2026 Diversity Equity & Inclusion Program

10 TH DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION CONFERENCE WEBSTER GROVES MAIN CAMPUS APRIL 8–9, 2026

TRANSFORMATION REPORT?

We invite you to learn about Webster’s transformation and our mission of empowering our students to be changemakers in their communities and across the globe. Learn more about students who thrive! webster.edu/transformation

CONTENTS

4 Sponsors 5 Welcome Message 6 Webster’s Vision, Mission & Core Values

8 Keynote Speaker 10 Champion for All 12 Schedule

Webster University Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Conference The Audacity to Persist: Reclaiming Space, Voice and Justice April 8–9, 2026 Webster University, Main Campus webster.edu/DEI2026 #WebsterDEI

Support Webster’s Work! If you are inspired by your participation in Webster University’s 2026 DEI Conference, please consider making a donation to support the conference and DEI initiatives through Webster’s Offce of Mission Integration and DEI. As DEI is being challenged, your gift is a statement that DEI matters. Please scan the QR code to make a gift. Additional Resources Our Conference presenters and the Webster University Emerson Library have compiled a reading list of related resources for each conference session. Explore all of the conference topics in greater detail by scanning this QR code.

SPONSORS

Thank you to the following corporate and media sponsors who share our vision for inclusive excellence, as well as sustainable and signifcant community-wide transformation. Their generous support allows us to present this conference ENTIRELY FREE OF CHARGE — including admission, refreshments, program books and digital resources — ensuring our community, region and global audience can beneft from these vital conversations and resources.

ADVOCATE SPONSORS

CONFERENCE ALLY SPONSORS

WELCOME MESSAGE

S ince June 2023, universities, workplaces and community organizations alike have been navigating an increasingly complex and contested social, political and legal landscape. Through executive actions, policy shifts, court challenges and emboldened public rhetoric, long-standing efforts to expand access, foster belonging and address systemic inequities have been called into question. These dynamics have created a climate of uncertainty that touches not only institutions, but also the people who learn, work, lead and build community within them. Against this backdrop, Webster University’s 2026 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Conference marks a pivotal 10-year milestone and invites participants to engage the theme, The Audacity to Persist: Reclaiming Space, Voice and Justice. This year’s gathering recognizes that persistence is more than an idea — it is a daily practice. Ensuring dignity, opportunity and care for all requires resilience, informed engagement, moral clarity and the courage to act alongside one another. Across two days of sessions, the conference explores how individuals and communities can respond thoughtfully and humanely to today’s challenges. Each session moves beyond theory, offering lived experience, practical insight and meaningful ways to show up when it matters most. As we gather at this important moment, participants are invited into a space for refection, learning and connection: one grounded in the belief that lasting change is shaped not only by institutions, but by people willing to persist together. We look forward to welcoming you into this meaningful conversation.

Tim Keane, PhD (he/him)

Charles Burton (he/him)

Vincent C. Flewellen, MSW (he/him)

President

Senior Vice President,

Associate Vice President, Offce of Mission Integration

Webster University

Offce of People, Mission and

Legal Chief of Staff Webster University

Chief Diversity Offcer Webster University

WEBSTER’S VISION, MI

In fall 2024, Webster University began developing a comprehensive, integrated strategic plan that would serve as the unifying roadmap to a thriving future. As the frst step in the strategic planning process, the Offce of Mission Integration and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion was named to lead the effort to assess and update Webster’s mission, vision and values as the core from which the University’s strategic and operational objectives would fow. The offce managed an inclusive, transparent and data-driven process that resulted in new mission, vision and values statements that were voted on and adopted by the University community — including students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees.

VISION

Webster University empowers our students to become catalysts for change — transforming their own lives while driving progress and inspiring lasting impact in communities worldwide.

MISSION Webster University nurtures the skills, knowledge and personal growth of our students, cultivating learners who are engaged citizens, ready to create meaningful change in their communities and the world.

CORE VALUES

Engaged Learning Experiences Webster provides hands-on, experiential learning, offering students high-impact experiences through internships, mentorship, research, community service and study abroad opportunities. The University is committed to providing a transformative education for students, emphasizing critical thinking and creativity and fostering a student-frst environment. Community of Care We understand that we are interconnected and greater than the sum of our parts. By leading with love, Webster creates a community that is the heart of learning and growth. Through a shared ethic of care and

ISSION & CORE VALUES

compassion, we promote a culture of belonging that empowers each person to contribute their unique perspectives. By embracing dialogue, mutual respect and social responsibility, we nurture individuals who contribute to the common good within our campus communities and on a global scale. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Webster’s unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is rooted in the fundamental belief that every person has equal worth. The University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion extends to all individuals from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, Pacifc Islander and other people of color; immigrants and refugees; LGBTQIA+ individuals; people of diverse gender identities and expressions, including transgender, intersex, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming and two-spirit individuals; people with all manner of disability, whether apparent or non-visible, including mental health conditions, neurodivergent, chronic medical conditions and Deaf individuals; people from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds; individuals from under-resourced or economically marginalized communities; military veterans and individuals across all ages, body types and national origins or nationalities. Recognizing the complexities of intersectionality and the commitment to ongoing education, inclusivity and equity for all, Webster maintains a community with a sense of belonging for all identities. It ensures everyone can learn, work and live in an atmosphere of dignity, respect, safety and care. Our differences make us stronger, which is why Webster insists on a culture of fairness and kindness. The University amplifes the contributions of students, faculty and staff knowing that diversity and mutuality fuel innovation, creativity and success in everything our community accomplishes. Integrity & Ethical Conduct The highest standards of honesty, fairness and accountability are upheld in all aspects of the community’s academic and professional lives. This commitment requires authentic discourse, transparency, courage and a dedication to ethical principles, even in challenging circumstances. Webster creates a culture where trust thrives and people feel valued and safe to express themselves. The University builds a foundation of responsibility that extends into the communities we serve. Stewardship People are the greatest resource at Webster and the institution is committed to responsibly caring for them as well as the resources entrusted to the institution in ways that align with our values. Recognizing that it is a privilege to hold the trust, time, talents and dedication of others, we actively care for the well-being and development of our students, faculty and staff. Continuous Improvement We commit to growth and refective practices that enhance our programs, processes and impacts, continually elevating our service to the community and advancing our mission. We embrace a mindset of lifelong learning, honest self-refection and emotional intelligence, recognizing that personal development fuels innovation and strengthens our collective potential.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Rebeccah L. Bennett (she/her) Founder & Principal Emerging Wisdom LLC, InPower Institute, Black Healers Collective, Spirit Risin g Rebeccah Bennett is Founder and Principal of Emerging Wisdom LLC and its subsidiary, InPower Institute. Launched in 2006, Emerging Wisdom is a forward-thinking social enterprise that helps individuals live empowered lives, leaders build impactful organizations and communities advance brighter futures. At Emerging Wisdom, Rebeccah and her team conduct professional development programs, organizational improvement efforts and multi-stakeholder transformation initiatives. Within these areas, they provide an array of offerings, including consulting, training, facilitation, planning, coaching and professional speaking.

In 2010, Rebeccah opened InPower Institute, a division of Emerging Wisdom that serves as a center for community healing and optimal living. Through InPower, she has formed an alliance of healers, change agents, activists, educators, faith leaders and wellness practitioners who co-create healing spaces that advance both personal well-being and community transformation. Annually, InPower offers hundreds of programs and events that spur human growth, creativity and recovery from trauma. Participants are supported in unleashing their personal power to create extraordinary lives and a more just and vibrant world. Through Emerging Wisdom and InPower Institute, Rebeccah has helped tens of thousands of people and countless organizations effect positive change in the areas of organizational and community leadership, economic development, racial equity, public health and safety, environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion and girls’ and women’s empowerment. Though her areas of interest and expertise are wide-ranging, her work is singularly focused on elevating the human condition. Rebeccah is supported in this work by corporate, nonproft and government clients, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Wells Fargo Advisors, Slalom, BJC HealthCare, the Illinois Department on Aging, the Missouri Foundation for Health, the Deaconess Foundation, Focus St. Louis, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the United Church of Christ, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Ferguson Commission, For the Sake of All and St. Louis and Hazelwood Public School Districts. In addition to her professional activities, Rebeccah currently serves as past co-chair of the board of Forward Through Ferguson (the successor organization to the Ferguson Commission) and as past chair of the board of Generate Health (formerly the St. Louis Maternal Child & Family Health Coalition).

SCHNUCKS.COM/UNITY

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CHAMPION FOR ALL

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (ULSTL) is the largest affliate of the National Urban League and a leading nonproft dedicated to empowering African Americans and underserved communities across the region. For more than a century, the organization has provided critical services that advance economic opportunity, education, housing stability and public safety. Serving more than 200,000 individuals annually through 60+ programs, ULSTL delivers a comprehensive, holistic approach to community impact — connecting individuals and families to the resources they need to thrive. From job training and youth development to homeownership support and crisis response, the Urban League remains a trusted pillar in the St. Louis region. Under the leadership of President and CEO Michael P. McMillan, the organization has experienced signifcant growth and expanded its reach, strengthening its ability to respond to both everyday needs and times of crisis. Through innovation, partnership and a deep commitment to equity, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis continues to transform lives and build stronger communities.

In May 2025, in the wake of the devastating St. Louis tornado, the Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis quickly emerged as a central force in relief and recovery efforts across the region. As community needs escalated, the Urban League mobilized swift deploying resources, coordinating partners and delivering direct support to families and neighborhoods most affected by the disaster.

Through its Division of Public Safety and Community Response, the Urban League implemented large-scale, drive-through relief distributions throughout St. Louis City and County. Working closely with the President’s Offce, the development team secured millions in cash and in-kind support, engaging over 100 major corporate partners and more than 1,000 volunteers to sustain ongoing recovery efforts. With additional support from FEMA, City and County funding, the Public Safety team executed complex logistics to serve thousands of families. The Serving Our Streets Initiative and the Federation of Block Units ensured that seniors, individuals with disabilities and homebound families received essential supplies through direct delivery when access to distribution sites was not possible. Outreach teams also conducted neighborhood-level canvassing to distribute critical relief items to local businesses, transit areas and residential blocks most impacted by the storm.

Go to ulstl.com to learn more about the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

CORPORATE SERVICES | COMMERCIAL LITIGATION | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Armstrong Teasdale is a proud sponsorof Webster University’s 10th Annual DEI Conference.

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SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026 LORETTO-HILTON CENTER 6:30–8:30 P.M.

Seeding the Healed Future

communities are being called to do now. We are the seeds of the future, and the future requires our bodies, our presence and our care. By tending our own well-being, rooting ourselves in community and refusing to shrink our hopes, we create the conditions to use the fre rather than fear it, seeding healed futures through collective audacity and shared care. The evening also invites participants into a Healing House, an experiential space designed to meet people where they are in this moment. The House offers listening booths, tension release, writing and refection exercises, music and other grounding practices. Participants are invited to move among different stations, choosing what they need most. Many people are carrying a sense of endangerment right now — emotionally, socially, politically or spiritually. This experience creates a context of safety and care, where participants can pause, breathe and reconnect with themselves and one another. Even brief moments of clarity, inspiration or restoration matter. They help people remember what is possible. Crucially, the Healing House is not only restorative, it is relational. As participants practice presence, refection and mutual support, they are also practicing community care: with one another and for one another. In doing so, we model precisely the kinds of practices that will be required to seed healed futures. This is audacity in action: the courage to persist, to tend to one another and to remain rooted even in the presence of fre!

Rebeccah L. Bennett (she/her) Founder and Principal Emerging Wisdom LLC InPower Institute Black Healers Collective Spirit Rising

Seeding the Healed Future invites you into a bold and grounding reframing of our current moment — one marked by dissolution, struggle and the dismantling of long-standing democratic norms, values and commitments to equity and inclusion. Acknowledging plainly that the world feels like it’s on fre, and indeed it is, this session refuses both denial and despair. Instead, it centers a powerful truth: every future must pass through the threshold of the present. A healed future is possible, but only through intentional action now — through audacity, persistence and the courage to advance fairness, justice and equity even in uncertain times. Rebeccah’s message emphasizes not passive acceptance, but the wisdom to discern what can be changed and the courage to act on it. Using “the Gospel of the Prairie” as a guiding metaphor, the session offers an expansive ecological lens for understanding crisis as a catalyst for regeneration. Prairie fres, while destructive on the surface, are essential to health and renewal — clearing debris, limiting invasive species and activating deep, subterranean root systems where most of the prairie’s life resides. In the presence of fre, native species grow stronger, synchronize their cycles and return with remarkable speed. This wisdom from the natural world models what our

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SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2026 BROWNING HALL AUDITORIUM 8:30 A.M. – 5:30 P.M.

Welcome and Opening Remarks 8:30–9 a.m.

Reclaiming Our Future from the Data of Yesterday and the AI of Today 9–10 a.m.

In the era of AI, persistence has shifted from a survival trait to a digital cage. AI has digitized our historical struggles and labeled them the truth, but its information contains only dated records. By letting this dead data lead, we cannot move forward; worse, we are automating and repeating the ‘truths of yesterday’ and supporting the very biases we are actively struggling to outgrow. Meaningful change can only happen in the “now,” a uniquely human territory. Only humans, armed with their legacy of persistence, can look at a data point and say, “That’s where we were, but not who we are becoming or want to be.” Without humans in the loop, we relegate ourselves to a story without an arc, repeating chapters of struggle forever. To build technology that refects our evolution, we must dare to intervene, bringing our narratives and understanding into the loop. This is the only way to ensure the moral arc bends in favor of a future worthy of our lessons learned.

PRESENTER:

Laura Miller (she/her) Founder and CEO NextGen Ethics Philosophy and Ethics Professor Webster University

Visibility as Strategy: Trans Lives, Narrative Power and the Fight for Policy Change in Missouri 10:30–11:30 a.m. At a moment when trans Missourians are being deliberately weaponized in legislative and ballot strategies, visibility has become both a risk and a necessity. This session centers the audacity to persist by examining how narrative, lived experience and sustained community engagement can disrupt fear-based policy agendas and shift public understanding. Featuring leaders from PROMO and community voices on the front lines, this panel will examine Missouri’s current political landscape, including the use of anti-trans rhetoric in efforts to roll back reproductive freedom and restrict gender-affrming care. Panelists will share how PROMO’s 2026 statewide campaign centers deep canvassing, media strategy and relational storytelling to change hearts and minds at scale. Through personal stories and organizing insights, this conversation moves beyond policy analysis to ask a deeper question: What does it mean to reclaim space and voice in a climate designed to

erase both? Participants will leave with refections and takeaways relevant for individuals and for institutions seeking to show up with integrity, courage and a commitment to justice.

PANEL:

Atem Richardson (they/them) Regional Equality Organizer

Shira Berkowitz (they/them) Senior Director of Public

Policy and Advocacy

PROMO

Lunch 11:30 a.m. ‒ 12:30 p.m. YOU’RE WELCOME TO: • Buy or bring your own lunch • Visit the Grace Chicken + Fish food truck located outside Browning Hall • Visit Webster’s Grab & Go Market located in the adjoining East Academic Building • Enjoy refreshments and snacks, which will be available in the hospitality area throughout the day Immigration in Our Region: Understanding Our Neighbors and Our Shared Responsibility 12:30–1:30 p.m. This moderated panel offers a practical, community-informed conversation on immigration in the St. Louis region — who our immigrant neighbors are, how they arrive and settle and what supports make stability and belonging possible. Drawing on the expertise of local practitioners, panelists will explore the lived realities of foreign-born communities and the systems that shape access to needs like employment, language learning, housing, education and health care. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how communities and individuals can provide meaningful care, build trust and responsibly engage in community organizing and advocacy in response to current enforcement activity. The session emphasizes informed action, shared responsibility and concrete ways to support immigrant neighbors with dignity and care.

PANEL:

Blake Hamilton (he/him)

Carol Daniel (she/her) Moderator

President and CEO

Senior Producer and Host

International Institute of St. Louis

Nine PBS

Director Save Our Sisters Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

Jessica Mayo (she/her/ella) Co-Director and Attorney

Sonette Magnus (she/her)

Partner

Migrant and Immigrant Community

Thompson Coburn LLP

Action Project

Honorary Consul Canada to the U.S.

Suzanne Sierra (she/her)

Haroon Saf

Executive Director

President

St. Louis Mosaic Project

US Afghan Chamber of Commerce Coordinator Monarch Immigrant Services

SCHEDULE

Campus Equity in the Crosshairs: Strategies for Resilience and Safeguarding Equity in Higher Education 2–3 p.m. This session will explore the experiences and impact of recent anti-DEI legislation and actions on the services, opportunities and support for diverse students, staff and faculty across higher education. The panelists represent all sectors of higher education and bring lived experience, education and expertise from the feld, as well as nonproft and community-based organization work. During the session, the panel will share the legal and legislative timeline of anti-DEI acts, address high-impact strategies and real-time responses in the current climate and focus on what institutions can do to preserve core values while remaining compliant and mission-driven. This session will explore: preserving DEI values on campus amid pushback; legal insight on federal and state legislation; defensive positioning and academic freedom; the impact on admissions and hiring; international student recruitment and retention; and the impact on student, faculty and staff wellbeing and sense of belonging.

PANEL:

Trent Ball (he/him) Moderator Senior Strategy Director for

D’Andre Braddix, EdD (he/him)

Ombudsman

Completion

St. Louis Community College

MOCAN

Vincent C. Flewellen, MSW (he/him) Associate Vice President, Offce of

Mary E. Clark, PhD (she/her) Vice President for Impact and Opportunity Metropolitan

Mission Integration Chief Diversity Offcer Webster University

Community College

Wendell Stapleton (he/him) Program Manager for Completion

Algerian Hart, PhD (he/him)

Professor

MOCAN

McQueary College of Health and

Human Services Missouri State University

Reclaiming Sacred Space: Faith, Voice and the Moral Imperative for Justice 3:30–4:30 p.m.

In a moment when exclusionary theologies and Christian nationalism threaten to shrink the moral imagination of our faith communities, this panel gathers courageous spiritual leaders who embody the audacity to persist in justice, truth and beloved community. This panel discussion will explore how our sacred traditions call us to reclaim the public voice of our congregations as a force for diversity, equity and inclusion. Together, they will examine the spiritual and historical roots of exclusion, the harm caused when faith is

weaponized and the liberating possibilities that emerge when communities choose formation over fear and solidarity over domination. Grounded in spiritual insight, prophetic clarity and interfaith commitment, this conversation invites participants to imagine faith communities that resist empire, center human dignity and persist in the holy work of reclaiming space, voice and justice.

PANEL:

Charles K. Burton (he/him) Pastor Unity Fellowship Church Senior Vice President, Offce of People, Mission and Legal Chief of Staff Webster University

Carol Daniel (she/her) Moderator Senior Producer and Host Nine PBS Director Save Our Sisters Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

Rev. Peter Hough (he/him) Pastor The Alton Mission President Greater Alton Community Development Corporation

Rabbi Andrea Goldstein, D. Min (she/her) Rabbi Congregation Shaare Emeth

Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker (she/her) Transitional Pastor Centennial Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Assistant Professor of Community Leadership, Director of Walker Leadership Institute Eden Theological Seminary

Rev. Nelson Pierce Jr. (he/him) Senior Pastor Beloved Community Church

Chief Political Offcer Transforming Change

Champion for All Award Presentation and Reception 2026 Recipient: The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis 4:30–5:30 p.m.

The Champion for All Award is presented annually to an infuential leader or organization in the feld of diversity, equity and inclusion. Recipients embody a sustained commitment to advancing equity, amplifying marginalized voices and driving meaningful change through their work and community engagement. Through visionary leadership and collective action, they have expanded opportunity, fostered belonging and helped shape more just and inclusive communities.

Full bios for all panelists may be found by scanning the QR code or going to webster.edu/DEI2026 .

about sessions and pictures on social networking sites and platforms. MY NOTES

Share your insights and memorable quotes and moments using #WebsterDEI when posting

about sessions and pictures on social networking sites and platforms. MY NOTES

Share your insights and memorable quotes and moments using #WebsterDEI when posting

With its main campus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Webster University comprises an action-oriented global network of faculty, staff, students and alumni who forge powerful bonds with each other and with their communities around the globe. Founded in 1915, Webster is an independent nonproft university with students studying at campus locations in North America, Europe and Asia and in a robust learning environment online. The University is committed to ensuring high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.

Share your insights and memorable quotes and moments using #WebsterDEI when posting about sessions and pictures on social networking sites and platforms. #WebsterDEI

Webster University Main Campus 470 East Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119 webster.edu

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