Our Initiatives & Resources for Your Business
The Tompkins Chamber recognizes historic and ongoing injustices to many marginalized groups in our community and around the world – and collaborates with our members and partners to offer resources, advance community conversations, and encourage employers and businesses to take meaningful action towards advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our commitment to the resolve and resources required for this ongoing work.
It is the responsibility of the Chamber & CVB – and its members and partners – to ensure that our work environments, businesses, and community spaces are safe and inclusive for all. It is not only good for business, but the right thing to do. To that end, we aim to:
- Increase the diversity of all constituencies of the Chamber: employees, Board of Directors, committee members, volunteers, vendors, customers, collaborators, and our general membership.
- Offer professional development opportunities on the topics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Board of Directors, members, and tourism partners.
- Engage in annual internal DEI assessments, policy reviews, inclusive decision making and planning work, and frequent training opportunities.
- Ensure conscious representation in marketing and outreach materials (Chamber & CVB, Live in Ithaca).
- Be a leader among peer organizations, including development of practices, programs, and policies to support inclusion and equity in the workplace.
Leadership, Education, and Resource Efforts of the Chamber/CVB:
Current/Ongoing
- Ithaca is Inclusive sticker initiative
- BLOC partnership – extending member benefits/access to BLOC members
- Chamber is a key community partner representing businesses in the Ithaca LEAD Program
- Member of Diversity Consortium of Tompkins County; funded their 2022 programming through a grant
- OJT Grant Program – Supporting people in recovery and their employers
- Founding partner and annual supporter of the All Things Equal radio program
- Included DEI as a key priority in our strategic planning
Past
- MWBE trainings/workshops (2018-2020)
- Black Owned Businesses list – Chamber partnered with City/BLOC to create and promote a black owned businesses list in July 2020 (no longer active)
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training Series – Internal & External offering coordinated in partnership with known community experts and consultants (2021-2023)
- President Jennifer Tavares signed on to EXEX Commitment to Equity & Anti-Racism (2021)
- Minority & Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) trainings/workshops (2018-2020)
DEI Workshop Series
In an effort to aid Chamber members’ desire to cultivate diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces, we have partnered with a group of experienced facilitators to host a webinar series. The series has the benefit of introducing Chamber members to local consultants and facilitators who can assist their respective businesses and organizations to develop strategic DEI plans, conduct follow up workplace trainings, and assist in recruitment/retention strategies for a diverse workforce.
Recent/Upcoming trainings include:
Our Values
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are a part of our core values.
We seek to incorporate these values in the way we hire, staff our board, go about fulfilling our mission, engage with our members and partners, plan for the future, and interact with our community.
Consultants & Resources
in Our Community
DEI in our Strategic Plan
