Impact Makers Stands Against Racial Injustice

A Message From Our CEO

The world around us continues to make seismic shifts. We have all witnessed, with disgust and horror, the tragic murder of Mr. George Floyd. In the last couple of months, we have also witnessed the senseless deaths of Mr. Ahmaud Arbury and Ms. Breonna Taylor. It is beyond words. The violence and lack of humanity is too much to bear, and the systemic racism that perpetuates the social injustice and economic inequities must end. It’s not good enough for us to say we are not racist, we must be against racism and take action.

As we move forward, I will be looking at how we can use our mission, talent, and values to be part of the solution. To uphold this commitment, we are assembling an internal council of employees to formalize a concrete plan of action. Their resolve – and the resolve of all Impact Makers associates – to being agents of change in the movement against racial injustice will help solution and drive three strategic imperatives we have identified that promote equity:

• Take action now: We believe this is a pivotal moment in history for positive change against racial injustice. We commit to being a force of good to build momentum in this movement. Therefore, we have taken immediate actions, including:
  • Signing a petition to respectfully remove the confederate monuments from Monument Avenue (www.themonuments.org)
  • Observation of Juneteenth as a company holiday
  • Formulation of an internal council to focus on our longer term response to racial injustices, internally and in our communities

• Address our own shortcomings: We must focus within our organization and become intentional in our efforts to deepen our learning and education on injustice, build empathy, address bias, and become a more inclusive organization. Our own self-awareness and shared understanding seem to be the right first steps, including:
  • Holding facilitated candid conversations with our internal teams to share and learn from our diverse perspectives
  • Diversifying our team and ensuring all employees have resources on allyship
  • Engaging external resources to guide and educate us, as we recognize this begins with listening and learning

• Address systemic racial injustice in our community: We will broaden our impact by supporting our community partners and clients in their antiracist efforts. We will engage in meaningful dialogue in groups where we have established relationships and can exert influence. We will seek to drive lasting change by addressing deep-rooted issues that promote inequity and bias.

While the exact course of action has yet to be formalized, there is no question that we will approach these efforts with open hearts and open minds, evolving them to ensure we maximize our impact while remaining steadfast in our promise to be active participants in driving change.

Finally, I recognize that I am a white man in a position of power and privilege, and I bear enormous responsibility to lead with purpose. I am committed to building a world with greater racial justice, equity and humanity through deliberate, persistent action. I must do better. We all must do better.

With hope and humility,

Lewis Broome

CEO, Impact Makers