Description

“Immersive DEI Experience” is an annual signature event presented by the NACC Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee devoted to bringing Members inside a DEI topic. Through interactive, experiential, or hands-on participation, attendees learn, grow, and gain insight into ways to incorporate DEI inside business operations. 

This year's Immersive DEI Experience offers intimate conversations with business professionals who share vulnerable and real stories about their journey in business and how positive efforts in DEI helped them or where the needs for better DEI initiatives could have served them or their business.

MODERATOR

Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo

North Central College

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Professor of Political Science

Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Political Science at North Central College. His research expertise is in political psychology, political communication, and race and ethnicity studies. He is co-founder and co-director of The Project on Race in Political Communication and is often asked to provide media commentary on national and local political news, much of which can be found on his YouTube channel.

PANELISTS

Ali Dewjee

Bombay Eats

Founder, Owner

Ali Dewjee is the Founder and Owner of Bombay Eats (formerly Bombay Wraps). When the wife & husband team opened in 2010, they had one simple mission – to share the delicious, easy, and affordable street food they grew up eating in India. After coming to the US for his MBA and working for various large and small companies, Ali decided to return to his entrepreneurial passion - serving delicious food. Today this mission continues to burn bright, across 3 retail outlets and a food truck. Food is a pivotal component of the Indian culture and there is no better way to express oneself and share the culture than through food. 

Shannon Kelly

Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley

Advocate and Ambassador

Shannon Kelly serves as an ambassador for Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, where she received therapy services for many years. She is a Senior Marketing Manager for United Spinal Association, a non-profit organization that supports people with spinal cord injuries and the disability community at large. She writes for the organization's membership magazine, New Mobility, which produces premier wheelchair lifestyle content written by and for wheelchair users. She is an advocate for the disability community who will share her experience navigating the employment world as a wheelchair user.

Daveyon Bradley

Sundog IT, Inc.

Business Development

Daveyon Bradley is a young visionary who defied the odds by rising from a challenging upbringing and a five-year prison term to become an example of hope and success. A Business graduate of Purdue University, Daveyon’s relentless pursuit of education and personal growth empowered him to create transformative programs within the prison system and mentor at-risk youth through the SIMBA program (Safe In My Brother’s Arms). His life's mission is to help individuals reintegrate into society after incarceration, offering them the tools and support they need to rebuild their lives and break the cycle of recidivism. This has motivated him to start a non-profit called MORETHAN23. Daveyon's inspiring journey serves as a testament to the power of resilience, redemption, and the unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others. 

Sophia Luo

Xilin Association

Director of Community Engagement 

Sophia Luo was born and raised in China and was nurtured within a family rich with musical training while studying classical piano at the age of 3 and Italian opera at the age of 15. She pursued a live performance career at a very young age and collaborated with many prominent music professors and musicians worldwide. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree from RMIT in Australia and Shanghai International Trading College she became Sales & Marketing Manager for Intercontinental Hotel Group Worldwide, after which she immigrated to the US in 2008 and pursued MBA program studies at DePaul University. Currently, Sophia is the Director of Community Engagement at Xilin Association—the largest Asian Community Center in Illinois, a nonprofit which serves low-income seniors and families throughout the State of Illinois. She’s also the founder of Primo Note LLC, a company which manages international culture events, as well as music business.

EVENT SPONSORS

BAR SPONSOR

TABLE SPONSORS

DESSERT SPONSOR

No refunds or credits will be issued.