Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture

Presented by Kerrien Suarez of Equity in the Center
Wednesday, June 24; 11:00am - 12:30pm PST

Based on findings from Equity in the Center’s research, Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, this webinar discusses how to operationalize equity, and build a Race Equity Culture within co-ops. Participants will learn about the Race Equity Cycle framework as well as the management levers that organizations can utilize to measurably shift organizational culture toward race equity. 

Equity in the Center’s research is designed to support leaders as they build and expand their organization’s capacity to advance race equity. During the webinar, we will outline the need for building a Race Equity Culture in social sector organizations, and introduce resources and strategies to help participants move from commitment to action.  

The Race Equity Cycle identifies the three stages and common entry points of building a Race Equity Culture; helps organizations find themselves in this work; and names the levers that create momentum in building a Race Equity Culture. Equity in the Center’s research also illustrates how those levers can work by outlining practices from peer organizations and suggesting actions participants can take to get started.

Presenter: Kerrien Suarez

Kerrien Suarez is executive director of Equity in the Center, a field-wide initiative to influence social sector leaders to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to achieve race equity. A project of ProInspire, EiC envisions a future where nonprofit and philanthropic organizations advance race equity internally while centering it in their work externally. EiC recently published Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, which details management and operational levers that organizations can utilize to transform culture. 

Kerrien’s focus on diversity, inclusion, and equity developed through work with Surge Institute, Camelback Ventures, EdFuel and National Black Child Development Institute, where she supported emerging and established leaders and social entrepreneurs of color.   

A management consultant with 20 years of experience, Kerrien led engagements to refine programs and scale impact for national nonprofits--including The First Tee and AARP ExperienceCorps--while at Community Wealth Partners. She also coached grantees of the Annie E. Casey, Wells Fargo, and Robert Wood Johnson foundations on issues ranging from organizational capacity and sustainability to place-based collective impact. 

Kerrien is a graduate of Harvard College and London School of Economics. You can follow her on Twitter at @klrs98 and @equityinthectr.