies committing to the Inclusive Economy initiative are joining a coalition of companies diving into inclusivity work (educate, recruit, hire, support, and advance employees of color and investing in the upskilling and success of jobseekers and entrepreneurs of color), with the support and resources of the Inclusive Economy movement, to execute on their commitments and measure their progress over time.
Inclusive Economy is a collection of CEOs, Eds and other business leaders, led by Helen Young Hayes of Activate Workforce Solutions and 25 Founding CEOs/Leaders.
Several companies in Colorado have already committed to, or are considering, both pledges including IMA Financial Group and Craig Hospital.
Both engage with Prosper Colorado as the umbrella regional initiative to create the best place in the nation to live, work and do business – no matter your race, ethnicity or gender.
Additional questions?
Contact us at info@bcivic.org.