TODN Community Conversations: Lunch & Learn
Navigating DEI in Today's Landscape
with
Sertrice Shipley and Emma Browning
Thursday, November 13, 2025
⏰ 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Online via Zoom
Let's get talking about DEI!
Join us for an engaging midday conversation where two seasoned practitioners cut through the noise to explore what's really happening in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space right now.
Sertrice Shipley and Emma Browning bring decades of combined expertise to this timely conversation, starting with the fundamentals – what do we actually mean when we say DEI? – and moving through the evolution of this critical work. Together, they'll unpack the current climate's impact on organizational inclusion efforts and share practical, professionally sound approaches that drive real change.
This isn't about theory or wishful thinking. It's about actionable strategies, community connection, and why this work matters more than ever. Whether you're just beginning your DEI journey or looking to refine your approach, you'll leave with fresh insights and a clearer path forward.
Bring your questions, your curiosities, and your lunch – we're creating space for the kind of honest conversation that moves the needle on inclusion.
Our Facilitators
Sertrice Shipley is the CEO & Founder of Plan to Action and co-author of "Inclusalytics: How Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leaders Use Data to Drive Their Work." She transforms workplace cultures by turning inclusion aspirations into measurable, sustainable change.
Sertrice's data-driven approach has guided organizations like the National Association of Women Business Owners and American Humane through comprehensive culture transformations. As a nationally recognized speaker at events like the Society for Human Resource Management, she makes complex DEI work accessible and actionable. Her commitment to equitable change extends beyond consulting through active community board service in her home base of Raleigh, NC.
Emma Browning is the founder of Paradox Consulting Partners, a Certified B Corporation, where she spends her days designing organizations that work better for everyone. With nearly two decades of consulting experience, Emma specializes in creating equitable processes and inclusive cultures that drive both performance and positive change.
Emma's client work spans Fortune 500 and complex organizations like Microsoft, Cisco, and the NFL, where she tackles everything from organization design to talent strategy with an eye toward systemic fairness. Emma's academic foundation includes degrees from Wake Forest University and Duke's Fuqua School of Business, plus deep community roots through her board service with Wake Education Partnership and Triangle Organization Development Network – always focused on expanding opportunity and access.
About Community Conversations
Community Conversations is a program of the Triangle Organization Development Network (TODN), designed to foster connection, learning, and real-time practice around the topics that matter most.
To explore upcoming TODN events, check out the TODN calendar.
Interested in joining the TODN community? Contact Susan Westbrook or any TODN Board member.
