While GW&K has long been committed to the principles of equity and inclusion, and a positive, caring and inclusive corporate culture, we realized that we could bring more specificity, emphasis and coordination to our efforts.

With the support of GW&K's Management Committee, GW&K formed our first ever Diversity & Inclusion Committee, with 15 individuals from departments across GW&K raising their hands to join. At the beginning, one of the few things we knew was that there was a lot we didn't know! We expected to make mistakes along the way (and we have), but our efforts are sincere and dedicated, and are receiving positive feedback from our colleagues. One of our first initiatives was a comprehensive employee survey on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - what do our employees want, what are we missing, what have we done well historically, and where are we falling short? Based on the survey, we created various Task Forces and Affinity Groups, selected leaders who had volunteered to lead these groups, and gave them authority in a holacratic structure to draft and carry out their mission statements.

Our Task Forces now include Hiring, Education & Training, Mentoring, and Volunteering. Our Affinity Groups include Women in Finance, LGBTQ Alliance, and People of Color. These working groups have enlisted a number of our GW&K colleagues as members and allies, and are operating a variety of programs and initiatives consistent with their mission.