Nature Knows: Diversity in Practice

Diversity in a natural ecosystem – plants, animals, insects, microbes – is essential for long-term systemic health. Nature’s principle of “strength through diversity” can apply to us professionally – our business practices, our colleagues and the talents they bring, and the designs we create in our work, from planning neighborhood resiliency against seawater surges all the way through to details like thermostat controls in a multifamily retrofit project. In this interactive session, we’ll touch on Nature’s lessons on diversity and then look at strategies related to our work at levels from talent growth to building design. Each participant will also define and explore one way to increase diversity and its value in their company or organization and, to extend the learning beyond the conference, can request a follow-up conversation with speaker Jodi Smits Anderson.

Session Speaker(s): 

Session Chair(s): 

Event Time: 

Thursday, September 24, 2020 - 10:30am to 12:00pm

Experience Level: 

2 (some prior experience/knowledge helpful)

CEU Information: 

AIA 1.5 LU

Learning Objectives:

  • Define how nature embraces diversity as value
  • Define the fascinating relationship between diversity and locational specificity, with data from Nature
  • Name three ways we already embrace diversity in our work, as well as ideas to increase the value in diversity
  • Define at least one way your firm/business can improve value by increasing diversity of staff and talent and set one report-back goal

Session ID: 

NYC20-117