Fireside chat with Dr. Paris Thomas, Executive Director of Equal Hope.
The fireside chat will focus on Equal Hope, an organization dedicated to addressing and reducing disparities in breast and cervical cancer access and outcomes. Dr. Thomas will explore the mission and health equity model of Equal Hope, an organization dedicated to promoting health equity and why corporate America should care and benefit from health equity. Equal Hope’s health equity model is designed to ensure that every individual, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity, has equal access to high-quality care and support. She will discuss how a healthy workforce is crucial for businesses and the ways in which Equal Hope's initiatives align with the values and goals of corporate America. By investing in a healthy workforce and supporting initiatives that address health disparities, businesses can contribute to building thriving communities, enhancing their reputation, and securing long-term business success.
Moderator: Dr. Deborah Ashton, President, Planet Perspective
SPEAKER
Dr. Paris Thomas
Executive Director of Equal Hope
Dr. Paris Thomas is the Executive Director of Equal Hope where she oversees Equal Hope’s strategic vision and leads business decisions to increase Equal Hope’s community reach and impact. Paris is a Chicago native with experience in promoting health equity through health system transformation and improvement. Paris is a health and racial equity leader and researcher whose work focuses on promoting health through intersectionality to eliminate disparities for historically marginalized communities through culturally competent interventions. Her passion for health equity is motivated by her family’s experiences with the healthcare system and the role it has played on their health outcomes.
Paris’ career has focused on leading community-focused health efforts to develop innovative strategies to improve access to care for under-resourced communities. Paris earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physiology from Grand Valley State University, a Master of Science Degree in Public Health Education from the University of Cincinnati, and a PhD in Health & Human Sciences from Northern Illinois University.
MODERATOR
Deborah P. Ashton, PhD, CDM
President, Planet Perspective, LLC
Dr. Deborah Ashton is the President of Planet Perspective. She is a DEI & ESG strategist and consultant with 30+ years of cross-industry experience, specializing in assessing inclusive cultural and leadership effectiveness, assisting organizations and leaders to be more effective in a diverse environment and advising boards to better address the needs of a diverse and global customer base and workforce. Dr. Ashton headed diversity and inclusion for Medtronic, Darden Restaurants, Harley-Davidson, Novant Health and Argonne National Laboratory.
She served on HBS Club of Chicago Advisory Council as the DEI Industry Lead. She serves/d as the Advisory Committee Board Member for American Diversity Report and the Mill Road Progressive Governance Fund, Mill Road Capital. Dr. Ashton is a member of the NYSE Board Candidate Network. She has authored articles for the Harvard Business Review and other prestigious journals. She specializes in organizational psychology and mitigating unconscious and systemic biases in the workplace. https://planetperspective.com/
She was inducted into Inclusion Magazine’s 2021 D&I Hall of Fame; named as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2014 Top Influential Women in Corporate America and recognized as a Health Equity Pioneer by American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity in 2023. She received Clarke University’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award. She is a licensed psychologist, who received her doctorate from Harvard University and studied with Dr. Chester ‘Chet’ Pierce, who coined the term “microaggression”. She was a post-doctoral clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday, Mar 6
Time: 5:00 to 6:00 PM CT
Host: HBS Club of Chicago
Virtual: Zoom
COST:
HBSCC Patron Members: Complimentary
HBSCC Regular Members: Complimentary
Non-Members & General Public: $10
Please note that no refunds will be issued.
Registration Closes on Tuesday, Mar 5
Upon registration, webinar zoom instructions will be emailed to the attendee list on the morning of Wednesday, Mar 6.
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