Join us for our next Virtual Power Hour: "Profiles in Persistence - How Women in Male-dominated Careers Navigate Gender-based Stereotypes” featuring Mateo Cruz, Ph.D. Explore cutting-edge research on the strategies women use to tackle gender bias, the pros and cons of each, and how women can support one another. Plus, discover how men can be allies in reducing the need for these strategies. Don't miss this essential conversation for building gender-inclusive workplaces for all.

Registration link: https://bentley.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eVWuKJSWR5KSdV5pjFGA2w#/registration

Gearing Up Conference 2024: Stretch to the C-Suite

Sponsored by The Center for Women and Business at Bentley University

Workshop Title: Mapping the (S)hero’s Journey: Storytelling as a Conduit for Change

What do Taylor Swift, Arianna Huffington, and Oprah Winfrey have in common? They are some of the most prolific storytellers of our time. But good storytelling is not only reserved for musicians, writers, and influencers. Good storytelling is one of the most critical and influential executive leadership skills you can develop. Unfortunately, few of us have the space to craft our stories or guidance to deliver them effectively. In this workshop, participants will receive both. In partnership with Dr. Mateo Cruz, award-winning teaching-scholar and storyteller, participants will: (1) learn the science & practice of effective storytelling, (2) identify & develop true stories from their lives based on themes provided, and (3) deliver one story for feedback from their peers. In doing so, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of storytelling as a practice and a process that requires courage, compassion, and the willingness to be seen.

Register Today!: https://web.cvent.com/event/4d6fa2b9-f73b-4219-a368-ac5d26e63be1/regProcessStep1:4cd2abfe-c487-4866-9b93-2a4363ec872d

In this unique interactive workshop, participants will learn about the science and practice of effective teamwork through an exploration of (un)conscious dynamics present in groups & organizations. Drawing from his training in systems psychodynamics, Dr. Cruz takes participants on a learning journey through the rational and irrational ways teams derail and how leaders can intervene. Recognizing the pivotal role of team success in STEM, this workshop adopts a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to leadership development in the context of organizational dynamics. Join us to strengthen your leadership skills and elevate team performance to new heights. Spaces are limited!

We are presenting at the 2024 annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference in Chicago!

This panel will showcase the expertise of transgender and nonbinary (TNB) professionals doing inclusion work at local and national levels. Attacks on the TNB community have skyrocketed, yet TNB people remain understudied and underserved in research and practice. The purpose of this panel is to remedy that by giving voice to TNB experts to share their experiences, advice, and insights on inclusion. By listening to TNB people speak from their own experiences, we can better understand where and how to focus our efforts on the advancement of intersectional inclusion across gender identities.

We greatly look forward to seeing everyone Friday April 19, 2024 from 2PM - 3:20PM, room Vevey 1/2!

Register here: https://web.cvent.com/event/f140e4fa-9488-4bfd-acbd-14a086eb05b0/regProcessStep1

Transgender & nonbinary (TNB) employees face numerous barriers unique to their identities, in part because their visibility is perceived as a disruption to gendered norms that organizations perpetuate as what it means to be a “professional." These norms include adherence to binary dress codes, use of pronouns/names/honorifics that match one’s assigned sex at birth, bathroom policies that assume cisgender identity, and gendered behavior that “matches'' one's gender expression (i.e., “men should be agentic; women should be communal”). While these norms are problematic for people of all genders, they specifically harm TNB people whose gendered behavior is often policed through acts of interpersonal microaggressions and violence from co-workers, customers, and organizational leaders.

Though we have a moral imperative to support the TNB community as leaders who dedicate our lives to improving the workplace, there are also real economic and organizational consequences for not doing so. While it is currently estimated that TNB people make up less than 2% of the US population (2022, June 7), new studies suggest more than a quarter (28%) of Gen Z (those between the ages of 9 - 24 years) identify as nonbinary (The Trevor Project, 2021, National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health). Young people from Gen Z not only expect, but demand, that employers create policies to support trans inclusion (Stern et al., 2018). 

Thus, the purpose of this event is to present what intersectional inclusion looks like in an era of heated anti-trans sentiment. Drawing from research and practice, Dr. Cruz will share: (a) why TGNB allyship is relevant, necessary, and central to the advancement of intersectional inclusion in our institutions; (b) what job demands TNB people experience and the supports that make a difference; and (c) how TNB allies can be most effective in their roles as co-workers, managers, and leaders.

The event will be evidence-based, interactive, and focused on practical solutions. It is open to all - regardless of gender identity, role, or the amount of knowledge you possess about the TNB community. 

Presenters: Eddie Kim, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Science; Zana Cranmer, Assistant Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences; Mateo Cruz, Assistant Professor of Management ; and Reagan Mozer, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Event Type: In-person

This session will explore the term intersectionality in all of its complexity, starting with an understanding of the term itself and its roots in critical theory. We will then branch into its relevance to data analysis, introducing participants to both qualitative (e.g. portraiture) and quantitative (e.g. interaction modeling) research methods typically employed to account for intersectionality, as well as future directions and possibilities for researchers to more accurately capture the concept. Panelists will also offer illustrative examples of incorporating intersectionality, for better or worse, from their own experiences. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion with panelists tackling questions from their personal, and professional standpoints, followed by an open Q&A session for questions from the audience.

Please join Dr. Mateo Cruz and Bentley University in partnership with the Common Good Co. at 419 Moody Street, Waltham in a storytelling event about the power of international education as a Force for Good:

TICKETS HERE

• Bentley students will share stories about an impactful moment they experienced while studying abroad - what did it mean to them, how did it shift their perspective, and how does it continue to influence their behavior today?

• Audience members will also have the opportunity to share a short story of their own about a time traveling abroad changed them - for good!

• The cafe will have coffee, mocktails, and desserts for purchase.

• All proceeds will go to the Elias Motsoaledi Preschool & Daycare in the Township of Soweto in South Africa where Bentley students will travel in May 2024.

“A Universal Design for Faculty-led International Learning”

Global Inclusion 2023 11th Annual Diversity Abroad Conference in Chicago, IL

International Educators have had more access than ever to learn the importance of DEI in study abroad. We will build on the universal design for learning basics and focus on the practical elements of developing inclusive short-term faculty-led programs for all. Attendees will learn how to design and assess programming by diving into why we’re exploring a particular subject, creating options for everyone who learn differently, accepting unlimited methods to demonstrate comprehension, and understand the motivations and rewards for faculty leading these programs.

In honor of October’s Global Diversity Awareness Month, the Harvard Business School Staff Affinity Groups are celebrating campus diversity by hosting HBS Staff Diversity Week! This one-hour discussion will revolve around three key themes: 

• Bringing Your Authentic Self to Work: An opportunity for panelists to share their knowledge and/or personal journeys and offer valuable insights into the daily challenges and opportunities faced by staff. 

• Can You Bring Your Full Self to Work and Progress in Your Career? We would like to explore the delicate balance between authenticity and career advancement, seeking strategies to empower professional growth while staying aligned with one's true identity. 

• Success Beyond Conformity: Discuss the potential for success even when one doesn't perfectly fit the traditional mold. We hope to explore how embracing diversity, fostering inclusivity, and leveraging unique perspectives can contribute to personal growth and drive positive change within Harvard Business School's culture. 

The Annual Faculty & Staff Diversity Retreat!

Dates: July 11th - 13th 2023 (9am - 5pm)

Details TBA!

Gearing Up is the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business' premier annual conference at Bentley University. The transformational day reinvigorates the leadership aspirations of women, gender-diverse professionals, and allies in their early and mid-careers across industries to harness their skills and ambitions and to realize their full potential.​

Dr. Cruz’s Workshops -

Five Interpersonal Leadership Skills that AI Can’t Replace (Yet):
In an era of much handwringing about Artificially intelligent (AI) technologies, now is the time to identify and improve the interpersonal skills that distinguish us from the bots. In this 90-minute experiential workshop, management professor and DEI expert, Dr. Mateo Cruz, will discuss five core interpersonal skills inclusive leaders possess. Participants will have the opportunity to practice each skill and apply them to real challenges they face at work. 

Building for Allyship Beyond the Binary:
Our transgender and nonbinary colleagues are facing the worst year yet for anti-trans legislation as 400+ bills advance through state legislatures seeking to limit basic human rights and the right to bodily autonomy. These attacks are rooted in misogyny where those who challenge the so-called “gender binary” are deemed a threat. As such, intersectional solidarity among women must include trans allyship. In this workshop, we will discuss the current state of trans rights and how you can work in solidarity with trans and nonbinary people in your organizations and communities to advance intersectional inclusion.  

Invited Keynote Speaker: Boston Children’s Annual Pride Celebration.

Exploring Intersectionality in Groups and Organizations

An interactive, intersectional workshop presented by Dr. Mateo Cruz and Yaro Fong-Olivares, M.S.

for Loyola University’s Department of Psychology.

Explore the lives and experiences of residents of Waltham, MA through true stories told in the first person. In a world increasingly fractured by ideology and suffering from Pandemic fallout, peeking into each other's realities might help address isolation and division.  

Featured Storyteller: Dr. Mateo Cruz

Tickets $10 at: https://www.wearewaltham.com/

Building community, one story at a time.

On behalf of LGBTQ@bentley and the Gender Studies Program, the Bentley Learning and Teaching Council invites our faculty to hear from students about the Trans and Nonbinary Student Experience at Bentley and how you can be more inclusive in your classroom.  Please do not miss this important event and the opportunity to hear the student perspective directly.

The session will be hybrid. Please email Dr. Cruz for details.

💙 Bentley Falcons! 💙 Join us for our LAST Social Justice event featuring four incredible women of color leading social justice & change in organizations!
⭐ Kiana Pierre-Louis, Esq. - Bentley royalty & change-maker!
⭐ Afrika Afeni Mills (she/her) - CEO, consultant, award-winning author (Open Windows, Open Minds - https://lnkd.in/etwP2Mmy)
⭐ Yaro Fong-Olivares, M.S. - Executive Director at The Center for Women and Business at Bentley University, Consultant, DEIJ Thought Leader
Sponsored by BSLCE, co-sponsored by Bentley Consulting Association, Mankind Movement, & the Nonprofit Minor!

Students, faculty, staff and alum are all invited to join!

Registration link:
https://lnkd.in/ercmq-jP

In partnership with the Bentley Consulting Association, I will moderate a panel featuring 3 of my incredible peers from Columbia University's Organizational Psychology program:

-- Michael Feyen, Managing Director at Paradigma Strategy Consulting
-- Mikayla Graham, Director, Digital Culture and Adoption Leader for PwC Acceleration Centers
-- Shana Yearwood, Human Capital, Diversity & Inclusion Strategist at Impact Consulting LLC

Learn more about:
* differences between independent, boutique, and Big Four consulting
* differences between consulting to strategy, human capital, DEI, technology, and change
* insights on grad programs that prepare you for industry success

Come with questions! Email BCA for more information.