How We Build Diversity and Inclusion at UScellular
UScellular is committed to a workplace culture that supports and empowers people of all backgrounds and experiences. Associate development is a key part of our company culture, and we know an inclusive workplace drives the best outcomes for our associates, our customers and our communities. Last week we hosted our 3rd annual Inclusion Summit, our annual opportunity for associates companywide to come together and learn new perspectives and take actions to build an environment of inclusion, understanding and belonging for all.
This year, the Inclusion Summit featured best-selling authors, academics, athletes, thought disruptors and thought leaders. To align with our hybrid work environment, the Summit included both in-person and virtual events so that everyone could attend. Thousands of UScellular associates took part in discussions covering wide-ranging subjects about the theme of “Crossing Bridges." The company’s diversity, equity and inclusion journey has built many bridges to help cross the paths needed to advance our work.
This year’s topics and guests included:
| Topic | Speaker(s) |
| Inclusion Summit 2022 Kickoff: Crossing Bridges | Jess King, senior fitness instructor at Peloton, social media influencer, certified life coach & former professional dancer. |
| Us vs. Them: Overcoming ‘Othering’ | Layshia Clarendon, WNBPA Vice President & WNBA Player |
| Self-Awareness: The Essential Skill to Building Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Teams | Dr. Tasha Eurich, organizational psychologist, researcher, New York Times best-selling author, principal of The Eurich Group and one of the world’s top coaches |
| Leaning into Courageous Conversations | Jose Flores, global motivator, mindset disruptor, and #1 Best-Selling Author |
| Understanding the Immigrant and Refugee Experience | Kimberly Cohen, director of employer engagement at Upwardly Global |
| Habits of Inclusion | Odessa Jenkins, President of Emtrain and Founder of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) |
| Celebrating the Beauty in Body and Size Diversity | Roxane Gay, author of multiple books and short stories, including New York Times Bestselling books Bad Feminist and Hunger, and cultural critic |
| Overcoming Burnout | Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, best-selling author of Mommy Burnout™, the podcast host of Dr. Sheryl's PodCouch, a regular national and local news contributor and runs a private group practice in Denver, CO. |
| Diversity in STEM: Embracing the Full Range of Human Creativity | David Kong, director of MIT Media Lab’s Community Biotechnology Initiative, founder of EMW – art, technology and community space in Cambridge, MA, community activist and artist. Chrissy Chen, national director of youth development programs and innovation for Boys & Girls Clubs of America |
Building a strong community within our workplace starts with conversations in which we’ve built a solid framework. We now embrace the work of crossing bridges that have been built so we can take the steps towards the path of change.