Was Live Friday, Mar 7, 2025 | 11am PST
Related Coverage
- Story | How Will DEI Bans Affect U.S. Small Businesses?
- YouTube Playlist | Highlights from this Briefing
Guest Speakers
- Dilawar Syed, former Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration (SBA)
- Dr. Esther Zeledon, Founder of BeActChange, a small business affected by the policy changes
- Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Elizabeth Barrutia, President & CEO, Barú, an independent and woman owned agency dedicated to elevating multicultural marketing and media
Event Overview
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs were established to support communities historically facing barriers to workplace opportunities. DEI has its roots in the anti-discrimination legislative movement of the 1960s.
The beneficiaries of these programs are not only racial minorities but also include White women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities, among others. Many of the benefits DEI has brought remain overlooked by public opinion. For example, DEI supporters advocated for workplace breastfeeding rooms.
The Trump administration issued executive orders to terminate all federal programs related to DEI and directed federal contractors to stop promoting diversity. This move will likely significantly impact various sectors, with small businesses potentially being among the hardest hit.
Over 40% of small business owners are women, four in ten are foreign-born, and one in five are racial minorities, with Latinos making up a significant portion of that group.
This panel will explore DEI, the effects of these policies, and the potential consequences of the ban on the powerful and diverse economic engine of U.S. small businesses—the vast majority of companies in the country.
Presented by ACoM
Cover Image Credit: Canva Photos
