President Biden signed two Executive Orders to build a strong, fair, and inclusive workforce and economy by investing in communities historically denied equal opportunity. The Department of Commerce has developed the Business Diversity Principles (BDP) Initiative to encourage businesses to adopt best practices that promote economic growth in underserved communities through diversity, equity...

Hi, everyone. It’s an honor to join you today. I want to recognize Deputy Secretary Graves for the tremendous work he and his team have done to bring this event together and to develop Commerce’s Business Diversity Principles Initiative. At Commerce, our number one goal is to improve America’s competitiveness so our workers and companies can succeed in the global economy. We’re placing equity at...

Good afternoon, everyone. I’m excited to welcome you to the Department’s Third Annual Interagency Convening on Equitable Economic Growth. Today, this Equity Convening gathers us all here to engage in critical conversations about equitable economic development. I would like to especially thank Representatives Al Green and Emanuel Cleaver for joining us today, as well as Mayor Ed Gainey of...

Download the Business Diversity Principles Fact Sheet (PDF) The Department of Commerce is developing the Business Diversity Principles (BDP) Initiative as part of its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan goal of promoting inclusive capitalism and equitable economic growth for all Americans. The BDP Initiative aims to foster a more equitable economic landscape by encouraging businesses to learn from each other...

By Junish Arora , Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer One of the roles of the Chief Diversity Officer is to connect Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) in an effort to build a more optimal workforce and a thriving workplace culture. However, there are many other partners and...

First Convening of Department-wide Equity Councils The U.S. Department of Commerce convened today the first Congress of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Councils to accelerate a shared mission to deliver equitable services to underserved communities and create a culture where employees can succeed and thrive. The inaugural meeting of the Councils led by Commerce Deputy...

By Junish A. Arora As the new Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDO) at the Department of Commerce, I wanted to share my diversity story and some recent thoughts on the value proposition for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Born in India, my family immigrated to the United States when I was five years old. I grew up in a community in south New Jersey, which at...

Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo released the following statement in recognition of the Juneteenth Holiday: Juneteenth represents the delayed freedom of the last enslaved Black Americans, the triumph and perseverance of a community, and the ongoing work that still needs to be done to root out systemic racism and ensure equality and justice for all. To recognize this historical day, last year...

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) released its Equity Action Plan for ensuring its programming and policies reach a larger and more diverse audience. The plan acknowledges that inclusive growth is good economics and it works to incorporate equity into every stream of work at the Commerce Department. Earlier this year, the Department updated its mission statement to better highlight its...

Following the Biden Administration’s first-ever interagency convening on economic growth , Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kiran Ahuja hosted a virtual roundtable to bring leaders together to discuss ways to reinvent the federal workforce through the lens of equity and make the federal government the model employer. Deputy Secretary Graves...