The Phoenix Business Journal's Champions of Inclusion Awards will honor individuals and companies in the Valley that, through their work, are paving a new way forward to make Arizona a more inclusive place to live and pursue a career.
PHOENIX, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Phoenix Business Journal is pleased to announce its 2024 Champions of Inclusion honorees.
Fourteen companies, organizations and individuals have been selected from more than 50 nominees. The awards event celebrates those businesses, other organizations and leaders from around the Valley making measurable strides to foster inclusivity and promote cognitive diversity that encourages various ways of thinking based on different backgrounds and experiences.
Two award winners were already selected, while finalists have been announced in three other categories.
The Vanguard Award will be presented to a diverse-owned company and an individual. The 2024 company Vanguard Award winner is Seed Spot, a nonprofit accelerator that supports underrepresented entrepreneurs who focus on creating solutions for community and social issues. The individual Vanguard Award winner is Alan 'AP' Powell, the founder of HeroZona, a nonprofit that works with veterans, first responders and others to provide educational programs to underserved students.
Three additional awards will be presented at the awards ceremony including a Corporate Inclusion Award, Inclusion Innovation Award and the Robin Reed Champion of Change Award — named in honor of the former president of the Black Chamber of Arizona.
The event will also feature a panel discussion moderated by Business Journal Editor in Chief Greg Barr, featuring top executives from around the Phoenix metro who focus on diversity efforts at their organizations The panel will examine the current landscape and shifting focus of inclusion in the workplace:
- Nell Hall - Global Vice President, Attraction and Inclusion, Benchmark Electronics
- Stacy Leeds - Dean and Regents Professor, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
- Velma Trayham, Ph.D. - CEO, Black Chamber of Arizona; and CEO, Thinkzilla Consulting Group
Presented by event sponsor Wells Fargo, the awards program and ceremony will be held Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 8-10:30 a.m. at the Heard Museum. Read more about the event here: https://bizj.us/1qlxpg
Below is an alphabetical list of the 2024 Champions of Inclusion finalists by award category:
Corporate Inclusion Award - Company
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
- Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
- Intel
- MindWire
- Salt River Project (SRP)
Inclusion Innovation Award - Company
- Act One
- One Step Beyond Inc.
- The Journey Venture Studio
Robin Reed Champion of Change Award
- Ladonna Corn, Senior Vice President-Tempe Strategic Initiative Manager, Northern Trust
- Lilian Fonseca, Program Operations Director, Cancer Support Community Arizona
- Stacy Leeds, Dean, Regents Professor and Foundation Professor of Law and Leadership, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
- Dr. Jaya Raj, Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Creighton University School of Medicine-Phoenix
Media Contact
Jennifer Howard, HeroZona Foundation, 1 4804381602, [email protected], https://www.herozona.org/
SOURCE HeroZona Foundation
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