My long-term hope for Washtenaw county and beyond is that private and public sector partners work together to drive sustained diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) improvement measured through positive economic and equity impact. As a child of immigrants, a woman of color, a STEM professional, as well as a business, community, and entrepreneurial leader, I am sobered by the work we have ahead of us needed to drive measurable racial equity improvement. I recognize the importance of creating a culture and community where all aspects of diversity can be respected and people can bring their whole authentic selves. I look forward to continuing to create spaces of intentional listening and true connection to drive change. My hope is that through our collective efforts, we can improve access to education, training, and work opportunities to drive greater representation of leaders of color and other marginalized communities in this county and beyond. This is a journey of “we and us” working collectively with our hearts, heads, and hands to break down barriers to drive systemic change whether it is in the workplace or community. It has been an incredible privilege to be a part of the 2020-2021 community of the Washtenaw Champions for Change.

Organization: Office of Tech Transfer, University of Michigan