Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press
“As we gather together at this exploration & celebration of our cultural diversity, let us ask for the blessing of our Creator who has placed us all on this precious planet. Let us give thanks for our shared hope for a future where we can harmonize, not homogenize, the intersection of race, ethnicity, religion, generation, and genders represented in this room.” That’s how I began my invocation prayer for Chattanooga’s Chamber of Commerce Diversify Summit. The luncheon at the Convention Center was packed with every generation, from grey-haired sages to newborn infants with their moms. Attendees represented corporations, small businesses, universities and colleges, nonprofits, networking groups, media, and municipal agencies.
Continue reading Diversify into the Future – by Deborah Levine
With a degree in psychology and master’s in screen writing, Selene Calloni Williams has 
authored several International best-selling books and documentaries. Her focus is on psychology, deep ecology, shamanism, yoga, philosophy, and anthropology. As a direct student of James Hillman, she studied and practiced Buddhist meditation in the hermitages of the forests of Sri Lanka, and is an initiate of Shamanic Tantric Yoga. She is the founder and the director of the Imaginal Academy Institute Switzerland.
As a former banker, with grad studies in behavioral psychology, Pam Teagarden works from the intersection of business and behaviors. She developed AI models of ‘Inclusive Diversity’ using cutting-edge systems information to provide performance-based measures of effective inclusion, linking diverse workforces directly to increasing competitive advantage and to sustainable high levels of employee engagement.
Dr. Val Margarit is an expert in Transformational Education, an award-winning educational leader, college professor, speaker, and the author of Why Not You? How to Become an Empowered Woman.
Keith Weedman is Principal/ Founder of Level 3 by Design, LLC. focusing on empowerment & change. He is also a member of the