The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable

GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
"You Have To Be Okay With 'No' and You Have To Keep Pushing Forward": Meet Dr. Regina Richards, Vice Chancellor of DEI and Community Engagement at the University Of Colorado, Anschutz

Dr. Regina Richards is the Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement at Anschutz Medical Campus and Assistant Professor Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado. Her career began as a parking administrator at Anschutz. With hard work and dedication, Dr. Richards gained her Ph.D. and became one of the most influential professionals at the University of Colorado.

What is your personal story?

I was the middle child between two brothers with two loving, hard-working parents in Gary, Indiana. My grandparents lived in Sommerville, TN, 40 miles outside of Memphis. We were lucky enough to spend every summer with them from when I was age 3 to age 19. There, I experienced the best of rural life with animals- hogs, chickens- and the hard work it takes to live and work the land productively. So much of my work ethic was formed during these summers where I grew and learned, largely unaware of the prejudiced world which was so prominent in nearby Memphis. My grandparents had eleven children. They didn't have much, but they gave a lot to anyone who needed it, from church members to neighbors to people passing through. In addition to forming my work ethic, these summers also made me service-committed to others from an early age.

In sixth grade, I was "chosen" to be the one child in my family to be bused to the all-white school, which was 30 miles away. My parents were wise enough to know that sending their sons into this environment would potentially produce turmoil. We "representative" children from the black side of Gary boarded the bus on the first day of school. When we arrived, the students from my neighborhood said they were not getting off the bus. Eventually, terrified of the ramifications from my mom, not the school, I stood up and said, "We have to get off this bus!" This was the first time I learned to stand up as a lone voice to mobilize my peers to move in the white world.

Fast forward, after I had spent a year and a half at Purdue as a First Gen to college student, I moved to Denver to live with my cousin and took a job as a receptionist. From there, I met my husband of 33 years, and we started a small business together, which he ran operationally, and I ran all of the administrative and organizational parts of the company.

How did you get to CU Anschutz, where you are one of the most influential positions in the university?

I started as a Parking Administrator, which was a job that allowed me to meet everyone, including those who were upset that they had to ride a van to get to their doctor's appointments. My goal was to make them less annoyed than they were when they drove in by the time they left. Over time, everyone knew me, and I was able to benefit from this network because, seeing my potential, others were connecting me for jobs for which I could interview. These "entry" jobs, which we can find ourselves in as adults, can open up the doors to tremendous opportunities, as was my case. You have to be okay with "no," and you have to keep pushing forward. You learn that in these service jobs, and you learn to develop an outlook that can serve you through any setback.

Later, I got my Ph.D. in social work and higher education from Colorado State University and followed my passion for being a bold diversity, equity, and inclusion leader.

What is your greatest professional priority?

I want to continue to be the voice for the voiceless by working effectively with all of the systems where these voices need to be at the table - policy-making, educational strategy, workplace direction, improvements and required funding for programs to create a solid and equitable health professions pipeline. Ensuring that access, equity, and inclusion are fundamental human rights will continue to be my primary motivation so that we can address and eliminate persistent economic disparities. I want to leave the world a better place and use my position to create the infrastructure to move us to change the justice system. It is "just us," and we can have a nation and world that reflects that where people of all backgrounds, values, and perspectives are mindfully creating a new reality that is not thwarted by the harms of the past.

What is the real question people need to ask to move the major levers of access and equity?

The real question is, "Who is leaning into YOU?" Of the twelve mentors I can think of, only two were mentors of color. So who is not at the table? Are you using your position in your job and role to reach out to those different from you? What doors are you opening for others? Where are YOU bringing your chair when others don't invite you to the table? Have the courage to stand up, speak up, and step up to others. 

How can the GlobalMindED Inclusive Success Network help you achieve your goals?

I am delighted to be part of the GlobalMindED Health Equity leadership team with Dr. Katie Bakes, Dr. Georges Benjamin, and so many others in Colorado, nationally, and globally. CU Anschutz and partners like GlobalMinedED secured a "health pathways" grant to significantly bolster the number of high school students interested in and ready for various health professions. GlobalMindED is a community that will not only help our high school students see themselves in the future at the annual conference, but we will also be able to share out the work of our inclusive partners and cross-community relationships that build from the ground up so that other states and programs can learn from us and vice versa. Collaboration is the key to our employment and equity pipeline challenges, and GlobalMindED is an equity vehicle to accelerate those crucial outcomes for the future of our diverse and inclusive health professionals.
Join February's Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable Series:
First and Ten from the One Yard Line - Moving the Educational Justice and Reparations Ball Forward in the Black Community
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 4:00 EST

Hear from champions and leaders doing the work to eliminate educational equity and exploring how to realistically attain the “Forty Acres and a Mule.”  Learn about efforts, obstacles, and opportunities to ensure educational and economic equity become a true element of the lived experience of Black and African Americans.
 
Eric McDonnell; Chair, African American Reparations Advisory Committee, City and County of San Francisco
Eric is a people-first advocate, strategist, diversity trainer, executive coach, and keynote speaker in pursuit of positive impact in the world.

Dr. Christopher Mathis; Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, College of Law Professor Mathis’ scholarship explores critical race theory, access and equity within higher education, and the philosophical assumptions within legal education. 

Sadé Cooper; Co-Founder & CEO Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities
Sadé is a real steward for her community, changing lives one day at a time. 
 
Dr. Ryan Ross Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion Colorado Community College System
An educator, speaker, and actualization coach, Dr. Ross is committed to access, equity, and the development of leaders.
Join us in Denver June 7-9 for GlobalMindED 2023
Early Bird Registration Open Now
Register here

To get a feel for the conference experience, please see this brief video by The PhD Project from the 2022 GlobalMindED Conference

  • GlobalMindED June 2022 DEI conference
  • Complete 2022 Program
  • Inclusive Leader Awards Program 2022
  • 800+ attendees
  • 140 students from 41 universities/colleges, 58 received scholarships
  • 300+ speakers from 65 universities/colleges and 47 businesses
  • 130 universities/colleges represented
  • Majority of panels featured at least one student
  • 74 % diverse speakers
Social Justice and Equity: A constant evolution but we still haven’t hit the mark!
Social Justice and Equity: A Constant Evolution but we Still Haven’t Hit the Mark!, a Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable presentation
Dr. Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System
Reiland Rabaka; Founder and Director, Center for African and African American Studies, University of Colorado Boulder,
Lana Hailemariam; Chief Executive Officer, StandUP, LLC,
Emily Shamsid-Deen; Principal, ESD Consulting,
Dr. Roberto Montoya; Chief Educational Equity Officer, Colorado Department of Higher Education,
Keith Station; Deputy Chief of Staff—Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, City of Omaha Mayor’s Office
The GlobalMindED Inclusive Success NetworkTM had another banner year of growth, impact, and outcomes for First Generation, poverty-affected and minoritized students. Here are some of the highlights: 
 
  • Return of in-person GlobalMindED conference with record attendance and the largest First Gen Leadership Class ever of 122 student leaders. See PhD Project brief video of the event. 
  • Our fourth annual Inclusive Leader Awards recognized 15 DEIB leaders across sectors.
  • Almost all our 100+ panels and sessions of 2022 featured a student. 
  • Of the 300+ speakers, 73% were diverse leaders sharing their thoughts. 
  • We held our first Industry Marketplace Career Exploration Arena at GlobalMindED 2022 with 40 companies, giving K-12, college students, educators, and leaders a way to learn about emerging fields and careers. Join us for the next one at GlobalMindED 2023. 
  • Our first satellite event at Georgia Institute of Tech was livestreamed via the Atlanta PBS affiliate. 
  • We became an official initiative of the Foundation for the Support the United Nations (FSUN) and will hold our first UN event on March 22, 2023. 
  • ·We served ten colleges with the GlobalMindED Success Collaborative connecting students at each HBCU, MSI, HIS and Tribal College with role models, mentors, internships, and jobs. 
  • We had partners/volunteers from Microsoft, Salesforce, Rubrik, HP, Stanford MBA and more. 
  • We spoke at the White House Initiative for HBCUs with sponsor Hewlett Packard. 
  • Our team, Board, Colorado Board and Executive Leadership Council are all majority diverse serving a majority diverse population of emerging leaders. 
  • We continued to publish our daily newsletter and conduct monthly virtual Equity events, led by people of color with majority diverse panelists and students. These are the role models for our students.
  • Our annual operating budget increased by 67% emerging COVID strong. 
  • We doubled our staff from four to eight as we grow to scale our impact. 
  • Our Young Professionals grew to 40 strong, with a ten-person leadership cabinet made up of, but not limited to, graduates of our programs who are now working professionals.  
  • Since 2015, we have successfully connected 1,200+ students to internships and jobs. 
  • Our founder, Carol Carter, was recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Denver Business Journal. 
 
We are grateful for the support, inclusive leadership, and financial contributions of our community and sponsors who work tirelessly to open doors for the students we serve, the institutions who support them, and the businesses and non-profits who are committed to hiring a capable, diverse talent pipeline.  We look forward to seeing all of you June 7-9 at our best event yet, GlobalMindED 2023 - Transforming Boundaries: Creating Systemic Access and Equity. The Inclusive Leaders Awards Dinner is June 7, followed by the conference June 8- 9 at the Denver Downtown Sheraton.  
GlobalMindED | 303-327-5688 | contact@globalminded.org | www.globalminded.org
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