Shands serves as the chief diversity officer for TriHeath, the fourth-largest employer in Greater Cincinnati and brings with her extensive experience in workforce development, social impact, and diversity.
Shands will bring an important perspective to EntreCon, perspective that includes work with The Aspen Institute, Working Metrics and more than 20 years of human resources and workforce development experience across industries including manufacturing, health care, construction, and IT.
“Mardia will help us all tackle the issues of inclusion, diversity, equality and awareness.†Said SCI founder Quint Studer. “I heard Mardia speak at a conference in 2019 and immediately knew we needed to bring her to EntreCon®. She’s one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard.â€
Shands will challenge individuals and organizations to go beyond what they are currently doing and take an “all-in†approach to diversity and inclusion, providing actionable insights that motivate, inspire, and encourage attendees to push beyond the diversity conversation and take meaningful action to amplify diversity efforts that move the dial for everyone – across all identities.
Her career has spanned from multinational global corporations to small not-for-profits across North America and Africa. Aspen Institute Job Quality.
She has been recognized by the Cincinnati Business Courier as a 40 under 40 business leader and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati as a Rising Star. She is the immediate past chair of the Workforce Investment Board of Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties where she was recognized as a regional expert on solving workforce development issues. She also serves on the board of directors for the YWCA of Dayton and Lifespan.
Shands previously led Partners for a Competitive Workforce, a cross-sector partnership in the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana (Greater Cincinnati) tristate region focused on meeting employer demand by growing the skills of the current and future workforce. The organization trained nearly 13,000 people for jobs in high-growth career pathways and works with local school districts to strengthen the next generation of workers.
EntreCon® 2020 will bring together people who spend every day grappling with the same tough problems and challenges as you.
Join us on Nov. 18 & 19 as we embark on an epic journey: Thinking beyond what we ever thought possible for our businesses and jobs, allowing us to proactively stay ahead of the curve and prepare for the future.
EntreCon® has passes to fit every budget and schedule. The early-bird ticket price has been extended to June 30, to help during the recovery from COVID-19.
Learn more and register for EntreCon® 2020 at www.entreconpensacola.com