Doubling Down on DEI with Joe Gerstandt

Many organizations today are retreating from diversity, equity, and inclusion work. But what if the real opportunity is to go deeper?

In this provocative and practical session, thought leader Joe Gerstandt invites facilitators, coaches, and organizational change professionals to reexamine what DEI really means—and what it has always meant. Joe argues that diversity is not an individual trait but something that exists between people, and that the true promise of DEI is its ability to benefit everyone, not just certain groups.

Drawing on years of experience teaching inclusive leadership and advising organizations across sectors, Joe will clarify key terms, dismantle common misconceptions, and offer language and frameworks that help professionals speak confidently and effectively about equity and inclusion in today’s polarized climate.

Participants will explore how to continue meaningful DEI work even in environments where the language itself has become politicized, and how to adapt the work to fit different organizational contexts without losing its core intent.

Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or simply ready to find your voice in this essential conversation, this workshop offers clarity, courage, and a renewed sense of purpose for leading with inclusion at the center.

joe gerstandt is a speaker, author and advisor bringing greater clarity, action, and impact to organizational diversity and inclusion efforts.

joe has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, small non-profits, government entities, and everything in between. He speaks at numerous conferences and summits, his insights have been published in Diversity Best Practices, Diversity Executive, HR Executive, numerous other print and on-line journals, and he co-authored the book Social Gravity: Harnessing the Natural Laws of Relationships.

joe grew up on a family farm in NW Iowa, served four years in the United States Marine Corps, including participation in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, attended Iowa State University, and then spent 6 years working in management and business development for technology and communication companies.

He then made a career change and went to work for a grassroots non-profit organization, and this is where he found himself drawn to issues related to diversity and inclusion and then became actively involved in that work.

A strong advocate for resetting the diversity and inclusion conversation, joe sees diversity and inclusion as poorly understood and often misunderstood. His keynote messages and interactive workshops bring greater clarity, action, and impact to existing and new organizational diversity & inclusion efforts.

Website: joegerstandt.com, Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/joegerstandt
Facebook: [facebook.com/joegerstandt ](http://facebook.com/joegerstandt) YouTube: youtube.com/user/joegerstandt

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NOVA Scribes has entered into a partnership with the IFVP: the International Forum of Visual Practitioners! This workshop is an IFVP Learning Lab. All IFVP members have access to Learning Labs at https://ifvpforum.circle.so/c/learning-hub/

This workshop will be recorded and posted on YouTube for anyone who cannot attend. You can find the YouTube link in the Comments section of this NOVA Scribes Meetup event once the workshop video has been uploaded to YouTube.
You can find previously recorded videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJfInZHmS8prj2_DUaJ35CYY8n7SzoPMJ

We’re not charging for this workshop, but we will be asking for donations! Donations cover the costs of hosting events on Meetup, to honorariums for new graphic recorders, and scholarships.

Please be sure you are registered on Meetup! If your Zoom name doesn’t match your name on Meetup, you will not be admitted. (We’ve had Zoom bombers.)