DEI or Die: The Critical State of DEI Across Sectors

Mia Henry – Moderator

Mia Henry is the founder and CEO of Freedom Lifted, which supports justice-centered leadership development through online learning, training and facilitation. Through her unique approach, Mia has created educational spaces and practical tools to foster just, ethical leadership for hundreds of private, public, and non-profit organizations, as well as over 9000 individuals.

In addition to pioneering innovative work through Freedom Lifted, Mia has deep experience leading organizations committed to promoting justice and equity, previously serving as Executive Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College and founding director of the Chicago Freedom School.

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Dr. Larissa Estes

Larissa Estes, DrPH serves as the Executive Director of the Racial Equity Commission established through Executive Order 16-22. She has over 20 years of experience in allied health, healthcare, and public health with a focus on community and equity. Prior to joining the State of California, Dr. Estes served as the Executive Director of ALL IN Alameda County, a county-wide initiative established by the late Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan to address issues of poverty including basic needs, quality education, and economic opportunity that leads to self-sufficiency. Throughout her career she has served as a key author of several publications on women’s health, accountable communities for health, medical high utilization, and mental health and wellbeing. She is interested in integrating evidence-informed strategies into policy and practice across sectors that fortify equity and impact community wellbeing.

Dr. Estes has prior experience in program planning, implementation, and evaluation; maternal and child health; women’s health; mental health and wellbeing; and public health policy analysis at the federal, state, and local level. Dr. Estes received her BS in Athletic Training from Duquesne University, an MPH in Family and Child Health from the University of Arizona, and a DrPH in Community Health Practice from the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston. She is a sustaining member of Junior League of Oakland-East Bay and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Dr. Estes also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society – SF Bay Area and participates on an Advisory Committee for the Prairie View A&M School of Public and Allied Health.

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Eric Abrams

Born in Berkeley, raised in Oakland and Chicago, Eric Abrams feels that his role as Chief DEI Officer at KQED is the coolest job he could have–his role is to help folks work together better!  This is his first job not on a college campus in decades; previously, he held posts in admission at USC, Stanford, and Berkeley, as well as working as the initial dedicated DEI officer at both Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

At KQED, Eric serves as an internal consultant for colleagues about DEI-related issues, as well as helping to create a truly inclusive culture where all can be their full and best professional selves. As Walt Whitman and Ted Lasso said, Eric strives to “be curious, not judgmental.”

A board member at 826 Valencia, Eric has served as Board Chair of 826 National, Co-Chair of the Association of Admission and Financial Aid officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the National Association of Business School Diversity Officers, and as a member of the Truman Scholarship Finalist Selection Committee.  He holds a bachelors in Political Science from Stanford, and a Masters’ in the same subject from UCLA.

Eric is an avid barbecue pitmaster, and thinks he’s at his best in the kitchen—though he has to admit that his two adult sons have some skills. He is also an avid sports fan, remembers buying comic books for 20¢, and not half as witty as he thinks he is. Eric and his wife Donna live in Oakland with Lola the WonderDog.

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Dr. Janice Z. Gassam Sare

Janice Z. Gassam Asare, Ph.D. is the founder of BWG Business Solutions, an award-winning DEI consultancy designed to help organizations create cultures built on racial equity. Dr. Janice provides consultations, facilitates workshops, provides guidance, delivers keynote speeches and “Awareness Talks” to spark important dialogue about equity in the workplace. Dr. Janice has had the opportunity to collaborate with Google, Amazon, Yale University, Nordstrom, H&M, and Paypal/Venmo among many others. Dr. Janice is the author of two best-selling books, Dirty Diversity: A Practical Guide to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Workplace for All and The Pink Elephant: A Practical Guide to Creating an Anti-racist Organization and the new book Decentering Whiteness in the Workplace. She is a senior contributing writer for Forbes having authored over 400 articles, a Harvard Business Review contributor and a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. Dr. Janice was recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Racial Equity. In 2023 she was recognized by Gusto as one of the 25 Top Workplace Experts to Follow. Dr. Janice is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University, a 2-time TEDx speaker and the host of the Dirty Diversity podcast where she discusses all things diversity, equity, inclusion. During her free time, Dr. Janice enjoys volunteering as a job coach for the Coalition for the Homeless.

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