Be the Change consortium – The Reimagining of DEI – Building a Business Case and Driving Impact and Value in the Digital era

The Black Talent & Leadership in STEM Programme is on a mission to address the under-representation of minority talent with a focus on the Black talent skills gap in STEM to help companies attract, retain, empower & grow this talent whilst addressing the urgent need for digital skills

In today’s rapidly evolving business climate, DEI must move beyond good intentions.

Traditionally, DEI efforts were justified by ethical and moral arguments — the belief that fairness, equality, and justice are simply the “right thing” to do. While these values remain important, the modern business environment demands strategic alignment and measurable outcomes. Without tangible ROI, performance indicators, and data-driven insights, DEI initiatives risk being deprioritized — especially during times of uncertainty.

Now more than ever, organisations must treat DEI as a strategic business imperative — directly linked to innovation, growth, employee engagement, and competitiveness. This includes demonstrating social and business value, not only to build stronger internal cultures but also to position more effectively in public sector procurement and broader stakeholder engagement.

Key themes to be discussed during the event include:

  • Engagement with the education sector and what this means for inclusive innovation in the digital era
  • Approaches to building data-driven insight across the employee lifecycle
  • The investment case for DEI - Steps to building an outcome-focused business case for DEI
  • The importance of demonstrating social value — and how this can strengthen bids for public sector contracts

We invite you to join leaders, practitioners, and change-makers from across sectors to reimagine DEI through the lens of impact, value, and accountability.

Monday 16 February
2pm – 2.30pm
Registration and networking with refreshments

Networking

2.30pm – 2.40pm
Welcome from BTLS

Speaker Session

2.40pm – 3.05pm
Welcome and overview of BCU’s approach to building an inclusive leadership pipeline

Speaker Session

3.05pm – 3.10pm
Welcome from – Aston University

Speaker Session

3.10pm – 3.40pm
Treating EDI as a Science Problem

Speaker Session

3.40pm – 4.10pm
Innovation and its impact on the Future Workplace

Speaker Session

4.10pm – 4.40pm
Demonstrating value – Adopting a holistic approach to delivering DEI, successfully

Speaker Session

4.40pm – 4.50pm
Comfort break

Networking

4.50pm – 5.20pm
Demonstrating value - How social-value-driven DEI strategies unlock revenue potential

Speaker Session

5.20pm – 5.55pm
Facilitated Group Discussions

Panel Session

5.55pm – 6pm
Final Comments

Olu Orugboh, Black Talent & Leadership CEO