Skip to main content.
Inclusive Workplaces Cohort
Thank you for your interest in the Inclusive Workplaces Cohort! Applications for the upcoming Cohort are now being accepted and are due by the end of the day on Friday, February 28, 2025. Details about the Cohort and the application form are provided below. If you have questions about the Inclusive Workplaces Cohort or the application process, please contact Becky Milbrandt at Rebecca.Milbrandt@ramseycounty.us.
What:
The Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County (WIB) is providing Ramsey County businesses with an executive leadership cohort learning experience. This initiative, in alignment with Ramsey County’s Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion Plan, will support employers in becoming more inclusive workplaces to ensure we are amplifying the diversity of our community as a tool for economic growth. Businesses in Ramsey County will have the opportunity to participate in a peer learning community while advancing inclusion in their organizations.
Again in 2025, the WIB will partner with ADR Consulting Group, an experienced facilitator who will create a learning environment that fosters discussion and sharing of ideas, while encouraging accountability through safe and brave spaces for confidentiality. ADR's team of facilitators come from unique and diverse backgrounds and are well positioned to offer the cohort participants the tools needed to create workplaces that boost retention, employee productivity and engagement. Their mission is to help businesses adopt “people first business strategies” to create workplaces where the humanity and dignity of all employees are prioritized.
This program is sponsored by the WIB and led by the WIB’s Equity Committee with assistance from the Partnership and Outreach Committee. There is no cost to participating businesses.
Who:
Eligible employers must:
- have a presence in Ramsey County.
- designate two participants who have decision making power or can facilitate organizational change.
- commit to attending all the sessions and completing a capstone project.
- agree to have their participation in the cohort shared out by Ramsey County and the WIB.
Up to 20 businesses will be selected to participate and influence the advancement of racial equity, diversity and inclusion throughout their organization. Preference will be given to businesses with 10-250 employees (including all locations).
Why:
The goal of the cohort is to accelerate employers’ ability to advance inclusiveness within their organizations and to employ a more inclusive and sustainable workforce that supports better bottom-line results support businesses that aim to leverage and sustain a more inclusive and sustainable workforce that supports better bottom-line results.
When:
Beginning in April, the cohort will meet monthly for 2 hours except as noted in the full schedule below. The in person sessions will be held at Wilder Foundation in Saint Paul.
| Cohort Session Dates | Session Title |
|---|---|
| April 8, virtual, 3-4 p.m. | Cohort Welcome and Orientation |
| Tuesday, May 20 - in-person, 3-5 p.m. | Exploring inclusivity in the Workplace |
| Tuesday, June 17 - in-person, 3-5 p.m. | Social Identities and Positionality |
| Tuesday, July 22 - in-person, 3-5 p.m. | Practicing Inclusive Leadership |
| Tuesday, August 19 - in-person , 3-5 p.m. | Challenging Bias and Dominant Narratives |
| Tuesday, September 23 - in-person, 3-5 p.m. | Creating Space for Dialogue and Conflict |
| Tuesday, October 21 - in-person, 3-5 p.m. | Strategies for Sustaining Inclusivity Efforts |
| Thursday, December 4, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Cohort Recognition Event with the Ramsey County WIB at the MN Humanities Center |
Want to learn more about this cohort opportunity? Check out the presentation deck and the recording from the information session held on February 4. Please contact Rebecca.Milbrandt@ramseycounty.us with any questions.
