Speak

Speaking Engagements

Charlotte Hughes is a sought after thought leader and storyteller who frequently provides keynote addresses, town hall commentary, and facilitation of learning experiences for a variety of corporate, healthcare, nonprofit industry associations, and higher learning institutions. Charlotte’s experience and expertise positions her to cover a span of topics including DEIB as a business strategy, cultural competence, inclusive leadership, health equity, and creating cultures of belonging through allyship and more. Charlotte approaches each engagement individually, and with a holistic view of diversity that goes beyond race and gender to also address issues of class, identity, accessibility, and more.

Her keynotes and talks focus on getting to the crux of the matter to drive change. Charlotte has the unique ability to explain complex, and often controversial, issues in ways that invite participant curiosity and engagement. Her intention is to motivate the audience to take immediate steps for experiencing a breakthrough.

Featured Keynotes / Topics

Charlotte’s interactive keynotes and guided executive leadership sessions, in both virtual and in-person formats, encourage, educate, and motivate allies, change agents, and inclusive leaders at all levels to move toward intentional action and help move their organizations towards an inclusive and belonging workplace culture.

Topics include:

How To Develop a Scalable and Sustainable DEIB Strategic Plan.
Building Inclusive Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Thrives.
How To Be An Inclusive Leader.
7 Types of Allies: Which Type Will You Be?
Courage & Commitment: The Dual Change Catalysts.
How Employers Can Help Advance Health Equity in the Workplace
DEIB Through The Talent Lifecycle.

Events & Expertise

Charlotte excels speaking at these types of events and to these types of audiences:

Industry conferences focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Organizations planning executive retreats, management meetings, DEIB training and development sessions.
Employers recognizing DEIB calendar events such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, P.R.I.D.E. Month, and more.
Business leaders and executives who recognize that DEIB can be a competitive advantage and want to learn how to be growth catalysts in their industry.
Women’s and multicultural groups that have an emphasis on personal empowerment, career development, and leadership.
Hospitals and health systems who understand the significance of reducing healthcare disparities and advancing health equity.
HR leaders seeking insightful best practices for inclusive talent management and becoming an Employer of Choice.

Our Testimonials

What audiences are saying…

“Thank you for that excellent presentation. The feedback from our Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders has been overwhelming! They left feeling more empowered to effectively lead community building and regular engagement with both group members and external stakeholders to remain relevant and impactful.– I believe our ERG leaders have elevated their decision-making and advisory roles and enhanced their ability to contribute to organizational policy and culture.”

– Workforce DEI and Training Director

“Thank you so much for being our Keynote Speaker at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in El Paso (TTUHSC) 12th Annual Cultural Competence Conference. Your energy and enthusiasm were enjoyed by our audience of students, staff, and faculty from our four schools, as well as physicians and residents from our clinics. Your keynote encouraged conference participants to build on cultural competence with inclusive leadership; redefining leadership through the lens of inclusion, innovation, creativity, and belonging. You really delivered!”

– Mayra Morales, Senior Director, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

“Charlotte Hughes of Inclusive Leaders Group provided an excellent talk on the challenging topic of Navigating Resistance to DEI. My team and I anticipated that it would be difficult for the audience as we have recently had employee skepticism, negative attitudes, and DEI fatigue from a small but vocal portion of our workforce. This is despite receiving national “Top Companies for DEI” recognition in back-to-back years. Charlotte started off her keynote by emphasizing that she “Wasn’t going to try change anyone’s mind” and proceeded with well-articulated, research-backed data to support the business case for DEIB (Belonging) in the workplace regardless of an employee’s political beliefs outside of work. During the town hall Charlotte actively listened to employees from both sides with compassion and insight. Our employees provided a standing ovation at the end. We will definitely bring Charlotte back next year and highly recommend her to other leaders seeking to create a more inclusive culture.”

– Vice President People & Culture, Diversified Financial Company.

“It’s my pleasure to acknowledge Charlotte Hughes of Inclusive Leaders Group (ILG) for presenting her “Cultural Competency & Sensitivity” talk to the Retail Business Services (RBS) community during our 2nd annual DEI Immersion Summit. Charlotte’s warm and candid style won over the RBS associates the moment she began speaking. She kept the audience engaged with the perfect blend of knowledge and humor that greatly enriched our programming. With Charlotte’s engaging Cultural Competence presentation, our associates gained valuable knowledge and inspiration. So if you get a chance to bring her into your organization or conference, do it before someone else books her.”

– Valencia Hill, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead at Retail Business Services (RBS)/Ahold Delhaize USA

“Charlotte Hughes of Inclusive Leaders Group invited me to co-facilitate an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Workshop Intensive at The American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) Annual Conference. ASHHRA is the nation’s only membership organization dedicated to meeting the needs of human resources professionals in healthcare. The topic focused on Inclusive Leadership and Cultural Competence to Create and Sustain Equitable Healthcare Practices. We answered the question, How can healthcare leaders including medical providers demonstrate inclusive practices more effectively to connect with diverse patients, promote more innovative thinking, and help diverse workers reach their potential? It was such a pleasure partnering with Charlotte on the session. Collaboration made the design and facilitation effortless. Charlotte’s insights and thoughtfulness made our presentation all-inclusive, engaging, and actionable. She brought a depth of expertise regarding cultural competence and inclusive leadership that is relevant to all industries, not just healthcare. Her understanding of HR executives’ priorities, anticipated challenges, with her collaborative energy and attention to detail made the whole process seamless. I look forward to the opportunity to partner again in the future. I highly recommend Charlotte for DEI speaking engagements and training delivery for all industries!

– Betsy Rodriguez Senior Vice President, Children’s Hospital Colorado (Retired)

Speaking Inquiry

Interested in booking Charlotte for your next event or conference?
Submit your inquiry to our team using the form below.

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