Finding Your Voice in The Workplace: Jennifer Brown at TEDxSpringfield

Jennifer Brown, CEO and Founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, is committed to creating healthier workplace cultures through diversity and inclusion. She and her team have facilitated and coached leaders all over the world on critical issues of strategy, leadership and integrity. In addition, she holds leadership positions at Out & Equal, The Women's President Organization, and the social entrepreneurial engine, Starting Bloc.

In this TEDx talk Jennifer shares her personal journey and her passion for diversity and innovaton. We all know diversity of identity, but what does diversity of thought mean in today's workplaces? Why are both important for innovation? Can anyone practice inclusiveness in their daily lives? Where are the opportunities, and what are the results? What is diversity, and what is inclusion, and how are they complementary, and both necessary? Why is diverse talent one of the biggest untapped resources for innovation?

TEDxSpringfield's inaugural event held on October 18, 2013 focused on the theme "Driving Innovation Through Diversity and Inclusion". We are a group of passionate volunteers that believe Springfield and its surrounding areas are full of Ideas Worth Spreading. Springfield is the "City of Firsts" -- the first basketball game, the first motorcycle, the first "Springfield". This event focused on how to use our diversity to bring back the innovation.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)