The Schedule

Opening Reception, Welcome, & Presentation

Come join us for the Ally Week opening reception, a welcome from Carlson School of Management Dean Jamie Prenkert, and hear from a Carlson School DEI leader and Lisa Folch, Carlson School Undergraduate Programs Senior Academic Advisor.

After the Welcome, there will be a presentation featuring poet, emcee, and Hip Hop Theater artist from Saint Paul, MN, Tish Jones.    

Coffee Connections

Come join us for one, some, or all of our informal coffee connections! Each coffee connection will have a focused topic with a question to be used for small group discussion. Check out the resources page for book, podcast, and media recommendations about each day's topic. 

This coffee connection will explore what identity means to you. 

This is a casual drop in event - no RSVP needed. Grab a coffee, a bite to eat, and join in the conversation.

Redefining Identity & Allyship in a Changing Society  

Join a diverse panel of students and alumni as they discuss how our identities shape who we are and how we interact in an ever changing society. What does allyship look like when our identities are shifting and are multifaceted? How does education, privilege, and identity empower spaces in business and society as a whole? Bring your own thoughts and experiences to explore with the panel during this interactive virtual presentation. 

• Learn from Carlson community members their different perspectives on identity. 

• Explore your own identity in the context of a changing society. 

• Examine what allyship means in this shifting landscape 

Presented by:

• Sahil Malhotra

• Nick Alm- CEO, Mossier

• Wendy Lutter- Academic Director, Carlson Marketing Department 

A Workshop on Identity & Privilege 

Join us in this workshop to foster empathy, understanding, and awareness of social issues, as well as to encourage discussions about how to address inequality and promote equity.  We have designed this workshop to help participants develop a deeper awareness of our various identities and the ways those identities have led to privileged and / or marginalized life experiences. We will take participants through a modified version of a Privilege Walk, share from our own lived experience with privilege and marginalization, and invite participants into conversation and reflection about how we all come together as one community at the Carlson School of Management. 

 Presented by: 

• Angela Botiba, Carlson School MBA & School of Public Health MHA Student, School of Public Health Graduate Teaching Assistant

• Lauren Dickinson- Associate Program Director, Carlson Global Institute Education Abroad

Power, Privilege, and Allyship: The Role of Intersectional Identities 

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore strategies for fostering a more inclusive community, focusing on supporting and elevating others. This session suits faculty, university staff, students, and anyone seeking to enhance their interactions with others through mindful inclusion and allyship. Attendees will be introduced to the Wheel of Power and Privilege framework. 

Throughout the session, participants will examine the social identities that influence their capacity to make decisions, shape opinions, exert influence, or effect change with individuals impacted by social inequities within the Carlson School of Management. Collectively, the group will explore the social identities that confer the greatest power and unique perspectives and those that impact their ability to act as allies who cultivate a sense of belonging in the workplace and the classroom.

The workshop will facilitate collaborative efforts among participants to identify approaches to allyship that support an inclusive culture and foster a sense of belonging within the Carlson School of Management. Participants will share experiences of feeling recognized, connected, and supported by allies who have contributed to a sense of belonging.

Presented by: 

• Brad Fortier- Senior Equity Training and Education Coordinator, Uplift Oregon 

•  Riikka Salonen- Managing Director of Health Equity, BCT Partners 

Aprés: Liberation as Practice 

"What we must do is commit ourselves to some future that can include each other and to work toward that future with the particular strengths of our individual identities.” 

—Audre Lorde

Understanding the importance of your positionality and identity in the context of racism and oppression supports a path toward collective liberation. This talk explores how you might activate your new knowledge of identity, how you can expand your understanding, and how you can support the community who has been engaged in this work for many years. It is important that you use strategies that play into the strengths of your identity while also challenging yourself and those around you to activate their energy into the movement. 

Understanding the following elements and how they apply to the strengths of your identity: work, abolish, create, transform, share, move, commit, support, organize, and practice.

Presented by:

• Terresa Moses- Creative Director, Blackbird Revolt

Unpacking Allyship: Moving Beyond Performance to Authentic Practice  

"I am an ally," is a statement we hear all too often. It's like an identity - an ally is something that you either are or are not. This framing of allyship gives way to savior-like behaviors and wearing the label of ally like a badge of honor (or a badge of wokeness!). But what if we were to reframe allyship as a practice, not an identity? Allyship is a of behaviors practiced by people in dominant identity groups to promote equity and center the needs of people in marginalized identity groups. As such, allyship is not just a superficial performance, but requires a deeper understanding of power and identity. In this session, we will unpack allyship by examining both pitfalls and success stories. You will walk away with specific values and behaviors that support the authentic practice of allyship. 

Presented by:

• Shilpa Alimchandani- Founder and Principal, Mookti Consulting

Finding a Path Forward: Championing Equity and Belonging for ALL 

In a time when our world feels ever more polarized and divided across differences, it is increasingly important to create spaces and communities of belonging where every person can feel seen, valued, and appreciated. While belonging exists at the intersection of DEI, the work towards it can seem overwhelming, confusing, and lacking results despite its hopeful ambitions. Marginalized folks are exhausted. Some folks will dismiss DEI's premises regardless of approach. Yet, there remains a strong majority of well-intentioned allies who are filled with potential and aspirations, but struggle with sustainability and finding their place. We believe that tending to the conditions of belonging can create environments where everyone can see themselves in a positive path forward. 

In this session, you will: 

• Explore a framework for creating the conditions for belonging

• Unpack DEI best practices for creating a culture of belonging

• Determine action steps to begin to operationalize belonging in your own workplace that centers belonging for all

Presented by:

• Andrew Zhao- Director, Amazeworks

Closing Reception

Let's celebrate and reflect on all that we discovered this week.