Professionals of color have a very different experience of building a career in Boston, relative to their white peers and colleagues. Throughout the season, we’ve heard stories of these experiences and the work leaders in our community are doing to repair, among other things, our broken talent pipeline. 

In our final episode of season 2, our guests investigate issues of equity and diversity as they impact career development opportunities here in Boston (and beyond). Are candidates of color discouraged from coming to a city like Boston to pursue professional opportunities? What work is being done to fix this problem? And how are professionals of color able to find meaningful connection with the city? These questions, and more. 

Highlights from this episode: 

• Stephanie Browne (Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts) recounts the challenges she faced while establishing herself professionally here in Boston 
• Chair of the Commonwealth Institute, Pam Reeve, explains how the pandemic exposed pervasive issues of inequity 
• Art Papas, CEO and Co-founder of Bullhorn, highlights the impact of social media on conversations around corporate social responsibility 
• Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast, discusses new ways for leaders to communicate about complex issues  
• Microsoft Airband Initiative’s Director of Digital Transformation, Aimee Sprung, talks about the impact and importance of keeping a diverse set of voices in the mix 
• Pratt Wiley, CEO of The Partnership, illustrates why connecting people of color to cultural resources is integral to growing a vibrant and diverse professional community 

Thank you for following us on our journey this season as we investigated Boston’s challenges as a microcosm for bigger issues of equity and access. Through topics like access to technology, healthcare innovations, the future of education, and forward-thinking DE&I strategies, we worked to take Boston’s Brand Problem out of the shadows, and onto the Tech Trail. But the conversation doesn’t end here – keep it going on social and let us know what burning questions you have about equity, access, and the city of Boston. 

Boston is a global healthcare innovation hub, but inequality of access to care is a persistent challenge. As we emerge from the pandemic, what are our leaders doing to address these issues and move toward a healthier business and care ecosystem?  

In this episode, we’ll hear stories from the front lines about disparity in access, the impact of COVID on the systems that support global health, and the technology that’s moving us forward.  

Highlights from this episode: 

• CVS Health’s Chief Digital Officer, Firdaus Bhathena, introduces the current inflection point for the healthcare industry 
• Mark Butler, President of Cigna New England, discusses the tremendous acceleration to healthcare innovation coming out of the pandemic 
• Debbie Theobald (Co-founder of Vecna Technologies) tells us what kinds of disruptive technologies to expect, and the challenges that come along with innovating in a monolithic space like healthcare 
• Joshua Ness (Sr Manager at Verizon 5G Labs) describes the connective and equalizing power of emerging technologies 
• CIC Heath Founder, Tim Rowe, moves the discussion toward mental and behavioral health and introduces how technology is shaping this space 
• Carol Vallone, McLean Hospital’s Board Chair, digs deeper into mental health access issues exposed by the pandemic 

So, follow us on our journey this season as we investigate Boston’s challenges as a microcosm for bigger issues of equity and access. Through topics like access to technology, healthcare innovations, the future of education, and forward-thinking DE&I strategies, we take Boston’s Brand Problem out of the shadows — and onto the Tech Trail. 

Technology has the power to exclude. Sure, it can (and often does) connect marginalized communities to resources, but many people lack the access necessary to sustain meaningful growth, both professionally and financially. In that way, what technology provides for some communities, it limits in others. 

This episode, our guests talk us through a topic that many of us take for granted: access to the internet and the impact of connectivity (or lack of) to our economy and society. We’ll hear about web access as a basic human right, the technology impact of the pandemic on communities of color, and finally how Boston is emerging from this crisis with a plan to improve access, connectivity, and quality of life for everyone. 

Highlights from this episode: 

• Christina Luconi (Chief People Officer at Rapid7) introduces the idea of “Tech Privilege” alongside other issues of privilege highlighted by the pandemic 
• Pam Reeve (Chair of The Commonwealth Institute, former CEO of Lightbridge, Inc.) digs into internet access as a basic human right 
• Director of Digital Transformation at Microsoft’s Airband Initiative, Aimee Sprung, discusses how the pandemic put a spotlight on connectivity gaps 
• Katherine Newman, the System Chancellor for Academic Programs and SVP for Economic Development at UMass, parses out the nuances of access and opportunity 
• Joshua Ness (Sr Manager at Verizon 5G Labs) tells us how 5G will help bridge existing digital divides 
• Cambridge Innovation Center’s founder and CEO, Tim Rowe, explains how spaces can shape inclusive and diverse communities while providing access to the internet and technology 

So, follow us on our journey this season as we investigate Boston’s challenges as a microcosm for bigger issues of equity and access. Through topics like access to technology, healthcare innovations, the future of education, and forward-thinking DE&I strategies, we take Boston’s Brand Problem out of the shadows — and onto the Tech Trail.