Washington – Tomorrow, Business Roundtable will convene CEOs, outside experts and other thought leaders for “Bridging The Gap: Creating Wealth through Equitable Opportunity.” The Roundtable event will feature panel discussions on strengthening diversity in the workforce through skills-based hiring and advancement and company partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities; advancing financial inclusion through business partnerships with Community-Based Financial Institutions; addressing the digital divide; and supporting Black business, entrepreneurship and supplier diversity.
“Today, our CEO members continue to take significant steps to help close the racial wealth gap, including within their own companies, by deploying funds, establishing new organizational policies and practices, developing and expanding partnerships and increasing their workforce and supplier diversity,” said Business Roundtable CEO Joshua Bolten. “They recognize that while they have made meaningful progress, a great deal of work remains, and they are committed to doing their part to ensure that every American can fully participate in the economy.”
Two years ago, following extensive outreach to more than 100 experts, Business Roundtable CEOs committed to take steps to advance broader economic opportunity in America and to work to close the racial wealth gap, which has been widening for decades. The CEOs identified numerous areas where the private sector can help address the issue, including by reforming hiring and promotion practices, advancing worker training, promoting digital literacy and expanding access to capital. Last November, the Roundtable released a one-year update on the work underway.
CEOs participating in tomorrow’s event include: Business Roundtable Chair Mary Barra, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors; Marvin Ellison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa; Tom Linebarger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cummins Inc.; David Rawlinson II, President and Chief Executive Officer of Qurate Retail, Inc.; Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Vista Equity Partners; and Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture. Additional participants include senior leaders from Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo & Company.
Outside experts include leaders from the American Enterprise Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, National Bankers Association, National Urban League, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Southern Bancorp, among others.
For more information on corporate efforts to address the racial wealth gap, visit www.businessroundtable.org/equity.
For media interested in the “Bridging the Gap” event, please contact jcummings@brt.org. To request an invitation, please contact mconnor@brt.org.