Dr. Zeina Sleiman & Erin Waugh
NorQuest College
The Powerful Connection Between EDI and Business Strategy
Creating an equitable workspace isn’t just a moral or ethical obligation—it’s a powerful strategy that drives organizational success. By creating an inclusive, equitable culture, organizations can enhance their ability to recruit, retain, and grow employees.
At the heart of this is an effective EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) strategy, which shapes how organizations approach their people, culture, and operational success. In this workshop, we’ll break down the key components of an EDI strategy, its significance, and the connection between EDI and fundamental business strategies. Additionally, we’ll provide actionable tips for inclusive leadership and explore how you can drive meaningful change within your organization.
Dr. Zeina Sleiman has over ten years of experience in helping organizations and post-secondary institutions understand the impact of diversity and how to create more inclusive spaces. She started out in research and consulting where she worked with Canadian diplomats on pre-departure intercultural training, spent several years as a researcher at the Conference Board of Canada, and authored policy papers and reports on diversity, immigration and innovation. More recently, she spearheaded and managed several projects at NorQuest that are aimed at reducing barriers to accessing education in Alberta and is currently the Director at the Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership. She has a PhD in politics, is the author of Sanctuary Regions, and the Struggle for Belonging , and her forthcoming book, Where the Jasmine Blooms, will be released in 2025.
Erin Waugh (he/him)
Partnerships & Inclusion Lead in NorQuest College’s Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership (CIIL).
Erin works with industry on strategies that deliver more staff engagement, accessibility and belonging. Through approaches that are designed to be concrete and practical, he engages leaders towards cultural shifts and growth without the focus on the polarizing conversations that have become so common when talking about respect, psychological safety, belonging and inclusion in the workplace. Erin is passionate about ensuring strategy, policy and training align no matter how big or small the company. As a culture and communication expert, Erin applies his experience working across the globe with culturally diverse staff teams on building understanding, respect, and trust for safer workplaces. Erin holds a master’s degree in educational psychology, is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory, and a graduate of Cornell University’s Diversity & Inclusion certificate program.
