Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are unique areas of both challenge and opportunity for learning professionals. In this cultural-sea-change moment, there has never been a time of more need and desire to drive inclusion. At the same time, the comfort level and sense of "safe space" to discuss these issues are at all-time lows.

To address these topics and more, Elliott Masie has partnered with international learning leader Jayzen Patria to produce a brand-new program for the learning and human resources fields: The Diversity & Learning LAB.

Jayzen will host and facilitate a small group of learning colleagues in the Lab as diversity, inclusion, and learning leaders from around the world interact with participants by video throughout the program. Participants are encouraged to come prepared to share, learn, and design with fellow learning professionals and thought leaders, as well as their own board of stakeholders back at the office (via connected technology).

This distinctive program is designed for learning and hr professionals, learning leaders, and talent departments, as well as diversity and inclusion practitioners, to explore the current and future role for learning departments in the development of diversity and inclusion efforts. At this unique point in time when divisive political and cultural discourse and news of shocking, inappropriate, and illegal behavior is the new normal of water cooler and smartphone conversation, participants will explore how learning and development can create "safe spaces" to have conversations that drive diversity, inclusion, and belonging in today's workplace.

Jayzen Patria is a noted speaker, facilitator, corporate-learning leader, and performance consultant who helps transform organizations through enabling their people to find their authentic voices and bring their full selves to work. Jayzen is a 25-year learning and  development veteran of Fortune 100 companies, including General Electric, Comcast, and NBCUniversal. He has worked with some of the world's top entertainment and media brands, including Bravo, USA Network, The Golf Channel, Telemundo, Focus Features, and Universal Parks & Resorts. Jayzen has been featured at national conferences, including Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value, TEDx, SXSW, Creating Change, Out & Equal, Models of Pride, and Elliott Masie's annual Learning Conference.

The Diversity & Learning LAB is a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves event where participants will be working both individually and in groups to define the future of D&I in learning. Participants will work together to explore

• how to build a continuous learning system and environment that supports and drives their diversity strategies
• weaving diversity, inclusion, and belonging throughout the fabric of EVERY learning event, rather than segregating those topics as individual modules or separate programs
• extending diversity beyond the traditional classroom into digital, social, and virtual learning platforms
• partnering with internal D&I groups and others to drive D&I efforts
• connecting the dots in broader D&I strategy, including supplier diversity, multicultural product and marketing, community investment, and governance - in addition to workforce and talent initiatives through learning
• balancing when and where to program top subject-matter experts; ensuring representation of diverse speakers in programs and in the classroom
• identifying key inclusion skills required at key inflection points in an employee's lifecycle, such as being a first-time manager and moving into department leadership or executive roles
• battling "diversity fatigue" - when people pay lip service to diversity in public, but what they think in private might be very different - to engage people in both the conversation and action
• applying learning design to enhance traditionally stale legal and compliance training
• how to role model inclusion by accelerating diverse representation in the learning and development community so that it reflects the workforces it serves
• leveraging the power of storytelling to build empathy and drive authenticity
• and many other crucial aspects of this key topic

Participants can expect to leave with

• a tangible action plan to move their learning organization forward in driving D&I as a key business imperative
• a new mindset and understanding of the current state of D&I in learning and the key trends impacting the discussion to share with their team and broader organization
• a network of like-minded learning and talent professionals with whom to share best practices and ideate/collaborate moving forward on this journey