Inclusive Iowa is proud to act as a resource to Iowa City – Cedar Rapids employers looking for guidance on implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) workforce initiatives including: Employee Resource Group (ERG) implementation, DEI advisory council development, and connecting staff with colleagues and resources in ICR.

Through our coalition members, Inclusive Iowa develops, supports, and promotes region-wide networks and resources that allow diverse professionals to connect, engage, and thrive in ICR.

At Inclusive Iowa, we strive to help our employers develop a more diverse and inclusive workforce by building a pipeline of talent through high school and college internship programs. In partnership with local colleges, universities, and community organizations, we connect employers with resources that help them build programs and connect with diverse candidates for their internship positions.

Inclusive Iowa Regional Coalition Meetings 2024

An Inclusive Iowa meeting is a space to host complex, solution-focused discussion among members. The common thread we have as a coalition is the belief that diversity, equity and inclusion should be a top priority for the region, fueling benefit for our current and future workforce.  We meet, explore and build on idea with a platform where all voices to be present, heard, and respected.

All meetings are virtual unless otherwise indicated. Please contact economicalliance@cedarrapids.org to receive the outlook invitation and virtual meeting link.

February 21 – Accessible Arts & Culture

April 17 – NonProfit Impact

June 19 (In-Person) – Young Professionals Panel

August 21 – Immigrant Employees

October 16 (In-Person) – Career Pathways

December 18 – Diverse Suppliers

Ongoing Events >>>

Humanize My Hoodie
The Humanize My Hoodie Movement originated from a demand to end the killing of Black and Indigenous People across the world. Their mission is to debunk stereotypes by designing revolutionary campaigns for Black and Indigenous People of Color to be HUMANIZED, not criminalized. Humanize My Hoodie offers a comprehensive online course on the Humanize My Hoodie Movement’s approach to preventing racist attacks on Black people, Indigenous People, and other People of Color.
Learn More

Nikeya Diversity Consulting
Nikeya Diversity Consulting, led by Sarika Bhakta, is an Iowa City-Cedar Rapids (ICR) diversity consulting firm with a variety of offerings including employer consulting, keynote speaking, and diversity trainings and certifications.
Learn More

Oather Taylor, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant
Oather Taylor Oather Taylor, III Oather Taylor is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant and Adviser based in Cedar Rapids, IA. In September 2018, Oather retired from Alliant Energy as their Director of Recruitment & Diversity. He has served as President of the Board of Directors for the African American Museum of Iowa, a member of The Board of Trustees for the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, and was the first male to serve as a board member of Corridor Women Connect. Oather is the co-founder and former Chair of Inclusive ICR (formerly known as the ERGC).
Connect with Oather

One Iowa
One Iowa seeks to improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans by protecting and advancing equality and inclusiveness through education, improving workplace culture, and increasing access to quality healthcare across our state. The nonprofit organization provides specialized LGBTQ inclusivity training and policy guidance.
Learn More 

Project Implicit
Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the Internet. Project Implicit offers the Implicit Association Test (IAT) which measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The IAT measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The test can be accessed online and has no charge.
Learn More

Top RANK Talent Solutions
Top RANK is a talent solutions firm focused on making diversity, inclusion, equity, and engagement (DEI&E) ingrained in business operations, thus directly impacting workplace culture. The firm provides professional and executive talent search, hiring and retention assistance, and consulting and training services with a focus on DEI&E and leadership.
Learn More

The University of Iowa
The University of Iowa offers a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, training, and events designed for their students, faculty, and the community.
Learn More

West Wind Education Policy
West Wind Education Policy’s mission is to help state leaders imagine and enact a public K-12 education system that overcomes historic and persistent inequities and engages each and every child in learning. They provide a variety of services to their clients (including private sector employers) including professional development of cultural proficiency and implicit bias, equity audits and policy reviews, and evidence-based programs to diversify your workforce, retain staff of color, and address conflict.
Learn More

Inclusive ICR Regional Coalition Meetings 2023

An Inclusive ICR meeting is a space to host complex, solution-focused discussion among members. The common thread we have as a coalition is the belief that diversity, equity and inclusion should be a top priority for the region, fueling benefit for our current and future workforce.  We meet, explore and build on idea with a platform where all voices to be present, heard, and respected.

All meetings are virtual unless otherwise indicated. Please contact economicalliance@cedarrapids.org to receive the outlook invitation and virtual meeting link.

December 13, 2023, 8:30-10am – Virtual

2024 Dates Coming Soon!

Ongoing Events >>>

Humanize My Hoodie
The Humanize My Hoodie Movement originated from a demand to end the killing of Black and Indigenous People across the world. Their mission is to debunk stereotypes by designing revolutionary campaigns for Black and Indigenous People of Color to be HUMANIZED, not criminalized. Humanize My Hoodie offers a comprehensive online course on the Humanize My Hoodie Movement’s approach to preventing racist attacks on Black people, Indigenous People, and other People of Color.
Learn More

Nikeya Diversity Consulting
Nikeya Diversity Consulting, led by Sarika Bhakta, is an Iowa City-Cedar Rapids (ICR) diversity consulting firm with a variety of offerings including employer consulting, keynote speaking, and diversity trainings and certifications.
Learn More

Oather Taylor, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant
Oather Taylor Oather Taylor, III Oather Taylor is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant and Adviser based in Cedar Rapids, IA. In September 2018, Oather retired from Alliant Energy as their Director of Recruitment & Diversity. He has served as President of the Board of Directors for the African American Museum of Iowa, a member of The Board of Trustees for the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, and was the first male to serve as a board member of Corridor Women Connect. Oather is the co-founder and former Chair of Inclusive ICR (formerly known as the ERGC).
Connect with Oather

One Iowa
One Iowa seeks to improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans by protecting and advancing equality and inclusiveness through education, improving workplace culture, and increasing access to quality healthcare across our state. The nonprofit organization provides specialized LGBTQ inclusivity training and policy guidance.
Learn More 

Project Implicit
Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the Internet. Project Implicit offers the Implicit Association Test (IAT) which measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The IAT measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The test can be accessed online and has no charge.
Learn More

Top RANK Talent Solutions
Top RANK is a talent solutions firm focused on making diversity, inclusion, equity, and engagement (DEI&E) ingrained in business operations, thus directly impacting workplace culture. The firm provides professional and executive talent search, hiring and retention assistance, and consulting and training services with a focus on DEI&E and leadership.
Learn More

The University of Iowa
The University of Iowa offers a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, training, and events designed for their students, faculty, and the community.
Learn More

West Wind Education Policy
West Wind Education Policy’s mission is to help state leaders imagine and enact a public K-12 education system that overcomes historic and persistent inequities and engages each and every child in learning. They provide a variety of services to their clients (including private sector employers) including professional development of cultural proficiency and implicit bias, equity audits and policy reviews, and evidence-based programs to diversify your workforce, retain staff of color, and address conflict.
Learn More

2024 Inclusive Iowa Regional Coalition Meetings Notes

Inclusive Iowa believes in creating a safe and welcoming environment. Because of that we do not record our meeting to allow participants to speak openly and ask questions freely. A committee member takes notes over the speakers presentations and we also share speakers contact information.

April 17 – NonProfit Impact

June 19 (In-Person) – Young Professionals Panel

August 21 – Immigrant Employees

October 16 (In-Person) – Career Pathways

December 18 – Diverse Suppliers

Inclusive ICR DEI Index Information

Inclusive ICR, a local coalition with a mission to grow diversity and inclusion in workforce throughout the region, launched a free Diversity, Equity and Inclusion assessment for area employers.

This assessment is made possible with the leadership of Inclusive ICR along with project investors ICR Iowa, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, and Greater Iowa City.

The assessment known as the DEI Index is a free, confidential evaluation of a company’s position through the lens of five DEI pillars. After the completion of the assessment, each organization will receive a custom summary identifying the current position and opportunities for growth. Through completion of the assessment by a number of employers, the curator of the assessment will also provide a regional analysis of the strengths and opportunities to grow from a DEI perspective.

Inclusive ICR identified the need to build the DEI index as the result of a survey distributed to coalition members and a strategic planning session led by coalition advisory council members. Results concluded that the development of a DEI assessment should be cost effective and accessible for organizations of all sizes and industries who want to understand their strengths and challenges in the DEI space from neutral third party. A second request included access to local and regional resources that could work with an organization who wants to work on identified growth opportunities.

“From our survey results to the facilitation of very raw discussions, our council concluded that while employers acknowledge there have been steps taken in the DEI space, the impact of work to date and how we can move forward can only be done through an honest evaluation of our strengths and opportunities. Through a third party assessment, we are able to see what’s working and where we can grow to create positive change as an employer and as a region.”

Partners ICR Iowa, ICAD, IC Area Business Partnership, and CRMEA worked with council members of Inclusive ICR in a search for best practices in similar markets to identify a template assessment that would align to the project scope. A contract with Reliant, a third-party assessment firm, was confirmed in August 2021, and discussions with DEI group Mosaic out of Tulsa, Oklahoma on experiences with their assessment gave working groups the tools necessary to build out a customized survey for the need of the ICR region. Results include an assessment that will not only provide an employer with customized results, but will provide a collective look at opportunities to strengthen the role of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a region.

The DEI Index will be available through an online assessment that will be filled out by one representative per organization. While one individual will be responsible for submitting the assessment, Reliant recommends cross reference of departments and other team members to ensure all questions are answered as accurately as possible. The DEI Index may be saved and re-opened in case additional information needs to be collected before final submission.

The DEI Index will address five key DEI pillars: Community Outreach (company publicly supports diversity and inclusion work in the Eastern Iowa region), CEO Commitment (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is one of the organization’s stated values and/or priority areas), Diverse Suppliers (Organization has a written diversity supplier statement that is shared on the external website, Diverse People (Organization has programs or efforts in place to recruit diverse candidates, develop a pipeline of leaders, provide targeted development for diverse employees), and Internal Policy (company offers floating time off for employees to observe events of personal or religious significance).

Employers who complete the DEI Index should anticipate their confidential analysis within six weeks of submission. While this review will be a chance to celebrate where a company is thriving in the DEI space, it will also identify areas in need of attention and opportunities to grow. Beyond the work of building the index and preparing for the launch, members of Inclusive ICR have been working on a resource library, featuring local, regional and national tools that specialize in one or more of the five pillars. This directory continues will continue to grow as new tools are brought to the attention of the resource committee.

Jamie Toledo, Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance jtoledo@cedarrapids.org

Stefanie Munsterman, Inclusive ICR s.munsterman@cedar-rapids.org

Theresa Lewis, Inclusive ICR TLewis@arceci.org

Angelica Vannatta, Inclusive ICR angelica.vannatta@uweci.org

Quinn Pettifer, Inclusive ICR quinnpettifer@gmail.com

Inclusive ICR is a coalition with a mission to grow diversity and inclusion in workforce throughout the ICR Iowa region. The coalition hosts full meetings per year and has monthly newsletters to provide updates on coalition projects, resources and DEI community events. Inclusive ICR is open to all employers. Full details about Inclusive ICR can be found at www.inclusiveicr.org To receive information about upcoming coalition meetings and be added to the newsletter distribution list, please contact economicalliance@cedarrapids.org.

Many recruiters are tasked with increasing the diversity of their teams. Before you begin recruiting, take some time to put together a plan that includes your goal and how you will measure success. Here are a few resource to help you get started:

12 Ways to Improve Your Diversity Recruiting and Strategy

How to Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Initiative (SHRM)

Salesforce Equality Scorecard

Inclusion and Employee Diversity: Here are the Numbers

Skillful, a non-profit organization funded through the Markle Foundation, helps employers adopt skills-based practices to support diverse talent acquisition and retention essential to economic success and business growth. Their training is online and free. Learning and implementing their system can help you and your team lay the foundation for developing and sustaining a more diverse workforce.

Skillful training includes the following sessions:

Skillful Talent Series 101 – Attract the Right Talent

• How to focus your job posting  on the skills candidates need to succeed
• Broaden your talent pools to all qualified applicants
• Reduce bias in your hiring process
• Source and recruit the right talent that you’re struggling to find

Skillful Talent Series 102 – Candidate Screening

• Avoid losing out  on qualified talent in the screening process
• Craft interview questions to elicit candidates’ occupational and foundational (also known as “hard” and “soft”) skills
• Select and design an assessment to accurately evaluate candidates’ skills

Skillful Talent Series 103 – Selection and Onboarding

• Eliminate candidates that do not meet your standards for required skills
• Facilitate discussion with everyone involved in the hiring process about the highest-scoring candidates
• Select the best candidate based on their skills
• Onboard your new hire and equip them with the tools and skills they need to succeed

Skillful Talent Series 104 – Employee Retention

• Identify what skills your new hire has, and what skills they need
• Set up a training program to upskill new and current employees
• Create a clear career pathway for your employees
• Easily connect raises to skills developed

A great way to ensure that your talent pool is full of diverse candidates is to source your candidates from a variety of different places. The list below includes both national and local associations you should consider connecting with to share job postings and other opportunities to engage with your organization.

Recruiters that Specialize in Diverse Talent Acquisition
Top RANK Talent Solutions is a local talent solutions firm focused on making diversity, inclusion, equity, and engagement (DEI&E) ingrained in business operations, thus directly impacting workplace culture. The firm provides professional and executive talent search, hiring and retention assistance, and consulting and training services with a focus on DEI&E and leadership.

Association Lists
Expanding diverse talent resources for employer branding, relationship building or just job postings is a recruiting and sourcing practice for uncovering top talent. The organizations included on the following lists are a selection of associations to consider.
National Associations for Diverse Talent Sourcing and Recruiting Guide
ICR African American/Black Resource Guide
ICR Asian/Pacific American Resource Guide
ICR Latinx Resource Guide

Employee Referrals
Develop or enhance your employee referral program to increase diversity in your talent pool. Reach out to employees who are in a demographic you are targeting and encourage them to share your job postings with their network.

Internships and On the Job Training
iJAG (high school)
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (high school and adult)
Leaders, Believers, and Achievers (high school)
Total Child 2.0 (young adult)

Internships for College Students
Coe College
Cornell College
Kirkwood Community College: Contact Danielle Ebaugh
Mt. Mercy
University of Iowa
University of Iowa – TRIO First Generation College Students

Employee resource groups (ERG) are groups of employees who join together in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences. ERGs are generally based on providing support, enhancing career development, and contributing to personal development in the work environment. Several employers in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids (ICR) region have ERGs and work collaboratively through Inclusive ICR to support the development of other ERGs in the region.

Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy has the following Employee Resource Groups (ERG): Equality Alliance (LGBTQ+), Multi-Cultural, Sustainability, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals. For more information, please contact Diana Rodriguez at dianarodriguez@alliantenergy.com

Collins Aerospace
Collins Aerospace has the following Employee Resource Groups (ERG): Ability, African American, Asia Pacific, Generations, Hispanic, Military Veteran, PRIDE (LGBTQ+), Professional, and Women. For more information, please contact Jeremy Walls at Jeremy.Walls@utas.utc.com.

Pearson
Pearson has the following Employee Resource Groups (ERG): African American, Asian, Disability, Latino, LGBTQ+, Multiple Generations, Parents, Women, and Veterans. For more information, please contact Melodie Jurgens at melodie.jurgens@pearson.com.

Transamerica
Transamerica has the following Employee Resource Groups (ERG): Asian, Disability, Multi-Cultural and Expatriates, Family Connections, LGBTQ+, Women, People Using Technology, and Veterans. For more information, please contact the Transamerica I&D Team at Inclusionanddiversity@transamerica.com.

During our quarterly coalition meetings, we often have speakers who share unique resources that are valuable for our members. You can access those resources here.

Collins Aerospace D&I Resources
Collins Aerospace D&I Journey Slides
Inclusive Leaders Checklist
Inclusion for Virtual Work Environments

Racial Justice Articles and Resources
The 10 Commitments Companies Must Make to Advance Racial Justice
U.S. Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism
How Managers Can (and Should) Address Race and Violence In The News
Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is A lot
How To Manage Your Teams in Times of Political Trauma
Anti-Racism Resources