Support the Best Buddies Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund
Many of us in the U.S. were forced to celebrate Thanksgiving from afar this year, isolated from friends and family. Unfortunately, that same sense of isolation is felt by millions every day.
For years we have been supporting Best Buddies International, the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation experienced by 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We’ve recently partnered on a new initiative, the Best Buddies Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund, to address injustices to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and people with IDD, which are some of the country’s most marginalized groups. The Fund will create Best Buddies mentoring friendship chapters at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and urban high schools in underserved communities across the nation.
People with disabilities are often forgotten in D&I efforts. Our own research – summarized in the Inclusive Talent Pool Report – found that high-performance organizations recognize that disability inclusion must be part of a holistic D&I agenda. Without it, claims of having an inclusive culture ring hollow.
Today, on Giving Tuesday, we’re determined to change that. To recognize the promise that 2021 brings, and to get it off to a good start, we’ve set a goal of raising $2 million and aim to bring in a significant portion of that amount between now and New Year's Day. We invite you and your organization to join us in reaching this goal.
To find out how, go here to contribute and learn more.
This year, we plan to leverage the isolation many of us felt throughout 2020 and turn it into appreciation and connection for those who have felt this their entire lives. We hope you can join us and support this worthwhile cause.
Kevin is CEO and co-founder of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), the world’s leading human capital research firm focusing on people practices that drive high performance. i4cp conducts more research in the field of HR than any other organization on the planet, highlighting next practices that organizations and HR executives should consider adopting.
Kevin is also the author of Culture Renovation®, an Amazon bestseller which debuted as the #1 new release in a dozen Amazon book categories. Drawing on data from one of the largest studies ever conducted on corporate culture, Culture Renovation™ details how high-performance organizations such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, 3M, AbbVie, Mastercard and many more have successfully changed organizational culture.
Kevin is currently on the board of Performitiv, and on the advisory boards of Guild Education and Sanctuary. Kevin was previously on the board of directors of KnowledgeAdvisors, a provider of human capital analytics software, which was purchased by Corporate Executive Board in March of 2014. Kevin was also the Chairman of Jambok, a social learning start-up company which was founded at Sun Microsystems and was purchased by SuccessFactors in March 2011. Additionally, Kevin served on the boards of Workforce Insight and Koru prior to their sales.
Kevin is on the board of Best Buddies Washington and helped establish the first office for Best Buddies in the state in 2019. Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Kevin was previously the Founder and the President of SumTotal Systems (NASDAQ: SUMT) which he helped create in 2003 by merging Click2learn (NASDAQ: CLKS) with Docent (NASDAQ: DCNT). The merger won Frost & Sullivan's Competitive Strategy Award in 2004.
Prior to the formation of SumTotal, Kevin was the Chairman & CEO of Click2learn, which was founded by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. Kevin helped take Click2learn public and engineered over a dozen acquisitions post-IPO. Prior to joining Click2learn, Kevin was president and founder of Oakes Interactive in Needham, MA. Oakes Interactive was purchased by Click2learn (then called Asymetrix) in 1997, prior to going public a year later.